Tye and “The Diesel” on the win over TX, not looking ahead to A&M, this rivalry and more!
Stromberg, Jefferson on offense staying on track in routing Longhorns
The Hogs’ offense put up 471 yards against Texas with Ricky Stromberg anchoring line, KJ Jefferson’s big plays running, passing.
Ridgeway wanted to come back to play against Rice, but waited to Texas
Hogs defensive lineman John Ridgeway said after the win over the Longhorns he had different idea than trainer after appendectomy.
Little, Henry after Hogs’ defense, kicking game power win over Texas
Kicker Cam Little and linebacker Hayden Henry with the media after Razorbacks’ defense, four field goals keys in win.
Pittman after Hogs’ roll through Longhorns in huge win over biggest rival
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman’s complete press conference, giving lot of credit to fans for electric atmosphere big game.
GAMEDAY: Hogs blow out Longhorns with defense, running game
4Q 2:26: Texas gets a late score from Casey Thompson on a 2-yard run that does nothing but affect the final score. Hogs 40, Texas 21
4Q 8:27: Arkansas put this game away with a 30-yard run by AJ Green to cap an 8-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took 5:06 off the clock and it appears the Longhorns have given up. Hogs 40, Texas 14
4Q 13:33: Casey Thompson comes in at quarterback and engineered a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by his 5-yard run. Hogs 33, Texas 14
3Q 1:50: It’s starting to look like 1981 again as Texas loses the ball on a goofy fumble and Rocket Sanders goes 26 yards on the first play and the Hogs are building a big lead. Hogs 33, Texas 7
3Q 2:08: The Hogs’ defense rose to the occasion and stopped Texas near midfield and KJ Jefferson engineered a 10-play, 38-yard drive that stalled inside the Texas 10 again. Cam Little kicked his fourth field goal of the game for another lead. Hogs 26, Texas 7
3Q 6:28: Arkansas didn’t wait long to answer. A big pass from KJ Jefferson to Tyson Morris set up Trelon Smith’s 1-yard run for an 81-yard scoring drive that took just 1:56. Hogs 23, Texas 7
3Q 10:17: KJ Jefferson’s interception by BJ Foster set the Longhorns up in the Hogs’ end of the field and they drove 26 yards in six plays with Bijan Robinson getting the final yard into the middle. Hogs 16, Texas 7
Halftime: Hogs hold 16-0 lead as once they stopped the Texas offense after Cam Little’s field goal they were content to run the clock out.
3Q 3:00: Arkansas’ defense gets another quick stop and the offense goes 53 yards in seven plays before having to settle for a Cam Little 44-yard field goal. Hogs 16, Texas 0
2Q 7:34: Texas makes another costly mistake, this time in the kicking game when Cameron Dicker fumbled the snap from center and had his punt blocked. The Hogs could only go 8 yards, though, and Cameron Little kicked a 24-yard field goal. Hogs 13, Texas 0
2Q 10:55: Arkansas’ defense stopped the Longhorns and Cameron Dicker’s 52-yard field goal sailed wide right, then the Hogs quickly moved 66 yards in 7 plays to score on a 5-yard run by Dominique Johnson. Hogs 10, Texas 0
End 1st: Hogs hold 3-0 lead but Texas is driving and have moved 51 yards in four plays before the end of the period and will have it on the Arkansas 24 to start the second quarter. Hogs 3, Texas 0
1Q 2:03: Hogs get KJ Jefferson running and move 57 yards in 12 plays before bogging down inside the 10. Freshman kicker Cam Little kicks a 24-yard field goal. Jefferson rushed for 27 yards in the drive with a 15 and 12-yarder. Hogs 3, Texas 0
Midway 1st quarter: Razorbacks’ defense playing with emotion and selling out to stop run. Texas has just 5 yards of total offense while Hogs have 35, but just a single first down between the two teams.
First drives: Both defenses playing with a lot of emotion and Arkansas bottled Texas up before the Longhorns’ Cameron Dicker hit a 54-yard punt that Greg Brooks tried to field, fumbled and Texas’ Marques Caldwell recovered, but replayed showed he had stepped out of bounds. The Hogs avoid giving Texas the ball at their own 4-yard line.
Texas wins toss, defers to second half and Razorbacks going from south to north in Razorback Stadium.
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Radio: ESPN Arkansas online at HitThatLine.com, or on the air at FM 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and Pulaski County or 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
It’s going to be a rowdy evening at Razorback Stadium as the gates are open and the students are pouring into the seats.
There is not a cloud in the sky and nobody is really expecting one.
Money Line: Arkansas +210, Texas -250
Spread: Arkansas +7, Texas -7
Over/Under: 56 – Over: (-105), Under: (+115)
Keep it locked here for in-game coverage of the old-standing rivalry. It promises to be an electric environment as the Arkansas student section is over half full over an hour before kickoff.
Texas has a small band here is that is LOUD located in the southeast corner of the stadium. Fans are milling around and, based on what we saw from the people coming to the stadium nearly three hours before kickoff the Longhorns are not alone.
Fayetteville homeowner does some yard decoration for Texas game
The team every Arkansas fan loves to hate, Texas, is in Fayetteville for a showdown Saturday night and a Fayetteville homeowner got creative.
Home in Arkansas ready for today’s showdown against the Longhorns with the horns down etched into the grass!
(? by @SouthernbeLLSU) pic.twitter.com/XJLJAMHK1Y
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 11, 2021
It is the first time the two teams have met in football in Razorback Stadium since 2004 and Hog fans have been out in full force … all week long.
While it is a work of art to get that looking like that, the biggest question is how quickly can it get removed if Texas pulls out a win in the game.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN.
ANDY’S PICKS: What happened in past has no effect Saturday
It’s hard to remember a bigger game in Razorback Stadium than Texas coming to town Saturday to play Arkansas.
Sorry, folks, but the combination of the SEC Network circus, an early game and, well, the Longhorns’ burnt orange that has fanned the flames of Razorback fans as much as this week.
Maybe Alabama in 2010 or South Carolina in 2006 got close but they aren’t Texas. There’s nobody Hog fans have a more massive inferiority complex about.
Apologists will say that’s not it. They say it’s arrogance or whatever, but the bottom line is most Arkansas fans don’t feel their team is the equal of the ’Horns.
That’s because Texas has won 71% of the time the two schools have played, mainly because they’ve had better players most of the time.
The Hogs have counted on emotion for wins most of the time.
It’s the same story this year. The Longhorns have one of the best running backs in the country who also returns punts and kicks. They have a redshirt freshman quarterback who may be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12, depending on who you want to believe.
Arkansas has a different culture and that indeed appeared to be the case in a 38-17 win over Rice in the season opener. There are teams in recent memory that would have found a way to lose that game, inventing something if necessary.
But Texas is going to be a different story.
Don’t fall in the trap of believing this Longhorns team is down on talent. The guy Steve Sarkisian replaced wasn’t fired because he couldn’t recruit. Texas has averaged a No. 7 finish in the 247Sports.com composite rankings over the last four years. The Hogs have averaged 30th.
And I don’t want to hear about the Texas Bowl where a pair of 6-6 teams were playing a game and one team had zero interest in being there. The same thing happened in 2000 when Mack Brown would have probably considered a forfeit if possible.
None of that has a thing to do with this year, by the way.
The talent gap is real, though, and Sarkisian appears to have brought a more focused approach than the previous coach.
The Hogs are counting on a loud and rowdy crowd, KJ Jefferson getting more comfortable at quarterback and Barry Odom performing some form of a miracle with the defense.
Back in 1981 I made the same prediction I’m making now because No. 1 Texas came into town against an Arkansas team that lost to TCU of all things.
Texas 48, Arkansas 14
In case you don’t know, I’ll save you the trouble of looking it up … Arkansas won, 42-11, and the game wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.
Heading into Week 2, the lead is thin and might be even after this weekend because there’s no difference except Arkansas and Texas.
Alabama State at Auburn: No idea if they are even taking action on this at the sports books because it’s a glorified scrimmage for the Tigers. Auburn 52, Alabama State 6
South Carolina (-2.5) at East Carolina: The Pirates are either better than first thought or nobody is putting any money on the Gamecocks, who are on the road for this one. South Carolina 31, East Carolina 20
Pittsburgh at Tennessee (-3.5): The Vols are on a roll but this week will tell us more about Josh Heupel’s second team, although more folks in Tennessee are positive than in recent years. Tennessee 34, Pittsburgh 27
Florida (-28.5) at South Florida: The Gators obviously needed to play a game in the Tampa area for recruiting purposes because that’s the only reason this should be a road game. Florida 49, South Florida 21
Alabama-Birmingham at Georgia (-22.5): The Bulldogs won’t find the going as tough on offense as it was last week against Clemson. In fact, they might not see a defense like that again until playing Alabama in the SEC title game. Georgia 31, UAB 7
Texas A&M (-17) at Colorado: Thank goodness we aren’t picking against the spread because that’s going to be all over the map this week. This game may be the hardest to handicap, but Jimbo Fisher will want to run it up. Texas A&M 56, Colorado 14
Mercer at Alabama: Nick Saban wants to focus on the fine points but nobody else cares about that. They just want a win. Alabama 63, Mercer 6 (so Saban will have a teaching point)
North Carolina State at Mississippi State (-1): You know a game between two teams that end in “State” probably isn’t going to be an artistic success and Mike Leach isn’t wanting any more close calls like last week. Mississippi State 31, NC State 21
Austin Peay at Ole Miss: Does anybody really care? The safest prediction is nearly half the folks in The Grove won’t make it to the 6:30 kickoff. Ole Miss 62, Austin Peay 10
Missouri at Kentucky (-5.5): Okay, I guess nobody else figured the Wildcats would ever worry about football, but then it just means a little more when you’re in the SEC. Kentucky 31, Missouri 21
McNeese at LSU: Once again, why? LSU 63, McNeese 14
Vanderbilt at Colorado State (-7): The Commodores are terrible. For whatever reason, they aren’t ringing that bell very often at home or on the road. Colorado State 28, Vanderbilt 21
PETE’S PICKS: Hating Texas leads to win for Hogs as rivalry renewed
Well, well, well … guess who is coming to dinner? It’s our old buddies from the Southwestern Conference; those yellow rose wearing Texas Longhorns.
The rumor is for Saturday’s game in Fayetteville, there will be at least a few of those pretentious, arrogant, “Who is their fashion designer?” orange-clad visitors from the south.
Arkansas fans, I’m speaking directly at you now, please try your best to be nice. I’m holding my breath.
I do not feel there is a strong level of comfort in this game for anyone who cheers for the Razorbacks. Why? The question still remains: how good is this Arkansas team?
Yes, we did play better in the second half against Rice, and yes, we did win the game by three touchdowns, yet many of us still possess varying doubts. I will be positive though. I must.
Based upon pre-season hype, several people (and not just fans of the Hogs) expected this to be a ‘W’ on the Razorback schedule for 2021. Perhaps that sum had evolved because consensus was Texas has been struggling as of late mixed in with their hiring of a new coach in Steve Sarkisian. Add into the equation the Arkansas program appears to be on an upward trajectory under second-year coach Sam Pittman.
Whatever the previous reasoning, new thoughts have the Longhorns as a national contender. For the record, I’m not insinuating they are drawing a bead on the BCS. No, I am still sober, yet, for the sake of full disclosure, check with me again late Saturday pending the outcome of the game.
For some logic, those behind the polls see Texas as better than originally projected. The burnt orange made a surprise appearance in the Top 25 to start the season, and now, after a win over then-ranked Louisiana, Texas is ranked as high as No.15 in most major polls.
[No, not that Louisiana team, the Rajin’ Cajuns … Yes, yes, the team from Lafayette.]
So the question becomes: how can a recently suffering Razorback program upset their future SEC brother?
[Writer’s note: it seems weird knowing Texas is joining the SEC. I’d compare it to divorcing your spouse, getting married to a wonderful and lovely person, and then your ex later slithers their way into your new family.]
Texas fans, always known (at least) around the south for being pretentious and arrogant seem to take pride in saying they do not see Arkansas as a rivalry game. Arkansas fans, on the other hand, have no shame in declaring their hate for the team from Austin.
“It’s just another game,” ‘T’ cap wearing keyboard hacks seem to relish in declaring. Their flippant attitude almost ires the blood to a boil beneath the skin of Razorback fans; however, rest easy, because I know firsthand from friends and family in the uterus state there are countless Texas fans who, within the confines of their own steakhouse, will admit Arkansas is a school they do not like and desperately want to beat.
Why Arkansas will win:
Arkansas will have to be pumped. Due to their young age, I’m not certain if any of the Razorback players possess any sort of hatred or disdain for Texas. I honestly believe their extreme pride in themselves and their football program alone motivates them in this game. A readiness to show they can compete with and conquer anybody on the national stage.
KJ has confidence. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson stepped up and stepped through the Owls defenders for several rushing yards and two scores. Texas’s defense will not be so porous, therefore Jefferson will have to rely upon and find confidence and accuracy within his arm.
Barry Odom’s defense. The Arkansas defense looked better in the second half against Rice, yet we all know the Texas offense is tremendously better than the Owls. If we have a takeaway from 2020, it is Odom can scheme his defense and get them ready for big games.
Why Texas will win:
The Longhorns seem to have some momentum coming out of their first game. Like Arkansas’s aforementioned victory over its former SWC foe, I’m not sold on Texas’s 20-point triumph against the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Horns did not look flawless. First game jitters? Not as solid as some might think? Hopefully the latter.
Bijan Robinson. The Texas running back has drawn the attention of a lot of sports fans and writers. Let’s be honest, he’s rightfully been compared to Reggie Bush and can cut more quickly and accurately than an X-acto knife. Arkansas will have a tough task stopping him (and thus Texas) if the defense cannot close the gaps and narrow the field.
Hudson Card. The Horns’ redshirt freshman quarterback is already being tabbed by some as the best quarterback in the Big 12. I don’t know, do you? I have not seen him play that much. My guess is you have not seen him take the field for more than a couple of quarters. Pretty much no one outside of George Strait’s home state can testify if Card is as good as advertised. A life sentence for perjury, though, if they tell us wrong.
Final Thoughts:
I am anxious to see how Rocket Sanders will perform this weekend. I feel he is already drawing near his explosive moment.
If anyone is tempted to take into Donald W Reynolds Razorback Stadium a sign that says “Bevo, it’s what’s for dinner”, please, please reconsider. “Napoleon Dynamite” was funny the first or second time we watched it. There’s no reason to put it back on the playlist.
If you are in attendance Saturday, be loud and be proud. Don’t give up; don’t back down. Robinson himself stated he was nervous playing in front of a packed stadium at Texas last week, so let’s be a good host by showing him what an obnoxiously loud and intimidating 80,000 strong group of Razorbacks sounds like.
Arkansas will come out hot, riding a tidal wave of emotion. The second quarter will prove to be a struggle. After adjustments by both teams, the second half will burden back-and-forth with one team leaving DWRRS on a beautiful Fayetteville evening victorious by a nerve-wracking three points.
Arkansas 30 – 27.
Be certain to listen to the game Saturday at 6 p.m. via HitThatLine.com and on the air at ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 99.5 in Fayetteville, 96.3 in Hot Springs, and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
SEC Picks for Week 1
Week 2 in the HTL Cup Chase has Andy slightly ahead. Today’s overly confident bragging is the precursor for tomorrow’s loathsome failure.
Alabama State at (25) Auburn: Surprisingly, it only took one week and one overrated team’s loss to move Auburn into the Top 25. They’ll stay there for at least one more week. Tigers by 20.
South Carolina at East Carolina: Remember not too many years ago when East Carolina was a scary opponent for almost any opponent? Just curious. West Carolina is saying, “I got next!” Gamecocks by 17.
Pittsburgh at Tennessee: Yee-haw! Seriously, that’s all I can say. Vols by 27.
(13) Florida at South Florida: I must have missed this contract signing. Was it when South Florida was mildly decent? Gators by 30.
Alabama-Birmingham at (2) Georgia: It was not fancy, but the Bulldogs put a slow ‘L’ onto the starting gate for Clemson. The fans in Athens will not have nearly the stress this week. Georgia by an easy 32.
(5) Texas A&M at Colorado: Did not both these teams at one point declare mutiny against the Texas Longhorns? Aggies by 30.
Mercer at (1) Alabama: May Nick Saban have mercer on their souls. Tide by 60.
(15) Texas at Arkansas – GAME OF THE WEEK: It is rare I give Arkansas “Game of the Week” status, but with the crew of SEC Nation being in Fayetteville, who am I to not declare the same with my like honor? Hogs by 3.
North Carolina State at Mississippi State: Only Mel Gibson would need a better comeback than the Bulldogs had this past Saturday against Louisiana Tech. MSU will have their stuff together this weekend, unless that really was not overconfidence we witnessed for three quarters. Mississippi State by 14.
Austin Peay at (20) Ole Miss: Who knew Austin Peay was in Tennessee? Kidding. Who outside their enrollment department knows how to pronounce ‘Peay’? Seriously not kidding. Rebels by 40.
Missouri at Kentucky: Already a decent conference match-up for which to look forward. Some speculate Kentucky may actually contend for the Eastern Conference Title this year. Interesting. They are at home, hence they get a slight advantage. Cats by 10.
McNeese State at LSU: Better have your vaccination cards at the ready if you want to enter Death Valley. Kind of ironic with the whole name thing, huh? On top of that, Max and Jalen won’t be the only Johnson & Johnson on the field this Saturday. Last weekend LSU dropped one on the road at UCLA, but the Tigers were going through a lot at the time, and since that’s an excusable cliche in this day and age we will give them a pass. They will fare better in the Pfizer Bowl this week. Tigers by 34.
Vanderbilt at Colorado State: I overestimated the Commodores last week. I will eventually do it again but not this time. No fake punts, yet this one is still not an SEC victory. Rams by 16.
Texas fans know they hate us like moderates hate political social media.
Horns down. Tusks up!
Find me on ‘Twitter’: @PeterMorganWPS
Go HOGS!!!
How Tebow thinks Hogs should get KJ running early to get in rhythm
SEC Network analyst Tim Tebow thinks Hogs should get KJ Jefferson “hit for a second” to get into flow of game.
