FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Inept. Conspiracy. Revenge. Playing.

4 phrases Razorback followers spouted on the common in regard to the problems with officiating throughout the 55-53 triple-overtime win over Kansas within the Liberty Bowl Wednesday evening.

These cries bought louder after Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek tweeted an official announcement relating to a concentrating on name on freshman defensive again Quincy McAdoo that took away an enormous cease for the win in double additional time.

There’s little doubt it was a tough recreation for the officiating. 

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, clearly flustered by what had transpired on the sphere, was capable of hold his wits about him afterward when requested about quite a few performs the place followers had perceived blown calls.

“Naw, I noticed it, however I like my cash,” Pittman stated concerning the first scenario talked about.

“I noticed that too,” he stated of the second incident.

“Properly, I had a superb take a look at that one too,” Pittman stated because the questions concerning the refs stored coming.

Pittman’s non-answers spoke volumes greater than any complaining session may have finished had the Razorback coach selected to talk his thoughts.

Nevertheless, had Arkansas misplaced because of this, it will have been in his finest curiosity to go on the offensive. The $25,000 effective would have been value it as a result of he would have wanted to plea his case to all of Arkansas that his workforce had been frolicked to dry.

Why?

For therefore many causes, the primary being that dropping to a 6-6 Massive 12 college is a big albatross round a coach’s neck within the SEC. 

Couple that with a dropping report, and even a college that after stomached blowouts to North Texas, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky alongside losses to San Jose St. and Colorado St. earlier than firing Chad Morris instantly begins to debate whether or not to switch its head coach.

Consider that Yurcheck would not appear to have a lot persistence for dropping and the way sizzling the waters would have been with the fan base recently, and also you’re left with Pittman needing to rally all Razorbacks to the concept that he did not coach a loss, however as an alternative had it stolen.

Whereas that value is barely theoretical, there undoubtedly would have been a value to pay that Pittman could not have averted.

Unhealthy calls not solely would have denied Pittman a $250,000 elevate and an computerized extension to 2027, it additionally may have value him tens of millions in retention bonuses he’s scheduled to obtain on the finish of 2024.

However probably the most egregious potential end result would have been the lack of Pittman’s profession.

Had a dropping season triggered a firing instantly following the sport prefer it did for Bret Bielema, a correction by the NCAA a day later would not have helped. The cat would have already been out of the bag.

Arkansas would not have gotten its win again. Even when Pittman had gotten his job again, the injury would have already been finished.

Whether or not it was incompetence, a private response to Pittman laying into all of them recreation, or, and that is stated with a little bit of sarcasm as a result of it is such a stretch, a PAC 12 conspiracy to take down SEC groups, it practically had very actual penalties past who will get to assert a profitable season between a pair of actually common groups.

The checklist of blown calls is lengthy and every had a dramatic impact. 

Listed below are only a few, excluding the aforementioned concentrating on name that was overturned a day later.

With 24 seconds within the first half, following a 32-yard KJ Jefferson run that was prolonged to the 9-yard line after Kenny Logan, Jr. shoved Jefferson into the underside of the bleachers for the one penalty referred to as on Kansas all recreation, the Razorbacks had been trying to enter the half up no less than 34-13 and presumably 38-13.

Nevertheless, when freshman Isaiah Sategna, who simply bought his first catch of the season a couple of minutes earlier, got here throughout the center on a slant, OJ Burroughs body-checked him on the aim line with a tough shoulder to cease Sategna lifeless on his route, permitting Burroughs to bounce off and finish the drive with an interception.

If he would not commit an apparent move interference, the chances are excessive that Sategna has his first landing of the season, which might have finally put Arkansas up 45-13 following a landing with 8:43 left within the third quarter.

With the quantity of chewing Pittman did on the backsides of the officiating crew heading into the half, these males might not have something left to take a seat on the remainder of their lives.

Whereas Pittman personally calling a reverse to Matt Landers on second down in discipline aim vary whereas Kansas was out of timeouts has already been addressed in one other story, the unneeded threat of the scenario should not have mattered.

Landers was down and it was stop simple to see on the assessment that his elbow hit the bottom, jarring the ball free. He had the primary down, so what ought to have adopted was KJ Jefferson taking three knees whereas Pittman walked away the coach of the workforce with a 38-23 bowl win in his pocket.

With it being such an inconsequential bowl recreation within the eyes of the NCAA, it is unlikely something is completed in regard to the crew that referred to as it. 

Nevertheless, contemplating the implications that had been narrowly averted along with different potential fallout, plus the notion that has clearly generated throughout the school soccer group, there must be some stage of motion, even when its simply further hours of coaching heading into subsequent yr.