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Arkansas stays perfect at home with big victory over SFA
Arkansas used a 78-62 victory over Stephen F. Austin Thursday evening in Bud Walton Arena to improve to 5-1 on the season.
The victory marks the 16th time since joining the SEC that Arkansas has won at least five of its first six games to open the year.
Down a bucket early, Arkansas went on a 21-5 run to go up 23-9 with 9:15 left in the first half. The Razorbacks forced eight turnovers on SFA’s first 14 possessions, but the Lumberjacks were able to chop the Razorback lead to 34-28 before the break.
The Razorbacks forced 11 second-half turnovers and a season-high 21 miscues in the game to move to 27-2 under head coach Mike Anderson when forcing 20-plus turnovers. Arkansas’ pressure has forced 17-plus turnovers in three of the six games this season, after only doing so seven times a year ago.
SFA finished with 18 made field goals, making it the 20th time Arkansas has forced more turnovers than field goals allowed under Anderson.
The Hogs were led by senior Dusty Hannahs who finished with 15 points and two assists. Hannahs has scored in double figures in 14 straight contests and led the team in scoring in four of six games this season. Moses Kingsley put up 12 points to along with six boards and two assists.
Manuale Watkins pulled down a team-best seven rebounds and added eight points, while Anton Beard chipped in three assists, four steals and nine points.
Arkansas outscored SFA 20-4 on fast break points and has outscored its opponents in transition this season by a combined 98-27 margin.
QUOTABLES
“I thought our defense was the difference in this game, especially in the second half. We always have a motto of getting multiple stops. When you get stops, it gives you a cushion. In the second half, we went up and down but we had some plays that were momentum changers. What we have to learn how to do is when we get a team down, to keep them down, no matter who we put in the game. We need to get more guys playing at a high level.” – head coach Mike Anderson
“He is taking what the defense gives him. They are playing him hard so he’s getting to the free throw line, and I think that shows his versatility. He is scoring in a different way. He got some baskets in transitions and some nice assists as well. Those kind of plays do not go unnoticed. If you look at his development since he has been here I think he has become a more versatile scorer.” – head coach Mike Anderson on Dusty Hannahs
UP NEXT
The Razorbacks will have a day off before returning to Bud Walton Arena on Saturday, Dec. 3 to face Austin Peay at 7 p.m.
We thought it would be multiple SEC teams complaining about CFP snubs
Somewhere along the way the Big 10 (hereinafter referred to as B1G, mainly because it looks cool) kinda figured out this whole national championship thing.
Oh, we all know Ohio State won the first one back in 2014. But, in fairness, there wasn’t all this grinding of teeth and hand-wringing we have now.
You know Jeff Long is happy he’s not having to be the front man for the College Football Playoff. We know Arkansas’ not involved, but does he excuse himself during any discussion of Louisville?
After all, when Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino was canned by Long, there was some anger on both sides of that deal. It could be argued that would be a bigger conflict than discussing his current team affiliation.
But we digress.
When this whole CFP thing came about in 2014, those of us in in the Southeast Conference couldn’t remotely think of a situation where anybody else could be arguing over getting two teams in.
The SEC Network was starting up and many of us wags in the media thought any other conference should even be allowed beyond maybe a token appearance to at least give everybody else a chance.
Now we have the B1G with at least an argument that they could argue for at least three teams to be in. Yeah, three teams from one conference in the top six teams headed into the final weekend.
Didn’t see that one coming back in 2014.
Oh, it was relatively easy to picture something with three or four SEC teams all clamoring to be included. It was in 2011 when going into the final week of the regular season Arkansas was in the top three with Alabama and LSU.
That fell apart with the Tigers dismantling the Razorbacks, but it was a similar situation to this year, but the Hogs dropped to fifth in the polls and sixth in the BCS rankings.
We would have had the same argument we’re having now except, of course, it would have been the SEC doing the bragging while the B1G was yelling
When the CFP came into being, the head of the whole deal, Bill Hancock, was making the rounds at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
“Bill, what happens when you have two or three teams from one conference better than anybody else at the end?” he was asked.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we have to,” he said with a smile.
The bridge is now directly in front of the CFP voters and the SEC isn’t part of the argument. Now that is due, in part, to the rather startling fact that the SEC flat-lined behind the Crimson Tide.
Also, the B1G has the best collection of coaches in college football and they’re all ganged up in that one conference. Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports pointed that out earlier in the week. After the initial shock, reality set in and that’s exactly what has happened.
The SEC has Nick Saban and, well, there’s a long, long dropoff to whoever is second. There are some decent coaches all throughout the league, but some that have been exposed as being over-rated and others who are proving to be middle-of-the-pack right now.
And right now the B1G has passed the SEC, at least from this viewpoint. Oh, probably not if you want to take the top-to-bottom approach, but at the top they have, just in sheer numbers if nothing else.
Arkansas, for example, would do well playing the teams in the bottom half of the league. Against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, well, not so much. It could be uglier than some of the games they played this year.
All the SEC has this year is Alabama to throw at the B1G.
In fact, that could be the best thing of all come to think of it. The CFP can go ahead and put three teams from the B1G in there (and it could happen if Clemson and Washington stumble this weekend).
That way when the Crimson Tide beats them, the world can return to normal.
After all, the only thing that really matters is who wins that last game, right?
You may not like Crowe’s conclusions, but is he really wrong?
Former Arkansas coach Jack Crowe, in retirement now, has apparently appointed himself to study college football programs and offer his analysis.
Crowe learned a lot during his years coaching, including stops at Auburn and Clemson before a rather unforgettable tenure coaching the Razorbacks after Ken Hatfield’s sudden exit in 1990.
His latest report is entitled “Leadership sovereignty is the lifeblood of football excellence.” You can get to it by clicking here (warning: you will need to be able to read Microsoft Word documents).
He is providing commentary on “a comparison of the traditions, coaches, AD’s, and authorities of their (Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Arkansas) organizational structure.”
Earlier this season he tweeted that the Hogs are apparently content to be mediocre. His view on that is shared by many former players and increasing numbers of fans.
Here is what he said about Arkansas (and it is edited to correct some grammar issues and add paragraphs as a convenience to make it easier to read):
Arkansas, like Tennessee, is a tougher job because of its access to talented players.
Sovereignty is achievable with success.
The head coach here has to be a master at managing expectations and getting the right four or five explosive players.
Arkansas is part of my study group because Arkansas is like Oregon in that when they have the right coach they can play for the National Championship.
I believe in their tradition. I enjoyed coaching Arkansas players more than any. They play to prove something. Emotions and teamwork are standards of their tradition and it is my personality.
Bobby Petrino had the strategy, as did Houston Nutt, to get the right explosive players in the mix with toughness and teamwork.
I see only mediocrity at Arkansas until that returns.
My last radio interview, this year, the commentator made excuses for my assertions. Apparently, the media has become apathetic. Who will Change it?
Crowe’s conclusions pretty much fall in line with what many fans feel, even if they don’t know the exact reasoning.
In Arkansas’ past, success at a high national level occurred when they had in-state players who often played a couple of stars above their rated ability. Having a system in place that maximized what the skills are of players is what has worked.
No coach has had a lot of success trying to make the players he can recruit to Arkansas fit some ironclad system.
That didn’t even work for Lou Holtz when he decided on the bus ride from the Superdome after being hammered by Alabama on Jan. 2, 1980, that he was going to a physical type approach with the I-formation.
By the fourth game of the year he had abandoned that plan and went back to the Houston Veer, which was an offense that allowed a team that didn’t quite have a two-deep roster of future NFL players compete with those that did.
Even Ken Hatfield wasn’t above making some modifications to his offense to take advantage of what the players he had could do. When he brought Crowe in as offensive coordinator in 1989, the Hogs set school offensive records and won their second straight Southwest Conference championship.
After a second straight 7-5 regular season, there’s not an overwhelming call to change the coach. Bret Bielema is not in danger of getting fired and apparently will be allowed to maintain his coaching staff as he sees fit.
In the fourth year of any coach’s tenure at a school, you have an idea of what you’re going to have. It doesn’t take the five years we’ve been told by sources connected to the Razorbacks that Bielema was given.
Right now, Razorback football has, at best, flat-lined.
The reality is the Hogs took a step backwards this year, losing five league games and four in the SEC West, which is the most important area to improve. Anybody that says this year is equal to last year is blowing smoke.
The overall record is the same as last year because they played a weaker non-conference schedule and getting TCU in a down year. They still nearly lost the opener to Louisiana Tech and the Frogs took them to double overtime.
There’s only two ways to go from there.
One way is what everyone hopes for, but likely will require some changes, either in better personnel with a better plan.
The other, well, puts Arkansas in a position where somebody is going to have to make a decision.
Which doesn’t provide a lot of hope for many.
Ellis first two-time Academic All-American for Razorbacks
AUSTIN, Texas — Senior linebacker Brooks Ellis became the first Arkansas football player in school history to earn Academic All-America honors twice in a career on Thursday when he was named to the 2016 Academic All-America Division I football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The 20th football Academic All-American in school history, Ellis is a first-team honoree after earning second-team acclaim a year ago.
He is the only player from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to be selected to the first team.
A three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and two-year team captain, Ellis carries a 3.82 GPA as a pre-professional exercise science major with aspirations of being a doctor after his playing days.
In addition to his major, Ellis is on a pre-med plan and spent a week in Belize this past May with his biology classmates.
Earlier this month, the Fayetteville, Arkansas, native was named a National Scholar-Athlete and one of 12 finalists for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame.
Considered by many to be the “Academic Heisman,” the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. Ellis and the 11 other finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments.
The finalists are set to travel to New York City for the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 27th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Ellis also was selected to the 2016 Academic All-District 6 first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for the second straight year and was tabbed a semifinalist for the 2016 Wuerffel Trophy both on Nov. 3.
On the field, Ellis led the Razorbacks in tackles during the regular season for the second straight year with 78 and also recorded a team-high 7.0 tackles for loss.
For his career, he has totaled 285 tackles, including 22.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 13 pass breakups and four interceptions, returning one 47 yards for a touchdown during a win at then-No. 15 TCU earlier this season.
SEC Storied chronicles undefeated ’64 Hogs featuring Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson
The next installment in ESPN Films’ SEC Storied series, “Before They Were Cowboys,” premieres on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m. on SEC Network.
The film looks at how Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson teamed up to help lead the 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks football squad to its only undefeated season in history, long before they joined forces to win two Super Bowls with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
This evocative and revealing SEC Storied documentary tells the remarkable backstory of two extraordinary men linked by alphabet, alliteration, uniform numbers (60 and 61) and fate. But they were also brought together by Frank Broyles, the legendary coach who taught them how to make their own histories.
Broyles is just one of the film’s witnesses to those great old days when Jones was an offensive guard with an eye for the dollar sign, and Johnson was a nose guard with a grasp of X’s and O’s.
Back then, they were vital senior members of the 1964 undefeated team that won a national championship. But “Before They Were Cowboys” shows just how they came to be two of the biggest men in the NFL.
The film is directed by Corey Frost and narrated by country singer Trace Adkins.
An encore presentation will air on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Razorbacks rally to down Tulsa, keep unbeaten streak going
TULSA, Okla. — Behind some late shutdown defense, Arkansas remained undefeated with a 57-50 win over Tulsa on Wednesday night in the Reynolds Center.
With the win, Arkansas improves to 7-0, its best start under Jimmy Dykes.
Defensively, the Razorbacks held Tulsa to 29.7 percent shooting and 2-of-14 shooting from 3-point range.
They also held the Golden Hurricane without a field goal for seven-plus minutes late in the fourth quarter, as they finished the game on a 17-2 run, including 17 unanswered.
Jessica Jackson led all scorers with a season-high 22 points and also pulled down a season-high nine rebounds. She was 9-of-17 from the field and also knocked down two 3-pointers. Bailey Zimmerman added 11 points, and Jailyn Mason finished with eight points.
Key Run
Tulsa opened the second quarter on a 9-1 run and held Arkansas without a made field goal until 58 seconds left in the quarter. Arkansas committed seven turnovers and was 0-of-10 from the field and 0-of-3 from 3-point range during the 9:02 stretch. After being held without a field goal for the first nine-plus minutes of the second quarter, Arkansas made two field goals in the final minute to tie the game at 26-26 heading into halftime.
Key Run II
Trailing 48-40, Arkansas came up with 11 straight defensive stops, as the Razorbacks scored 17 consecutive points on the offensive end to take a 57-48 lead. Arkansas went ahead 49-48 on a lay-up by Jailyn Mason with 2:42 left. Leading 51-48 in the final minute of the game, Arkansas forced a shot-clock violation after a jump ball left four seconds on the shot clock.
Key Stat – 50
Arkansas held Tulsa to season lows in both field-goal percentage (29.7 percent) and 3-point field-goal percentage (14.3), as the Razorbacks limited the Golden Hurricane to a season-low 50 points. That included just 11 points in the fourth quarter, when Arkansas outscored Tulsa 23-11 to erase a 39-34 deficit.
Notable
• Arkansas has won six of its last seven meetings against Tulsa and also avenged last year’s 74-67 defeat in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks improve to 20-3 all-time against Tulsa, including 11-1 in games played in Tulsa.
• Tulsa marked the first true road game of the season for Arkansas. With the win, the Razorbacks improve to 8-17 in road games, including 5-4 in nonconference road games, under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
• Arkansas completed a 2-0 sweep of AAC opponents on its schedule, having already defeated Memphis, 91-61.
• Arkansas has used the same starting five for each of the first seven games: Malica Monk, Jailyn Mason, Jessica Jackson, Bailey Zimmerman and Alecia Cooley.
• Jessica Jackson has scored in double figures in each of the first seven games this season. She is averaging a team-best 15.8 points per game.
• Jessica Jackson led all scorers with a season-high 22 points. It was her second 20-point game of the season and her 22nd career 20-point game.
• Jessica Jackson scored 10 of her 22 points in the first quarter. She scored 10 first-quarter points for the second time this season (Stetson) and the third time in her career.
• Arkansas has won the rebounding battle in six of the first seven games this season, improving to 29-7 when outrebounding its opponents under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
• Arkansas is off to a 7-0 start for the first time under head coach Jimmy Dykes and the first time overall since the 2013-14 season, when the Razorbacks won each of their first 13 games.
Quotable – From Jimmy Dykes
“This was a huge win on the road for us. We’re 7-0 and we continue to find a way to win games. We didn’t play great, but I think we beat a good team on the road. Our defense in that fourth quarter was the difference.”
Quotable II – From Jimmy Dykes
“We’re sitting over there in the fourth quarter on the road and we’re down eight. We kept talking to our kids about hanging in there and to keep grinding, get stops and get boards, get stops and get boards. I don’t think we ever talked about our offense in the fourth quarter. It was all about defense and rebounds.”
Up Next
Arkansas returns home for an SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup with Texas Tech on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. from Bud Walton Arena, and the game will be televised on the SEC Network. Arkansas also plays host to Butler on Wednesday, Dec. 7, before returning to the road for a game at Missouri State on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Bielema will be guest analyst on SEC Network pregame show
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema will be getting more television exposure during the SEC Football Championship broadcast Saturday from Atlanta.
Bielema will be on SEC Nation with Maria Taylor, Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears, Paul Finebaum, Laura Rutledge and Ryan McGee as a special guest analyst that will air starting at noon on Saturday.
The SEC Network is providing extensive on-site coverage of the SEC Football Championship on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3-4 including two sets, three live shows.
In addition to the 12-hours of live programming in Atlanta, the network is debuting an original features show celebrating 25 Years of the SEC Championship this week and also capping the weekend with an SEC Now: Bowl Special on Sunday at 5 p.m.
UA confirms sophomore guard Jordan Danberry has left Razorbacks women’s team
Sophomore guard Jordan Danberry, one of six players who took a knee during the national anthem earlier this month, has left the Arkansas women’s basketball team six games into the season.
There is no clear answer why she left, but a spokesperson for the UA confirmed the report Tuesday. Coach Jimmy Dykes was not available for comment.
Danberry was averaging 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Razorbacks.
After the incident that drew criticism from much of the state, Danberry said the following week she knelt because of “social injustice that we recognize in our society,” but stood for the anthem in subsequent games.
As a freshman last season, Danberry played in all 30 games and started 13 times. She led the team with 70 assists and averaged 6.7 points per game.
Danberry had not started any of the six games this season for the Razorbacks, who are coming off two wins at the Nugget Classic in Reno, Nev. They are scheduled to play at Tulsa on Wednesday.
ESPN rated Danberry a five-star recruit out of Conway High School and she was the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior.
Hogs return to form, downing Mount St. Mary’s behind
Arkansas improved to 4-1 on the season with a 89-76 win over the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers on Monday night inside Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas improves to 4-1 to start the season for the 10th time in the last 14 years, while Mount St. Mary’s falls to 1-7 on the year.
The win marks the 50th victory against unranked non-conference opponents in Bud Walton Arena under coach Mike Anderson, moving to 50-1 in such games.
The Razorbacks saw two new faces in the starting lineup Monday night as Anton Beard recorded his first start of the season, 18th of his career, while Manuale Watkins started for the first time this season and the 10th time in his career.
Arkansas had five players score in double figures with Daryl Macon leading the way with 15 points. Jaylen Barford and Dustin Thomas finished with 13 each, while Dusty Hannahs tallied 12 and Anton Beard added 11. The Razorbacks have had four or more players score in double figures in four of the first five games this season. Hannahs has now scored in double figures in 13 straight games dating back to last season.
Moses Kingsley entered the game ranked second in the nation in blocks per game and added to that total in the second half as he finished a point shy of his second straight double-double with nine points and 13 rebounds.
The Razorbacks outscored Mount St. Mary’s 21-9 in transition to improve their streak of tying or leading their opponents in fast break points to 10 straight games. Arkansas has also outscored its opponents in the paint in six straight games dating back to last season after outscoring the Mountaineers 48-34. The Razorbacks capitalized on Mount St. Mary’s turnovers, turning 11 miscues into 18 points the other way.
QUOTABLES
“Some of the things I wanted to see in his particular game, I saw. We cleaned up our turnovers and talked about sharing the basketball and I thought we did a much better job at that. We played a lot of guys and got efficient minutes out of them. I thought Dustin Thomas was the highlight guy in the first half. He was on the receiving end of a lot of nice passes, rolled to the basket and was able to finish around the basket. It was good to see us attack inside.” — coach Mike Anderson
“Tonight, we played with a lot more confidence on the offensive end. We played our game and we weren’t thinking about it. Last week, when we played Minnesota, we were thinking about our shots and hesitating. Tonight, we went out there and played with a lot of energy and played our game and offensively good things happened for us.” — junior guard Daryl Macon
UP NEXT
The Razorbacks will play their second game of a five-game homestand on Thursday, Dec. 1, hosting Stephen F. Austin at 8 p.m. inside Bud Walton Arena. The non-conference showdown will be televised on SEC Network.
