With a Heisman Trophy candidate in the backfield…your coach (he’s like a father, you know) on the hot seat…students wearing black t-shirts…you’re catching serious grief from everyone about the ‘rent-a-win’ schedule — with all that and more, it was definitely the time on Saturday night for the Razorbacks to circle the wagons and send a message to everyone.
And, well…message received…loud and clear. If the black shirts and plane banners show a lack of respect by the fans towards both coaches and players, what does the ‘phone it in’ attitude on Saturday say about this team’s respect for the fans in Little Rock? For their Heisman Trophy candidate? For their ‘hot seat’ coach?
Yes, in “Remember The Titans” we heard that, ‘attitude reflects leadership.’ Gary Bertwistle, in his Talk Seminars blog, describes it this way:
However, my personal belief is that leadership starts from within the leader and the standards that the leader sets for themselves. Like anything, the attitude of the team is a direct reflection of the attitude of the leader, and the standards by which the leader holds themselves to.
A mediocre team is a reflection of mediocre leadership, and that mediocre leadership is a reflection of the standards and expectations the leader places on themselves.
I’m sorry…I forgot…it’s the players fault. Or so said David Lee last Tuesday. But after the game on Saturday, Lee suddenly developed a clue:
“The first thing is we weren’t ready to play offensively,” Lee said.
Casey Dick also had a handle on the situation:
“We didn’t execute well as a whole,” Dick said. “We just weren’t ready to begin with.”
The issues were not limited to the offense, according to linebacker Weston Dacus:
“We played flat all night,” said Dacus.
Peyton Hillis cut right to the chase:
“…I was just disappointed in myself and in how we all played. We didn’t play like we should. We have a lot of talent on this team, and it didn’t show.”
While there are times when looking past a ‘cupcake’ can be excused, this team is not good enough to, in effect, take a week off.
Now we have Auburn coming in on a hot streak…DMac beat up…an unsure offense (for both coaches and players)…and a defense that still hasn’t figured out where everyone should line up, much less how to stop the run.
The Auburn game is the season. Win and we still have one. Lose, and regardless of gender or weight, the refrain of ‘Turn Out The Lights, The Party’s Over’ will be heard from Razorback fans far and wide.
It amazed me that after 3 years in the system that Casey Dick still stares down one receiver. He better be glad we played UT Chatt. or he would have had many more interceptions on Saturday night.
I'm also very disappointed in the way Casey continues to hold the ball too long. Several times Saturday night play action had an opportunity to make a huge gain, but he held the ball almost to the point of blowing the play up completely.
There is a CW song that I like called "Eugene" (You Genius). Now I have Wall (By golly) to sing. Even Wally Hall is distraught over the use of MacFadden as a human battering ram into defensive linemen just waiting for him. Understand that there is a method to this mad play calling. Once Darren can break through he is gone, gone, gone. The problem of course is that he is not getting the blocks necessary to open up the line or get past the 'backers. Give the Mocs credit, Their line played great. I was especially impressed with the defensive flow of the Mocs on sweeps. We seemed to do a poor job of pinching off the defensive end and outside backers that prevented Jones from getting even more yardage
Regarding Nutt: I'm seeing more "surrogate" criticisms on the Voices page and less support for Houston. A clever ploy by the sports writers of the Demo-Zette on the back page of the Sports Section was to blame the fans for the 4th and 1 call that failed. Pretty cheezy. A certain group of loud fans will always call for a 4th and 1 try, but the fans are not calling the plays. Presumably the coaches are. Someone, near me laughingly said that the fans cheer when they make it and boo when they don't. I corrected him by saying, no they usually groan, not boo. But when they failed on 3rd and one followed by failing on 4trh and 1, booing was proably the right reaction. Two inept tries against a 1-3 bowl subdivsion team?. I spoke in a loud voice to my son's brother-in law, that this was supposed to be the game Darren would break the Arkansas rushing record but it may go down as the game that cost him the Heisman. Other fans initially looked at me as though I had uttered a blashphemy, but then looked gloomy as that comment sunk in. Sure enough, this week a number of pundits have lowered Darren's Heisman standing to as low as fourth behind Tim Tebow..Last year opponents' coaches were not ready for MacFadden. Coaches such as Phil Fulmer who was beside himself at the half. He didn't realize how good Darren was and how much they would have to adjust (Fulmer blamed it on poor tackling). Arkansas needs to find a way to get MacFadden isolated on one-on-one situations, but that's a pretty simple minded observation, isn't it?. Where's the wildhog, wildcat, wilddog, wildboar, or wild whatever?
Bluffhawg
Liook back to a previous response that I entered. It's my one man opinion about what Dick's problems are. Go back and read it and see if you agree. As to staring down a receiver, that is easily explained. He's not being given the option to throw to another receiver, or to even look for one. This is a carry over from the Monk "era" (which maybe over). In other words, he's following the play as designed. Good observation about staring down. . Question is, "who's at fault?".
Bluff – I agree with Jim. Casey is playing the way he is being coached to play. Locking in on one receiver is so obviously that it almost has to be on purpose. Not reading the safety and missing the post pattern against Kentucky told me that he wasn't reading the play, which told me he wasn't supposed to.
The genius that is supposedly David Lee is revealing itself. Calling a game is a little different than breaking down film. Coaching a passing quarterback to read defenses is a little different than teaching him techniques to throw the ball on the run or avoid hitting ladders.
Jim – I agree this is the game that cost D-Mac the Heisman. However, the overall success of the season would have done that anyway. I don't think it is over for him yet, but I can't imagine how he is going to stay healthy the way we are using him. Houston Dale's running backs (or 'skill' positions in general) don't make it to the pros. Only his offensive linemen and secondary people.
All of your opinions are correct, what is David Lee suppose to be doing anyway, mabye there is reason why he left in the first place or maybe Houston Nutt doesn't know how to recruit a drop back passer, the guys they have coming in next year or dual qb threats otherwise known as run first and run second. It is pathetic.
A little anecdotal football social commentary for those of you who don't like America. I took a friend of mine named Andy to the UT-C game. Andy is originally from Romania (He is an American citizen). He had never seen an American football game. I told him he was in for a treat not just for the game but also to see part of the biggest outdoor weekend fiesta that occurs all over the ithe country, the taligate party. We got to the stadium and walked around, ate barbecue, walked around again, and watched the band marching by close up . Whattya think, i asked. This is fantastic he said I have never seen anything like it. He had no idea that this existed. What impressed him most was that the crowd was so well behaved, and not like soccer crowds in Europe (especially the Brits). In contrast, he said, in Communitst Eastern Europe, the ONLY TIME people were allowed to express emotion, opinions and passion in public was at soccer games. Why is it that we have to have immigrants remind us of how lucky we are?
when are people going to realize that as long as NW arkansas and the university continue to divide this state, the razorback program will be in turmoil.
I think it is safe to say that Nutt is gone no matter what happens this year. Is it possible that he would like to see the season go badly so that it's easier for him to step aside at year's end for the "good of the team"? There has to come a point in the season where the players decides to either give up or stand up. Maybe Sat. will be that day. I'm sure they know their coach is a dead man walking, but for crying out loud, where are the seniors? Where is the leadership on the field? If they can't get up for Auburn, there's no hope. Season done! McFadden mails it in the rest of the year so he'll actually be alive on draft day. So much for Heisman hopes. In years past I would have no doubt that we could handle Auburn in this situation, but man, I just have lost all confidence. I hope I'm wrong, my wife can't handle much more of this.
Well Jim, that is nice and we don't have to be reminded how lucky we are to be living in the good ole USA or exuse me I live in North Mexico now, but this is my outlet especially when my best freinds went to Tennessee and LSU, I tired of us being two games better than Ole Miss,Miss St and Vandy. To think he almost went to Nebraska or LSU is funny to me.
I refuse to give up on the hogs. I to believe Nutt will be gone after this season but I still wont give up on the team.
I did have the opportunity to meet coach Markuson in Fayetville last week. I seemed like a real class guy. I just can't root against someone that seems so nice and as sent guys to the NFL. I hope our new coach will consider keeping him around.
Go Hogs beat Auburn PLEASE!
You don't lose 3 senior offensive linemen and just go on like nothing happened. That was part of the pre-season PR hype but, it just ain't goin' to happen. Nutt's play calling is bad to be sure but alot belongs on the plate of the PR machine.
Sure, it was hard for everyone not to be positive after a 10 win season with a Heisman favorite returning but football is about 22 guys not just one. The same goes for the Defense. Lose an all-SEC DE, LB, CB, and DT not to mention some senior leaders and expect to go back to Atlanta?
We couldn't throw the ball last year WITH Monk after Hillis got hurt. One reciever does not a passing game make. You think Auburn doesn't know where we are going to throw the ball on Saturday?
We bought the hype and the tickets just like we have every year (Great new passing game.) The coaching is poor, the recruiting is poor, and the prospects are poor but we keep buying it and hoping for the best.
Now we are trading J Frank for J White. What a trade. Looks like a few more years of this ahead. You've been played for fools but don't boo or complain. Rick can explain it all away.
Hogblogger, I love the references to leadership. They apply to J Frank and J White as well. I think you have a real key to the problem. I couldn't agree more.
We have 2 areas on this team that's improved. We have a legitamate KR, and the DB's have improved some, since the first game. Here's the kicker; as the competition get's better, the worse the DB's will look, because of the weak D-line play. knowone has stepped up in that area, which means the DB's are the one's having to carry this defense. They not only have to defend against the pass, but also the run, since the secondary is where the opposing teams RBs seem to spend alot of time. Auburn will either exspose this weakness, or the line will come to play this week. If the weakness is exsposed, look for this to be a lopsided win for the Tigers. Auburn has too much balance when Cox is allowed to set up and pass, so if the Tigers get a solid performance from thier RBs, this one will probably get ugly, unless we get lucky and cop a few breaks. So far, the opposing teams have gotten most of the breaks. I sure hope this team sees the light before Saturday. Right now, they need all the help they can get. This is so depressing. I hate to feel like we have to rely on luck! GO HOGS GO!!!!! BEAT AUBURN!!!!!
O-line and D-line. You guys are all over it. A big difference from last year.
Blind – leadership and attitude apply at every level of the food chain, I agree. Two phrases come to mind. 'Whatever you think about people, you're right', and one from my dad, 'can't never could do anything.' Whatever you think about your players will probably come true. We don't exactly have a positive mindset about very many things. Thinking you 'can't because' is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our players can only be as good as the coaches think they can be.
I agree to a point. Our coaches don't push our players to exceed, to excel, to improve, to have fun. We have 4 plays because we practice 4 plays until we do them perfectly. That is not the same as believing that this bunch can beat LSU.
Wow 4 plays, and they are? run left,run right, run up the middle and draw play. I would love to get the players perspective on the program. Moral has got to be ho hum.
DMON(HOG IN LA), got three out of four correct. The forth one is PUNT.