ESPN.com: Arkansas 98, Mississippi State 88

Julyssses Nobles scored a career-high 24 points as Arkansas opened Southeastern Conference play with a 98-88 win over No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Men’s basketball speeds by Mississippi State, Game Stats (PDF), Game Highlights (Video), Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• Matt Jones: Arkansas dazzles in surprising upset
• Doc Harper: Full-Court Press
• Grant Tolley: Arkansas Upsets MSU Behind Pressure Defense

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ESPN.com: Arkansas gears up for No. 1 LSU by routing Mississippi State

Tyler Wilson had a school-record 32 completions as No. 6 Arkansas defeated Mississippi State 44-17.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Razorbacks run by Bulldogs in Little Rock, Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Notes (PDF), Post-game Quotes (PDF), Game Highlights (Video), Bobby Petrino Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• ESPN.com (Video): Arkansas Rocks Mississippi State, 44-17
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Tyler Wilson, Chris Gragg, Jake Bequette
• Matt Jones: Trio shines in final hurrah
• Chris Bahn: Razorbacks Don’t Have To Delay LSU Talk Any Longer Thanks To Victory Against MSU, Two-Minute Drill
• Jim Harris: Saturday’s Rout Of Mississippi State Like Old Times For Razorbacks’ Warren Trio
• Robbie Neiswanger: Last Hurdle Down … Arkansas Looks Ahead To No. 1 LSU, Notes: Wilson Sets Completion Mark; Wright Tops 1,000
• Scott Faldon: Gragg, Warren Trio Enjoy Big Night In Little Rock
• ArkansasNews.com: Hogs Postgame Page (PDF)

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Yes…the Hogs do finally seem to ‘have it together’ after back-to-back solid performances.  And since they’ve played their best games at home this season, hopefully they keep it together this week in The Rock.  Anyway…nice pick, rocksrt38…right on the money.  A spiffy new RBN T-Shirt is headed your way.  Hooah!

So here we go:

Walking on Sunshine:  Last year in an overtime thriller, the Hogs almost got caught looking ahead in advance of the LSU showdown.  I get the feeling that could happen again this week.  The Razorbacks survive a close one thanks to another raucous Little Rock crowd.  Arkansas 27, Mississippi State 20.

HogBaller:  The Hogs continue to roll in The Rock.  Arkansas 45, Mississippi State 13.

HogBlogger:  Little Rock crowd provides momentum for the Hogs.  Arkansas 35, Mississippi State 17.

TipsterHog:  As Sunshine said, this has all the makings of being a trap game.  But in the end, the defense steps up and makes sure the outcome is never in doubt.  Arkansas 28, Mississippi State 7.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick.  And feel free to add your own take like “If you can’t choose between three quarterbacks…you don’t have one” or “Bulldogs play dead.  Hogs roll.”

Just like last year, it appears that the Hogs are hitting their stride down the stretch.  Back-to-back quality outings against South Carolina and Tennessee have eased the fan furor after two near losses to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.

Improvement in the running game has really balanced what was already a high octane offense.  The Hogs have averaged 195 rushing yards in the last two games.

The return of Tenarius Wright (forearm) along with Jake Bequette’s ever-improving hamstring has provided the defense with a shot in the arm.  The Hogs look fast off the edge once again, and they’re getting good pressure on the quarterback without relying totally on the blitz.

On special teams, two kick returns for touchdowns in the last two weeks have really contributed as well.  We’re sure Derek Dooley’s going to be a good coach in time.  But he’s still learning…as evidenced by his decision to kick to Joe Adams.  Note to self…don’t kick it to number 3.

After a tremendous 9-4 campaign a year ago that included a 52-14 Gator Bowl victory over Michigan, the Bulldogs have fallen back a bit in 2011.  This week they are coming off a 24-7 loss to Alabama, a game in which they only gained 131 total yards.

Head Coach Dan Mullen (19-16, 3rd year), like all the rest of us, got his fill of the Tide.

“I’ve got to give them credit.  They’re obviously one of the top two teams in the country…I love the way our kids played,” Mullen said.  “They played hard, physical — they always do.  They’re not going to back down.”

For the last couple of weeks, the Bulldogs have been rotating their quarterbacks.  Senior Chris Relf (1,013 passing yards, 7 TDs), who was the starter at the beginning of the season, has given way primarily to sophomore Tyler Russell (979 passing yards, 8 TDs).  Given the Hogs inability in recent seasons to defend running quarterbacks, though, look for Relf to have some sort of package this week.

Senior running back Vick Ballard looks like he’s heading for a 1,000+ yard season.  Ballard (811 yards in 2011) only has 7 touchdowns this year, though, after scoring a staggering 19 a year ago.  No Bulldog receiver averages more than 39 yards receiving per game.  Junior Chad Bumphis (337 yards, 3 TDs) is probably the best of the bunch.

On defense, State has been inconsistant after losing 2010 defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to Texas.  While MSU finds itself a respectable 40th nationally in total defense this year, they are giving up 167.4 yards per game on the ground (69th nationally).  The secondary is their strength, with junior cornerback Johnthan Banks (5 Ints) and safety Nickoe Whitley (4 Ints) leading the way.

On special teams, the kicker situation is unsettled at best.  Derek DePasquale (9-15 field goals in 2011) started well this season but has faltered of late, only making one of his last seven field goal attempts.  Backup kicker Brian Egan got a shot against Alabama, but missed his only attempt.

The Bulldogs need one more win to become bowl eligible, and will likely get that win in their last regular season game against Ole Miss.  Given that Dan Mullen is 2-11 against SEC Western division teams — with the two wins coming against Ole Miss — we’re sure he’d like nothing better than to knock off the high flying Hogs on national TV.

We doubt though the Little Rock crowd will let the Hogs have a lapse, which should set up for a fun Friday after Thanksgiving down in Baton Rouge.  The Hogs are favored over the Bulldogs by 13.

Arkansas scored the first five runs of the game, including four in the first inning, and the top five batters in the Arkansas order combined to go 12-for-22 with six runs scored and four RBI as the Razorbacks cruised to a 7-2 win over Mississippi State in an elimination game at the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats (PDF), Game Highlights (Video), Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• SECSports.com: Arkansas Eliminates Mississippi State, Post-game Quotes (PDF)

Luis Pollorena and Caleb Reed combined to throw 8.1 innings of one-run baseball out of the bullpen as Mississippi State claimed the series finale from Arkansas, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at Baum Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats
• Matt Jones: Win Streak Snapped in Finale
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Dave Van Horn
• Bobby Swofford: MSU Avoids Sweep, Ends Arkansas Win Streak

Eight of the nine Arkansas starters had at least one hit and Arkansas reliever Barrett Astin struck out all 10 batters he retired as the Razorbacks defeated Mississippi State, 6-1, on Saturday night at Baum Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats (PDF), Game Highlights (Video)
• Matt Jones: Win Moves Arkansas Into First Place
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Dave Van Horn
• Walter Woodie: Arkansas Wins Series, Sixth Straight SEC Game

Arkansas overcame a two-run deficit with three runs in the eighth inning, including a two-run, game-tying homer by Kyle Robinson and a game-winning single by Tim Carver, as the Razorbacks defeated Mississippi State, 6-5, on a cold and damp Friday evening at Baum Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Highlights (Video)
• Matt Jones: Arkansas Rallies for 6-5 Win
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Dave Van Horn, Kyle Robinson
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Rallies Again, Wins Seventh Straight

Ravern Johnson scored 25 points as Mississippi State pulled away in the second half for a 88-78 win over Arkansas on Wednesday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Hogs can’t capitalize on senior night, Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• Matt Jones: Glimmer of Promise Eludes Arkansas
• Chris Bahn: Full-Court Press

Dee Bost scored 18 points and Renardo Sidney added 12 as Mississippi State beat Arkansas 67-56 on Wednesday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Hogs can’t get over hump in Starkville, Game Stats (PDF)

There were multiple opportunities to fold on Saturday against Mississippi State.  In particular, the worst being the Knile Davis fumble on the Hogs last possession in regulation that put an exhausted Razorback defense in a terrible position.

State would ride the wave of momentum to a first down on the 15-yard line.  After a well-timed timeout by Coach Petrino to remind the players what was at stake, the Hogs’ defense stiffened and kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone.

Earlier in the year, the Razorback offense didn’t show up for the second half against Alabama.  After Broderick Green’s fumble at Auburn, the defense gave up the ghost and let Auburn roll all over them.  So what’s changed?

For this Razorback team, it’s officially serious business now.  Simply put, the Hogs have gotten tougher both physically and mentally.  Both coaches and players have raised their level of play in response to the ‘near misses’ and ‘could’ve, should’ve’ lessons learned earlier in the year.

It’s a 60 minute game.  An initial big burst on offense will not cause a good SEC team to fold.  The offense needs to pick up first downs on every possession.  Unless you are way ahead, an SEC team is going to keep running the ball at you to wear you out.  Bad things happen, but that’s no reason to let down.

The running game can’t be a vanilla afterthought, useful only in the 4th quarter.  Once the coaching staff got this into their heads, the running game results improved.

Halftime adjustments are very important.  The Hogs switched to a varied set of run blitzes in the second half against Mississippi State.  We didn’t see these type of adjustments earlier in the year.  Depth, maturity and desire on defense has greatly improved.

Everyone’s all out effort is important — the team is more than just Ryan Mallett.  The way the offense stepped up in the Auburn game after Mallett went out with an injury sent a message to the entire team that they had a gear they hadn’t been using.  Now they are using it.

Embracing expectations was a great start.  The players internalizing and performing against those expectations seems to be leading to a great finish.  Beating South Carolina and Mississippi State on the road were huge accomplishments.

LSU, seemingly with a guardian angel on their shoulder this season, will be a stern test this Saturday in Little Rock.  The Hogs have what it takes if they will just bring it.

The Good

• Why is it always a struggle in Starkville?  Always a tough place to get a win, especially when emotions were running high like they were Saturday.  And while most projections have this team going to the Cotton Bowl, securing the ninth win of the season helps keep the Hogs in the discussion for a BCS bid.
• Linebacker Jerry Franklin was making tackles all over the field on Saturday.  Franklin recorded an astounding 20 tackles (8 solo), including a sack and two tackles for loss.  It was the most tackles in a game by a Razorback defender since 2002 and tied for the tenth-best single-game performance in school history.
• On a night full of fantastic ‘touchdown blocks,’ center Travis Swanson made the ‘Block of the Year.’  On Knile Davis’ first quarter touchdown run, Swanson pulled to the left and took out two MSU defenders with a single block.  As one of the two Bulldogs defenders fell, he actually tripped a third teammate, allowing Davis to romp 62 yards untouched for the Hogs first touchdown.
• Speaking of Davis, he had another memorable rushing day, rolling up 187 yards on 30 carries — both career highs.  The performance pushed Knile over the 1,000-yard mark (1,031), as he became only the 10th player in school history to do so.  But…

The Bad

• Both of Davis’ fumbles — the first two of his Razorback career — created huge momentum swings that really hurt the Hogs.  The first came deep in MSU territory, after the defense had secured a turnover, and kept the Hogs from going up two scores early.  The second, in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes to play, gave the Bulldogs the field position they needed to drive for the tying field goal.

The Ugly

• While we’ve seen much worse, Anthony Leon losing his cool and getting ejected was still just plain stupid.  After the Hogs forced a critical fumble in the third quarter, Leon reacted to an MSU player and took a swipe at him right in front of an official.  As a result of the ejection, Leon will miss the first half of the LSU game.  C’mon, man.
• Willy Robinson’s defenses continue to be ‘just what the doctor ordered’ for struggling SEC offenses.  Coming into the game only ahead of Vanderbilt in scoring offense, the Bulldogs rolled up 486 total yards Saturday on 100 plays.  The yardage was by far the most the Bulldogs had gained versus an SEC opponent this year.  (325 vs. Kentucky was their previous high.)

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

TipsterHog also contributed to this post.

ESPN.com: Arkansas fights off Miss. St. in double overtime

Ryan Mallett threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Knile Davis in double overtime, and No. 13 Arkansas beat No. 22 Mississippi State 38-31 on Saturday night.

Also:

• ESPN.com (Video): Arkansas Hangs On In 2OT Thriller
• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Davis scores three; Hogs in 2OT, Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Notes, Bobby Petrino Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• Razorback Nation (Video): Post-game Interviews – Ryan Mallett, Knile Davis
• Matt Jones: Arkansas 38, Mississippi State 31 (2OT), Wright Call Swings Momentum
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Answers Bell in Two-Overtime Victory
• Scott Faldon: Despite Fumbles, Davis Leads Hogs To Win
• Dennis Byrd: Key Performers
• Harry King: Arkansas wins ninth
• Chris Bahn: Davis, Razorbacks Show Maturity Against Bulldogs, Two-Minute Drill
• Jim Harris: Razorbacks Save Their Dreams of Sugar in OT at Starkville

What can we say…way to go Mike!  This was his first RBN T-shirt win but seriously, folks…we should’ve sent Mike a T-shirt a while back just for his persistence.  Looking back at our archives, Mike’s winning UTEP pick was the 32nd game prediction that he’s made dating back to 2007.  Wow!  Now…time to work on getting your son Collin a T-shirt, right Mike?

We don’t say it enough…but thanks again to Mike S. and everyone who stops by regularly to put their predictions out here.  It’s one of the best things we do on this site and that’s because all of you make it so much fun each week.

Here we go:

Walking on Sunshine: The Bulldogs were overwhelmed 30-10 at Tuscaloosa last week.  However, Saturday night is Senior Night in Starkville and looks like a good spot for a bounce-back performance.  I get the feeling the Hogs may be looking ahead to LSU.  Arkansas 28, Mississippi State 25.

HogBaller: A tough challenge on the road on Saturday, with the Hogs needing a win to keep their BCS bowl hopes alive.  The Razorback program under Petrino takes another step forward.  Arkansas 28, Mississippi State 17.

HogBlogger: Cow bells ring, but the focused Hogs aren’t listening. Whoever wins the physical play at the line will take the game. The Hogs definitely have more to play for. Arkansas 42, Mississippi State 24.

TipsterHog: There’s no doubt that Dan Mullen has something going in his two seasons in Starkville.  For now, though, Bobby Petrino’s one year head start in Fayetteville is still the difference.  Arkansas 34, Mississippi State 21.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick.  And feel free to add your own take like “What happens when you cross a Bulldog with a Shih Tzu?” or “No money…no Cam…no win.  Hogs roll.”

Randall Fant allowed one run in seven innings and Brett Eibner was 3-for-5, including a grand slam, with five RBI as the No. 9 University of Arkansas baseball team topped Mississippi State, 13-3, Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats
• Razorback Nation (Video): Razorbacks finish off Mississippi State, 13-3

The No. 9 University of Arkansas baseball team won game two of its weekend series at Mississippi State, 8-5, Saturday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.  Monk Kreder was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score

Zack Cox was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Brett Eibner drove in three runs to lead the No. 9 University of Arkansas baseball team to an 8-3 win over Mississippi State Friday evening at Dudy Noble Field.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorback.com: Game Stats (PDF)

ESPN.com: Arkansas 67, Mississippi State 62

Courtney Fortson scored a career-high 35 points, carrying Arkansas through the second half as the Razorbacks rallied for a 67-62 win over Mississippi State on Thursday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Fortson leads rally past Mississippi State, Game Stats
• Bob Holt: Fortson’s game
• Robbie Neiswanger: Fortson Fuels Arkansas Comeback, Weather Affects Attendance, Welsh Chips In
• Brady Holzhauer: Full-Court Press
• The Clarion-Ledger: Hogs’ Fortson torches Bulldogs

ESPN.com: Mississippi State 82, Arkansas 80

Jarvis Varnado had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks for his second triple-double, and Mississippi State held on to beat Arkansas 82-80 on Thursday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Razorbacks come back, Fall at State, Game Stats
• Razorback Nation (Video): Hog Hoops Suffers Tough Loss in Starkville
• Brandon Speck: Close Doesn’t Count

The Good

• Besides Ryan Mallett having his usual stellar day, two other performances stood out on Saturday.  Texarkana’s own Kobi Hamilton was Mallett’s big-play receiver, with three catches for 131 yards and two TDs.  And in a return to his hometown, defensive end Jake Bequette put on a show.  In addition to recovering a fumble, Bequette totaled 5 tackles, including 3 sacks.
• The LSU loss to Ole Miss and the Georgia loss to Kentucky on Saturday actually helped the Hogs’ bowl opportunities.  A win this week over the Tigers may spell Cotton.  But now with Georgia (vs. Georgia Tech) and South Carolina (vs. Clemson) expected to finish 6-6, the worst case puts 7-5 Arkansas in either the Chick-Fli-A, Liberty or Music City bowls.
• Good thing about being a fan is that you can look ahead.  How many wins do you see on the 2010 schedule? 

The Bad

• Michael Smith will always go down in our book as a warrior.  The news Saturday that Smith’s college career was done was bad news and a bit a shock, as most didn’t know the severity of his injury.  For a guy his size to top 2,000 career rushing yards in the SEC…that says it all.  Paul Petrino said it best: “He gave us everything he ever had.”
• And speaking of Paul Petrino, we knew the Hogs’ offensive coordinator had expressed interested in being a head coach some day.  We were just hoping that day wouldn’t come so soon.  After the win over MSU, Petrino interviewed for the vacant Western Kentucky job.  (Update: Good news for Hog fans…Petrino has “withdrawn his name” from consideration for WKU job.)
• Problems with the clock at War Memorial Stadium…who would’ve guessed that?

The Ugly

• Watching the porous Hog defense attempt to stop Bulldog running back Anthony Dixon and running quarterback Chris Relf in the third quarter was nothing short of an embarrassment.  Dixon and Relf racked up 186 rushing yards in the quarter, which included an 11-play, 94-yard touchdown drive that didn’t require a third-down conversion or a forward pass to be thrown.  Ouch.

TipsterHog also contributed to this post.