Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A Recruiting Update From The Recruiting Guy

THE RECRUITING GUY : Wingos enjoy visit from Horton
RICHARD DAVENPORT
Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/246820/

Arkansas running backs coach Tim Horton made an impression on highly regarded running back Ronnie Wingo Jr. and his family during an in-home visit Thursday night.

"Ronnie was smiling the whole time that he was here," Ronnie Wingo Sr. said. "[Horton] had the whole house happy. The house was full of smiles. It just seemed like we've been knowing him all of our lives."

Wingo, 6-3, 211, 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash, rushed 234 times for 1,482 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 379 yards and 5 touchdowns this season for St. Louis University High School. He also has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 in San Antonio.

The Wingos entertained Kansas Coach Mark Mangino on Tuesday night and Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel on Wednesday night, but Horton's visit appeared to make the biggest impact.

"Coach Horton is such a people person," Wingo Sr. said. "He was excited when he came into the house. He got my little son's attention. They were running around the house. My wife and kids just enjoyed his visit. He's a special coach. It seems like he has a personal relationship with his players, and I think that's very important."

Wingo said he would feel comfortable sending his son to Arkansas should he decide to become a Razorback.

"When a kid goes away from home, he can call his parents, but having a person like [Horton] you can call up or go over to his house or go to the coaches' office, he seems like he's in good hands," Wingo said.

Horton's history with Arkansas as a player and a coach didn't go unnoticed.

"He knows Arkansas football," Wingo said. "He knows everything about it. I think they have a good man that can answer all of the questions you might have. That's big for a program."

Horton's emphasis on education caught the attention of Wingo and his wife, too.

"Coach Horton said if you come to Arkansas and don't get your degree, that's not a success story," Wingo said. "His goal is for you to come to Arkansas and get your degree, and then you're a success story."

Wingo Jr. and his family made an official visit to Missouri over the weekend and will travel to Kansas this weekend. He is scheduled to take an official visit to Arkansas on Jan. 9-11. Trips to Alabama and Illinois are also possibilities.

Horton told the Wingos how interested Arkansas fans are in their son.

"He said when he travels all over Arkansas, people ask how close they are to signing Ronnie Wingo," he said.

KICKER IMPRESSED WITH UA

Kicker Andrew Ritter, 6-4, 205, of Jackson Academy in Mississippi made an official visit to Arkansas over the weekend.

"I was really impressed," Ritter said. "All around Fayetteville it's just gorgeous with the mountains and everything. The facilities were just unbelievable, and the campus was great. They have one of the best business schools in the nation. I think it's ranked 24th in the nation.

"My parents liked that a lot, and I did too."

Ritter said he spent more time with Coach Bobby Petrino than expected.

"Coach Petrino came to dinner [Friday night] and we had breakfast with him the next morning," Ritter said. "I actually saw him on Saturday while I was touring everything. Then Sunday morning we had breakfast with him, and after that we went back to the stadium to the coaches' office and me and my parents had a meeting with him."

Ritter has offers from Arkansas, Army, Northwestern (La.) State and Southern Miss and is drawing interest from Ole Miss, LSU and Alabama. He plans to take an official visit to Southern Miss on Jan. 9-11 and to Ole Miss on Jan. 16-18.

"I definitely want to weigh my options," he said. "I don't know how long that will take. As of now, I plan on taking my other visits just to make sure, but that could change. I could make up my mind before then, but I'm not sure."

QB CATCHES PETRINO'S EYE

Midlothian, Texas, quarterback Bryce Petty, 6-3, 215, 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash, shipped a highlight video overnight to Arkansas on Friday, and it didn't take long for a response.

Petty said offensive line coach Mike Summers traveled to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to look at 2010 prospects Monday and he received a call to go see Petty.

"He said Coach Petrino called him on his cell phone almost immediately after he landed and said he had been looking at my film all morning and he loved it," Petty said.

Petty said Arkansas wants to set up an official visit in January.

Petty, who lived in Cabot until moving in the spring of his ninth-grade year, orally committed to Tennessee in June after an impressive showing at the Volunteers camp, but the resignation of Phil Fulmer and the hiring of Coach Lane Kiffin has Petty looking at his options.

He has offers from Baylor and Nebraska and is receiving interest from Oklahoma, SMU, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Colorado.

Scout Randy Rogers, who is based out of Austin, Texas, and has more than 50 major colleges as clients, has little doubt Petty is an SEC caliber quarterback. He saw Petty and other top quarterbacks during a Nike football camp last spring and said Petty stood out when campers faced a sudden change of wind.

"He was one of about three guys that showed no drop-off in velocity in throwing into the wind, which tells you that you have to have a pretty tight spiral and you have to have some velocity," said Rogers, who coached 29 years on the college and high school levels, including serving as the recruiting coordinator at Illinois and Texas. "There were a number of other kids that are getting Division I scholarships and really struggled at that point in their junior year with how well they could throw into the wind."

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Hogs Get Lance Ray-zorback

Arkansas picked up its second commitment from the visitors from last weekend this afternoon when Florida Wide Receiver/Athlete Lance Ray notified coach Petrino of his plans to be a Razorback. Ray wanted to discuss his visit with his parents before making this announcement official. He said the highlight of his trip was seeing the facilities and meeting personally with coach Petrino. While Ray may not have an immediate impact as a wide receiver, there may be opportunity for him to grow as a player by participating in special teams. In high school he was known for his tenacity and playmaking abilities on special teams. He knows how to bring the wood.

Lance Ray
3 star High School (Florida)
Wide Receiver - skill
6'2" 183 lbs
4.34 40

Sunday, December 7, 2008

BIG Recruiting Weekend

Arkansas hosted a handful of highly rated recruits this weekend, and the results of their visits are extremely positive. Visiting Fayetteville were Rivals 4 star Offensive Guard Zhamal Thomas (pictured), Rivals 4 star Offensive Tackle Danny Watkins, Rivals 3 star and current Razorback commitment Travis Swanson, Rivals 3 star WR Lance Ray, and Rivals 4 star Defensive Tackle Edwin Herbert.

None of these players hail from Arkansas, and they are all being recruited by top schools across the country.

On Sunday morning, Coach Petrino received a commitment from Zhamal Thomas. In 2006, Zhamal signed with LSU, but was dismissed for disciplinary reasons. He attended Navarro Junior College in Texas for two years, and he should be able to come right in and play for the Hogs. He'll have two years of eligibility as a Razorback.

It is unclear if Petrino will receive additional commitments this weekend, but all the visiting recruits are high on the hogs.

Bios:
Zhamal Thomas
4 star Junior College (Texas)
Offensive Guard
6'4" 315 lbs

Danny Watkins
4 Star Junior College (California)
Offensive Tackle
6'5" 290 lbs

Travis Swanson
3 Star High School (Texas)
Offensive Tackle
6'5" 271 lbs

Edwin Hebert
4 Star Junior College (California)
Defensive Tackle
6'3" 295 lbs

Lance Ray
3 star High School (Florida)
Wide Receiver - skill
6'2" 183 lbs
4.34 40

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Future Looks Bright - GO HOGS!


Future looks bright for Petrino's Hogs
November 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Seeing his team come back in the final seconds Friday to win 31-30 over defending national champion LSU was sweet enough for Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino.

Then he glanced down his roster.

Just about everybody making a play for the Razorbacks in their season-ending win over the Tigers will be back next season.

The Hogs (5-7, 2-6 SEC) fell one game short of making the postseason in Petrino's first year, but they did set a tone for the offseason. One more solid recruiting class, and this is a club that could be a factor in the Western Division race next season and certainly by 2010.

As fate would have it, one of the few guys who won't be back next season for Arkansas, senior quarterback Casey Dick, served up a memorable performance in his final game. He came off the bench in the second half after his younger brother, Nathan Dick, injured his thumb on his throwing hand, and rallied the Hogs from a 30-14 deficit.

Casey Dick's 24-yard touchdown pass to London Crawford on fourth-and-1 with 21 seconds to play won it for Arkansas, which was in every game after that wretched three-game stretch against Alabama, Texas and Florida earlier this season. Three of the Hogs' last four losses were by a total of six points.

And while Casey will be departing, Nathan will only be a sophomore next season, and the guy all the Arkansas fans can't wait to see at quarterback is Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett.

The Hogs lose a couple of key offensive linemen, including center Jonathan Luigs, but all of the guys they leaned on offensively against LSU will be back -- running back Dennis Johnson, tight ends D.J. Williams and Andrew Davie and receivers Jarius Wright, Greg Childs, Lucas Miller and Crawford. That doesn't even count 1,000-yard rusher Michael Smith, who missed the game because of a hamstring injury.

The Razorbacks took their lumps on defense this season. But they were playing a lot of young players, and the top 10 tacklers from this season are scheduled to return.

The more I think about it, the more I like Arkansas to be the breakthrough team in the West next season similar to Ole Miss this season.

Think Petrino is already looking forward to spring practice?

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sec/0-2-201/Future-looks-bright-for-Petrino-s-Hogs.html

Friday, November 28, 2008

Another News Story

It's official...

Green is a Hog
November 28, 2008 – 7:50 pm
Former Southern Cal running back Broderick Green has decided to enroll at the University of Arkansas. Read more in Saturday's Arkansas Democrat Gazette

- this according to Richard Davenport with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette

HIGHLIGHTS

HOGS WIN!!!


The Razorbacks pulled off a come from behind upset of LSU this afternoon in Little Rock. The Razorbacks won another thriller last year in Baton Rouge, so the Boot Trophy will now stay in Fayetteville for at least another year.

This was an amazing game that was won on a 20 yard TD pass from Casey Dick to London Crawford on a 4th and one when LSU thought the hogs would go for a run or a short pass. Instead, among the mayhem, Dick called a pass play over the defense that was caught easily in the endzone by Crawford.

This was a great win for morale and recruiting as the Razorbacks showed weakness in areas, but strength, desire, and talent in youth. The future is promising, and if Petrino can fill the talent gaps with this years recruiting class, the future will be very, very bright.

GO HOGS!

Gameday - LSU

WHEN 1:30 p.m. Central today WHERE War Memorial Stadium (53,727), Little Rock RECORDS LSU 7-4, 3-4 SEC; Arkansas 4-7, 1-6 RANKINGS Neither team is ranked BETTING LINE LSU by 4 1 /2 COACHES Les Miles (41-10 in fourth year at LSU, 69-31 in eighth year overall); Bobby Petrino (4-7 in first year at Arkansas, 45-16 in fifth year overall) SERIES LSU leads 33-18-2 overall, 9-5 in Little Rock TELEVISION CBS Sports RADIO Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network, including KARN-AM, 920, KARN-FM, 102.9, and KABZ-FM, 103.7 in Little Rock; and KEZAFM, 107.9, KKEG-FM, 92.1, KUOA-AM, 1290, and KUOAFM, 105.3, in Fayetteville

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Last Year's Memorable Battle for the Boot

Battle for the Boot

This Friday Arkansas will take on LSU in Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium in what has become an annual post-Thanksgiving tradition. They will be playing for the golden boot trophy. The Razorbacks really are not playing for anything more than retaining the trophy. They won it last year in a 3 overtime barnburner at Tiger Stadium. This year, the LSU Tigers are heavily favored and playing for a bowl position.

The interesting thing to watch in this game will be the play of both teams quarterbacks. The hogs and the tigers are starting true freshmen with very little experience. This will be the second start for Arkansas freshman Nathan Dick and the first start for LSU's freshman QB.

Also of interest will be the ground game of the Razorbacks. It was recently announced that Arkansas star running back Michael Smith will not play due to a recent injury. The hogs will look to depend on Senior RB Brandon Barnett and true freshmen De'Anthony Curtis and Dennis Johnson.

Many Razorback fans will just be happy with the end of a rough season. Put me in that camp. However, I am extremely excited and optimistic about the future of the program. The underclassmen, especially Freshmen, have shown big-time playmaking capabilities. Couple these young men with what appears to be an outstanding recruiting class, and I think hog fans will have a team that is competitive with the top teams in the country in the next couple of years.

The Future is Bright!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Props to Hillis

We miss you. Keep tearing it up!

Wide Right, Wide Left...You Choose

The Razorbacks lost a very close game to Mississippi State on Saturday 31-28, but Arkansas had a chance in the final seconds to send the game into overtime with a 46 yard field goal. The attempt had plenty of distance, but was wide right. Earlier in the game Tejada missed another field goal from 44 yards - it was wide left.

The Razorbacks under the leadership of Freshman QB Nathan Dick jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the momentum did not last much longer than that. The hogs found themselves down 31-21 with about a minute to go in the 4th. With an impressive 2 minute drill, Nathan and the Razorbacks scored a touchdown with about 40 seconds left in the game. For the second time this season, the Razorbacks were then able to recover an onside kick; giving the hogs a chance in the final seconds. On the final possession, Nathan completed enough passes to move the ball into field goal range with 3 seconds on the clock. Unfortunately Tejada's last second kick did not send the ball between the uprights. For the second time in the game his kick had plenty of distance, but not enough accuracy.

The hogs are now 4-7 with no chance of bowl eligibility. Next week the hogs play LSU in Little Rock. LSU dropped a game yesterday to Ole Miss. Hopefully, the hogs will at least make it an enjoyable post-Thanksgiving game at War Memorial.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Razorbacks Must Win

WHEN 1:30 p.m. Central today WHERE Scott Field (55,082), Starkville, Miss. RECORDS Arkansas 4-6, 1-5 SEC; Mississippi State 3-7, 1-5 RANKINGS Neither team is ranked BETTING LINE Arkansas by 1 1 /2 COACHES Bobby Petrino (4-6 in first season at Arkansas, 45-15 in fifth season overall); Sylvester Croom (20-37 in fifth season at Mississippi State and overall) SERIES Arkansas leads 12-5-1 TELEVISION None RADIO Arkansas Razorback Sports Network, including KARN-AM, 920, KARNFM, 102.9, and KABZFM, 103.7, in Little Rock; and KEZA-FM, 107.9, KKEG-FM, 92.1, KUOA-AM, 1290, and KUOA-FM, 105.3, in Fayetteville; XM Radio 201; Sirius 217

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Can Hogs Make a Bowl?

Simple answer, yes. The Razorbacks are 4-6 right now and with wins in their final two games they will have 6 wins making them bowl eligible. The road to a bowl is a challenge, but the opportunity is there with a game on the road with Mississippi State this Saturday and a game in Little Rock at War Memorial Stadium with LSU the day after Thanksgiving.

Mississippi State has a decent defense but an anemic offense. They have a 3-7 record and average only 15 points per game. Arkansas needs to step up in this game and win decisively in order to have the confidence needed to compete and win against a top tier team like LSU. Who will start at QB? Petrino is apparently talking about Nathan Dick looking good and possibly getting some playing time against Mississippi State and even starting. We shall see. I personally don't care as long as the QB plays worth more than a high stinking pile of you know what.

If Arkansas wins decisively against Mississippi State, they might have enough confidence and desire to pull off a win against 7-3 and 18th ranked LSU in the stadium where the Razorbacks have been dominant over the last ten years. With these two wins, Arkansas would jump back into the bowl picture giving the younger hogs a chance for additional practices and game situations to prepare them for next year. It would be up to the bowl selection committee to select the hogs and often 6 wins does not translate to a selection.

While this season has been a long and painful rebuilding year, hog fans and the football players should realize the benefits of making it to a bowl game and bring their best for the next two games.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Casey Pick


Just a statistic for you to ponder...Casey Dick is leading the SEC in interceptions thrown and is in 3rd place in the NCAA with 14, including 3 last week - ouch!

To make things worse, he leads the country in number of times sacked by 5 (33 total) with 6 coming last week - double ouch!!

Broderick Green Transferring to Arkansas?

Late Monday afternoon, rumors swirled about a potential transfer of RB, Broderick Green, from Southern Cal to Arkansas. Apparently, he has family issues that he feels requires him to be closer to home to deal with. Radio outlets were reporting this to be true (Drive Time Sports) this evening.

This is welcome news to Coach Petrino if he indeed will transfer to Arkansas. Especially if he is able to enroll early. Broderick was a 4 star running back coming out of high school at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock. Broderick fits the big RB mold (6'2" 235, 4.57) that Petrino desires in his system. He is a redshirt freshman at Southern Cal and he'll be a sophomore at Arkanasas.

Time and time again, Petrino has let it be known that he is in serious need for some big backs. He has received one big commit to date in Knile Davis, and he is still pursuing Ronnie Wingo. Wingo is slow-playing the hogs right now, but Petrino still wants him badly. Wingo and Davis both bring a little more speed than Green, and Green still could be used in other roles such as TE in the same fashion as DJ Williams - leaving plenty of room for Wingo in Petrino's offense. His strengths are his soft hands, power and vision.



Below is an updated note from Broderick to USC fans. It was posted on their Rivals fans site:


Because of unforeseen family health issues with my maternal grandmother who raised me and my mother, I have asked the University of Southern California to grant me a scholarship release at the end of this semester.

After the Washington State game, I advised Coach Carroll that I was considering transferring because of a family medical situation with my grandmother, who along with my mother, raised me. Although he regretted my decision, he understood, was totally supportive, and asked me to reconsider.

At that time, I told him that I would wait a few weeks before I made a final decision because I did not want to bring any unnecessary attention to the team, as we focus on completing the season and competing for the National title.

Over the last weeks, as I have tried to maintain the desire to be a part of the USC football family, a stronger desire to be closer to my grandmother in this time of need has emerged.

Coach Carroll and his staff have been exceptional people, instructors and friends. I have learned so much from him, and I want to express a sincere appreciation to the staff for supporting me and giving me this wonderful opportunity. I will truly miss the staff and especially Coach Pete Carroll and Coach Norton.

As I move forward, I will continue to support the team and this fine University for the opportunity they gave me. However, my desire to be closer to my last living grandparent outweighs any personal, selfish, athletic goals I might have as an individual. Family must always come first.

With sincerest thanks to the Trojan family,

Broderick Green

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Worked

Casey Dick and the Razorbacks were beat handily on Saturday. Dick threw three picks on his way to a 21-34 loss to the Gamecocks. To put it plainly, the Razorbacks stunk it up from the get go. I really did not see too many bright spots aside from the one 70+ yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright. That was beautiful.

Other than that, the game did not provide much worth remembering. Michael Smith injured his shoulder and it is not clear if he'll be available next week when the hogs take on Mississippi State.

A few thoughts on the game:

-Casey Dick has no business starting in the SEC. What was Nutt thinking 2 years ago in Columbia, SC when he benched Mustain???
-Our receivers are going to be special - most notably Wright, Adams, Childs, and DJ Williams.
-We really need Linebackers and DBs - Isaac Madison got worked again.
-We need some good sized running backs that can take it to the house.
-Petrino is going to be a great coach once he has some players.
-We need to find a good red uni and white uni and stick with it - too many combinations right now.
-It might be time to find a new defensive coordinator - Willy Robinson does not get it done.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Gameday


Coach Petrino and the Hogs travel to Columbia, SC to take on Coach Spurrier and the Gamecocks. Kick off is at 1pm eastern. PPV only.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Hogs Survive Hurricane

Arkansas held off Tulsa to send the golden hurricane home with a loss. While the Razorback struggled at times in the red zone, They did put enough points on the board to beat the #18 ranked Tulsa team. It was a total team effort from the defense which caused 3 turnovers to Alex Tejada who nailed 3 field goals, to Dennis Johnson who took a kickoff to the house to Casey Dick who threw for close to 400 yards. The final score was 30-23.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Why Do I Complain About SEC Officiating This Year?

oh...I don't know...

Why you don't go play for a CUSA Team Like Tulsa

All Powerful Hurricane Coming to Arkansas

While the mascot of the Tulsa football team is lame, their team is formidable - at least on paper.

Tulsa is currently undefeated with 8 wins and ranked 18th in the nation. Their offense under the leadership of former Razorback Offensive Coordinator, Gus Malzahn, has operated in a hurry up, no huddle fashion throwing up ridiculous stats and points on their opponents (on pace to break a 1944 record of 56 points per game). However, that was up against non-BCS conference talent. Arkansas, which is in a rebuilding year, is a BCS conference team that could be one of the most vulnerable in the country.

The question is - can Arkansas, during this rebuilding year, beat a high-powered offense from a non-BSC conference? I think we can, but I will not bet on it.

Things to watch for in this game:

*Tulsa's defense - they will be outsized and outmatched, but how will they compete?

*Arkansas's pass defense - Tulsa throws often and Arkansas's DBs know how to give up yards. Will the hogs force turnovers or give up yards?

*Arkansas's crowd - Tulsa is not used to playing in large, loud SEC stadiums...Will the crowd affect Tulsa's performance?

*Points on the board - Tulsa scores alot. Arkansas, not so much. How will this game shape up?

*Arky Hurricanes - there are a number of Arkansans on Tulsa's depth chart. Their Arkansas playmakers include AJ Whitmore, Slick Shelley, and Charles Clay. How will they perform?

Pass Interference?

Not in my view, especially so late in the game and against the home team. This call officially ended the game breaking the heart of hog fans. The Razorbacks should have had a 34 yard field goal attempt to win the game 24-23.

Here's how it all went down:

After cutting Ole Miss's lead to two with a 22 yard touchdown pass to Greg Childs, Arkansas recovered an onside kick with a little over a minute to go. On the kick, the refs at first called it Ole Miss's ball, but after a review on the PigScreen clearly showed an Arkansas recovery the refs could not ignore the fans. They reviewed the play and overturned it. Very shortly thereafter, the refs made another call (pass-interference) against the Razorbacks that got the crowed upset. This time there was no review, and the game was essentially over.

To all this, plus the Kentucky game, I loudly say, F-U SEC refs. In neighborhood football and basketball we called this a p**** foul. I am clearly mad at the refs for the calls against the hogs, but I have to hand it to that one SEC ref who tackled the South Carolina player - that was a nice hit.

Here's the NCAA rule on pass-interference:

Each player has territorial rights, and incidental contact is allowed under ‘attempt to reach…the pass’ in Rule 7-3-8. If opponents who are beyond the line collide while moving toward the pass, a foul by one or both players is indicated only if intent to impede the opponent is obvious.”

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Petrino Gets #21 Today.



Fork Union Military Academy linebacker Ben D'Aguliar, 6-3, 235, 4.7 has orally committed to Arkansas, according to HawgsIllustrated.com. D'Aguliar becomes Arkansas' 21st commitment. I don't know much about D'Aguliar as he played high school in Ontario, Canada, but he is high on Petrino's list. He currently is not rated by rivals, but I will get more information on him as I find it. He has the size and speed for a LB.

This commitment will be able to count towards last year's class which will significantly help with numbers allowing Petrino to bring in more than 27. I believe Petrino can bring in two from prep school or junior college that can fall in this category. Both should enroll in December and participate in spring practice.

Petrino Picks Up Big Time FB/LB From Georgia

Coach Petrino received a big time commitment from Jahron Brown - a highly rated 3 star Rivals recruit from Dallas East Paulding High School in Georgia. Brown, 6'0" 220,is rated the #6 FB recruit in the country, but he could also project at LB. He looks the part and could play a similar role as Peyton Hillis - a big blocking fullback that can run and catch.

While the 2009 class is far from complete, Coach Petrino is definitely building a class that is on it's way to being rated the best in recent history. With the 20 commitments in the fold currently, the Hogs rank 13th in the nation. Petrino has 27 scholarships available, but he will likely oversign by a couple to cover any academic issues that may pop up. If Petrino can stick to the 3 star recruits while picking up a couple more 4 or 5 star players, look for this class to shoot up into the top 10.

National Signing Day is not until February, so there is still a long ways to go, but things are currently looking up.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Hogs Lose Another Nail-Biter

Arkansas lost another very close game on Saturday to Houston Nutt and the Ole Miss Rebels in front of 76,000 Razorback fans in Fayetteville. Hog fans were hoping for a big win over their old coach, but it looks like that will have to come next year. The final score was 23-21.

Houston left the cupboard bare for Coach Petrino, but Petrino is managing to do pretty well with the players he inherited and his first recruiting class. Once again, the hogs relied on underclassmen to carry much of the load in this game and it was clear that the hogs lack talent in several areas. Most notable in this particular game is the lack of a BIG running back, a shortage of talent at cornerback, and the need for a QB that can distribute the ball. These holes are on their way to being filled as Coach Petrino is actively seeking two top notch running backs in Knile Davis and Ronnie Wingo along with top flight cornerbacks in Darius "Dirty" Winston, David Gordon, and Gabe Lynn. Petrino has also been grooming future quarterback Ryan Mallet this season to take over next year. Mallet was a 5 star QB who transferred to Arkansas from Michigan.


How did the hogs lose the game against Ole Miss?

*Haddock's missed 34 yard kick on opening drive. Time for Tejada!
*Dick's pick at the end of the first half setting up a chip shot field goal.
*Failure of having a big back to pick up critical short yardage.
*Isaac Madison's poor defensive back play (toasted).
*The referees b.s. pass interference call on Arkansas's final drive. This call took us out of field goal range and ruined momentum.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

DRAMA WEEK

Houston Comes to Town...

Monday, October 20, 2008

U.S. Army All-American

Rivals 5 star Razorback commit, Darius "Dirty" Winston, has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio, TX at the end of the season.

Winston will play cornerback in college. He'll be in attendance this weekend as Arkansas takes on Ole Miss in Fayetteville.

Big Rob Flips to Arkansas

Muskogee, OK DT Robert Thomas has officially changed his commitment from Kansas State to Arkansas.

Thomas is 6'1" 295 lbs His commitment makes him the 19th verbal commitment for Petrino's 2009 recruiting class. His commitment helps fill the depth chart on the defensive front. Rivals rates Thomas as a 3 star recruit.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Dominated


The Razorbacks dominated Kentucky last night, yet they found a way to leave the stadium without a win. ugh. The final score was 21-20 Kentucky. I can't wait until Mallet.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Akransas at Kentucky












WHEN 6 p.m. central today
WHERE Commonwealth Stadium (capacity 67,606), Lexington, Ky.
RECORDS Arkansas 3-3, 1-2 SEC; Kentucky 4-2, 0-2
RANKINGS Neither team is ranked
BETTING LINE Kentucky by 7 1 /2
COACHES Bobby Petrino (3-3 in first season at Arkansas, 44-12 in fifth season overall; Rich Brooks (29-37 in sixth season at Kentucky, 117-143-4 in 24th season overall)
SERIES Kentucky leads 3-2
TELEVISION ESPNU
RADIO Arkansas Razorback Sports Network

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

2 NEW COMMITMENTS


Coach Petrino added two more to the 2009 class bringing the total number of commitments to 18. These two will likely play on the defensive line. Kevin Lowry projects at DT and Rickey Hughey projects at DE. They are both 3 star recruits. Lowry is from Gainesville, FL and Hughey is from Stamps, AR.

Kevin Lowry: 6'3", 286 lbs, 5.1 40
Rickey Hughey: 6'5", 221 lbs, 4.8 40

Sunday, October 12, 2008

HOGS GET FIRST SEC WIN!

Coach Petrino and the Razorbacks pulled out their first SEC win on the road, 25-22, over Auburn on Saturday. While the Razorbacks dominated in yards gained (416-193), they also made a couple of attempts at losing the game. Fortunately the defense came through in the very end to pull this one out.

Michael Smith led the offensive charge rushing for 176 yards, including a 63 yard touchdown run. Joe Adams, Greg Childs, and DJ Williams also performed well. Casey Dick made some good throws, but made some mistakes as well throwing two picks that became easy field goals for Auburn. Dick threw 17 for 32 and 222 yards with 2 interceptions.

The Arkansas defense overall was salty. The DBs did a good job of covering and the DL was in Auburn's backfield all night. The linebacker play was pretty good too, and Jerry Franklin is looking beastly.

With this win over a top 20 team and conference foe, the Razorbacks now have confidence and hope for the remainder of the season. With 3 wins under their belt, bowl eligibility becomes an attainable goal. The schedule gets a little easier after facing the top two teams in the nation along with two others in the top 20. Look for the hogs to have some more tight games, and look for the confidence level to stay high along the way.

Hog fans should remain optimistic about the future as it's now crystal clear that these players have the motivation to win and pure confidence in their coaches.

GO HOGS!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Can the Hogs Beat Auburn?

Every Razorback fan is tired of losing and some are feeling optimistic about the road game with Auburn this weekend. The hogs are 0-2 in the SEC after going up against Alabama and Florida, but they have shown significant improvement and have grown up tremendously through the rigorous schedule.

Auburn has a hell of a defense, but their offense has sputtered at best putting up minimal yards and points throughout the season. They beat Mississippi State 3 to 2 and just lost last week to Vanderbilt (though Vandy is currently leading the SEC East). After their dismal offense through the first half of the season Auburn fired their offensive coordinator this week, which could further deflate their playmakers. Auburn's ex-coordinator introduced Auburn to a new spread offense that flat out did not produce, and it looks like they want to take a new direction. However, is mid season the right time to switch offenses and coordinators? We'll know a lot more after this weekend.

While the Tuberville (a.k.a. the river boat gambler) is calling the plays now, look for Auburn to move back to a more conservative offense with a simplified playbook that leans more on the run.

Watch out for:

A QB change that would place former Fort Smith high school QB Kodi Burns in charge of Auburn's offense. He brings a strong arm and speed, but his experience is lacking.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Another Loss, But Improvement Made

The Razorbacks are now 2-3 after losing to the Florida Gators 38-7 in Fayetteville yesterday. While the score looks to be a blowout, the hogs were very much in the game for the first 3 quarters before transforming into a high school team in the 4th. The first 3 quarters were pretty tight and intense. For some reason the Razorbacks just froze on offense when they broke the 50 yard line. Those who watched the game had to be impressed with the offense...at least on half of the field.

It's hard to win in the SEC when you are starting 15 freshmen, but you have to love the in-game experience these kids are getting. I thought there were a few players that stood out in this game. They deserve little hogs on their helmet.

MVPs
Jerry Franklin: he was awesome. laid some big hits and had an interception...almost two.
Malcolm Sheppard: got his first sack. You could tell he smelled blood and liked it. Wish we had 4 of him on the front line.

Joe Adams: Awesome. Looked fantastic throughout the game. He is going to play in the NFL.
Michael Smith: He looked good and had some big gains. Unfortunately, he never got the big one. I still would like to see De'Anthony Curtis get some carries. Smith also had a fumble lost on a punt return that pushed the momentum in the florida direction.

Piss Poor Performers:
Casey Dick - horrible game again.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Sunday, September 28, 2008

THE LAST TWO GAMES...

STOMPED


The Razorbacks were once again blown out by a top ten team. This week, much like last week, ended in a 52-10 blowout loss for the Razorbacks. The Texas Longhorns dominated the game in every aspect, and there were not many Razorback highlights to speak of. Texas QB Colt McCoy put up five touchdowns while the Razorback offense did not score a touchdown once. The lone touchdown came off a fumble recovery by Antwain Robinson late in the 4th quarter.

This has not been a very happy couple of weeks for hog fans, and the outlook does not look that bright as Florida comes to town next week. Coach Petrino obviously has his work cut out for him in trying to get the team going and building a solid recruiting class that brings in players that can compete against top ten teams. It's obvious that the talent is lacking this year. Hog fans, while feeling down right now, remain optimistic about the future under Coach Petrino. And while the forecast is grim for the remainder of the season, this is college football, and anything can happen week in and week out (see Ole Miss this week).

I don't think Coach Petrino reads my blog or cares what advice I might offer him, but here's my two cents:

-Start De'Anthony Curtis
-Give Casey Dick some medicine to relax his nerves
-Teach players to drive through their tackles
-Throw to DJ more

Monday, September 22, 2008

BIG BACK PICKS HOGS

Coach Petrino hauled in a BIG one this weekend. After a disappointing and embarrassing loss to Alabama at home in Fayetteville, good news came quickly. Hog fans needed it too.

Petrino has been searching long and hard for a solid, big back with speed, and he received a commitment from one after the game. Knile Davis, a 6'1" 210 RB from Missouri City, TX became the 16th Razorback commit for the 2009 class. Davis is a Rivals 4 Star back and is rated as the 14th best RB in the 2009 class. He brings the size and speed (4.4 40) that Petrino expects in a RB. Davis attended the game and likely saw the Razorbacks need for a big and fast RB. Davis selected Arkansas over LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, and several other big name programs.

While this is a great pickup for the hogs, the Running Back position could use one more stud. Ronnie Wingo, Jr. is another top target for Petrino. With 9 more spots available, Petrino will likely focus his recruiting attention to finding some HAWGS to play on the line (both sides) and some big-time linebackers.

Hog Tide


The Alabama Crimson Tide rolled into Fayetteville this weekend to take on the Razorbacks in both teams' SEC openers. The outcome was sour for hog fans. The game was a 49-14 blowout where the young Razorbacks were outmanned and outplayed. The game should not have been so lopsided, but Casey Dick played a terrible game throwing two touchdowns to Alabama DBs for over 50 yards each. In addition, Arkansas's defense looked very soft and slow. It looks like Petrino will have to hit the recruiting trail extra hard to find SEC caliber players that can fit his system.

After attending the game myself for the first time this year, I will say right now that this will be a very long season. I do think that we will improve significantly throughout the season and be more competitive down the road. Up next for the Razorbacks are the Texas Longhorns in Austin. After that comes Florida and Auburn. All these teams, plus Alabama, are top ten teams.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Barlow Adds AR to His Commitment


Rivals 3 Star WR from Pulaski Academy officially changed his commitment from Kansas to Arkansas. He made the announcement on Drive Time Sports - a radio show on 103.7 FM in Little Rock. Barlow is a tall WR at 6'7" and he runs a 4.5 40. Petrino has been after Barlow heavily and he fits the Petrino system well as a possession receiver who can use his height to his advantage over shorter DBs. He also has spectacular hands and comes with great speed and agility.

Barlow's commitment makes Petrino's 2009 class 15 strong today.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

A Day of Remembrance

Please take a moment to remember those lives that were lost in the tragic events of 7 years ago. Keep their families in prayer. Same goes for the soldiers in harms way and their families. May Peace Prevail.

POSTPONED


From UA Sports Information

The Arkansas-Texas football game scheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 13, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin has been postponed due to the weekend forecast of severe weather in Austin and surrounding areas related to Hurricane Ike.

The game between the Razorbacks and the Longhorns will be played in Austin, on Saturday, Sept. 27. Both Arkansas and Texas had the same open date, accommodating the re-scheduling of the game. Kickoff time and television arrangements will be determined at a later date for the Sept. 27 game.

"As we worked closely with the University of Texas to consider the options, the safety and welfare of the student-athletes, coaches and fans was everyone's top priority," Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. "In considering all of the factors, both institutions felt that postponing the game was the appropriate course of action. We appreciate the cooperation of the University of Texas and the various state and federal authorities in monitoring the situation and working together to make this decision. With this decision, we can now turn our focus to the safety and well-being of the citizens of Texas and others affected by Hurricane Ike."

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Ike Heading to Austin

A major hurricane named Ike is scheduled to arrive in Austin, Texas around game time saturday. Given the current forecasts that show a storm building to a potential category 4 hurricane heading almost directly toward Austin, the chances of the game being cancelled or rescheduled are very high. If rescheduled there may be a chance of them meeting on September 27 which is a bye week for both teams. This would mean 7 games in a row against some of the toughest teams in the country. Any way you slice it, the coming weeks are going to be more than a challenge for the hogs. There's an outside shot that both schools could agree to cancel this years matchup and schedule easier foes. However, it's not known what other schools would be available.

The official announcement for game plans should come by noon tomorrow. Keep posted.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Hogs Add Number 14 for 2009 Class


Improving the defensive backfield is a high priority for Coach Petrino, and they are well on their way to building an extremely solid corps for the coming years. The latest addition is Jerry Mitchell from Mandeville, Louisiana. He's held a scholarship from the Razorbacks for some time now, but he did not commit until after he was able to visit Arkansas. Hurricane Gustav forced his family to evacuate their home town, and they took advantage of the time off and visited the University of Arkansas. He and his family loved it so much that he decided to commit. While his status among recruiting gurus is low right now, expect his rating to increase through his senior season as more evaluators scout him. He is 6'1" and runs a 4.5 40.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Touchdown Arkansas!!! Oh my!



A friend of mine emailed me this video today. Please enjoy the memories. Thank you Paul Eells - RIP.

On the Road to Austin

Arkansas will travel to Austin this week to take on the 8th ranked team in the nation. This rivalry is one of the most storied in the history of college football. The longhorns are heavily favored over the Razorbacks, but this is college football and anything can happen in college football. The x factor is hurricane Ike, which is barreling across Cuba and on it's way to the gulf and potentially Texas. Such a storm could make this match up even more interesting.

Hogs Escape With Win

Arkansas narrowly beat Louisiana Monroe in Little Rock. After once again getting off to a slow start and missing multiple kick attempts by Tejada, the hogs were forced to mount another comeback. This one, like the one last week, required a risky 4th down play that paid off in the end. Arkansas scored 22 points late in the game to pull out a 28-27 victory. The hogs almost lost in the final seconds as Louisiana Monroe charged down the field and attempted a 47 yard field goal.

While the Razorbacks are undefeated at 2-0 now, don't look for them to continue this streak if they continue to play the way they have in the first two games. Arkansas really gets into the meat of their schedule starting this week with a game against Texas in Austin. Following the hook up with the horns, the hogs take on Alabama, Florida, and Auburn.

The key to competing against these opponents? On defense - turnovers (zero to date) On offense - establish a run game.

The game against Texas will be on ABC at 2:30 Central Time.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

GAMEDAY










Louisiana-Monroe vs. Arkansas
WHEN 6 p.m. Central today
WHERE War Memorial Stadium (capacity 53,727), Little Rock
RECORDS Louisiana-Monroe 0-1; Arkansas 1-0
RANKINGS Neither team is ranked
BETTING LINE Arkansas by 13
COACHES Charlie Weatherbie (21-38 in sixth season at Louisiana-Monroe, 66-102 in 16 seasons overall); Bobby Petrino (1-0 in first season at Arkansas, 42-9 in fifth season overall)
SERIES Arkansas leads 7-0
TELEVISION Pay per view RADIO Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network

Friday, September 5, 2008

5 Star Winston Commits to Arkansas! Again!

Rivals 5 Star cornerback Darius Winston committed to the University of Arkansas at noon today in front of his classmates in Helena, AR. This is extremely positive news for Coach Petrino and the Razorbacks. Winston originally committed to Arkansas earlier this year, but decided to open it up over the summer to consider other schools including Michigan, Ole Miss and Clemson. In the end, he chose between Arkansas and Ole Miss. Winston makes number 13 for the class of 2009. His commitment will significantly improve this class's rating and could help attract other high-profile recruits. While the Razorbacks have two top notch corners locked down for the 2009 class, Coach Petrino still has his sights set on Gabe Lynn - a Rivals 4 Star CB from Tulsa.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Hogs Pick Up 12th Commitment for 2009 Class

Coach Petrino picked up his 12th Commitment for 2009 today when Ricky Johnson, a WR from Lafayette, LA called the hogs. Johnson a 3 Star recruit according to Rivals is 6'2" 190lbs and rated the 22nd best Senior in Louisiana. He chose Arkansas over Texas A&M, Georgia Tech and Ole Miss.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

New Coach Victorious in Opener, Barely!














The Razorbacks under new head coach Bobby Petrino came from behind to pull out a 28-24 suspenseful victory from the jaws of defeat against the Western Illinois Leathernecks. Any Razorback fan following the game was sweating throughout the game as Arkansas struggled to move the ball and the Leathernecks chewed the clock and put points on the board. In the end, though, Casey Dick showed his Senior instincts and led the team to victory in the 4th quarter. While Casey threw for over 300 yards, his ability on the ground earned him the nickname Casey "Vick" as he ran for two touchdowns of 23 and 5 yards respectively.

Other bright spots included Freshmen talents at WR and De'Anthony Curtis. Not so hot performances came from the defense that dropped multiple interception opportunities and failed to stop the run on many occasions. Disappointing performances came from the OL and DL as they were supposed to be the strongest part of the team.

Areas most in need of improvement? 1) Holding on to the ball. The hogs fumbled the opening kickoff return and dropped multiple passes. 2) Time of possession. The Razorbacks were dominated in this area. Mostly due to a lack of a running game. 3) Special Teams. While the Razorbacks were perfect on PATs, they performed poorly on Kickoffs and Returns.

Hot or Not? Whether the new jerseys and red pants were a hit is to be determined. A loss would have sealed the deal, but the win may leave the door open. I do think the midfield hog was well received though.

The Razorbacks will take on Louisiana Monroe next weekend at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

GAMEDAY


Western Illinois at Arkansas

WHEN 6 p.m. today
WHERE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville
RECORDS Season opener for both teams
2007 RECORDS Arkansas 8-5, Western Illinois 6-5
RANKINGS Arkansas is not ranked. Western Illinois is No. 25 in the Football Championship Subdivision.
BETTING LINE No line available
COACHES Bobby Petrino (41-9 in four seasons at Louisville; first game at Arkansas); Mark Hendrickson (0-0, first game as acting head coach in place of Don Patterson)
SERIES First meeting
TELEVISION None
RADIO Arkansas Radio Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS Chuck Barrett (play-byplay), Keith Jackson (color analyst), Quinn Grovey (sideline reporter)

Starter Suspended for Game 1


Starting RB, Michael Smith, is suspended for game one against Wester Illinois today. His suspension is a result of a "textbook" violation. According to sources, this suspension is for one game only - making him available for the Louisiana Monroe game next Saturday. Today, look for Freshmen to get serious playing time - that includes De'Anthony Curtis and Dennis Johnson. Senior backup Brandon Barnett is the likely starter for today's game.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Razorback Nation Season Preview

It's Almost Here...

As we get closer and closer to the home opener, so does the field. In these two pictures you can see the placement of the new "midfield" Razorback. The first picture shows (if you look close enough) a stencil outline of the new hog. The second picture is a photoshop overlay of the standard Razorback logo on top of the stencil in the first pic.

Who's ready for some Razorback football!?!?!?!?!?

GO HOGS!

Razorback Depth Chart


Below is the Razorback Depth Chart at this moment. This list is subject to change on a daily basis as Coach Petrino has stated multiple times.



OFFENSE
OT Ray Dominguez 6-4, 315 So.
Michael Aguirre 6-6, 315 Jr.

OG Wade Grayson 6-4, 292 So.
Mitch Petrus 6-4, 305 Sr.

C Jonathan Luigs 6-4, 314 Sr.
Seth Oxner 6-4, 300 RFr.

OG DeMarcus Love 6-5, 302 So.
Grant Cook 6-6, 320 RFr.

OT Jose Valdez 6-5, 313 Sr.
Grant Freeman 6-7, 277 RFr.
-OR- Matt Hall 6-9, 300 Fr.

RB Michael Smith 5-7, 173 Jr.
Dennis Johnson 5-7, 195 Fr.

QB Casey Dick 6-2, 215 Sr.
Nathan Dick 6-4, 217 RFr.
-OR- Tyler Wilson 6-2, 180 Fr.

FB Mitchell Bailey 6-1, 220 Fr.
John Durmon 5-11, 217 Jr.

WR Lucas Miller 6-3, 201 Jr.
Carlton Salters 6-0, 191 So.

WR London Crawford 6-2, 200 Jr.
Greg Childs 6-4, 205 Fr.

TE D.J. Williams 6-2, 250 So.
Andrew Davie 6-5, 266 Jr.

WR Jarius Wright 5-10, 170 Fr.
Joe Adams 6-0, 175 Fr.

DEFENSE
DE Antwain Robinson 6-2, 258 Sr.
Jake Bequette 6-5, 265 RFr.

NG Ernest Mitchell 6-2, 305 Sr.
Zach Stadther 6-1, 285 Fr.

DT Malcolm Sheppard 6-3, 277 Jr.
Lavunce Askew 6-2, 290 Fr.

DE Adrian Davis 6-4, 238 Jr.
Demario Ambrose 6-5, 253 So.

JLB Walner Leandre 6-2, 213 Sr.
Jerico Nelson 5-9, 195 Fr.

MLB Jerry Franklin 6-2, 229 RFr.
Jermaine Love 5-11, 226 So.

WLB Jelani Smith 6-0, 205 Fr.
Khiry Battle 5-11, 215 Fr.

CB Jamar Love 6-1, 197 Sr.
Ramon Broadway 5-9, 191 So.

SS Matt Harris 6-2, 192 Jr.
Dallas Washington 6-0, 210 Sr.

FS Elton Ford 6-0, 208 Fr.
Rashaad Johnson 6-1, 191 Jr.

CB Isaac Madison 6-0, 181 So.
Tramain Thomas 6-0, 180 Fr.


SPECIAL TEAMS
KR Elton Ford 6-0, 208 Fr.
Jarius Wright 5-10, 170 Fr.

PR Jarius Wright 5-10, 170 Fr.
Joe Adams 6-0, 175 Fr.

PK Alex Tejada 6-1, 207 So.
Shay Haddock 5-9, 185 So.

P Jeremy Davis 5-9, 206 Sr.
Nick Grasshoff 5-11, 190 Fr.

KO Jeremy Davis 5-9, 206 Sr.
Alex Tejada 6-1, 207 So.