Arkansas
One Word Completely Sums Up Arkansas’ Loss to No. 8 LSU
Disappointment. It’s the word of the day for Razorback fans everywhere, and around the University. Certainly not the emotion Arkansas fans wanted.
Disappointment. Pure and utter disappointment. I almost typed the same word 750 times. It’s the takeaway from Saturday’s 34-10 loss to LSU. Disappointment.
Arkansas fans aren’t the only ones feeling that way, of course. Half the college fan bases around the country, when reflecting on Saturday’s football action, have a similar emotional hangover.
Still, no true Hog fan can deny the feeling of … wait for it … disappointment.
The faithful fans of Fayetteville and far beyond had hoped for far better from their football team. Students, alumni, parents and family of the players, plus the corporate folks and bigwigs who watch from the skyboxes — and don’t forget the locals, the diehard fans whose families have called the Hogs for generations — packed Razorback Stadium to see their heroes tame the Tigers.
Instead, the Hogs laid an egg big enough to feed everyone in that stadium. I know all about the old phrase “any given Saturday” and not knowing what to expect. That, my friends, is the true beauty of sports, along with the incredibly unpredictable and dramatic twists and turns and finishes that only games can provide.
There were some twists and turns against LSU, and a few brief stretches of hope as the Hogs made some plays on both sides of the ball and looked — if only for a moment or three — like a team capable of beating a Top 10 team.
But, coming off a bye week, everyone expected just a bit more. It’s almost always an advantage, with more time to heal and rest and certainly to prepare. Just didn’t work enough in the Hogs’ favor this time, though.
Nope, this was a case of LSU riding the momentum of its come-from-behind win at home the previous Saturday against highly ranked Ole Miss. The Bayou Bengals carried that confidence into Northwest Arkansas, flexed their mighty muscles on both lines, and strutted out with a big win.
In the SEC, every win is a big one. Few were bigger for Arkansas and coach Sam Pittman than the Hogs’ previous game, a 19-14 come-from-behind thriller that inspired — but mostly obligated, in this current climate — tens of thousands of fans to swarm the field when the clock expired.
Everybody, even the oddsmakers, took note of that impressive victory. It’s why LSU was only favored by 2.5 points. And the Tigers knew if they didn’t ball out, they’d be going home with their collective tail tucked. So, they used short passes to fuel early drives and overcome seven — count ’em, seven! — illegal procedure penalties to grab a 13-0 lead almost before the Hogs and their fans knew what happened.
True to their nature, the Razorbacks fought back and got within 13-7 with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by Taylen Green’s 25-yard pass and run to Andrew Armstrong. Then it was 16-10 midway through the third quarter and Razorback rooters still felt their heroes could snatch this victory from the jaws of the Tigers.
Oops. That’s when disappointment really arrived as Green’s tipped pass resulted in an interception at the Arkansas 1-yard line. Easy Tigers TD, followed by an easy 2-point conversion and 24-10 suddenly seemed like a big hill to climb.
The hated Longhorns of Texas, the nation’s No. 1 undefeated team before Georgia got to Austin, had a similar problem Saturday as turnovers and great play by the biggest Bulldogs staked the visitors to a 23-0 lead. Like the Hogs, the ‘Horns are wondering today how to respond to a disappointing loss.
Arkansas must regroup for a road challenge at Mississippi State, before hosting Ole Miss, a team desperate to win out and reach the 12-team playoff. LSU has a great chance to be invited to the tournament after avoiding the Hogs’ upset hopes.
It’s not an easy road for LSU, though. The Tigers (6-1, 3-0) travel to Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0) next week in a battle for first place in the SEC. LSU then gets a bye before hosting two-loss Alabama in Death Valley.
LSU finishes at Florida prior and with home tilts against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. The Tigers, as folks like to say, control their own destiny — but hey, we all do, correct?
Which brings us back to Arkansas. After facing the Mississippi daily double, the Hogs have another bye before hosting Texas Nov. 16 and Louisiana Tech the week after, before closing at Missouri.
Hopefully for the Hogs and Pittman, a bowl invitation will then be on the table. It would be the third bowl invite out of four possible in Pittman’s tenure. But how good will that offer be when the 12-game regular season is complete?
For certain, to get the Christmas present they all want, the Razorbacks would need to win at M-State. Seems a victory against La Tech is a given, so another triumph would be needed against either Ole Miss, Texas or Missouri. That’d be true to finish in the top half of the SEC also.
That’s a tall order, though, akin to the win against then-No. 4 Tennessee. But if the Hogs can’t win at least three down the stretch, we’ll revisit the aftermath of the LSU game. Disappointment.