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One More For The Road

January 4, 2008 by HogBlogger 

One good thing you can say about Missouri scoring 38 points against the Razorbacks — we held them below their season scoring average.

The Razorback defense gave up 21 points in three quarters…one touchdown per quarter.  I know you’re going to say I’m crazy, but I think the defense played well enough for three quarters to keep us in the game.  While obviously we would’ve all liked the defense to perform better, we had to expect Missouri would score over 30 points.

Felix Jones / William Moore (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam) The Razorback offense was going to have to score early and often or Missouri was going to run off and leave us.  But it’s hard to stay in the game when your offense not only doesn’t score, but also loses two fumbles and has an interception returned for a touchdown.

Either way, I thought it was beyond obvious that Missouri was the better football team. Business-like…well-prepared…high intensity…confident…better overall talent…better schemes…better coaching…better mascot…cheerleaders…fan apparel — probably better pet fish, better dog, and better cat — there wasn’t one aspect I thought we were better in.

For the final game of the Houston Dale era, everything we’ve all loved to complain about made one last appearance.  Missed field goals…fumbles (after the running backs wore those ‘don’t hit me’ jerseys all month)…poor pass protection…limited play selection…overaggressive defense that allowed a clever opposing coach to turn our speed and schemes against us…fumbled punts…poor kickoff…poorly timed timeouts…no halftime adjustments…the opposing defense saying they knew exactly what was coming just by watching film — it was all on display.

Truth was…the game seemed over to me in the middle of the second quarter.  It was just a matter of time.

I should have known we were in trouble when we were talking during December about wearing black shoes.  Wearing red pants just topped it off.  Football is not a fashion sport.  When you’re thinking a lot about what you’re wearing in sports, your head is in the wrong place.  It would’ve been much better to honor Coach Broyles by focusing on winning the game rather than what you were going to wear.

Oh, well…no sense continuing to beat a dead hog.  A new coaching staff is coming in and things will be different.

Hopefully better…but definitely different.

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Comments

6 Responses to “One More For The Road”

  1. BlindHog on January 4th, 2008 8:43 am

    I like the red pants. Its those Sooner’s jerseys I have wanted gone since they arrived.

    Excellent analysis. It is all just as you say. Our defense with a few adjustments for the running game did actually deliver. Had our offense stayed on the field or scored it would have even been better. Dale’s defense’s have always fed off of offensive success. Of all the things you mention, playcalling was the biggest surprise to me. David Lee was actually worse without Dale there. No Markus Monk to speak of, no down field passing even with all 11 within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, it was amazing to me for a guy who had studied film for the Cowboys for four years.

    Put Chris Baker on the field, let London drop a couple, anything to back those guys off a little. It’s fundamental. Did London even see the field? I was calling for Lucas Miller in the first quarter and he finally got snaps in the 4th. I don’t get it.

    Someone please explain to me why you predict an open offense in the paper and deliver that mess. Or, failing that explanation, why anyone ever believes that stupid lie for the 10th time.

  2. GonzoHog on January 4th, 2008 9:03 am

    It’s the Nutt factor. They still know who thier boss is. Why would they totally commit their coaching energies to the Hogs in the Cotton Bowl, when thier already committed to Ole Miss? I would love to be a fly on the wall when these guys recruit, and tell those kids their recruiting what a great organizer and coach Houston Nutt is, using the Cotton Bowl as evidence of the Players not wanting to play because of their absent leader. Don’t think for a second this BS won’t be used to try and sway a few recruits. All I can say is, you better get ‘em while you can Mr. Nutt. It won’t take but about 3 years for the Rebel faithful to figure you out. Orjeron was a decent coach at best, but he was a hell of a lot better recruiter than Nutt will ever be!

  3. mike in magnolia on January 4th, 2008 12:52 pm

    Is anyone remotely comcerned that we have not heard from the new Coach since December 18th and the coaching hires are coming through the Athletic Department. I’m not complaining just curious.

  4. Hawgfan100 on January 4th, 2008 1:16 pm

    No, not concerned…pretty smart, if you ask me (using the Athletic Dept. as a ‘buffer’, that is…)

  5. OwassoHog on January 4th, 2008 5:35 pm

    It looks like he’s made his presence known again with the announcement of the remaining coaching staff. Garrick McGee (new QB coach) recruited the son of a co-worker at Northwestern and is highly respected their family.

    Anybody have any details on other coaches? Is it time for a RazorBlogger analysis on the new coaching staff?

  6. T-towner on January 4th, 2008 7:13 pm

    Moving on is the only solution. Anyone out there still defending the one dimensional approach needs to join Frank at the local assisted living center!