Wow, what an uninspiring way to end the regular season. Did I say regular season because I would like the Razorbacks’ season to be over with now. No bowl. They shouldn’t even accept a bowl invitation. Sure they have seven wins (six wins are needed for a bowl) to finish the regular season 7-5, 3-5 in the SEC, but doesn’t 8-4, 4-4 look a lot better? I do.
No, the Arkansas Razorbacks have a losing record in the SEC because after being up 24-7 at halftime to the previously 3-8, 1-6 Missouri Tigers, the Hogs blew it in the second half. I mean really blew it. Arkansas outgained Mizzou 503 to 399 in total yardage and led in time of possession, holding the ball for over 40 minutes in a 60-minute game.
No matter, though. The Tigers made the Hogs look like punks in the second half. Missouri didn’t even have its leading rusher on the season, Little Rock Christian’s Demarea Crockett, because he was suspended after being arrested last Sunday for marijuana possession. Heck, the Tigers even lost their second-leading rusher Ish Witter after he left due to injury. Instead, third-stringer Nate Strong scored a touchdown early in the third quarter to get the Tigers within 10 points, 24-14.
OK, at that point while watching, I was like “whatever,” Hogs have this. Just respond. Well they didn’t and Missouri did. J’Mon Moore would get way behind the Razorback secondary and sophomore quarterback Drew Lock, who has a hell of an arm, hit him for a 67-yard bomb to get Mizzou within 24-21. Yeah, I was starting to get worried because the Tiger receivers had shown time and time again they could get past the Arkansas secondary, but surely the Razorbacks would adjust and get some safeties out there for backup. Nope. The Tigers kept blowing by the Razorback secondary, and really, the score could have been much worse. In two other instances the Tiger receivers had the Razorbacks beat, they dropped two definite touchdowns, and Lock even overthrew a few wide-open wide receivers. Heck, the Hogs could have even double covered the receivers, especially Moore, because Missouri was barely running the ball.
Strong would give the Tigers the lead with another touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, but the Razorbacks had plenty of time to get their stuff together. I didn’t think it was over. The Razorbacks would come back and take care of business. The Hogs would adjust to getting beat deep. And of course the most important part, you know other than losing to 3-8 Missouri after beating three ranked teams during the season, the Razorbacks would prove the soulless ginger senior linebacker Eric Beisel wrong. Beisel, knowing his team was 1-6 in the SEC, spouted off earlier in the week. He said:
“We’re going to take some aggression out on Ar-Kansas this Friday, this ‘Black Friday,’ ” he said. “It’s going to be a blackout game. They’re not going to see what’s coming. If they do decide to show up, like I said, it’ll be a huge mistake.”
Yeah, that fired me (another soulless ginger) up even after Missouri Coach Barry Odom apologized to Hog Coach Bret Bielema and the fans. How dare you mispronounce our state. Suuuuurrrre, the Tigers are going to beat the Razorbacks. But no, Beisel played well even stopping the Hogs for a goal-line touchdown and the Razorbacks proved him right. I think that really chaps my hide the most is the fact the Hogs couldn’t prove him wrong. They couldn’t get up enough, after a player from a 3-8 team, disrespected our state and called them out. Ridiculous.
If the Razorbacks can’t get up for that, we don’t deserve to be in a bowl game. I haven’t even mentioned Arkansas’ play-calling in the fourth quarter, which was atrocious. Yeah, Austin Allen passed for almost 350 yards, but when the Hogs went three-and-out in the fourth while passing it on all three downs, I was flabbergasted. Why aren’t they running the ball with the SEC’s leading rusher Rawleigh Williams? Why wasn’t freshman Devwah Whaley out there as a change-of-pace back in the second half? Was he hurt? Instead Austin Allen throws two red-zone interceptions and the Hogs get beat by the 3-8 Missouri Tigers. Did I mention Mizzou was 3-8 and unranked before Arkansas lost to them on Friday?
Anyway, after the Razorback defense gave up 42 points in a 58-42 win over unranked and under .500 record Mississippi State the previous week, and the fact the Arkansas defense had no answer for Missouri receivers on Friday, defensive coordinator Robb Smith should find somewhere else to work. He seems like a great guy, but your defense just gave up an average of 35 points the last two weeks to sub-.500 teams. It should be a no-brainer. Oh yeah, and no bowl. Will I watch the Razorbacks if they do accept a bowl invite? Of course I will. I’ve been calling the Hogs since I was 2. I love the Razorbacks. That’s why I’m so dang mad.