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By Scott Loftis
On balance, it’s been a disappointing season for the University of Arkansas football team, capped by a frustrating loss last Friday in Columbia, Mo., to a Mizzou team that the Razorbacks should have beaten.
Mostly, it’s the Arkansas defense that hasn’t played up to par this season. The Missouri game was a microcosm of the entire season for the Hogs’ defense.
But the offense deserves some blame, too, despite all the gaudy numbers. The Razorbacks have been plagued by untimely turnovers and an inability to get the ball into the end zone from close range.
A prime example of that was the Texas A&M game, when Arkansas lost the ball inside the Aggies’ 20-yard-line. A&M returned the fumble for a touchdown. That swung that game, and that game seemed to swing the season in many ways.
The Hogs aren’t a bad football team. They’ve lost six games this season — four of them by a combined total of nine points. The issue is that Arkansas should have been good enough to win three of those games, against Texas A&M, Liberty and Missouri. If the Razorbacks had handled their business in those three games, they’d be 9-3 with losses to Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State (without K.J. Jefferson). Ifs and buts are just excuses, though, and the bottom line is this team has underperformed.
The Razorbacks can redeem themselves, to a degree, by playing well and winning their bowl game but the fact is that Sam Pittman’s seat might be a little warmer this offseason.
The good news for Arkansas sports fans, however, is that the basketball Razorbacks appear to be the real deal. The Arkansas-Creighton game in the Maui Classic felt more like an NCAA Tournament game, and the Razorbacks nearly pulled off a victory despite some horrific officiating and in spite of having their best player on the bench with a knee injury.
Maybe even more impressive was the Hogs’ comeback victory the following night against San Diego State. The Razorbacks had to be exhausted from the back-and-forth fight against Creighton, and it probably wouldn’t have been difficult to let up a little in the second half against the Aztecs. But Arkansas showed some resiliency and determination in fighting back to force overtime and then get the victory. That kind of determination could be important in March.
I’m eager to see freshman guard Nick Smith finally get on the court and join the likes of Anthony Black, Ricky Council IV, Trevon Brazile and Jordan Walsh. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such depth of talent on the Arkansas roster, nor the length and athleticism this team displays.
It’s early, and a lot can happen, but this Razorback team has all the earmarks of a Final Four contender. It should be a fun season for Arkansas basketball fans.
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Scott Loftis is managing editor for Carroll County Newspapers. His email address is SLoftis@cherryroad. com
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