Hogs quarterback Ty Storey, offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt and tight end Cheyenne O’Grady talked about coming back against the Tigers and falling just short.
Agim, Greenlaw on defense’s play against Tigers
Razorbacks defensive lineman McTelvin “Sosa” Agim and linebacker Dre Greenlaw talked about the frustration of not being able to get last stop against LSU in 24-17 loss Saturday night.
LSU’s attitude more important than temperature against Hogs
Just for a quick comparison, the temperature in Northwest Arkansas on Friday night was hovering around the mid-20’s and expected to dip into the teens while Baton Rouge is a downright balmy 50 degrees.
That has been the talk of folks this week as a 2-7 Arkansas team hosts a 7-2 LSU team Saturday night.
Some are pinning the slight sliver of hope on the Tigers struggling with the lower temperatures. That might be something they aren’t comfortable with, but the biggest question is going to be LSU’s attitude.
Make no mistake about it, Ed Orgeron kinda put his team in an awkward situation last week before playing Alabama by saying THAT was THE game for his team. For two weeks that game was built up like a conference championship game which it might have been … except not many outside of Baton Rouge were giving LSU a shot.
That’s not a knock on the Tigers. It’s more an indication of what people think about the Crimson Tide this season, which could end up being in the conversation as the greatest college football team of all time.
Oh, to top things off, Orgeron basically said after the loss his players weren’t good enough to beat Alabama and he needed to get better ones to compete for a championship.
Now they have to come and play the lowly Razorbacks. In Fayetteville, where it’s cold after they practiced in balmy weather most of the week back in Baton Rouge.
The reason some in Fayetteville have that little ray of hope is because it’s happened in this series before.
In 2014, Bret Bielema got his first SEC win when a 7-3 LSU team rolled into Fayetteville on a chilly evening after losing the week before to Alabama, 20-13, and promptly lost, 17-0, to an Arkansas team that was 4-5 and stumbling along.
It gave the Hogs a jumpstart and they ended up 6-6, then beat Texas in the Texas Bowl.
The next year, the same thing happened in Baton Rouge. It had happened in 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2010. You’d think LSU would be well aware of this, wouldn’t you?
All of which is why it’s hard to just come flat out and say LSU will be taking Arkansas lightly.
“Arkansas is a weird opponent for LSU,” former Tigers great Marcus Spears said Friday while in town getting ready for the SEC Nation morning show on the SEC Network on Saturday. “I can tell you from experience.”
While Spears never played in Fayetteville, it’s the experience LSU has had anywhere in the state that makes it unusual.
“It’s just a tough place to play,” Spears said. “It’s always been a case where you say, ‘They’re good, but they shouldn’t be as good as we are.’
“Then you get on the field and realize how physical they play, the things they are doing are hurting you and you get to the fourth quarter, realize you’re only up three and you’re like, ‘man, they got a chance to win this game.'”
But this year?
“We’ll see,” Spears said. “They’ve struggled this year. Chad (Morris) has been dialing some nice plays up. You can see the beginning stages of him trying to implement his plan. Right now the talent is just not where he needs it to be.”
His answer on “Bama Fatigue,” though, was interesting since the Tigers were deflated totally last week in that 29-0 loss.
“There was a lot on the line last week,” he said. “Then you come play Arkansas who you might not respect because of the film, the record and all that, you sleepwalk in here and we’ve seen what happens when you sleepwalk at Arkansas.
“When you come in here sleepwalking, you get beat.”
LSU had lost earlier this year to Florida, but bounced back strong, beating Georgia and Mississippi State.
“The psychology of the team right now will be 100 percent magnified as opposed to how they would respond after the Florida loss,” Spears said. “They were going home, it was Georgia who was ranked top five in the country, everything to play for, you get a seat back (in the playoff discussion).
“Now you play Arkansas with two wins on the season, we just lost a big game that set our course in the national playoff and it’ll be interesting to see how they respond.”
Like Spears said, we’ll see.
And it might be more interesting than you think.
Razorbacks drop opener to Longhorns in overtime, 73-71
EL PASO, Texas — Arkansas erased a six-point deficit at halftime to force overtime, but Texas hit a jumper and a free throw inside the final minute of overtime to give the Longhorns a 73-71 overtime victory over the Razorbacks in the ESPN Armed Forces Classic at Fort Bliss.
Daniel Gafford led the Razorbacks with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Isaiah Joe added 17 points.
First Half: Texas 36, Arkansas 30
• Arkansas controlled the tip, but Texas scored first (2-0).
• The Razorbacks went an on 8-0 run thanks to 3-pointers by Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe.
• Texas drained four 3-pointers to led 20-15 at the second media timeout.
• Mason Jones ended a five-minute draught with a layup at the 8:08 mark. Isaiah Joe followed with a 3-pointer to trim the Arkansas deficit to seven (27-20).
• A jumper by Daniel Gafford Jalen Harris layup in the and lay-up by Jalen Harris inside the final minute provided the 36-30 halftime score.
• Daniel Gafford led the Razorbacks with nine points and five rebounds.
Second Half: Arkansas Out-scored Texas 33-27
• Adrio Bailey (six points) and Daniel Gafford (four) scored the Razorbacks’ first 10 points of the second half and Arkansas trailed by just two, 42-20, six-and-a-half minutes into the second half.
• After the second media timeout, Isaiah Joe sparked an 8-2 run to give the Razorbacks a 49-47 lead. Joe hit a 3-pointer, a jumper in the lane and another 3-pointer to the 2-point lead.
• Texas hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 57-57 at the 2:43 mark. However, Mason Jones immediately answered with a 3 of his own to put the Razorbacks up 60-57.
• A Texas 3-pointer with 1.1 left tied the game, 63-63, to force overtime.
Overtime:
• Isaiah Joe hit a 3-pointer with 2:14 left in overtime to give Arkansas a one-point lead, 68-67.
• Jalen Harris sank a pair of free throws with 1:12 left to once again give Arkansas a one-point lead, 71-70.
• With 47 seconds left, Texas’ Courtney Ramey hit a jumper in the lane to put the Longhorns up one, 72-71. After a missed shot by Arkansas, the Razorbacks were forced to foul. Texas only made 1-of-2 and led with two with 21 seconds left.
• Arkansas had a couple of chances inside the final 10 seconds to tie or take the lead, but could not convert.
Arkansas will play its 2018-19 home opener on Monday (Nov. 12) versus reigning Big West Conference Champion UC Davis. Tip-off at Bud Walton Arena is set for 7 pm.
Five reasons Hog fans should pack Razorback Stadium on Saturday night
A long Arkansas football season is almost over. In fact, the final home game is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday against the Hogs’ border rival (I use that loosely), LSU.
Throughout this historically bad season, attendance has dwindled and Razorback Stadium has been nearly half empty for many of the games.
That only proves what I have written before about Hogs’ fans being fair weather and why critics should pipe down about the attendance at War Memorial Stadium games when the on-campus stadium has a glut of empty seats.
However, I concede it isn’t easy to pay money to watch your team stink at an uncharacteristic level or arise at the crack of dawn just to get a few hours of tailgating in for early morning and afternoon games.
Things will be better Saturday in Fayetteville It seems the condition are ripe for the regular-season finale to an overall better experience, so I present to you five reasons Hog fans SHOULD go to the game.
1. Senior Night
This is the final game for a group of seniors who have been through its share of hard times. UA Coach Chad Morris commended some of them this week.
The least Hogs fan can do is bid them farewell with an electric atmosphere. It could be and should be a special night for those players regardless of what has happened this season.
2. It’s a night game
Fans have clamored for this all season and rightfully so. With Arkansas not playing at a “prime time” caliber, all of their home games have been morning or afternoon kickoffs. The 6:30 p.m. start gives fans plenty of time to enjoy tailgating and pre-game festivities.
Many have waited all seasons for this. A night game against a top-tier SEC opponent such as LSU is well worth the wait and the price of admission.
3. It’s a winnable game
I can hear some of you laughing. The spread (LSU -13.5) and the Tigers’ dominance (Winners of two of the past three games) wouldn’t indicate Arkansas has a chance. Nor would the fact that LSU is 7-2 and Arkansas is 2-7.
I get all of that, and I know the Hogs are coming off a bad loss to Vanderbilt. I am counting on a raucous crowd and renewed vigor from the team following some rest and the motivation of Senior Night.
Against probability, I see Arkansas making this game into the fourth quarter. Tell me you don’t want to be in attendance for that.
Recruiting
In spite of a horrible season and paltry attendance, Morris has landed some top-notch recruits. Imagine what might happen if the stadium was full and the Hogs upset the Tigers.
Pride
Football fans from around the country will be tuned into SEC Network for this game. Do you really want them to see thousands of empty seats? Some fans bristled at the notion that Arkansas has lost respect in the SEC.
There are programs that fill stadiums even when the home team is losing big. It happens; it just doesn’t happen in Fayetteville much.
You can change that for at least one game.
If you have tickets and aren’t using them, give them to someone who will or better yet donate them to charity.
The program has taken a hit and so has the fan base. That will continue if only 40,000 fans attend a game featuring a ranked, so-called rival on Senior Night.
Spears on how cold weather may have affect on Tigers
SEC Nation’s Marcus Spears talked Friday about how playing the Razorbacks has always been tough for LSU and how the cold weather could be a factor.
Tebow remembers tough games against good Hogs’ teams
SEC Nation and former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow talked with the media Friday about some of the games he played against some very good Razorback teams, including an SEC Championship game.
Rutledge thinks Morris will be fine in time for Arkansas
SEC Nation’s Laura Rutledge talked with the media Friday in advance of the Razorbacks’ game with LSU on Saturday in Razorback Stadium.
Interview with LSU fanatic Matt Breland; this week’s picks
A friend of mine once told me that it is always best to know thine enemy as well as one’s self. That same friend must have thought that anyone who was as into sports as me must have grown up watching too many Troy Aikman games while never opening any book with mention of Sun Tzu.
However, in his honor, I will do my best to learn how the synapses fire within even the most loyal LSU college football crazy as the game against our beloved Razorbacks draws near.
Since Ed Orgeron’s secretary told me coach was too busy working on his enunciation skills, I decided I would have to settle for the next best thing.
Enter decades long Tiger Superfan Matt Breland who auto-bios himself with the following:
“I am a huge fan of the LSU Tigers and the New Orleans Saints. I have lived my entire life in the lovely and quaint town of Bogalusa, Louisiana. There I work as an administrative assistant at the Our Lady of Angels Hospital.”
Peter: Arkansas seems to have a knack for knocking off LSU when the Tigers are on a season high.
Granted, this season they are coming off a loss to Alabama, yet LSU is ranked in the Top 10 in both major polls while still possessing an extremely miniscule outside shot of making the playoffs (with a current ranking of No. 7).
Does this historical precedent weigh heavy in the back of your mind?
Matt: Well, LSU possessed a chance to be in the top four team playoff, but the loss to the Florida Gators ruined it.
However, if Alabama and Georgia play in the SEC Championship Game, and if Georgia can find a way to beat Alabama, there is a very good chance that LSU will play in the Sugar Bowl.
Like you mentioned before this interview, Peter, Arkansas generally tends to pull the upset on years that they have been somewhat more competitive than what they are this season.
Peter: Interesting. Aside from that, Arkansas and LSU had a tradition of playing one another on the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday.
That season-ending game for your Tigers has been replaced with Texas A&M on the subsequent Saturday.
With Missouri now being Arkansas’s permanent Friday opponent, I am familiar with the opinions of Hogs fans upon conference rivalries, however, what is the consensus from those that cheer for the Bengal Tigers? Is Arkansas viewed as a rival?
Matt: I am not happy about LSU playing Texas A&M on the last game of the season. I’d rather see LSU play Arkansas on the Friday after Thanksgiving while winning the Golden Boot trophy to close out the regular season. Yes, Arkansas and LSU are a good rivalry.
Peter: Confident about your team, aren’t you, Matt? Next, please tell me about Ed Orgeron and how the fanbase of LSU truly feels about him and his performance as he begins to wind down his third year in Baton Rouge.
Matt: I must say coach Ed Orgeron has done a great job and is no longer in the hot seat. Before this season started I did not think LSU would have good season until they won couple of tough early games.
I personally am really impressed with the coach and his performance.
Peter: Arkansas fans have long been criticized for believing that their football program can be one of national importance even if only upon somewhat of a consistent basis.
As a member of the SEC West, what are your thoughts about the Razorbacks long-term potential in the SEC as well under Chad Morris?
Matt: It is great to have the Arkansas Razorbacks in the SEC. Since Arkansas hired Chad Morris I really thought they would have a good season under his leadership.
I was shocked to see that the Razorbacks at one point had lost six games in a row.
Peter: The future will hopefully have a better story to tell under first year coach Chad Morris. Finally, who carries the Golden Boot back to their campus this Saturday? Why and by how much?
Matt: LSU will carry the Golden Boot back to Death Valley this Saturday. The reasons are simple. Arkansas has a record of 2–7. LSU has beaten Miami, Auburn, Georgia, and Mississippi State. Those facts could stand on their own.
Also, LSU is favored to win by 13½-points, and I say LSU will win by 17 points.
Peter: I respect the confidence you possess in your team. Bonus question, Matt, was that pic of you taken in Gulf Shores, Alabama?
Matt: Yes, in Fort Morgan, Alabama, just last week.
Peter: So you vacation in blasphemy. Seriously, thank you so much for your time, Matt, my good friend.
As it turns out, my enemy is not too bad of a guy. He may be very accurate on his prediction. And I may have to concur. LSU 38–24.
However, as Martine Bercher once told me, “Root Hog or die.”
And around the remaining world comprised of SEC stadiums Saturday, these mysteries will unfold as follows:
- South Carolina at (15) Florida – Gators win early … no pun intended.
- Vanderbilt at Missouri – Can the Commodores win another one on the road? Yes, and this time by 18.
- Ole Miss at Texas A&M – This one is the hardest pick of the week, yet Ole Miss may leave College Station with a ‘W’. Rebels by 3.
- (16) Mississippi State at (1) Alabama – I started to make a snarky remark here, however, this reminds me of the incidents that happened at Ponchatoula this past weekend. Hey, people, it is just a game, and if you are that insecure about your woman being at a bar, stay home! Prayers go out to the Family, Friends, and loved ones of Robert Bowers. Tide by 30.
- (11) Kentucky at Tennessee – The Wildcats keep us mesmerized. Kentucky by 22.
- (24) Auburn at (5) Georgia – You know what, I am picking Georgia by 35 solely because Auburn does not even deserve to be ranked. Sorry Plains fans.
Go HOGS!!!
Find me on ‘Twitter’: @PeterMorganWPS
Tolefree scores 19 in Hogs’ 98-53 romp over Northwestern State
PHOTOS BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM
FAYETTEVILLE — Conway native Alexis Tolefree dropped in 19 points leading Arkansas to a 98-53 season-opening win over Northwestern State on Elementary Day in Bud Walton Arena Friday.
Tolefree’s 19 paced what is believed to be a program-record seven players in double figures.
Redshirt sophomore A’Tyanna Gaulden added 16 points followed by 12 points from senior Malica Monk, 11 points each from redshirt sophomore Chelsea Dungee, sophomore Taylah Thomas and freshman Rokia Doumbia and 10 points from junior Kiara Williams.
Tolefree hit the game’s first basket with an NBA-range 3-pointer. It was one of 11 3-pointers tying an Elementary Day record for makes from distance. NSU (0-1) kept the game in range for the first five minutes but Arkansas went on a 13-5 run to end the first quarter.
Coach Mike Neighbors again used five-player lineup changes throughout the game with all 13 players seeing action. Ten of the 13 players logged double-figure minutes with only two, Monk and Dungee, seeing more than 20 minutes of playing time.
Leading by 14 after the first quarter, Arkansas stretched the lead to 20 for the first time at the 8:20 mark of the second frame. The Razorbacks dipped below that threshold for one possession but maintained a 20+ point lead for the remainder of the contest.
Notes
• Arkansas starters: Raven Northcross-Baker, Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Chelsea Dungee
• Arkansas is 23-0 in home openers and 9-1 (8-0 at home) in Elementary Day games.
• Arkansas set Elementary Day records for: Points (98), Margin (45), Attendance (5,497), Field Goal Percentage (.576), 3-Pointers Made (tied, 11), Free Throws (tied, 19), and Free Throws Attempted (tied, 33).
• The Razorbacks had top-5 Elementary Day performances in Field Goals, 3-Point Field Goals Attempted, 3-Point Field Goal Percentage, Free Throw Percentage, Personal Fouls, Assists, Turnovers and Steals.
• Arkansas used a 13-5 run in the first quarter to take the lead and the game would never be close after that.
• NSU committed 30 turnovers in the loss.
Up Next
Arkansas tackles its first road game of the season traveling to UT-Arlington Wednesday, Nov. 14, for a 7 p.m. tip.
The Razorbacks return to Bud Walton Arena hosting No. 23 Arizona State Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
???? Friday Halftime Pod — featuring Brett Goode & David Bazzel
Phil & Tye are joined with former hogs Brett Goode & David Bazzel to discuss the Ark vs. LSU rivalry.
