Arkansas
Run, Run, Run to Win, Win, Win: Who’ll Do It Best in Auburn?
First time I saw Auburn play football, it was against Arkansas, and the best player in Tigers history was on the field.
No, it wasn’t Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, who led Auburn to the 2010 national championship. It was in 1984 when the Tigers topped Arkansas 21-15 in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
The incredible Bo Jackson won MVP honors with two touchdowns, 88 yards rushing on 18 carries and a superb catch for 25 yards. He didn’t exactly show himself to be a man among boys that day but he was a Hall of Famer in the making.
Another Arkansas connection with Auburn is Gus Malzahn, who was a walk-on for the Razorbacks, coached Shiloh Christian and the amazing, undefeated 2005 Springdale High team that led to him being hired as the Hogs’ offensive coordinator.
Then, Malzahn ended up as Auburn’s offensive coordinator where he tutored Newton and helped win the national title. He became the Tigers head coach from 2013-20, leading Auburn to the SEC championship in 2014 and an appearance in the national title game.
If you’ve never been to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium on The Plains, it’s a fun experience. Seeing the live golden eagle named Aurea fly around the stadium prior to kickoff while 88,000 fans watch in delight is a unique pregame ritual.
None of that will matter when the Hogs and Tigers square off today at 2:30 p.m. in Jordan-Hare. The Tigers are about a field goal favorite, so an entertaining show should be on tap with a tight finish.
The outcome between two teams which hope to finish in the top half of the SEC but could also be in the bottom third comes down to a single match-up — La’Quinden Jackson versus Jarquez Hunter.
That means big boy football, with the offensive lines and defensive lines squaring off to control the line of scrimmage. Hogs coach Sam Pittman loves that kind of game and his improved O-line should have the edge against an Auburn defense that has been so porous that the lowly New Mexico Lobos racked up 400 yards last week.
Pittman said he’s been impressed with Hunter, the Tigers’ tailback and the opposite number of Jackson.
“He gets his shoulders turned, and he’s a tank,” Pittman said of Hunter. “He’s a hard guy. He’s just what you want. He runs extremely hard. I respect him as a player. He’s a very good football player. Plays the game like it should be played.”
Ditto all that for Jackson, who has three 100-yard games for a total of 397 yards on just 47 carries for an 8.4-yard average and six touchdowns. He’s the real deal with quick feet, evasive sideways jump cuts, the power to run through and over tacklers, and enough speed to break a big one.
“He’s a really great player,” said Hogs fellow running back Rodney Hill. “His practice ethic is insane. He keeps all [of our running backs] involved, and he’s a leader pretty much to all of us. He keeps all of our heads straight. Like, if we mess up on something, he’s there, he keeps us up.”
Pittman is counting on the Hogs’ running game to remain dominant — quarterback Taylen Green is part of that with his quickness and escapability — in Arkansas’ SEC opener.
“Really pleased (with the rushing attack) because I think you can end up winning close games when you can run the football,” Pittman said. “So I’m really pleased with that part of it. We can run the ball, probably need to run it more.”
Run it well and it opens up the play-action passing game offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino loves so much. That could lead to big plays for Green and his favorite target Andrew Armstrong, who has 18 catches for 301 yards but no touchdowns … yet.
It’s a big game for both teams. Win and momentum can easily lead to more wins. Lose, and, well, Arkansas fans have seen that act before.
HOGS FEED:
• Convenient off week for coach lines up with game that will shape Arkansas football program
• SEC schedule, TV, who’s favored
• Hogs add a little more Kentucky flavor to basketball team
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After a cool/chilly morning that started in the 40s and 50s, Tuesday will warm to the upper 70s and low 80s with nothing but sunshine all day long.
There will be a weak front passing through Arkansas on Wednesday. There will briefly be a few clouds along the time the front actually passes through. But once the front clears, it will once again become sunny.
Starting Friday and lasting through the weekend and into next week a strong south wind will set up. That will warm Arkansas into the mid and upper 80s and introduce a higher level of humidity. It will feel a little like Summer this weekend. Rain chances will return to Central Arkansas starting on Sunday.
With a big upper-level system and cold front approaching early next week, the rain and thunderstorm chance will go up Monday, Monday night and Tuesday. Some strong to severe storms may occur Monday evening. The front will become stationary on Tuesday which will prolong the rainy period and overall help the drought situation Arkansas is facing.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Purple is the color of the month in Arkansas, and Lupus Awareness Month is bringing a busy stretch of events, including a mayoral proclamation and a smooth jazz concert featuring acclaimed saxophonist Merlon Devine.
A proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month is set for 6 p.m. in North Little Rock, with Mayor Hardwick expected to present it. Organizers encouraged lupus warriors and supporters to come out.
Anita Boone, President of the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas Inc. and a former lupus warrior, described the day-to-day reality of living with the disease: “One minute you’re feeling amazing, the next minute your body is saying we can’t do this.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, described during the interview as a condition where the immune system attacks the body “inside out.” It can affect organs throughout the body, including the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. Boone also shared personal impacts, saying, “I am losing, actually, ear from hearing, just because of lupus.”
The Lupus Foundation of Arkansas is also inviting the community to a Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert this Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 at The Space with Grace event venue, 2005 Main St., North Little Rock.
Gale Davis, committee chair for the Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert shared details about the concert.
Davis said guests are encouraged to “dress to impress,” though formalwear isn’t required. The event will include a photo backdrop, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and sponsored tables aimed at networking. It’s also a chance for people to meet other lupus warriors, learn more about the foundation’s work, and watch a video presentation highlighting events from the past year.
The featured artist, Merlon Devine, was described as an acclaimed saxophonist known for a soulful, smooth jazz sound, with a career spanning more than two decades and performances across the country and around the world. He’s also an Arkansas native who attended Little Rock Central High School. He now lives in Southern Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Davis said Devine’s connection to lupus is personal. She said his father had lupus and has since died, though he didn’t die from lupus. They also said Divine had a sister who died from lupus in 1981 and that he currently has two sisters living with lupus.
She also shared that, according to his doctors, Devine was born with acute asthma and underdeveloped lungs. His latest single, released last year, is called “Mercy.”
Tickets must be purchased online and will not be sold at the door. They’re available online by clicking on the flyer. Prices are $40 for individual tickets, or $400 for a table of nine, with an option to sponsor a table.
Organizers also noted another proclamation is planned for the Little Rock side with Mayor Frank Scott tomorrow, and encouraged people to follow the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas on social media for updates.
The concert will take place this Sunday at the Space With Grace Venue in North Little Rock.
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Arkansas man died after crashing a dirt bike on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Arkansas man, formerly from Newaygo, crashed into a tree while riding a dirt bike on private property in Ashland Township near Grant on Sunday before 2:30 p.m., according to Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers.
Emergency responders tried to save his life but he died at the scene.
Troopers are still investigating but do not suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash.
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MSP did not initially release any additional information.
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