Positives in 56-20 loss to LSU will be lost amidst two years of misery

Arkansas freshman K.J. Jefferson got his start Saturday night, but if nothing else we now know he’s not ready to compete against the best teams in the SEC West … and may not be next year.

That’s not to say it’s his fault the Razorbacks lost, 56-20. The fact he became the seventh starting quarterback in the last 23 games speaks volumes by itself.

There has been zero quarterback coaching at the level required to play in this league and that’s what Jefferson can’t overcome with his immense raw talent.

The Hogs probably exceeded the expectations of many by staying close to LSU for a quarter, but then snapped back into form with an interim coach and a quarterback that resembled a deer caught in the headlights of a truck.

By the start of the fourth quarter, the Razorbacks gave up and went through the motions … until walk-on holder Jack Lindsey came in.

He immediately ripped off a 30-yard run on his first play, making a correct midline option read and running through a gaping hole and getting out of bounds before the posse caught up to him.

We’ve heard for two years now how Lindsey knew the offense better than any of the other quarterbacks. Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock has admitted he’s had to tell Lindsey to quit answering his questions in the position room so somebody else could answer.

There probably won’t be an answer to why it’s taken this long to see him in a game.

Everything in this game showed exactly why Chad Morris was fired and most of this coaching staff will be gone in a few weeks.

Jefferson started and made some pretty bad freshman mistakes. Things like stepping out of bounds a yard short of a first down, coming up a yard short on an unforced slide, not picking up blitzes and things that can be fixed, but clues that it won’t be easy.

Several years of poor recruiting choices combined with a lack of development and a lack of discipline maybe have never been on display as vividly as against the Tigers.

Yes, the loss to the Tigers showed why this team is looking for a coach and it may be harder to find one than you’d think.

ESPN announcers Greg McElroy and Dave Pasch making the point pretty obvious that maybe Morris got yanked too early shows why national guys have no clue what they’re talking about half the time.

He was fired because there has been zero progress for two seasons, particularly at the quarterback position and this team lost any respect they had for him as a coach.

McElroy, who I really like, threw out Lane Kiffin as his choice to be the next coach and even dropped Mike Leach’s name.

Both may look at the Arkansas job and figure they’ve already got a better one with less pressure and a better chance to win.

Yes, things have fallen that far.

Whether fans want to admit it or not, this program is in a death spiral that may not have hit bottom yet. There’s still room to go downward.

Don’t believe it? This program is not even in the top 100 in winning percentage in all of college football over the last eight seasons.

Think about that for a second.

A program that was in the top 10 in winning percentage from the time Frank Broyles arrived in 1958 until they went to the SEC has fallen probably farther than he envisioned when he saw the old Southwest Conference falling apart in 1990.

Judging this team by what happened against an LSU team that was playing for a spot in Atlanta probably isn’t a true gauge of where it’s at, but it is a starting point.

Maybe Missouri will be a better test to see what Jefferson and the rest of the team is capable of.

That will come Friday in War Memorial Stadium.

And you could tell by the end of the third quarter Barry Lunney, Jr., was aware of the short turnaround and started pouring reserves into the game against LSU’s starters, who were still in the game for some strange reason.

There were some positives in the game. The offense sustained drives, dominated the time of possession (40:54-19:06) and managed over 300 yards of offense. Sure, the defense gave up over 600 yards to a Heisman-type quarterback in Joe Burrow, but did get some three-and-outs in the first quarter.

The Hogs weren’t blown out by midway in the second quarter like they had been the previous few weeks by much lesser teams than LSU.

Most of those positives will be buried, though.

Which is what happens with so many problems the past couple of years.