Northwestern State coach Jordan Dupuy talked with the media after falling to Arkansas, 98-53, on Friday morning at Bud Walton Arena.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday
John & Tommy are joined by former Razorbacks Jake Bequette & Tyler Wilson to talk Arkansas-LSU, old football memories, Week 11 football picks and more!
First game in fall ‘spring practice’ tough one against LSU
Arkansas basically had a week of fall practice last week that likely was the first one in what will likely be four weeks of workouts a little different than most teams playing out the schedule.
That’s the case with Chad Morris as the Razorbacks are 2-7 headed into the final quarter of the season with three games where they will be decided underdogs.
Historically, that’s the place where Arkansas usually does the best.
The Hogs, over the last 60 years, have pulled more than a couple of shockers when little was expected of them. We could go all the way back to 1960 when the Hogs stunned a highly-ranked Texas team in Austin, 24-23, for the first big win of the Frank Broyles period.
This situation is remarkably similar to that one.
The Longhorns started that season at No. 4 in the country and lost on the opening weekend to Nebraska at home.
Texas entered their October matchup against the Hogs with that one loss and a No. 11 ranking. They finished 7-3-1, tying No. 9 Alabama, 3-3, in the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston.
Arkansas won the game a week after losing to Baylor in Fayetteville, 28-14. They went on to the first conference title for Broyles (and the first of three straight) in his third year with the Hogs.
But let’s keep it limited to LSU in more modern times:
• The Razorbacks were going nowhere in 2008 and stunned LSU in Little Rock.
• In 2007, Houston Nutt’s last game was in Baton Rouge against the top-ranked Tigers and the Hogs won in three overtimes.
• LSU thought it was headed to the Sugar Bowl, but took a detour in Little Rock and the Hogs ended up there after a 31-23 win.
• Bret Bielema hadn’t won a game in the SEC by the time a November matchup with the Tigers rolled around in 2014 and the Hogs won, 17-0.
• To add more shock to that, Bielema took his best team to Baton Rouge the next season and got a 31-14 win.
Considering Bielema’s SEC record during his five years, Les Miles may have been fired for being 1-2 against the Hogs in his three matchups with Bielema. Remember, Miles was gone by the time they met in 2016.
All of that’s fine and well, you say, but this Arkansas team is not as good as any of those teams.
While that is true from the record, the potential is there for an LSU team to be as down as any Tigers team seen in recent memory.
Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said before the game against Alabama last week it was THE game this year for Alabama. After LSU was curb-stomped at home by the Crimson Tide, well, ol’ Ed sounded like was the one who took the beating.
And he promptly threw his players under the bus in the view of some in the media when he said they needed to get better players. That’s shades of what he did when he was coaching Ole Miss … he ended up losing his last two teams there and his job.
What does all that mean?
The Hogs may have a shot. It’s certainly a long shot, but these days they’ll take anything they can get in a season filled with more negatives than positives.
I learned a long time ago never to pick a hunch you wouldn’t put cash money on, so I’m not ready to go there, but I think it could be close.
LSU 31, +13.5 Arkansas 29
In our little competition, we have going here, I took some unusually wild guesses at longshots on games, trying my best to get Peter Morgan back in it and stumbled to a 1-4 finish, lowering the overall season mark to 62-9.
Peter proved up to the challenge … and only picked up a game to close within five games with a 58-18 record with three weeks left in the season.
South Carolina at -6 Florida
Well, the Gators tripped and fell flat on their snouts against Missouri at home last week. Both teams are 6-3 overall and 4-3 in the league.
But Florida is at home, you say. Well, they were last week, too, and got kicked all over the field by Missouri.
However … Dan Mullen will have a full week to sort out the quarterback issues the guess here is it will be either a complete meltdown by the Gators and I’ll never pick them again or they have it figured out.
I’ll go with the latter, but not to cover the spread.
Florida 30, South Carolina 28
Vanderbilt at -16.5 Missouri
Apparently, the oddsmakers think the Tigers will be pumped and on a roll after surprising Florida last week on the road.
And apparently they didn’t see the Vandy game against Arkansas two weeks ago.
Oh, the Tigers will win, but they won’t cover the spread (not that it matters for our contest here, which is the disclaimer Peter might use if he invokes Florida voting rules at the end).
Missouri 38, Vanderbilt 31
Ole Miss at -13 Texas A&M
The Rebels are free and clear of NCAA issues and go to Texas A&M, which is reeling after Mississippi State tap-danced on them in Starkville last week.
Ole Miss has a high-flying offense and a defense that can’t stop anybody but Arkansas’ second team.
While the Aggies are, well, the Aggies so anything could happen, but I’ll go with A&M having this game at Kyle Field.
Texas A&M 49, Ole Miss 41
Mississippi State at -24 Alabama
CBS has tried its best to paint this as an actual matchup. The fact they have this as the marquee game goes to the power of the Crimson Tide in drawing viewers.
Here’s the analysis: Alabama wins … big
Alabama 49, Mississippi State 13
-5.5 Kentucky at Tennessee
While there is somewhat of a feeling here that the Wildcats could be having a letdown after finding out last week how far they are from being at the top of the SEC East.
I would actually consider an upset here if the Vols weren’t so predictably bad. I mean, they are bad unless the other team just ups and takes the week off like Auburn did last month.
The difference is Kentucky has a running game to lean on … the Tigers don’t.
Kentucky 24, Tennessee 13
Auburn at -14 Georgia
With Gus Malzahn being told this week he’ll be back on The Plains next year, there isn’t a lot of pressure and who knows how that plays out.
The Bulldogs, however, are still vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Auburn’s simply trying to avoid playing a bowl game in Birmingham this year.
But they have a gimme next week against Liberty so they should have seven wins in the bag and that’ll get them out of Birmingham for the bowl game.
Georgia 35, Auburn 21
Hogs set to open regular season against Texas at Fort Bliss
Who: Texas
What: ESPN Armed Forces Classic
When: Friday – Nov. 9, 2018 – 6 pm (CT)/5 pm (MT)
Where: Fort Bliss Military Base – El Paso, Texas
How (to follow):
• TV: ESPN (Dave Fleming, Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg)
• Radio: Razorback/IMG Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
• Satellite Radio: Arkansas Broadcast (XM 389) | National Broadcast (XM & Sirius 80)
• ESPN Radio Network (Kevin Winter, Bob Valvano)
• Live Stats: http://ArmedForces.Statbroadcast.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas opens the 2018-19 season this Friday (Nov. 9) against one of its oldest rivals, Texas, when the Razorbacks and Longhorns square off on a national stage at the ESPN Armed Forces Classic.
The game will be played on Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas, and tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
The Arkansas-Texas basketball rivalry dates back to the Razorbacks’ first season of basketball (1923-24).
Even though the two programs have only played eight times since the 1990-91 season, this will be the 155th all-time meeting in the series. Texas A&M (157 meetings) is the only team Arkansas has played more.
The Razorbacks own an 87-67 advantage in the series. Also, Arkansas is 14-3 versus Texas in games played on neutral courts, including five straight wins — all of which were played in the state of Texas. Arkansas additionally owns the longest win streak in the series — 12 games from February 1955 to December 30, 1959.
The last time they met, Arkansas claimed a 77-74 victory in the Lone Star Shootout played in Houston’s Toyota Center on Dec. 17, 2016. Daryl Macon, who was 14-of-14 at the free throw line, led the Razorbacks with 23 points.
Overall, Arkansas made 29-of-31 free throws, including 18-of-19 in the second half, while Texas was just 19-of-32 at the charity stripe. Arkansas also had a 30-4 advantage in bench scoring.
This will be the 96th season of basketball for the Razorbacks. Arkansas is 77-18 all-time in season openers, has 23 straight season openers and has opened the season in the win column in 45 of the last 47 seasons.
Arkansas will be opening the season on a neutral court for just the 11th time and first time since 2004-05. The Razorbacks are 9-1 when opening the season on a neutral court.
The lone loss was against UMass, 104-80, in Springfield, Mass., to open the 1994-95 season in the Tip-off Classic.
The Razorbacks, coming off a national championship and eventual national runner-up, were No. 1 in the polls and the Minutemen were No. 3. That setback to UMass was also the last time Arkansas lost a season opener.
???? Thursday Halftime Pod — featuring Scott Rabalais
Phil Elson & Tye Richardson talk about Ty Storey’s opportunity, You Spent What, interview Scott Rabalais and more!
Hogs kick off regular season Friday against Northwestern State
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas officially opens the 2018-19 season hosting Northwestern State on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Bud Walton Arena.
The early morning tip time accommodates the program’s ninth consecutive Elementary Day promotion with more than 4,000 area students expected to attend.
In the Huddle
Tickets: http://bit.ly/WBB19Tix
Parking: Fans are encouraged to park in Lot 56 for Friday’s game.
Watch: http://bit.ly/WBBArkNSU
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from IMG
Live Scoring: http://statb.us/b/233631
Notes: http://bit.ly/ArkWBBNotes
Social: @RazorbackWBB (Twitter/Instagram) | Facebook.com/RazorbackWBB
About the Game
The Razorbacks open the season hosting Northwestern State. The Lady Demons were 7-22 overall last season and return their second-leading scorer from a year ago.
Libba Gilliam averaged 10.7 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 4.6 boards per game in 2017-18. Arkansas is 13-3 all-time against Northwestern State and is a perfect 9-0 at home against the Lady Demons.
About the Razorbacks
The Razorbacks return nine letterwinners, four starters and welcome three newcomers who will immediately impact the program.
Leading scorer Malica Monk and leading rebounder Kiara Williams both return with a year of experience under the direction of second-year coach Mike Neighbors.
Redshirt sophomores Chelsea Dungee and A’Tyanna Gaulden join freshman Rokia Doumbia and junior college addition Alexis Tolefree and all four will be pivotal elements in Arkansas’ success this season.
Two Exhibitions, Two Wins
Arkansas had an extended warmup to the 2018-19 season this year playing three games in Italy in August followed by two official exhibition contests.
The Razorbacks were 5-0 in those games.
In the two recent exhibition games, redshirt sophomore A’Tyanna Gaulden averaged 19.5 points per game including a 27-point effort against Southwest Baptist.
The Razorbacks outscored their opponents 216-99 and had five players average double figures. In addition to Gaulden, Malica Monk (15.0), Chelsea Dungee (13.0), Kiara Williams (13.0) and Rokia Doumbia (12.0) were all above the 10-point mark.
Up Next
We’ve only just begun. Arkansas faces a big road test at UT-Arlington on Nov. 14.
The Lady Mavs are picked third in their conference and are tough on their home court. The Razorbacks host No. 23 Arizona State on Nov. 18 followed by games against Tennessee State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin at the Music City Thanksgiving Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, Nov. 23-25.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Thursday
Nick Mason joins John & Tommy to talk practice updates, interview Richard Davenport and more!
We’re getting close to watching who’s in, who’s out for Hogs
With three weeks left to go in a season that is not likely to provide much in the way of excitement, you have to wonder if the exit ramp out of Arkansas is going to get busy … and soon.
Chad Morris told us Wednesday before practice that Nate Dalton is out and won’t be coming back.
“He has chosen to step back and focus on his academics,” Morris said Wednesday.
He was pressed about who made that decision, but Morris answered it the way he usually does in those situations.
“He has chosen to step back,” was all Morris would say.
It may be a phrase we hear more frequently in the coming weeks.
From those who have talked with running back T.J. Hammonds, he has said he won’t be coming back. For a running back who has had flashes of big-play ability now under two different staffs, but not seen much playing time, that really isn’t surprising.
Hammonds has 10 carries for 28 yards rushing and has caught four passes for 84 yards, including a 64-yard catch of a little “pop pass” he took for a score against Colorado State in the second game of the year.
His production hasn’t been that great and has been hampered by an injury.
Wide receiver Jonathan Nance left early, choosing to transfer. The others who have left are Dylan Hayes (medical retirement) and linebacker Kyrei Fisher.
We are hearing others may be leaving, which really shouldn’t be that surprising. When a new coach comes in, some players head out early, others wait to see how things are going to play out … then leave when it doesn’t work the way they want.
That’s the way of the world in college athletics these days.
Morris on LSU game Saturday, Senior Day, personnel moves
Arkansas coach Chad Morris talked Wednesday afternoon before practice about the upcoming game with LSU, which will be Senior Day, and some personnel moves, including Nate Dalton leaving the team.
Neighbors previews Hogs’ season opener Friday morning
Arkansas women’s basketball coach Mike Neighbors talked Wednesday afternoon about the opening regular-season game Friday morning and the excitement around “Elementary Day.”










