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

AR vs. TX

HOGS HORNS

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.