Hannahs, Macon pace Razorbacks past pesky North Florida

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas improved to 8-1 on the season Saturday night as the Razorbacks knocked off North Florida, 91-76, in Bud Walton Arena.

The Razorbacks have now won at least eight of their first nine games for just the second time in the last seven years and the 10th time since joining the Southeastern Conference.

The Hogs and Ospreys went into the half tied at 44 after trading buckets for nearly the entire first period. Arkansas was able to manufacture a 10-0 run midway through the first but North Florida climbed back in with the help of its three point shooting, making seven of its 12 three pointers in the opening frame.

For the second straight game, Dusty Hannahs scored 10 points in the first half, improving his streak of double figure scoring games to 16 straight. Hannahs finished the night with a team-high 17 points to go along with three assists and his first career block.

After trading baskets for the first part of the second half, Arkansas made an 11-0 run, largely in part to back-to-back three point baskets by Daryl Macon, to give the Razorbacks a 73-63 lead. Arkansas turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, forcing 11 of its 19 turnovers in the final period.

With a 21 assist performance Saturday night, Arkansas is one of six teams in the nation with 5 games of 20-plus assists this year. The Razorbacks are now 37-3 under head coach Mike Anderson when Arkansas reaches 20 assists and 5-0 this season.

Moses Kingsley continues to be a force in the paint. The SEC’s active leader in double-doubles picked up the 19th of his career on Saturday night with a 13 point and 10 rebound performance. Kingsley had another block, which makes it 39 of the last 42 games that he has recorded a swat.

Arkansas’ bench came up big once again, outscoring North Florida 36-6. The Razorbacks also outscored the Ospreys in fast break points, improving Arkansas’ margin over opponents to 148-48 this season. The Hogs have yet to trail in fast break points this season.

UP NEXT
The Razorbacks will travel to Houston, Texas next week to participate in the Lone Star Shootout on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Toyota Center. Arkansas will tip it up against the Texas Longhorns at 1:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Hogs put together rally in final minutes to down Coogs, 84-72

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Behind a 14-3 run in the final minutes, Arkansas picked up its fourth straight victory Tuesday night, knocking off Houston, 84-72, in Bud Walton Arena.

The Razorbacks (7-1) have won at least seven of their first eight games for the eighth time in the last 13 years and just the 10th time since joining the SEC.

Arkansas improved to 22-17 all-time over its old Southwest Conference rival, moving to 14-2 against Houston (6-2) in Fayetteville.

The bench came up big for the Hogs once again, outscoring the Cougars 34-14, led by Dusty Hannahs who finished with a team-high 17 points. Hannahs scored 10 of his 17 in the first half, extending his streak to double figure scoring games to 16 straight contests. Dating back to last season, Hannahs has made 50 of his last 54 (.926) free throws including 20 straight over the last six games.

Down one with 14:29 left in the first half, Arkansas went on a 17-2 run to take a 25-11 lead. After missing eight straight shots, the Cougars slowly clawed back into the game and ended the first half by making nine of their last 12 attempts to head into the break leading 35-34.

Both teams traded baskets early to start the second half as Arkansas regained the lead heading into the first media timeout 45-43 and never looked back. The Razorbacks sank seven of their last 10 shots to put the game away down the stretch.

Daryl Macon finished with a career-high 17 points to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Moses Kingsley made his presence felt inside, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Kingsley has now finished with multiple swats in six of the eight games this season.

QUOTABLES
“I thought our energy level was a big factor in winning this game. I thought we had some guys in there to finish. If you noticed, Manuale Watkins had seven rebounds. He and Moses (Kingsley) were in there getting rebounds down the stretch. I thought they were fresher, moving defensively, getting to places and covering people. I thought the bench play allowed me to rest those guys, so when they came in, I thought they were fresh to finish the game and they finished it up well. It was a lot of contributions by a lot of guys.” – Coach Mike Anderson

“Our defense was the difference maker for us. We were starting to communicate, and tell our teammates when people were cutting through. Talking on defense was something we weren’t doing in the first half. Communication in the second half was much better.” – junior guard Daryl Macon

UP NEXT
The Razorbacks will complete their five-game homestand on Saturday, Dec. 10 when the North Florida Ospreys visit Bud Walton Arena. UNF has won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title each of the last two seasons. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

Comparing Arkansas, Wisconsin since Bielema hired in Fayetteville

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Anderson recaps Hogs’ win over Stephen F. Austin

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Video from WholeHogSports.com

Hannahs, Kingsley talking about win over Lumberjacks

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Video from WholeHogSports.com

Arkansas stays perfect at home with big victory over SFA

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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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.

SFA’s Kyle Keller talks about loss to Razorbacks

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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We thought it would be multiple SEC teams complaining about CFP snubs

Andy Hodges
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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?

Andy Hodges
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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

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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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

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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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.

before-they-were-cowboys_keyart_revisedThe 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.

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