Hogwired.com: Game Day Central
Arkansas and Kentucky will meet for the fifth time in school history on Saturday night. The Hogs and Cats are tied at two games apiece with Kentucky holding a 1-0 edge in games played in Fayetteville.
Also:
- Hogwired.com: Game Notes (PDF), RazorZone
- CBSSports.com (Video): Kentucky vs. Arkansas Preview
- Alex Abrams: UA Defense Has Resembled Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
- The Morning News: Keys For A Hogs Victory
- Harry King: Kentucky Is On A Roll
- Bob Holt: Hogs catch Wildcats on way up — again
- Tom Murphy: Position-by-position matchups
- Nate Allen: UA-Kentucky has all the makings for a high-scoring game
- Rainer Sabin: Arkansas secondary working overtime to improve
- Heath Allen: Felix Jones: I just want to win
- David Showers: Kentucky envigorated after last week’s win
- Terry Wood: Kentucky game bigger than Alabama
UA's defense is not as good as OU's, so this could, and probably should be a high scoring game. If the Hogs don't turn it over, then they should win. KU has no defense, period! Thier D-line is very inticing for a Hiesman candidate. D-Mac won't get as many carries in this one though, compared to the Bama game. He won't need to. FJ and P. Hillis will take up plenty of slack, and KU has knowone to stop the train. GO HOGS GO !!!!! SKIN THEM CATS BABY!!!!!
Anyone watch the demolition in Tulsa last night? This is why the HUNH doesn't work in the SEC, and that is why D-1 coaches are afraid to use it, until it is studied a little more. Against a quality defense, it is toast, and that's a fact! The wide open offense the Houston Cougars ran in the late '80's was a perfect example of this offense not operating the same when learning how to defense it became a priority foe SWC teams, mainly teams such as Texas the UofA. If it's so good, why is somebody still tying to prove it after 20 years? If a team has the atheletes and a DC to make the adjustments nessesary to slow it down, then it is useless. That's why it doesn't belong in the defensive rich SEC. Real teams, with real programs don't buy into lope-sided offenses, with no real clock management style, with no way of wearing down a defense in the 4th qr.
Gonzo, I'm not really sure what the OU win over a lesser team has to do with the Arkansas-Kentucky matchup today.
Regardless, I wouldn't read any more into the Tulsa defeat than they were completly overmatched on both sides of the ball against a superior team. To make the leap that Tulsa lost because they ran the HUNH is folly.
Tulsa looked like a high school team compared to OU. I say this based on size and speed comparisons that were there for all to see last night.
Size and speed between Kentucky and Arkansas should be more comparable. Arkansas has more talent almost everywhere except QB. The game will be won or lost by the QB's tonight!
Gonzo
I didn't watch the Tulsa game but I did notice that Tulsa scored more points against Oklahoma then the Sooners previous 3 opponents, including Miami who showed aagainst ranked A$M that they're not as bad as OU made them look. It is not fair to make an assessment of such of a new offense with a new coach at a program in the mid majors. The no huddle and spread is designed to makeup for the personell disparity between teams.
OU is proving to be a monster among midgets and should run the table in the Big 12. It's a wonderful strategy to have the best athletes. But if you're like Arkansas and you have a disadvantage in recruiting (I'm only quoting Frank Broyles on that).then you've got to be creative. A balanced offense is best if you have the horses. Fortunately it is a good thing that Arkansas didn't open up with OU or it would have been USC deja vue.
Unless USC stumbles this could be the year there is a real cry for the playoffs or at least a 4 team play-in game at the end of the season. LSU, USC, OU, and even Florida look fabulous early. Even the loser of the LSU/Florida could still make a case for #2 especially if they split great games in their two meetings (regular season & SEC Championship.)
Gus and the boys look great. They will have an excellent year. In just another year or two Gus is going to be a hot property. FRank can take credit for getting him into the college game.
We all knew about the question marks coming in. Now the facts are starting to show. Last year's 10 wins was a flukey, lucky, schedule driven success for an 8-4 team. This team is not as good and is catching the hot teams at the wrong time. QB is the most important position on the team even with 2 all-american running backs. It is Casey's to win or lose. Saban has now written the book on our running game, don't let us have the corner and make Darren pay for every carry because Dale will give him too many. Brooks is a good enough coach to get the message.
Let's just hope that kentucky comes out flat after last weeks excitement and we start to play at the opening kickoff.
To me, the thing that really showed at Alabama is that the play action pass is wide, wide open. Not that that is a huge surprise. Defenses sell out for Darren. Casey struggled a little with some of the boot leg passes but that is where we need to go to win. Darren doesn't have to carry 30 times a game. 8 to 10 of those can be wide open play action passes. That's only 3 more touches a piece for Hillis, the TE, and Tuck.
If KU's defense in nothing, than why can't the hog's get a first down? With the missed catches, missed tackles and penalties, I'm thinking that it is a good time for the entire coach staff to take retirement with Frank. The lack of focus on the HOGs is dissappointing. I blame all losses on the coachs and their ability to make the players focus on the business of the game. Say good night Houston!