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Pittman hushes critics of Longhorns ‘Fine team’

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Pittman hushes critics of Longhorns ‘Fine team’


FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — History suggests Texas has been the recipient of brand bias over the years no matter its conference affiliation.

The Longhorns previously had their own television network and are consistently talked about on major sports networks whether good or bad. Texas’ brand brings views and there’s no denying that.

Now in the SEC, the newcomers were given a forgiving schedule for the Longhorns’ inaugural season. With the entrance of Texas and Oklahoma, the league mixed up its philosophy on building schedules based off member performances over the past decade.

Of course, Oklahoma had been dominant in the Big 12 with seven 10+ win seasons and four playoff appearances. The Sooners’ success from 2015-21 was gifted five ranked opponents including road games against Ole Miss, Auburn, Missouri and LSU while also playing Tennessee and Alabama.

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Despite a singular playoff appearance last season and four losing seasons, the Longhorns benefitted from their struggles and in return received a much easier path to another deep postseason run. Texas has played five ranked opponents, but road games were rather winnable at Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M.

Texas quarterback Vince Young

Texas quarterback Vince Young scores a touchdown against USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl to win the national championship / Robert Hanashiro / USA TODAY NETWORK

According to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, that fact still shouldn’t diminish a successful run despite the slate of games assigned. The Longhorns are a good team with a great coach whose roster is littered with potential NFL prospects who are in line to help Texas compete for its first national championship since the 2006 season.

“Oh, a lot of times critics don’t know what they’re talking about and I don’t think they know much what they’re talking about on this one either,” Pittman said. “This is a fine Texas team. I mean, you don’t go beat Oklahoma by 31, and beat Mississippi State by 22, and beat Michigan by 19, beat Colorado State 52-0 and have a sorry football team.

“These guys are ranked No. 3 in the country because they deserve it and they’re a really well-coached football team. Coach Sarkisian is one of the best in the business, there’s no question about it, and they’ve got talent. It’s not their fault that they haven’t played, let’s say, a schedule like ours. We played LSU and Ole Miss and A&M and Tennessee. The schedule is the schedule, and what they’ve done is done a fine job with their schedule and they’ve got a good football team.”

Razorbacks defensive lineman Landon Jackson gets to Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman Landon Jackson gets to Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart as he releases the ball in a 63-31 loss on Nov. 2, 2024, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Walt Beazley-Arkansas Communications

Style points still matter in college football when it comes to playoff access. The Longhorns have been dominant defensively this fall beating opponents by an average of 26 points while ranking near the top of every statistical category.

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It’s no fault of Texas that when schedule were announced two years ago, most of its current opponents fielded programs with a pulse. Arkansas, Mississippi State, Florida and Kentucky were competing at a higher level, but that’s not the case now with the rapid development of NIL, transfer portal and college football landscape.

• Razorbacks ready to face Longhorns’ “simple” defense

• Arkansas’ defense has four tasks it must accomplish to win

• Rivalry between Texas, Arkansas highly questionable

• Why John Nabors hates Longhorns so much | Locked on Razorbacks

• Former Longhorn Has Strange Recollection of Mistake Against Arkansas

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Arkansas

No. 1 Arkansas leads SEC Indoor after first day finals

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No. 1 Arkansas leads SEC Indoor after first day finals



COLLEGE STATION – A victory in the 5,000m by Nick Busienei and third place in the distance medley relay had No. 1 Arkansas leading the team score with 18 points on the first day of the SEC Indoor Championships.

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The Razorbacks produced 12 of those points in the 5,000m as Nick Busienei won the race in a meet record of 13;31.86, which ranks him No. 7 on the UA all-time list. Busienei bettered the meet record of 13:37.52 set by Razorback Patrick Kiprop in 2025.

James Sankei added two more points in placing seventh with a time of 13:44.57.

Dating back to 1992 when Arkansas competed in its first SEC Indoor meet, Busienei claimed the 21st title for the program and is the 14th Razorback to win the indoor 5,000m.

Six more points were added in the distance medley relay as Arkansas posted a time of 9:30.84 from the foursome of Owan Logorodi (2:58.46), Zyaire Nuriddin (46.51), Julian Carter (1:49.10), and Brian Masai (3:56.77).

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South Carolina won the race in 9:30.08 with Ole Miss runner-up in 9:30.34. Florida originally placed third in 9:30.37 but was disqualified for spiking the baton at the conclusion of the race.

Jelani Watkins led the Razorback crew in the 200m prelims as three Arkansas sprinters advanced to the final. Watkins produced an indoor career best of 20.42 rank second overall to a 20.38 by Florida’s Wayna McCoy. Watkins remains No. 2 on the UA all-time list as he improved his previous time of 20.43.

Dapriest Hogans followed with a 20.63 that equaled his career best and his No. 8 ranking on the UA all-time list. Tevijon Williams clocked 20.65 to reach the final where 20.71 was the cutoff time. Jamarion Stubbs ran 20.87 in his prelim heat.

Cooper Williams completed the first day of the heptathlon in sixth place with 2,862 points. He started with a 7.43 in the 60m (736), then added a 21-9.5 (6.64) long jump (729). In the shot put, a mark of 36-8.25 (11.18) picked up 557 points. Williams wrapped up day one by topping the field in the high jump with a clearance of 6-8.25 for 840 points.

Link Lindsey placed 15 in the long jump with a mark of 23-6.75 (7.18).

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The wall goes back up: Arkansas embraces defiant isolation

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The wall goes back up: Arkansas embraces defiant isolation


“Arkansans have been made better economically, intellectually and socially by letting go of the ‘terrified truculence’ toward outsiders in recent decades. Sadly, as we’ve experienced this sad winter, all signs are that many similar seasons of defiant isolation are in our state’s future,” writes political scholar Jay Barth.



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Man arrested in Arkansas connected to Jan. 2026 fatal hit-and-run in Dallas

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Man arrested in Arkansas connected to Jan. 2026 fatal hit-and-run in Dallas


Authorities in Arkansas have arrested a man accused of being behind the wheel during a January car crash that left one man dead.

Suspect arrested in Arkansas for Dallas hit-and-run

What we know:

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U.S. Marshals tracked down 22-year-old Enrique Hernandez in De Queen, a southwest Arkansas town about three hours away from Dallas and an hour north of Texarkana.

Hernandez has been charged with collision involving death, a second-degree felony, in connection with the case. He is currently being held in an Arkansas jail before he is transferred to a jail in Dallas County.

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What we don’t know:

Dallas police haven’t said if the suspect has any ties to the victim or the area of Arkansas where he was arrested.

The backstory:

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The fatal hit-and-run occurred around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11 near W. Davis St. and N. Westmoreland Dr. in Dallas.

26-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez was dropped off by friends outside his Dallas neighborhood early Sunday morning after celebrating his birthday.

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Surveillance video shows Rodriguez in the media area of the road when a dark-colored SUV hits him and drives away.

Rodriguez was left with severe head trauma, later dying from his injuries.

A bittersweet victory for the family

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What they’re saying:

John Rodriguez, the victim’s father, struggled to find the words to describe the news he received.

“It’s not going to bring him back, bring my son back,” Rodriguez told FOX 4’s Peyton Yager. “It hurts every day, every minute. I wake up every morning, and he is not here. We are really going to miss him.”

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The Rodriguez family worked with police to help find their son’s killer. They found more surveillance video near the scene of the accident that helped authorities find and arrest Hernandez in Arkansas.

“We are going to fight for justice. Long live Johnny, and we are going to keep on fighting,” Rodriguez said.

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The Source: Information in this story came from current and previous FOX 4 reporting.

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