Razorbacks coach Mike Anderson talked about the strong second half against Southwest Baptist in the final tuneup before opening the season against Texas next week.
Gafford, Jones talk about Friday’s win over Southwest Baptist
Arkansas players Daniel Gafford and Mason Jones talked with the media after the 100-63 win over Southwest Baptist on Friday night at Bud Walton in the final exhibition game of the preseason.
Lengthy interview with Van Horn on Hogs’ baseball after fall
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn held a lengthy media session Friday morning and covered a wide range of topics on the Hogs baseball team, including offseason and Andrew Benitendi’s championship with Boston.
???? Friday Halftime Pod- Featuring Nate Olsen
Phil & Tye talk about college football this weekend and interview Nate Olsen!
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday
John & Tommy are joined by Tyler Wilson to discuss the Arkansas-BYU series, Bama-LSU, Fenceman picks and more!
Williams perfect, Monk scores 18 win win in final tuneup game
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas junior Kiara Williams had a perfect shooting night, pacing the Razorbacks to a 101-46 win over East Central in exhibition action in Bud Walton Arena on Thursday.
Williams was 5-for-5 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free throw line finishing with 16 points. She was one rebound shy of a double-double grabbing nine boards in 20 minutes of play.
The victory is the second consecutive exhibition win and the second in which Arkansas has scored 100+ points.
Senior Malica Monk led Arkansas in scoring with 18 points followed by Williams with 16 points. A’Tyanna Gaulden added 12 points and Chelsea Dungee had 10 points rounding out the Razorbacks in double figures.
The good shooting night was highlighted by an exhibition record 13 3-point field goals.
While the offensive numbers were impressive, it was Arkansas’ defense that head coach Mike Neighbors wanted to talk about after the game.
The Razorbacks held ECU to 46 points, the fifth lowest opponent exhibition point total in program history and the Tigers shot just 24.6 percent for the game. Arkansas allowed just seven points in each of the first two quarters and held a 43-14 lead at the half.
Key Stats
Arkansas went on a 12-1 run over 4:58 to open a 14-4 lead late in the first quarter.
Arkansas did not have a turnover in the first quarter.
Notes
• Arkansas starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee.
• Arkansas set a program exhibition record with 13 made 3-point field goals.
• Arkansas has scored 80+ points in 25 exhibition games, 90+ points eight times and 100+ points six times.
Up Next
The Razorbacks open the regular season hosting Northwestern State Friday, Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m.
Neighbors on big win over East Central in exhibition
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors talked after the 101-46 win over East Central in the final warmup game before the regular season starts next Friday against Northwestern State.
Williams, Monk talk about win over East Central
Arkansas players Kiara Williams and Malica Monk met with the media after the 101-46 exhibition over East Central on Thursday night, the Hogs’ final tuneup before the regular season opens.
Vanderbilt home loss takes Hogs’ season to a new low
My wife, Sheena, awoke early Sunday morning perplexed.
“How can our Razorbacks be this bad?” she asked. “I just can’t believe they are that horrible. I don’t understand.”
Those weren’t the sweet nothings I expected when she rolled over. As a lifelong resident of this state, I shouldn’t have been too surprised that this was on her mind. I know the shock along with frustration are common among the Hogs faithful.
After 17 years of marriage, she should have been ready for what came out of my mouth. It was a breakdown of the failures of the Bret Bielema experiment including an analysis of failed recruiting classes as well as the disappointing losses and blown second-half leads.
A few minutes into it, Sheena rolled back over. I guess that was just a rhetorical question.
But her reaction after the Vanderbilt home loss last Saturday was a reminder about epically bad this season has been and how rare that is.
It’s true the Hogs have won four or less games three times since 2012. The worst season I had seen in my time in Arkansas occurred in 2012 when John L. Smith subbed in for the fired Bobby Petrino
That team had big expectations, but an early season loss to Louisiana-Monroe in Little Rock proved to be the harbinger of the bad things to come.
Bielema’s first team finished 3-9 with a nice start in the non-conference slate, but then went winless in the SEC, which it looks likely the 2018 team will do (more on that in a moment).
Bielema’s final team finished 4-8. So, losing records aren’t completely foreign on The Hill.
However, you have to go back to 1952 to find a Hogs team that finished with two wins. The Hogs only have three three-win seasons since then — 1953, 1992 (Who can forget the Citadel loss?) and the aforementioned Bielema debut in 2013.
As a whole, Arkansas fans have too high of expectations. Its historical lot in the SEC is middle of the pack at best and that reality escapes some of the Razorback faithful.
However, Arkansas isn’t a perennial basement dweller, either.
Sheena didn’t sit through winless seasons and rush the field after beating a miserable Baylor team like I did growing up as an Iowa State fan. That kind of futility that I got used to is either depressing or angering depending on the disposition when it’s rare.
All Arkansas fans can agree. it’s unacceptable to lose to two non-conference opponents and perennial SEC doormat Vanderbilt in the same season. The Vandy game was the icing on the cake as Sheena’s reaction indicated.
This isn’t one of those resurgent Commodore teams. This team was winless in the SEC and won’t have a winning record. Derek Mason’s squad waltzed into Fayetteville and dominated them at times.
The alarming part for Hogs fans was the talent differential was obvious. Vandy had more speed and athleticism and it showed, especially in the second half. That’s a tough pill to swallow and finally triggered an emotional eruption from first-year coach Chad Morris, who has been unbelievably positive.
“We know that our goals of getting to a bowl game are not attainable,” Morris told the media following the loss. “As I shared with our players, our culture is not going to change. I’m not changing, our coaching staff is not going to change. We’re going to show up every day and coach hard. We’re going to find out who’s on board.”
I don’t know if many fans expected a bowl win, but most would not have predicted losses to Colorado State, North Texas or Vanderbilt. The common sentiment was four wins may be the low mark with six being very optimistic.
Now, with an open week Saturday that leaves a home game with No. 4 LSU and road tilts with Mississippi State and Missouri remaining. Arkansas won’t be favored in any of the three and will be heavy underdogs against the mighty Tigers.
Arkansas is staring one of its worst football seasons squarely in the face, and it isn’t a good feeling for anyone involved.
The encouraging news is as bad as Arkansas has been on the field, the coaching staff has dominated the recruiting game with the Hogs on track to sign a Top 10 recruiting class.
That may not lead to big gains next year, but in 2020 it could lead for Sheena to roll over and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe how good the Hogs are. This has been a great season.”
Anderson previews final exhibition matchup Friday night
Arkansas men’s coach Mike Anderson met with the media Thursday and talked about the final exhibition game against Southwest Baptist before opening the regular season against Texas on Nov. 9.
Limpert’s banner year moves him to semifinals for Lou Groza Award
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Connor Limpert has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top place-kicker.
Limpert, a junior from Allen, Texas, is one of 20 semifinalists for the honor, which will be voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists.
He was also named a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy in October, given to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.
This season, Limpert is 16-of-20 in field goal attempts, splitting the uprights at least once in every game in 2018 and each of the last 10 contests.
He owns the longest field goal made among the 20 up for the award with a 55-yard FG coming against Vanderbilt on Oct. 27.
His 55-yarder is the second-longest in the country this season, while his 54-yard conversion vs. North Texas on Sept. 15 is good for No. 5 among longest field goals made in 2018.
Coming into the matchup with the Commodores, Limpert, one of the most accurate kickers in school history, had connected on 10 consecutive field goals over the previous five weeks of competition.
He saw his streak, the third-longest in school history, come to an end on a 60-yard attempt at the end of the first half that fell just a few feet short of what would have been the third-longest FG in school history.
Limpert padded the end of that streak with back-to-back games with four and three field goals made coming on a rainy night in Little Rock against Ole Miss and at home against Tulsa, respectively.
His 4-for-4 night marked the first time a Razorback had accomplished the feat since Alex Tejada against Troy on Sept. 1, 2007.
Saturday’s field goal against Vanderbilt also pushed Limpert into 10th among single season field goals made by an Arkansas kicker, putting him closer to the school record of 24 set by Kendall Trainor in 1988.
The finalists for the Lou Groza Award will be announced on Nov. 20 and honored at the 27th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 3 in Palm Beach County.
The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 6.
