John, Tommy & Tyler Wilson discuss the collapse against Vanderbilt, interview Tom Murphy, and the big problem with Arkansas right now!
Chad can’t fix what’s wrong with Hogs in one year
It’s crystal clear now the situation Chad Morris inherited back in December was one that couldn’t be fixed quickly.
Or even in one season.
Now I’ll be the first to admit I was dead wrong about this team. Based on what limited availability we have with the team, I felt they had bought into what Morris and the new staff was selling.
Obviously, that one missed the mark by about a mile or two.
Morris inherited a program that has bounced all over the map for a decade now. Arkansas football hasn’t really found a sustaining identity that’s lasted more than a couple of years.
Bobby Petrino had a plan. It worked pretty well for a couple of years, but a lack of interest in recruiting had things headed in a downhill direction before he flew through the handlebars back on April Fool’s Day in 2012.
John L. Smith may have had a plan, but he was the only one who knew it … or cared. Nobody viewed him as more than comic relief in a year where expectations exceeded reality for fans, players, coaches and administrators.
Bret Bielema had a plan that was never going to do more than provide some wild ups and downs and as the level of talent dropped, so did the wins and confidence in his plan.
The only constant over this Decade of Despair was an athletic director who was kicked out the door before Bielema a year ago.
Now it falls on Morris’ shoulders to clean up a once-proud program that has gone 69-66 in 10 seasons plus this year.
Arkansas Razorback football likely will finish this year at 69-69 at the end of this season for an 11-year winning percentage of .500 … or, basically, an average of 6-6 every season.
That’s not what fans expect or want. It’s the reason home games appear to have about as many empty seats as people in the seats.
In many respects, what has happened to Razorback football has some similarities in the decline of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980’s.
Back then, Tom Landry had kept trying to win with a defense he designed in the 1950’s, an offense he sorta made up as he went along and drafting players in the first round nobody was really interested in until about the fifth round … at best.
Because he was maybe as smart as any coach that ever lived, he kept the program from bottoming out. Tex Schramm, who may have been as good as any marketing illustionist that ever lived, kept the public perception of an organization at the top of the game.
Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys and realized pretty quickly he had paid for an image that was losing money hand over fist.
Jimmy Johnson came in as coach and realized he had left better players at the University of Miami than what he inherited with the Dallas Cowboys.
The result was a 1-15 season that often resembled recess at playschool more than a professional football franchise. Shoot, they even traded the only superstar on the roster for some NFL cast-offs … and a bunch of draft picks.
Johnson basically did the professional equivalent of recruiting his way out of the situation he inherited. Three years later the Cowboys were in the playoffs, then won three of the next four Super Bowls.
All of that was in a seven-year period (including the two seasons Barry Switzer came in as coach after Jimmy and Jerry’s divorce after five years).
Morris has many of the same issues. At the NFL level if players don’t buy into a new coach’s system they get traded or retire if they know they’re at the end of the run.
College players can’t do it that easy.
But the constant is the coach has to bottom it out, then rebuild things from the ground up. It appears that what Morris is doing at Arkansas. Chip Kelly is doing the same thing at UCLA and Scott Frost at Nebraska.
None of those three inherited programs that were exactly stocked with title-contending talent. All three have seen players leave and the guess here is there will be plenty of players with eligibility left that leave all three programs after November.
It’s a process.
And it’s progress.
Fans can jump off the bandwagon if they wish. That’s their right. Boosters can stop writing the checks if they want. That’s certainly their right.
If they do, though, don’t expect your old seat in a couple of years when you want back on.
PHOTOS: Our big gallery from Hogs’ loss to Vandy
Arkansas lost to Vanderbilt on Saturday at Razorback Stadium and here is our big gallery of pictures from the game.
Photos by Ted McClenning | HitThatLine.com
Morris vows to ‘find out who’s on board’ after Vandy loss
It was clear from the moment Chad Morris finally arrived for the post-mortem after a 45-31 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday he was definitely not happy.
For a coach that is usually looking on the bright side of everything, he made it clear after this one there wasn’t a lot of bright spots to focus on.
He knew they were a better team than the Commodores but kept messing it up. That’s the simple way to put things.
“It’s very disappointing, but we didn’t play well enough to win,” Morris said later. “You get what you deserve, and we didn’t deserve to win.”
In Morris’ first year at SMU, he went 2-10. He’s mentioned that first year a couple of times since being at Arkansas, but made it clear that’s over.
“We can reference back only so many times,” he said. “At some point we have to make a step. We’ve got to do something to get us out of that rut. There’s a lot of similarities that I’ve shared this year, but that’s no excuse.”
He appeared as frustrated as anyone has seen him since the season started. If you read between the lines of his comments, this is one where the Hogs didn’t play as well as they are capable of playing.
“We didn’t play our best,” Morris said. “Make no bones about it, we didn’t play our best. In front of our home crowd, we didn’t play our best. We have to play our best to have a chance.”
The game Saturday actually started off pretty well.
The Razorbacks took the opening kickoff and on first down Ty Storey, back from a concussion two weeks ago against Ole Miss, found tight end Cheyenne O’Grady for a 16-yard completion.
Rakeem Boyd ripped off runs of 27 and 8 yards to get the Hogs into the red zone. Storey scrambled up the middle on a designed draw to get the ball to the 7 and two plays later Boyd got it int the end zone from 5 yards out and the Hogs were up, 7-0.
That lasted for 3:53.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw missed the first play for the defense because, as Morris said, “some team rules,” then was injured chasing a play out of bounds.
Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn ran right past Greenlaw’s replacement, freshman Bumper Pool, for a 63-yard jaunt down the left sideline and the game was tied with 8:02 left in the first period.
Using runs from Vaughn and some nifty screen passes that took advantage of Arkansas’ aggressive defense, the Commodores took the lead with 13:46 left in the second quarter on a 1-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Shurmur to Jared Pinkney.
Arkansas answered two possessions later as Chase Hayden broke through a hole roughly the size of an 18-wheeler for a 38-yard sprint to tie the game with 6:45 left in the second period.
And Vandy needed just three plays to take the lead again, on a 40-yard pass to Pinkney. That gave them a lead they weren’t giving up.
“They wanted to run the football, and they executed very well,” Morris said “They had an experienced quarterback. Obviously getting Ke’Shawn Vaughn back, he’s as dynamic a back as we’ve seen.”
In the first half, Arkansas had zero turnovers. Two interceptions of Storey in the second half led to 14 points for Vanderbilt and put the Hogs in a hole they couldn’t climb out of.
“We have to protect the football,” Morris said. “That’s been the message all year long. When we needed to have drives and put drives together, we couldn’t get it done.”
Statistically, it wasn’t that bad of a game.
Storey was 23-of-36 for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Boyd had 113 yards rushing and Hayden added 70 with Storey adding 24.
But it was not making THE play when it was needed that hurt the most. A pair of illegal formation penalties where wide receivers didn’t line up properly also were killers.
“We’re right there and it’s on our sidelines,” Morris said. “It’s a formation we had. He called it, we’ll go back and look at it. Our guys went out there and stated that they were on and that’s the way we communicate with the officials. We’ll look at it and move forward from there.”
That’s the message for Morris. If there was a positive, it was this team didn’t quit.
After Vandy put together a seven-play, 29-yard drive after Storey’s second interception when the Hogs couldn’t stop the run, they went 75 yards in seven plays with Storey passing to O’Grady for a 12-yard score with 14 seconds left for the final margin.
“We thought we could run the football,” Morris said about the offense. “That’s one thing, that when we went in we thought we could get to the edge. Team’s that have played them have done a good job running the ball against them. That was our game plan coming in.”
The Hogs did have some success on the ground, but not enough. It forced them into passing and this team simply doesn’t have enough playmakers catching passes to be a serious threat.
“We knew we were going to have to pass the football, but we’re not a very good football team when we have to throw the ball 36 times,” Morris said. “It’s hard to get into that and a lot of the circumstances at the end dictated us throwing the ball more than we wanted to; but we’ve got to be more balanced than that.”
Now it’s an off week. Morris is going to give the players Sunday and Monday off, then get back to work. LSU comes to town Nov. 11.
“We know that our goals of getting to a bowl game are not attainable,” Morris said of the record now 2-7 on the season. “As I shared with our players, our culture is not going to change. I’m not changing. Our coaching staff’s not going to change.”
Read between the lines on that isn’t that difficult.
“We’re going to find out who’s on board,” Morris said.
This may be an interesting two weeks before the game with the Tigers.
Morris not happy with team’s performance in loss
Arkansas coach Chad Morris said after the 45-31 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday the Razorbacks “didn’t earn” a victory.
Harris, Hayden, Storey after loss to Commodores
Razorback players De’Jon Harris, Chase Hayden and Ty Storey talked about the problems in Saturday’s 45-31 loss to Vanderbilt.
Razorbacks whipped in home loss to Commodores, 45-31
Vanderbilt’s offense was too much for Arkansas on Saturday as the Commodores came away with a 45-31 win.
The Razorbacks trailed at halftime, 21-14.
This story will be updated following press conferences.
Baton Rouge lineman picks up morning offer from Hogs
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, University Lab High School three-star offensive tackle Dylan Rathcke is on an unofficial visit to Arkansas today and picked up an offer from the Hogs this morning.
“I’m on a unofficial,” Rathcke said before the offer in a text message. “I’m hoping they liked me as much as I like the program.”
Rathcke is excited about the visit today and spoke on what he is looking forward to on his trip to Fayetteville.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the facility, the town, and meeting the coaches,” Ratchke said. “Also experiencing the game day and seeing the fans. I was able to see the facility and meet the coaches today. I loved the campus. It was amazing. I’m looking forward to the game tomorrow.”
Rathcke elaborated on his skill sets as a football player.
“My biggest strength as a football player is probably my drive and athleticism,” Rathcke said. “I think about the play. I watch lots of film on my opponents and do everything possible to outwork them. I believe in blocking and contributing until the whistle blows. I’m also very coach able.”
Rathcke was asked what school is recruiting him the hardest at the moment?
“I’m blessed to have multiple offers from great programs and coaches,” Rathcke said. “Right now Kentucky and Colorado State are recruiting me the hardest. I have other programs that are coming in late and showing interest but no offers.”
Rathcke likes the Arkansas coaching staff.
“The Arkansas coaches are great people,” Rathcke said. “I was able to spend time with the entire staff. It was great seeing coach (John) Chavis today. I haven’t seen him since he was at LSU. It was really nice getting to meet coach (Chad) Morris and coach (Dustin) Fry today. I like coach Fry’s philosophy on coaching and I know I fit what he’s looking for.”
Rathcke commented on what makes Arkansas different from the rest of the schools recruiting him.
“I was really surprised in every way about Arkansas,” Rathcke said. “I had just pictured it to be a different way. I loved the layout of the campus and how modern everything was. I like how the facility has everything all in one section.”
Rathcke made his prediction on the Arkansas-Vandy game today.
“I think today is going to be a great game,” Rathcke said. “Vanderbilt has come a long way and is playing good football. I believe Arkansas has turned a corner also and the home field advantage will help them win.”
Rathcke spoke on when he will commit to his school of choice.
“I don’t have a set time to commit,” Rathcke said. “I plan on taking my officials and making the best decision for my future.”
Hogs start slow before cruising to big win
FAYETTEVILLE — Isaiah Joe scored a game-high 18 points, making 5-of-8 from 3-point range, while Reggie Chaney recorded a double-double to lead Arkansas to a 96-47 exhibition victory over Tusculum on Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Despite the large margin of victory, Arkansas got off to a slow start in the first half. Tusculum jumped out to an 8-0 lead to start the game and Arkansas did not score until the 15:51 mark.
However, Gabe Osabuohien came off the bench to spark an 7-0 run that ballooned into an 18-4 run.
Tusculum was able to keep close and only trailed by six at the break as Arkansas only had five assists with 13 turnovers while shooting just 18.2 percent from 3-point range and making just 8-of-20 free throws.
The second half saw the Fastest 40 kick in as the Razorbacks opened with a 14-0 start as part of a 23-4 run to put the game out of the reach. In the period, Arkansas only committed seven turnovers, dished out 18 assists and shot 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from long-range.
The Razorback defense only allowed 23 second-half point while holding the Pioneers to just seven assists while forcing 29 turnovers for the game.
All told, five Razorbacks scored in double figures including Joe (18), Daniel Gafford (13), Jalen Harris (13), Keyshawn Embery-Simpson (13) and Chaney (13). Chaney added 10 rebounds while Osabuohien had eight and Gafford nine.
Arkansas will play the second of its two exhibition games next Friday (Nov. 2) versus Southwest Baptist. Tip-off at Bud Walton Arena is set for 7 pm.
First Half Notes – Arkansas 30, Tusculum 24:
• Arkansas controlled the tip but neither team scored until 17:33, a 3-pointer by Tusculum’s Austin Hall.
• The Pioneers went on an 8-0 run to start the game.
• Arkansas’s first point was a free throw by Adrio Bailey at the 15:51 mark.
• Gabe Osabuohien entered the game and provided a spark for the Razorbacks as Arkansas would immediately go on a 7-0 run. The Razorbacks would eventually make that an 18-4 run with 9:17 left to play.
• Most of Arkansas’ offense came on strong defense, namely its full-court press.
• The highlight of the run was a defensive stop that led to long pass to Daniel Gafford, who tipped the ball to Mason Jones for a layup. The Razorbacks immediately forced another turnover as Osabuohien stole a pass and would get fouled before making two free throws.
Second Half Notes – Arkansas out-scored Tusculum 66-23:
• Jalen Harris started second half with a 3-pointer and Isaiah Joe followed with a 4-point play, hitting a trey and free throw. A second 3-pointer from Harris and a dunk by Reggie Cheney capped a 14-0 run to start the period at the 15:57 mark.
• Overall, Arkansas opened a 23-point lead thanks to a 23-4 run to start the second half.
• Arkansas held Tusculum to just 23 second-half points while the Razorbacks shot 52.5 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes.
• In the second half, Reggie Chaney started and scored 10 points. Daniel Gafford, who battled foul trouble, entered the game at the 10:24 mark of the second half with just two points and one rebound. However, he just missed a double-double as he finished with 13 points and nine boards.
Notes:
• Arkansas is 15-0 in exhibition games under head coach Mike Anderson.
• Arkansas has scored 88-plus points in 10 of those 15 wins with an average margin of victory of 31.1 points.
• Arkansas has won 29 consecutive exhibition game dating back to 2004-05 season.
Anderson on young team’s slow start in win Friday
The Razorbacks started slow, but put it together in the second half for a 96-47 win over Tusculum in the exhibition opener Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Harris, Joe talk about Hogs’ opening exhibition win
Arkansas’ Jalen Harris and Isaiah Joe talked with the media after the 96-47 win over Tusculum on Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.
