Top-ranked Hogs head into pair of tough road challenges

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Following its recent ascent to the top of the national polls the No. 1 Arkansas journeys to Lubbock, Texas, and New York for a pair of road challenges this weekend, including the Texas Tech Open and the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Millrose Games, respectively.

Regional Bout
In Lubbock the Hogs will face off against host and regional foe, Texas Tech as well as Adams State, Angelo State, Eastern New Mexico, Hardin Simmons, Huston Tillotson, LeTourneau, Lubbock Christian, McMurry, Midwestern, New Mexico Jr College, Oklahoma Christian, Oral Roberts, Prairie View A&M, Sam Houston, Tarleton, Texas A&M – Commerce, Trinidad State, Univ of Southwest, UTRGV, Wayland Baptist, Western Texas, West Texas A&M. The two-day meet will see Arkansas kick off competition in the 60-meter dash prelims at 5:30 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 2. The Razorbacks will close out the weekend with the 4-x-400-meter relay at 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Important Links: Meet Schedule | Live Results | 

Texas Tech Open Events To Watch:

60 Meters & 400 Meters
Featured Razorback: Payton Chadwick (PR: 7.59 | PR: 53.42)
Having already established herself as one of the fastest student-athletes at 200 meters this year, Payton Chadwick will look to replicate that magic, testing out her turnover in the 60-meter dash and her speed endurance in the 400. Chadwick currently ranks nationally in three events all reliant on explosive ability including No. 2 in the 200, No. 7 in the long jump and No. 8 in the 60-meter hurdles. A solid outing this weekend could bring a fourth and potentially a fifth national top-10 mark for the Razorback junior out of Springdale, Arkansas.

Long Jump
Featured Razorback: Taliyah Brooks (PR: 21-3)
Another multi-talented Hog, Taliyah Brooks, will be in the hunt for an improved mark in the long jump. Brooks holds the indoor and outdoor long jump program record and heads to Lubbock ranked 10th in the national polls. She has a best performance this season of 6.28m/20-7 1/4, which she jumped in front of her home crowd at last weekend’s Razorback Invitational.

Pole Vault
Featured Razorback: Lexi Jacobus (PR: 15-2 1/4) and Tori Hoggard (PR: 15-0)
With two vaulters whom have the ability to clear a 15-foot bar, the pole vault always remains an event to watch for Arkansas. All-American vaulters Lexi Jacobus and Tori Hoggard will headline the event in Lubbock both in search of consistency and high clearances. Jacobus leads the nation in the event as one of two vaulters this year to break the 15-foot barrier, off her 4.61m/15-1 1/2 clearance last weekend on her home runway. Hoggard currently has the 4th best clearance in the country, having successfully vaulted a 4.45m/14-7 1/4 bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan to win the Simmons-Harvey Quad.

Big Apple Mile Battle
Five-time All-American Nikki Hiltz will open up in her signature event this weekend, taking on the Wanamaker mile at the prestigious NYRR Millrose Games. Contested annually at the Millrose Games wince 1926, the Wanamaker mile is an invitation-only race extended to the premier budding middle distance talents in the country. Hiltz is one of two collegians in the field joined in the competition by New Hampshire’s Elinor Purrier who placed eighth in the race last year. A national runner-up in the 1,500-meter run during the 2017 outdoor season, Hiltz currently has a PR of 4:34.57 in the mile, secured during her sixth-place finish at the national indoor championships last March.

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Wednesday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Wednesday

Morning Rush Hour 2

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Morning Rush Hour 1

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hogs can’t overcome hot-shooting Aggies on road

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Arkansas could not overcome the hot shooting Texas Aggies on Tuesday night, as the Razorbacks fell on the road, 80-66.

The Razorbacks and Aggies traded baskets for the first four minutes of the game, as Texas A&M would hold a one-point lead.

Getting his fifth start of the season, freshman guard Darious Hall was big early for the Hogs. Hall had six of Arkansas’ first 14 points to go along with two steals.

The Razorbacks ran off a 10-0 run to take a 17-8 lead, their largest in the first half. A&M would put together a 20-4 run of their own to take a six-point lead, but Arkansas would use a 9-2 run to close the half to trail 33-32 at the break.

Arkansas’ offense ran through its defense. The Razorbacks forced 12 Aggie turnovers in the first half, scoring 15 points off of those miscues.

Arkansas also had its own mistakes though, turning the ball over nine times in the opening period. Hall tied with Daryl Macon at the half, leading the Hogs with 10 points each.

To open the second half, the Aggies got hot. Texas A&M manufactured an 24-4 run, hitting five consecutive three pointers to quickly stretch their lead to 21.

A&M hit nine of their first 10 shots coming out of the break, including seven three pointers, while Arkansas missed 11 of its first 13 shots.

After the Aggies built their largest lead of the game at 59-38, the two teams would go back and forth before Arkansas manufactured a 13-2 run, including scoring 10 straight to cut it to nine with six minutes remaining.

That is as close as Arkansas would get. The Aggies would hold on for a 80-66 win.

Macon led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting, going 3-of-9 from deep. Hall finished with 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting, while senior guard Jaylen Barford scored 19 of his own, going 7-of-16 from the floor.

Texas A&M went 7-of-12 (.583) from deep in the second half to run away from the Hogs, going 15-of-25 (.600) from the floor overall in the final period.

Former Hog, Olympian Clyde Scott passes away

Andy Hodges
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Only two numbers in Arkansas Razorback football history has ever been retired.

One of them, No. 12, was Clyde Scott, a former two-sport athlete at Arkansas and a silver medalist in the 1948 Olympics.

News of his death became known Monday. He was 93.

Scott played football and ran track for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He first went to the Naval Academy, but love brought him back to Arkansas … that was love for his future wife, the former Leslie Hampton of Lake Village.

John Barnhill recruited the Smackover native to Arkansas. When Bear Bryant came to the Union County oil boom town to try and recruit Clyde, his mother chewed the Fordyce native out for not going to Arkansas.

Years later, his message is one every potential home-grown Razorback might want to consider: “I wanted to play at home, do something in front of the folks I grew up with.”

When Frank Broyles was spending a lot of time in the Kansas City suburb of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, in 1973 trying to convince Steve Little to come to Fayetteville, he put in a call to Scott.

He wanted to check with him about allowing his number to come out of retirement for a likely All-American player.

Scott didn’t hesitate. He gave Broyles the green light and Little had All-American seasons kicking and punting for the Hogs.

It was the only time a retired number was activated.

Scott lettered in football in 1946, 1947 and 1948 for the Razorbacks and played five seasons in the NFL.

He ran the 110-meter hurdles in track. He finished second to Bill Porter in the London Olympics.

Has time come for Arkansas to play Arkansas State?

Andy Hodges
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A week or so ago, a booster whose family has been donating and buying tickets for several decades approached me with a message.

It was as simple as it was surprising.

“It’s time for the Hogs to start playing Arkansas State,” he said.

To be honest, I didn’t need any convincing. I’ve been on the record for over 40 years as saying the Razorbacks should be playing the little school in Jonesboro … in ALL sports, not just football.

Frank Broyles had a simple answer that, well, really was just a BS solution to the problem that sounded politically correct and gave everybody an out.

It was Frank’s public belief that it would divide the state. He wanted the fans of the smaller college football teams to also be Razorback fans.

What he failed to grasp about, oh, the mid-1970’s was playing the smaller teams in the state wasn’t going to lose any Hog fans. I attended Central Arkansas in the mid-1970’s and it was easier on Monday mornings to find students that knew the score of the Razorback game than how the Bears did the previous Saturday.

Going to Arkansas games in Fayetteville it was not uncommon to see fellow students in attendance at those games. UCA (like some other college teams) scheduled their games around the Razorback games so fans could listen and follow THAT game before coming to the Bears’ game.

Things haven’t really changed.

Oh, the way they keep up with the Hogs has. The internet has helped that along tremendously.

In reality, less than three percent of the population of the entire state of Arkansas can squeeze into Razorback Stadium. That means 97 percent of the state is following the games on their mobile phone, television, radio or whatever.

Trust me, it’s not usual at a game between two other Arkansas schools for somebody to shout in the press box about the score with the Hogs. I’ve been there and seen it.

Playing other colleges in Arkansas isn’t going to affect the fan base one bit.

The UA has a problem in Little Rock and some new expansion in Fayetteville that may or may not cause some interesting financial situations. Only time will tell on the latter.

But the Little Rock problem could be solved by playing Arkansas State there. I’ll be honest, I’ve bounced back and forth between playing them in Little Rock or Fayetteville, but War Memorial probably makes more sense.

Give ASU 10,000 tickets to the game and no guarantee. That’s it, pure and simple.

Sorry, but splitting the stadium and giving ASU half isn’t fair. Now that would likely be a cheaper solution for the UA than paying some ridiculous guarantee to a Sun Belt team to come to Little Rock for a game.

And if ASU wants to come to Fayetteville every year they get a guarantee and the same number of tickets any other visiting team gets.

It would be a wise move for the state to rotate between UCA and UAPB every year, too. Play that game in Fayetteville. They get a guarantee, the money stays within the state of Arkansas and everybody benefits.

But if the argument is the Hogs will lose fans or support by playing those teams, then that’s simply a BS argument. This doesn’t cost Arkansas in recruiting, but could benefit other in-state teams. If a high school senior isn’t good enough to play for the Hogs at least he could play against them.

Why?

If they do, then there are bigger problems.

Igbokwe named SEC’s top runner of week after big weekend

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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BIRMINGHAM — Fresh off taking over as the world leader in the 400-meter dash this past weekend at the Razorback Invitational, Arkansas junior Obi Igbokwe has been named the Southeastern Conference Runner of the Week, announced Tuesday afternoon by the league office.

It is Igbokwe’s second honor of the season, having earned the recognition two weeks prior for his efforts in the 200-meter dash at the Arkansas Invitational.

Sprints Specialist

Matched up against two 2017 national indoor championships finalists in Florida’s Kunle Fasasi and Texas A&M’s Mylik Kerley, Igbokwe executed his race as instructed by Razorbacks assistant coach Doug Case, beating his competitors to the break.

He maintained his speed through the third turn before changing his gears over the final 100 meters to distance himself from his league rivals and cross the finish line in first place.

His 45.72-second performance tops the NCAA and world leader boards and ties him with former Arkansas quarter-miler great Marqueze Washington at No. 2 in program history.

Through three weeks of competition Igbokwe sits at No. 1 in the 400 and No. 5 in the 200 among NCAA sprinters.

Following a break competition this weekend Igbokwe and his teammates will resume competition Feb. 9-10 as Arkansas hosts the Tyson Invitational.

Foundation, Bielema reach agreement on buyout

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Former head coach Bret Bielema will be getting over $320,000 a month through 2020 to NOT coach the Razorbacks.

Bielema’s buyout with Arkansas has been finalized at $11.935 million, according to an announcement from the Razorback Foundation on Tuesday.

The agreement comes more than two months after Bielema was fired following a season-ending loss to Missouri and after several more months of confusion over the amount he would be due if fired for convenience.

Bielema will receive the buyout in monthly payments of $320,833.33 through Dec. 31, 2020, but that amount can be reduced if he is hired by another school or finds another job. The agreement requires Bielema “to diligently seek and to obtain other employment.”

“We are appreciative of the way Coach Bielema and his representatives at NC Sports, Neil Cornrich and Jonathan Hurst, cooperated in developing the necessary mechanism to implement the monthly guaranty payments while reducing them based upon other sources of income Coach Bielema earns in the future,” Razorback Foundation executive director Scott Varady said in a statement. “Both parties worked in good faith to complete this agreement.”

The buyout was originally reported to be $15.4 million, but the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported during the season that it could be closer to $6 million based on language in his contract.

There was no official statement from the UA or Razorback Foundation about the buyout until Tuesday’s press release.

“I wish Razorback Athletics and the Razorback Foundation continued success in the years ahead,” Bielema said in a statement. “I also want to express my gratitude to all the passionate Razorback fans I had the pleasure to meet at Razorback Clubs in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma during my tenure as head football coach. Having completed this agreement, I am pleased to move forward in my career and am excited about the future.”

Bielema compiled a 29-34 overall record, including an 11-29 mark in SEC play, during his five-year tenure with the Razorbacks.

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Tuesday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Tuesday

SI.com story updates on Bielema job prospects

Andy Hodges
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Considering his name didn’t pop up in any of the coaching carousel this time around, you got the idea Bret Bielema either isn’t working too hard to find another gig or just wasn’t that desirable.

Sports Illustrated was obviously wondering the same thing when Andy Staples did a story on what Arkansas’ former coach is up to these days.

As it turns out, he’s not doing a whole lot.

“I had a morning last week where I had to drop the dogs off to get groomed, pick up a UPS package, make a stop at the pharmacist to pick up a prescription for my daughter and pick the dogs back up,” said Bielema, who became a dad for the first time in July and who was fired in November after five seasons at Arkansas. “I said ‘I need to get back into coaching pretty quick. This is getting to be too much.’”

According to the story, Bielema has been offered assistant coaching jobs in the NFL and television analyst positions.

It doesn’t appear he’s that anxious to get back into the college game, though, as the growing social media trend is something he’s not really that fond of.

Bielema said “about a half dozen” NFL teams have reached out to him about coaching at that level next season. He’s thinking about it, too. He realizes he wouldn’t be able to walk into a head coaching job, but he’s intrigued by the idea of coaching the best players without dealing with some of the more annoying aspects of recruiting. “I don’t mind Twitter,” Bielema said. “But when a kid makes a decision based on how many Twitter followers he gets, that’s when I’m about ready to tap out.”

In the article, he does lament that he made mistakes with the Razorbacks, particularly in understanding the depth necessary to compete for championships in the SEC.

He admitted in the story he didn’t do enough homework. It was obvious halfway through his first season to some that he was completely out of his element in Arkansas and the SEC.

After getting a ridiculous new contract from former athletics director Jeff Long after a 7-6 season his second year that featured a ridiculously high buyout, he thought he had more time than he obviously had.

“I just wish I’d had a little bit more time, but the powers that be made that decision,” he said in the story.

He also realized he’d put on a little weight in his time at Arkansas and claims to be working on that, too.

“In the morning, I start off with one grapefruit. I’ve had 14 days of that now,” he said in the story. “I loved grapefruit 14 days ago. I don’t know about that now.”

 

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