RazorBloggers Network » Football

Petrino Reviews 2012 Signing Class

TipsterHog — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:39:01 +0000

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Signing Class

The Arkansas football team and head coach Bobby Petrino announced its 2012 signing class Wednesday in the Miller Room at the Broyles Center.

Also:

WholeHogSports.com (Video): Paul Petrino, Paul Haynes
Chris Bahn: Razorback Staff Turnover Might Have Helped Late Push For Key Defensive Additions, Arkansas Finishes Outside Top 25, In Bottom Half Of SEC In Rankings
Matt Jones: Fifth class resembles first for Petrino
Logan Wilson: Razorbacks sign three cornerbacks
Robbie Neiswanger: No DGB? Arkansas Says No Problem With 2012 Class, Green-Beckham Says ‘Staying Home’ Felt Right

Live Blog:

2012 Razorbacks National Signing Day

TipsterHog — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:07:06 +0000

We’ll be updating this post throughout the day with a list of Razorback signees as they are reported. We’ll also be regularly updating our Twitter feed.

Signee	Signee	Signee
Taiwan Johnson Jr., DE, Manvel (Tex.) HS	Eric Hawkins, WR, Longview (Tex.) HS	Jonathan Williams, RB. Allen (Tex.) HS
Deatrich Wise Jr., DE, Lewisville Hebron (Tex.) HS	Cordale Boyd, OL, Memphis (Tenn.) Ridgeway HS	Brandon Lewis, DE, Memphis (Tenn.) Ridgeway HS
Ray Buchanan Jr., CB, Peachtree Ridge (Ga.) HS	Keon Hatcher, WR, Owasso (Okla.) HS	Jeremy Ward, OL, Pottsville (Ark.) HS
Donovan Roberts, RB, Norman (Okla.) HS	A.J. Turner, LB, East Poinsett County (Ark.) HS	D’Arthur Cowan, WR, Olive Branch (Miss.) HS
Jared Collins, CB, Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington HS	Will Hines, CB, Waco (Tex.) HS	Otha Peters, LB, Covington (La.) HS
Nathan Holmes, ATH, Port Arthur (Tex.) HS	DeFonta Lowe, ATH, Bearden (Ark.) HS	Jeremy Sprinkle, ATH, White Hall (Ark.) HS
Vin Ascolese, LB, North Bergen (N.J.) HS	JaMichael Winston, DE, Prichard (Ala.) HS	Demetrius Wilson, WR, Glendale, (Ariz.) CC
Darius Philon, DL, Prichard (Ala.) HS

Updated 4:00 p.m.

Already Enrolled:

Austin Flynn, DE, LA Harbor (Calif.) CC
Demetrius Dean, TE, Fayetteville (Ark.) HS

The most recent updates will appear at the top.

What A Weekend

TipsterHog — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:35:33 +0000

Fayetteville was hopping this past weekend — an undefeated, record-breaking weekend.

With the gymnastics meet on Friday, the basketball game on Saturday and a star-studded lineup of football recruits here all weekend, it was a busy and exciting time on The Hill. Yes…we said gymnastics. Not something we usually cover in this space but when 5,537 fans come out to support a Razorback team, you have to at least give them a shout out.

As for the basketball game, a win is a win…especially on national television. While Hog fans would’ve been just fine if the blowout had continued, CBS had to be pleased that things tightened up. It was a good day overall for SEC basketball, as well. Along with the Razorbacks’ victory over a ranked B1G team, Tennessee, led by Jarnell Stokes, got the win over Connecticut that the Hogs wanted back in early December. (Think we could’ve used Jarnell?)

As many have said, it was like old times on Saturday in Bud Walton Arena. As football recruiting visit weekends go, however, it was a whole new ball game. Having several of the top players in the nation come into Fayetteville definitely got Razorback fans’ collective attention. Reports from a number of prospects after they returned home on Sunday were very positive, talking about how they were “blown away” by the reception they received from fans.

While no new verbal commitments were publicly made this weekend, stay tuned to our Recruiting News page and make sure and follow us on Twitter. We have a feeling there will be a lot of breaking news over the next two weeks.

And finally, since they left at halftime, the recruits didn’t get a chance to see “Super Fan” Bubba Hog perform his dance routine at the basketball game. The Michigan beat writers, however, weren’t so fortunate. As the Detroit Free-Press wrote:

“During one second-half time-out, a large, shirtless man danced, shown on the overhead screen, and held a sign showing support for “DGB,” Dorial Green-Beckham, Rivals.com’s No. 1 recruit in the country.”

Too bad DGB missed the tribute. We’re sure seeing the “support” of a “large, shirtless man” is all that was missing in order to lock up his commitment to the Hogs.

Pursuing The Elite

Walking on Sunshine — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:35:51 +0000

What a weekend this could be.

We typically don’t write a lot of recruiting stuff here on RazorBloggers — preferring to read our favorites Richard Davenport, Dudley Dawson, Trey Biddy and Otis Kirk. And judging by the hits on our Recruiting News links, a lot of you do the same.

But this weekend is different — our interest has gone to a new level. Twenty recruits are scheduled to be on campus, and they include some of the highest ranked players in the nation — including the #1 national recruit in wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (6-6, 220, 4.43).

Finishing in the top five of the polls shows you just how close the Hogs are getting to reaching the top of that mountain. A few key commits from this weekend’s list of visitors could help escalate that climb very quickly.

Much of the focus (rightfully so) will be on Green-Beckham, who has Arkansas in his top three (Oklahoma, Texas), and could immediately help a receiving corps that will graduate three superstars to the NFL.

Three other recruits, though, who will be in Fayetteville this weekend have piqued our interest. These guys, if they choose to be Hogs, could be difference makers at need positions.

OL Jordan Diamond (6-6, 289, Chicago, Illinois) — Rivals.com has Diamond a 4-star recruit, and when you look at his highlight video, all he does is deliver one pancake block after another. The Hogs are battling Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin for this prized tackle prospect.

LB Dalton Santos (6-2, 251, 4.65, Van, Texas) — Santos is the big, inside, run-stopping linebacker that the Hogs have been missing. Watching him run from sideline to sideline shows us why he is a coveted playmaker. The Hogs are hoping for a flip here as Santos is currently committed to Tennessee.

Note to Dalton and his family…distance from Van, Texas to Fayetteville = 353 miles. Distance from Van, Texas to Knoxville, Tennessee = 800 miles.

RB Trey Williams (5-8, 175, 4.4, Spring, Texas) — We can’t help it — even with all this passing — we are dazzled by elite running backs. Williams certainly fills that bill. A current commit to Texas A&M, Williams is ranked the #2 running back in the nation by Rivals. He has tremendous speed, and looks very elusive in space.

National Signing day comes early this year: February 1st. And if Coach Petrino and the staff have a good weekend, that day might turn out to be more like Christmas for Hog fans.

SB Nation BlogPoll Ballot – Final

Walking on Sunshine — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:35:42 +0000

The 21-0 trip to the wood shed left no doubt. The Alabama Crimson Tide are National Champions again, while LSU, and the always entertaining Les Miles, have to be wondering “What just happened?”

We thought the BCS National Championship game was going to be another slugfest, but had no idea that only one team would show up. The Tigers acted like they could just stroll into New Orleans and pick up the trophy.

Meanwhile, Bama looked like an ultra-prepared, well coached team on a mission. Saban gets his third, while the Tide claim their 14th National Championship. Sidebar: the game was the lowest rated championship game (13.8 share) in the BCS era.

Oregon jumps up after their impressive 45-38 Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. The Ducks, with a ton of talent returning most likely will be a Top 5 team to start 2012. Look for Oklahoma State to get some ‘protest’ first-place votes in the BlogPoll this week after their exciting 41-38 win over Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Hogs workmanlike Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State was important – a perfect send off for a great senior class, and a tremendous spring board to recruiting and the 2012 season. With Knile Davis’ announced return, Arkansas could be one of five SEC teams in the Top 10 to start next year.

The entire BlogPoll will be released today over at SBNation.com. Until then, here’s our final RBN ballot of the season:

Rank	Team	Record	Previous	Comments
1	Alabama	12-1	2	Bama defense suffocates Jefferson, Tigers. 14th NC for Tide.
2	LSU	13-1	1	Inept Tigers finish with 92 yards, 5 first downs in Title game.
3	Oklahoma St.	12-1	3	Cowboys thrilling OT win over Cardinal gives Pokes 12 wins.
4	Oregon	12-2	7	Ducks outgun Wisconsin 45-38 in record setting Rose Bowl.
5	Arkansas	11-2	5	With Wilson and Davis back for 2012, Hogs might be Top 5.
6	Stanford	11-2	4	Freshman kicker fails Stanford, Luck in Fiesta Bowl loss.
7	USC	10-2	6	Trojans get shot in the arm as QB Barkley set to return in 2012.
8	Boise St.	12-1	8	Boise will be rebuilding in 2012 after losing QB Moore.
9	Wisconsin	11-3	9	Badgers, RB Montee Ball finish Championship season.
10	South Carolina	11-2	10	QB Shaw tosses 2TDs as Gamecocks crush Nebraska 30-13.
11	Michigan	11-2	14	Despite 184 TotYds, Wolverines drop VT 23-20 in Big Easy.
12	Michigan St.	11-3	13	Blocked FG in 3OT gives Sparty a 33-30 Outback Bowl win.
13	Baylor	10-3	15	Bears roll up staggering 777 TotYds in Alamo Bowl victory.
14	TCU	11-2	16	Frogs fight off pesky Louisiana Tech. QB Pachal 206 PaYds.
15	Oklahoma	10-3	22	With QB Jones coming back, Sooners early Big 12 Fav for ’12.
16	Southern Mississippi	12-2	20	Burlsworth Award winner QB Austin Davis will be missed.
17	Houston	13-1	21	After loss of HC Sumlin, Cougars drop PSU 30-14 in Dallas.
18	Kansas State	10-3	11	QB Klein one tough cookie, but Cats outmanned vs. Hogs.
19	Virginia Tech	11-3	12	Hokies lose Sugar Bowl to Michigan, RB Wilson likely to NFL.
20	West Virginia	10-3	23	Mountaineers hang 70 on Clemson in Orange Bowl.
21	Georgia	10-4	18	After 10-game win streak, Bulldogs drop 2 to end 2012.
22	Cincinnati	10-3	NR	Bearcats notch fourth 10-win season in last five years.
23	Florida St.	9-4	25	QB Manuel tosses 2TDs in 18-14 win over Fighting Irish.
24	Nebraska	9-4	19	Lack of execution plagues Huskers in Capital One Bowl loss.
25	Clemson	10-4	17	Can you really stay ranked after giving up 70 points?

Others considered: Texas, Auburn, North Carolina State, Missouri, Northern Illinois.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly — Kansas State

TipsterHog — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:35:20 +0000

Some random thoughts after the Razorbacks’ win in the Cotton Bowl over Kansas State.

The Good

New defensive coordinator Paul Haynes is off to a good start. The Arkansas defense, holding a decisive advantage in team speed, tackled better and stopped the run as well as we’ve seen them all season.
Bill Snyder, why in the world would you kick it to Joe Adams? The senior put on another show, taking a line-drive punt back 51 yards giving the Hogs an early second quarter 10-0 lead. The return broke Lance Alworth’s 49-yard Cotton Bowl record (1961), and solidified Adams’ legacy as the best punt returner in school history.
Honorable Mention: In his final game as as Razorback, Broderick Green came in and finished off the Wildcats in the fourth quarter. Green had 60 yards on seven carries in the second half. …. Bobby Petrino’s early third quarter decision to punt on fourth-and-2 from the Wildcat 41 might have been his best call of the night. After a timeout, Dylan Breeding’s sand wedge checked-up at the 2-yard line, putting the Wildcats in a horrible hole. Had to be a tough call for Petrino after…

The Bad

…Watching the Wildcats take the ball and drive 60 yards for an easy touchdown to start the second half. The score, which made it 19-16, was aided by Zach Hocker’s kickoff out of bounds that gave a short field to a struggling K-State offense.
Even though it was great to see them go out on a high note, it’s going to be tough to replace these 17 seniors. Adams, Bequette, Childs, Franklin, Nelson, Thomas, J. Wright…what a great run. The foundation and level of success that this senior class has established will set the bar high in the coming years.
Honorable Mention: The struggles out of the gate by the offense — no first downs and only 37 total yards in the first quarter — manifested again versus K-State. After the first quarter sack/fumble recorded by Jake Bequette and Tenarius Wright, the Hogs went three-and-out, settling for a Zach Hocker 26-yard field goal.

The Ugly

Allowing K-State’s Raphael Guidry to block an extra-point was disappointing. It was Guidry’s fifth blocked kick of the season, something that the Razorbacks and new special teams coordinator Steve Caldwell should have been more than prepared for going into the game. Credit Guidry for making a great play…but it was yet another special teams snafu in a big game for the Hogs.
The number of construction zones in and around Dallas and Arlington is absolutely staggering. Exiting the stadium southeast on Division Street took well over an hour just to get to a freeway. Maybe it’s for the best that the A&M game is (likely) moving to a home-and-home series…at least until some of the orange barrels are picked up.

Of course, we can’t possibly mention everything that was “Good, Bad and Ugly.” What did we leave out?

Arkansas 29, Kansas State 16

TipsterHog — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:56:39 +0000

ESPN.com: Arkansas matches school record 11 wins with victory in Cotton Bowl

Joe Adams had his fourth punt return for a touchdown this season and No. 6 Arkansas defeated No. 8 Kansas State 29-16 in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.

Also:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Arkansas wins Cotton Bowl over Kansas St., Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Notes (PDF)
ESPN.com: Instant analysis, Hogs give K-State a taste of its medicine, Slow start on offense hurts KSU
ArkansasRazorbacks.com (Video): Game Highlights, Post-game Press Conference
ESPN.com (Video): Highlight Of The Night, Tenarius Wright
WholeHogSports.com (Video): Paul Petrino, Paul Haynes, Joe Adams
Matt Jones: Arkansas wins with defensive speed
Chris Bahn: Senior Playmakers Celebrate Cotton Bowl Victory, Program Transformation, Two-Minute Drill
Jim Harris: Bequette, Arkansas Deliver On Defense To Stifle Kansas State, Win Cotton Bowl
Robbie Neiswanger: Razorbacks capture 11th win in Cotton Bowl victory
Scott Faldon: Arkansas Defense Makes Stand In Finale
ArkansasNews.com: Adams Does It Again; Wilson, Bequette MVPs, Cotton Bowl Post-game Page (PDF)
Dallas Morning News: Photo Gallery
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Arkansas rolls over Kansas State to remain unbeaten at Cowboys Stadium, Razorbacks’ win marks milestones

[Show as slideshow]

Bowl Predictions — Kansas State

TipsterHog — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:35:05 +0000

Congratulations to reader Jeff for the closest prediction last time of 38-24. His quote: “LSU scores on average a couple points shy of Arkansas and against stiffer competition.”

A good stat to reference, Jeff. Unfortunately, the Hogs didn’t turn out to be stiff competition for the Bayou Bengals this year. But either way…congrats on the closest pick. Like the rest of us, I’m sure you’re ready for the Hogs to get back on the field and put that game behind us.

(Oh…by the way Jeff…we still need to get your email address. Contact us so we can get your RBN T-Shirt out to you.)

As we prepare to make our final picks of the season, here’s how our own little predictions contest finished up: HogBaller won 5 games, HogBlogger won 2.5 games, Sunshine won 2 games, and yours truly (TipsterHog) won 1.5 games. Congrats HogBaller…you pretty much lapped the RazorBloggers field and ran the score up on us!

So here we go:

Walking on Sunshine: When they defeated Missouri earlier in the season, the K-State fans laughingly mocked the Tigers by chanting “S-E-C, S-E-C” (see video). After the Hogs keep Collin Klein in check, we’re sure the 40,000 Hog fans in attendance will serenade the Wildcats accordingly. Wilson has a record-setting night. Arkansas 44, Kansas State 34.

HogBaller: This Arkansas team needs to show up on a big stage and play big. A Cotton Bowl victory will likely mean a preseason top 5 ranking next season and prove that the Razorback program is not only on the rise, but turning into a top 10 program annually. Both teams get off to a slow start early, but the Razorbacks have too much offense for the Wildcat defense. The Hog receivers run wild and the Razorback D-line makes it tough on K-State. Arkansas 31, Kansas State 14.

HogBlogger: It’s showtime for Coach Petrino on the national stage. Hopefully anyway. Arkansas 42, Kansas State 31.

TipsterHog: This Kansas State team has earned the nickname “Cardiac Cats” for their heart-pounding, tight victories this season. But this one won’t be that close. Arkansas 38, Kansas State 20.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick. And feel free to add your own take like “When did Bill Snyder learn how to use a cell phone?” or “Reggie Herring ain’t coaching this Cotton Bowl. Hogs roll.”

Kansas State Preview: Records To Fall?

Walking on Sunshine — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:35:56 +0000

This is the second of a two-part series previewing the Hogs Cotton Bowl matchup with Kansas State.

In part one of our Kansas State preview, we took a look at the offensive side of the ball for the Wildcats. Trying to figure a way to stop quarterback Collin Klein is going to keep the Arkansas defensive coaches awake at night. Not so much though for newly hired coordinator Paul Petrino and the offense.

If there is a weakness in this Wildcats team, it is on the defensive side of the ball. K-State ranks 73rd nationally in total defense (398.8 yards/game), primarily because it has been very vulnerable against the pass.

Kansas State ranks 104th in Passing Defense (267.3 yards/game). The Hogs rank 13th in Passing Offense (307.8 yards/game). You see where we’re headed here?

When you look at it, though, it’s not all on the KSU secondary. The Wildcats have only recorded 18 sacks on the year (90th nationally), and one guy — defensive end Meshak Williams (6-2, 245) — has seven of those.

So just how much trouble have the Wildcats had in stopping passing offenses in 2011? We went back and took a look at the five teams that K-State played that could really throw it. Like Arkansas, the Big 12 is full of some pass-happy teams.

Team (Quarterback)	Comp/Att/Pct	Pass Yds	Pass TDs	Points Allowed
Baylor (Robert Griffin, III)	23-31 74%	346	5	35
Texas Tech (Seth Doege)	43-63 68%	461	1	34
Oklahoma (Landry Jones)	35-47 74%	505	5	58
Oklahoma State (Brandon Weeden)	36-46 78%	502	4	52
Texas A&M (Ryan Tannehill)	27-46 59%	210	3	50
5-game Average vs. Passing Offenses	35-46 70%	404.8	3.6	45.8

The A&M game is a bit deceiving given it was a four overtime game, but it was a 31-31 game at the end of regulation. You could also argue the Aggies weren’t really a passing team — with Michael and Gray running the ball, they were pretty balanced most of the time.

If these numbers hold true Friday night, we could see Tyler Wilson holding a bunch of Cotton Bowl passing records. Currently Graham Harrell of Texas Tech holds the records for attempts (58), completions (36), passing yards (364), and passing touchdowns (4).

The Wildcats aren’t totally void of playmakers on defense though. Miami (Fla.) transfer linebacker Arthur Brown (6-1, 223) leads the team with 95 tackles. Cornerback Nigel Malone leads the secondary with seven interceptions on the year.

In the return game, the kidney injury to freshman wide receiver Tyler Lockett (son of Kevin Lockett, K-State’s all-time leading receiver) during the Oklahoma State game was a big blow. Lockett had taken two kickoffs back for touchdowns, and while his replacement, speedster Tramaine Thompson (5-7, 165) has been good, he’s not shown so far to be that breakaway threat.

Kicker Anthony Cantele (17-22 FG, Long 54) and punter Ryan Doerr (40.5 yard average) have been serviceable, however the Wildcats have suffered three blocked kicks this year.

All in all, this game comes down to the Razorback defense and their ability to stop Klein. The Hogs are poised to score a lot of points on the fast track in Arlington as long as K-State doesn’t possess the ball (see first half of the Ole Miss game for reference), and keep Tyler Wilson on the sideline.

It should be a fun one…the RBN crew will be there to witness it. Arkansas is favored by 7 1/2 points.

Kansas State Preview: Options Abound

Walking on Sunshine — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:35:42 +0000

This is the first of a two-part series previewing the Hogs’ Cotton Bowl matchup with Kansas State.

After ringing in the New Year down in “Big D”, the Razorbacks are back at practice this week, finalizing their preparations for the Cotton Bowl. The January 6th matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats will kickoff at 7:00 and be nationally televised on Fox.

We have to say, this is one of the more intriguing bowl outings the Hogs have had in years. While the matchup with the Wildcats is not all that flashy, the subplots are many.

What will the loss of all three coordinators mean for Arkansas’ preparation?
Will new Defensive Coordinator Paul Haynes be able to step in and be effective calling plays for a defense he knew nothing of three weeks ago?
Can the Hogs defense do what they’ve had little success doing the past few seasons — stop a mobile, dual threat quarterback?

There are several things that stand out right away when scouting Kansas State — the first is how well-coached the Wildcats are. Bill Snyder (159-82-1, 20th year) is truly a marvel — still going strong at the age of 72. Not many people could turn around a program like K-State once, let alone twice, but Snyder has. They are fundamentally sound in all three phases in 2011.

Kansas State is definitely multiple on offense. What you will see is option from a lot of different formations. From the spread formation, they will run a ton of zone read plays — and quarterback Collin Klein is reading it most of the time. From under center, in the single back or I-formation, you’ll get a combination of mid-line and speed option.

We spent some time last week detailing Klein’s gaudy numbers this year (3,122 total yards, 38 total TDs). What grabbed our attention was the eye-popping percentage of plays (66%) that he directly participates in as a rusher or passer.

When you watch Klein (6-5, 226) play, he is a very physical runner. And despite not being a burner, he is elusive in the open field. As a passer, he has the ability to move in the pocket and extend the play. The Hogs’ defense will have its hands full trying to slow him down.

When Klein does decide to hand it off, most of the time it’s to sophomore running back John Hubert (933 yards, 3 TDs). Hubert is smallish at 5-7, but has good speed and has proven to be hard to tackle in space. There are no Jordy Nelson‘s on this team — no wide receiver averages more than 45 yards per game. Oregon transfer Chris Harper (536 yards, 5 TDs) is probably the best of the bunch.

If the Hogs are going to win this game, they’ve got to show they can defend the option, and not let the Wildcats possess the football. Running quarterbacks have killed this defense in recent seasons, and minus Cam Newton, Klein might be the best runner they’ve faced.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at how the Wildcats stack up on defense and special teams.

2012 Razorbacks Football Schedule Announced

TipsterHog — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:30:12 +0000

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: 2012 football schedule released

Arkansas will host at least seven in-state games, including conference showdowns with Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss and LSU as part of the 2012 football tentative schedule released on Wednesday.

Also:

RBN: 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Football Schedule
ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Jeff Long Press Conference (Video)
SECSports.com: SEC Releases 2012 Conference Football Schedule
Matt Jones: Hogs release partial 2012 schedule, Several unknowns hinder scheduling
Chris Bahn: Razorbacks Release Finished Portion Of 2012 Football Schedule, Jeff Long Says No Venue Decision For LSU, Other Razorback Home Games
Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas’ 2012 Schedule (Most of It) Unveiled, Several Questions Remain With 2012 Schedule

No Walk In The Park

Walking on Sunshine — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:35:33 +0000

With a little less than three weeks to go before the Hogs take on #8 Kansas State (10-2) down in Arlington, we get the sense that the Razorback Nation is feeling pretty good about the impending matchup.

Despite having a 12-23-3 all-time record in bowl games, and even after losing all three coordinators off of Bobby Petrino’s staff since the end of the regular season, confidence seems high among the faithful.

Why is this? Well, it could be because the Hogs have been installed as a 7 1/2 point favorite. Or it might be the fact that Kansas State ranks 104th nationally in passing defense (267.3 yards per game). That’s 104th out of 120 FCS teams. Yikes!

For Hog fans thinking this game is going to be a walk in the park, though, think again. Allow us to take a few moments and introduce you to Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein.

Klein (6-5, 226) will remind many Arkansas fans of former quarterback Matt Jones with his length, but not necessarily his speed. After splitting time with Carson Coffman a year ago, the fourth-year junior has exploded this year and put up some staggering numbers.

Klein leads the team in rushing yards (1,377), and rushing touchdowns (26), on 293 carries. That’s 24+ rushing attempts per game! In addition, he’s thrown for 1,745 yards and 12 more touchdowns.

What got our attention though was the eye-popping percentage of plays in which Klein directly participates in, either as a rusher or a passer. Of Kansas State’s 826 offensive plays, Klein has 544 of those (293 rush, 251 pass), a 66% rate.

That’s an incredible percentage for a running quarterback — truly off the charts. Most guys cannot hold up to that kind of punishment over a full season. By comparison, in 2011, Taylor Martinez at Nebraska was 52% of their offensive plays; Denard Robinson at Michigan was 56%.

You can tell Klein is hard-nosed and tough-minded. That was never more evident than during the Wildcats epic four-overtime game against Texas A&M this year, when he accounted for six touchdowns.

With the Hogs’ inability to stop running quarterbacks over the last two seasons, Klein’s skill set could wreck havoc on what has turned out to be a very average Arkansas defensive unit — ranked 51st in total defense at 371.4 yards per game.

Even though he won’t be calling the defenses at the Coton Bowl, could new coordinator Paul Haynes ability to scheme have an immediate impact on how the coaching staff game plan to stop Klein? Stay tuned.

Defining Hire

Walking on Sunshine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:05:31 +0000

In what might be the defining hire of the Bobby Petrino era, speculation is all over the board on who will be the next defensive coordinator at Arkansas.

You can say what you want about Willy Robinson, but to a man, everyone liked and respected the guy. And the Razorback defense did make some improvement…just not enough.

Robinson seemed to have trouble transitioning to the college game after spending the previous 12 years in the NFL. The decision to make the change had to be a hard one for all parties involved.

One thing is for certain, though. There are quality coaches out there who can get the Razorback defense to the next level — a championship level.

1. Randy Shannon, Former Head Coach University of Miami (Age 45, Head Coaching record 28-22 in 4 years at Miami). Shannon is looking for a job after being shown the door last year in Miami. Before becoming the head coach, the former star linebacker for the Hurricanes was defensive coordinator at his alma mater for six seasons. Reportedly interviewed for the position Tuesday. High energy, great recruiter.

2. Vic Koenning, Defensive Coordinator and Interim Head Coach Illinois (Age 51, Head Coaching record 5-29 in 3 years at Wyoming). A former Kansas State linebacker, Koenning has spent the last year with Paul Petrino, toiling for Ron Zook at Illinois. Previous stints as defensive coordinator at Wyoming, Troy, Clemson, and Kansas State give him an impressive resume. One of the front runners along with Shannon.

3. Paul Haynes, Co-Defensive Coordinator Ohio State (Age 43). In his sixth year at Ohio State, Haynes was defensive backs coach until this season when he also became Co-coordinator. Was with Petrino in Jacksonville in 2002 as a Quality Assurance assistant. Reportedly interviewed for the position Thursday. Young, good recruiter, on the rise.

4. Tyrone Nix, Former Defensive Coordinator at Ole Miss (Age 39). A former Southern Miss linebacker, Nix emerged as a candidate late Wednesday night according to KNWA sources. He has been a coordinator at Southern Miss, South Carolina, and Ole Miss, so he has SEC experience. Some might question his judgement to be a member of Nutt’s staff. Ole Miss was not good in any phase this season, including defense.

5. Mike Stoops, Former Head Coach University of Arizona (Age 50, Head Coaching record 41-49 in 8 years at Arizona). Stoops is definitely the hot name out there right now. It is almost a given he will go back to the coordinator ranks, which is better suited to match his fiery persona. Ohio State, Iowa and Nebraska are also in the bidding. Looks more likely to sign with Nebraska or Ohio State.

6. Steve Caldwell, Defensive Ends Coach at Arkansas (Age 56, 31 years coaching experience at the college level). Caldwell is in his second year at Arkansas. Known for his fierce recruiting skills, Caldwell was previously a coordinator at Nevada and Pacific before spending 14 years at Tennessee. Would be a solid hire if the top names slip through the cracks.

7. Tim DeRuyter, Defensive Coordinator and Interim Head Coach Texas A&M (Age 48, 21 years of college coaching experience). DeRuyter has a history of turning defenses around. His 3-4, aggressive, blitzing style is high risk-high reward. Recruited Petrino’s son at Air Force before heading to try and save the Mike Sherman sinking ship at A&M.

8. Everett Withers, Defensive Coordinator and Interim Head Coach North Carolina (Age 48, Head Coaching record 7-5). Withers took over for Carolina when Butch Davis was let go before the 2011 season. He has been a coordinator at four stops (Austin Peay, Louisville, Minnesota, and North Carolina) as well as an assistant in the NFL for Saints and Titans.

9. Butch Davis, Former Head Coach at North Carolina and Miami, Fla. (Age 60, Head Coaching record 63-43 in college). The hometown favorite, Davis was let go in Carolina after a string of NCAA violations for improper benefits and inappropriate academic assistance. Is the longest of long shots for him to get back in the coaching game as an assistant given his resume.

10. The Field. Looks likely that one of the top 3 candidates takes this one home — but you never know.

Robinson Out As Razorbacks Defensive Coordinator

TipsterHog — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:04:57 +0000

Chris Bahn: Petrino Confirms Willy Robinson ‘Resignation’ As Defensive Coordinator

Coach Bobby Petrino issued a statement on Tuesday confirming that Willy Robinson has resigned.

Also:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Statement from Arkansas Head Coach Bobby Petrino on Willy Robinson
ESPN.com: Willy Robinson out at Arkansas
Matt Jones: Arkansas parts with Robinson
Robbie Neiswanger: DC Willy Robinson Won’t Return, More Staff Changes: Paul Petrino In, Willy Robinson Out

Razorbacks Accept Invitation To 2012 Cotton Bowl

TipsterHog — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:30:21 +0000

ATTCottonBowl.com: No. 6 Arkansas vs. No. 8 Kansas State in the 76th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic

A battle of Top-10 teams has been set as the No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks will meet the No. 8 Kansas State Wildcats in the 2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday, Jan. 6th at Cowboys Stadium.

Also:

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Official Site
ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Arkansas to play in AT&T Cotton Bowl, Jeff Long Press Conference (Video)
Matt Jones: Arkansas headed to Cotton Bowl
Robbie Neiswanger: Cotton Gets Top 10 Matchup With Arkansas, Kansas State
Chris Bahn: Arkansas Will Face Kansas State In Cotton Bowl

SB Nation BlogPoll Ballot – Week 14

Walking on Sunshine — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:21:05 +0000

Well so much for upsetting the apple cart. The Hogs decisive loss at LSU leaves no doubt who the top 2 are now.

While many will call Arkansas a pretender, we still think the Hogs are worthy of a top flight ranking. There are two great teams in 2011, and any other team would have met the same fate as the Razorbacks if they too had played LSU and Alabama.

Virginia Tech impressed us this week with their 38-0 shutout of Virginia. The Cavs were fresh off a 14-13 win at Florida State, and were fighting to get to the ACC Championship Game. The Hokies and Clemson should be a fun one on Saturday.

Other than the top two teams, no one is playing better football than USC down the stretch. The Trojans followed up their upset win at Oregon with a 50-0 thrashing of their cross town rival UCLA in their season finale. The Bruins at 6-6 will represent the South in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday. If QB Matt Barkley decides to return for his senior year, USC could be a Top 5 team in 2012.

You can see the complete BlogPoll over at SBNation.com. Here’s our weekly RBN ballot:

Rank	Team	Record	Previous	Comments
1	LSU	12-0	1	Tigers leave no doubts in 41-17 romp. UGA awaits in Atlanta.
2	Alabama	11-1	2	Saban: “team has done enough” to earn BCS Champ Game.
3	Oklahoma St.	10-1	4	Cowboys last test is Bedlam…hosts Oklahoma on Saturday.
4	Stanford	11-1	5	Did Luck do enough (4TDs) to get Heisman in 28-14 ND win?
5	Virginia Tech	11-1	6	Hokies roll UVA 38-0. Will face Clemson in ACC Title game.
6	Arkansas	10-2	3	7-game win streak comes to an end after tumultuous week.
7	USC	10-2	7	Trojans hang half-a-hundo (50-0) on UCLA in season finale.
8	Michigan St.	10-2	8	QB Cousins gets MSU TD record (62) in 31-17 NWestern win.
9	Oregon	10-2	10	Ducks win Civil War 49-21 over OSU. Pac-12 Champ game Fri.
10	Boise St.	10-1	15	BSU holds Wyoming to 191 TotYds in 36-14 victory. UNM next.
11	Houston	12-0	9	Houston gets school record 12th win with 48-16 Tulsa win.
12	Wisconsin	10-2	13	RB Montee Ball’s 4TDs lifts Wisconsin to Big 10 Champ game.
13	South Carolina	10-2	17	QB Shaw looks more comfortable in big 34-13 Clemson win.
14	Oklahoma	9-2	11	OU not the same team without star WR Broyles. At OSU next.
15	Kansas St.	9-2	12	Might the Wildcats be the Hogs next opponent in Arlington?
16	Georgia	10-2	14	SEC Championship game just a formality for LSU…right?
17	Michigan	10-2	16	Michigan, HC Hoke end 7-game losing streak to Buckeyes.
18	Baylor	8-3	18	Robert Griffin leaves game (concussion). Bears still roll TTU.
19	TCU	9-2	20	Frogs look for one final MWC crown before moving to Big 12.
20	Nebraska	9-3	25	Huskers end good regular season 9-3…first in Big 10.
21	Texas	7-4	NR	Texas says bye to the Aggies the right way: UT 27, aTm 25.
22	West Virginia	8-3	22	Who’s going to win the Big East? Mountaineers still alive.
23	Northern Illinois	9-3	NR	Huskies have won 7 straight. Play Ohio for MAC Title Friday.
24	Clemson	9-3	19	Tigers lost 3 of last 4. Stumble their way to ACC Title game.
25	Florida St.	8-4	NR	Seminoles knock out QB Brantley, take Gators 21-7.

Others considered: Cincinnati, Southern Miss, Penn St., Virginia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Missouri, Louisville, Iowa, Washington.

Execution Wins Championships

HogBlogger — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:42:04 +0000

The text message from my friend in Tennessee arrived just after the Hogs’ second touchdown. One word: “Wow.”

The Hogs had an ‘all business’ look to them on the sidelines. Not only were they up 14-0 on #1 LSU, but they had driven the ball 62 yards in 11 plays over five minutes of game time to score first. And…surprise…8 of the 11 were rushing plays.

Then the snowball took off down the hill in a bad direction. A face mask turned a third and six into an LSU first down. The Razorback defensive line begin to play as if it had never occurred to the coaching staff that LSU might run an option play. What should have been a huge sack for a loss turned into a casual throw-away after failing to close the deal by actually tackling the quarterback.

And then, after the LSU score changed the momentum a bit, Tyler Wilson takes a 14-yard sack on a corner blitz, which changed the momentum a lot. Poor execution of a directional punt combined with terrible coverage in general led to a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown. On the play before the punt return, record-setting senior Jarius Wright dropped a bullet into his chest that would have given the Hogs a first down.

On the next possession…surprise…Dennis Johnson doesn’t wrap up the ball with both hands while being tackled and is stripped. Five passing plays later, LSU is in the end zone again.

The Hogs had a chance in the second half to tie the game, but a poor snap to Brandon Mitchell pretty much wasted that. On the next possession, Wilson took another costly eight-yard sack on first down.

Let me give LSU credit — they were the much better team. Yes, they had a few mistakes, but they were solid on just about every play.

Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, the ‘play good most of the time, but not all of the time’ habits of the entire year led to appearing to not be able to compete with both Alabama and LSU. The shame is that there were many points in both games where they competed quite well.

You have to question the offensive game plan in both games. The combination of play selection and Wilson holding the ball and taking sacks is not going to get it done against defenses of the quality of Alabama and LSU. Hot reads and check downs appeared to be non-existent in both games. You have to wonder why, after four carries for 21 yards in the first (only) touchdown drive against LSU, Broderick Green touched the ball only one other time.

On defense, gaps, angles and stunts have been issues in every game it seems. The Razorback defenders seemed to be out of position a lot this year. To appear unprepared to play the option or the smash pitch play (both LSU staples) AND to get caught in stunts over and over in the red zone — well, I think scheme has been a serious question mark in many games.

Why the punt coverage failed us in the two biggest games of the year is beyond me.

People can talk about a talent difference between the Hogs and Alabama / LSU, but the bigger difference to me is this: Those teams don’t make a lot of mistakes during the course of a game. They play very fundamentally solid. They play with great patience. They are well prepared for the specific opponent.

The Razorback program under Coach Petrino has definitely stepped it up to become part of the national conversation. Back-to-back 10-win seasons to cap his first recruiting class is amazing progress. Like all Razorback fans, I’m thrilled with the overall results.

But…the Hogs probably have as far to go as they have come. This year has been a great success, no doubt. It has also been a great opportunity to learn what it’s really going to take to win a National Championship.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly — LSU

Walking on Sunshine — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 13:35:03 +0000

Some random thoughts after the Razorbacks blowout loss in Baton Rouge to LSU.

The Good

Well…a lot of things can be said about Friday’s performance, but one thing is for sure — the Hogs were ready out of the gate. Their 14-0 start, given the emotional week after losing teammate Garrett Uekman last Sunday, was a testament to the coaches and their preparation.
Senior free safety Tramain Thomas did everything he could to aid the Razorbacks cause. Thomas was directly responsible for both turnovers (forced fumble, interception). And his 14 total tackles, many after LSU backs were found running wild into the secondary, led the team.
Honorable Mention: Dylan Breeding started the game with two monster punts that put LSU inside their 10-yard line. Breeding’s first punt, a 70-yard effort, was the longest of his career.

The Bad

The two things we were most worried about — protecting the quarterback and stopping the LSU running game — turned out to be the difference in the game. The Tigers had Tyler Wilson running for his life, sacking him five times. Meanwhile, Willy Robinson’s defense allowed LSU to roll up 286 rushing yards on 46 carries (6.2 yards per carry). Tough to watch.
Cobi Hamilton’s third quarter 60-yard run after catch had the Hogs on the verge of tying the game at 21. But the drive stalled on second and goal when quarterback Brandon Mitchell was inserted to run his goal-line package. A low shotgun snap resulted in a loss of 6 yards, and after a Wilson incompletion, the Hogs were forced to settle for a Zach Hocker 29-yard field goal.
Honorable Mention: If we hear the words “Honey Badger” one more time….ugh. Don’t get us started.

The Ugly

Coach Petrino was visibly upset by LSU’s continued passing (up three scores) and final field goal that made it 41-17 with 5:08 remaining in the game. CBS cameras caught Petrino pointing across to the LSU sideline while yelling obscenities. While we know it was a long week, there is nobody to blame for the inability to stop LSU but the coaches and players who reside on the Arkansas sideline.

Of course, we can’t possibly mention everything that was “Good, Bad and Ugly.” What did we leave out?

LSU 41, Arkansas 17

TipsterHog — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:13:34 +0000

ESPN.com: No. 1 LSU pulls away from No. 3 Arkansas in fourth quarter

Tyrann Mathieu returned a punt 92 yards for a score, LSU punished third-ranked Arkansas with 286 yards rushing, and the top-ranked Tigers secured a spot in the SEC championship game with a 41-17 victory Friday.

Also:

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: No. 3 Razorbacks fall at No. 1 LSU, Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Notes (PDF), Post-game Quotes (PDF)
ESPN.com: LSU Finishes Off Arkansas, 41-17 (Video)
WholeHogSports.com (Video): Bobby Petrino, Willy Robinson, Jarius Wright, Tramain Thomas, Jake Bequette
Matt Jones: LSU flexes muscle in comeback, runaway
Chris Bahn: Like Alabama, LSU Too Strong For Razorbacks, Two-Minute Drill
Jim Harris: After Stunning Start, Arkansas Sees Only A Blur As LSU Romps
Robbie Neiswanger: Tigers Roar – LSU Buries Arkansas’ BCS Dream In Rout, Wright Adds More Records; Postgame Tension
Scott Faldon: Arkansas Remembers Uekman As Emotional Week Ends
Harry King: Razorbacks no match for LSU

[Show as slideshow]

Game Predictions — LSU

TipsterHog — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:35:03 +0000

Congratulations to reader HAWGFN for the closest prediction last week of 42-17. His quote: “Hogs pull away after a close first half.”

Well…it didn’t actually take an entire half…but the Hogs did pull away, beating the Bulldogs soundly. Nice job, HAWGFN…your RBN T-Shirt should be delivered soon. Try not to spill any cranberry sauce on it during your Thanksgiving feast. �

Now it’s time to go into Baton Rouge and take on the #1 Tigers. Or…as Les Miles would say…”We certainly understand they are neighbors. And when you are in the backyard of somebody it is important to win that battle across the fence.”

Uh…okay…we think. So here we go:

Walking on Sunshine: Looking at this game from a purely statistical standpoint, this looks like a mismatch. LSU has the bulls on defense to get after Tyler Wilson. They have the kind of power running game that has given the Hogs defense fits this season. The one thing LSU doesn’t have is Bobby Petrino, and as long as he’s on the bus, we have a fighting chance. Emotionally charged effort is rewarded. Arkansas 27, LSU 24.

HogBaller: I believe for the Hogs it’s “win and you’re in.” And I can’t wait to see how they respond. Arkansas 27, LSU 20.

HogBlogger: If the Hogs can avoid turnovers, this can be done. Arkansas 31, LSU 27.

TipsterHog: Bobby Petrino has emphasized being the tougher, more physical team over the last three games with great success. But this LSU team isn’t going to be pushed around by anyone. The ‘Mad Hatter’ keeps the Tigers rolling all the way to New Orleans. LSU 31, Arkansas 20.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick. And feel free to add your own take like “A Honey badger is neither a badger nor made of honey. Discuss.” or “The Boot stays at home. Hogs roll.”