ESPN.com: Ole Miss 71, Arkansas 63

Murphy Holloway scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his first game back from a sprained ankle and Mississippi beat Arkansas 71-63 on Wednesday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Waithe’s 15 not enough at Ole Miss, Game Stats (PDF)
• Hawgs247.com: Hogs can’t handle Rebels on road

Emotion and game planning can only take you so far.  At some point, talent and overall preparation usually takes over and carries the day.

Change a few plays here and there and the Hogs either win by a bigger margin or get beat.  The jury is out if the result was actually from skill or luck.

So what’s the deal with these slow starts and second half comebacks?  Some things stand out to me that we’ve seen basically all year with this team.

The defense opened the game with a case of the stupids.  I’m not sure if the Hogs were under game-planned or over game-planned.  I’m not sure if they were asleep or overaggressive.  There were examples of both — many times on the same play.

What you did see was poor reading of keys and poor discipline in assignments.  The Hogs are easily blocked, run themselves out of plays, and tend to blitz themselves into no man’s land early in games.  Counters and cut-backs seem to find openings that shouldn’t exist.  The edges were totally open.  We have seen this since the third game of the year against Troy.  The first half of the A&M game was the same thing.

The Hogs also seemed to figure that, since Ole Miss couldn’t pass worth a flip, why bother playing much pass defense?  After all, that strategy worked against Auburn, where wide open receivers were constantly missed by the terrible quarterbacks.  Didn’t work this time.

In the second half, the Razorback defense becomes more disciplined and patient and these counters and cut-backs were no longer very effective.  Blocks were avoided and the ends contained.  Makes a big difference.

The opening offensive scripts have been, eh, offensive.  They have not worked well at all this year.

Ole Miss played defense on the opening possession with absolutely no consideration that the Hogs might run the ball.  They played defense on the second possession as if the Hogs were going to run on every play.  They were right in both cases.  To say we have tendencies on our first series would be a colossal understatement.  We have lots of tendencies.

The early line play was terrible on both sides of the ball.  The quick passing game was in slow motion.  Crossing routes that take 4-5 seconds to develop aren’t going to work very well.  Run support by the secondary was slow in the first half.  Linebackers kept getting out of position.  Containment was lost on many plays.

The level of intensity the Hogs play with changes a lot from the first half to the second half.  It is not so obvious at the first watching, but a more detail watching of the game is more revealing.

Fortunately, once the Hogs got over their initial game plans, made adjustments and went to their extensive bag of tricks and superior talent, they got the game somewhat under control.  Somewhat anyway.  I suspect the fear of screwing up the entire season also had something to do with it.

Going three and out at the eight minute mark of the fourth quarter was pretty sad.  Just for that, the dropped notch in the BCS was deserved.

Fortunately the Hogs have pretty good talent.  Overall they are extremely well prepared to play.  Unfortunately, they apparently have to feel that the season is on the line to decide to actually turn it on and play.

I’m not sure what is wrong with this bunch, but something is.  Something bad is going to happen along the way to LSU if they don’t get it fixed.

The Good

• Dennis Johnson’s 52-yard touchdown run finally woke up the Hogs’ offense near the end of the first half.  And the irony that Johnson’s run was on a third-down and long (smoke!) draw play was rich.  But it was Johnson’s total contribution of 160 rushing yards that was key on a day when Tyler Wilson wasn’t as “on” as he has been this season.
• On a topsy-turvy day where two of the Top 10 teams in the country went down, an ugly win is much better than an embarrassing loss any day.  Still…it was a surprisingly lackluster team performance after hearing from Coach Petrino that the bye week was “as fast and as sharp as we’ve practiced.”
• Honorable Mention:  With his kick returns and open field running on Saturday, Marquel Wade is looking more and more like a young ‘Joe Adams in training.’  Wade has shown some of the toughness and elusiveness that are Adams’ trademarks, as well.  ….  Defensive end Trey Flowers has improved each and every week since he was forced into playing time by injury.  Flowers totaled three solo tackles Saturday, including a sack and two tackles for loss.  Good things ahead for the Huntsville, Alabama native.

The Bad

• Apparently this team’s motto has become, “It’s not how you start.  It’s how you finish.”  And nearly every week’s ‘finish’ has been hard to complain about en route to a 6-1 record and a top 10 BCS ranking.  But still…
• Having to even contemplate for one second that the Hogs’ season would be ruined by a loss to Houston Nutt was bad.  Very bad.  All week long, this team talked about how the Ole Miss game was just another one on the schedule for them.  But trust us…if the Hogs would’ve come back home without a victory, the players and coaches would’ve found out very quickly how playing against a Houston Nutt team will NEVER be “just another game” to Razorback fans.  Okay then…let’s move on to Vanderbilt now, shall we?
• Honorable mention:  While Dennis Johnson provided a spark in the first half, his fumble inside the five yard line kept the Hogs from landing the knockout punch late in the third quarter.  ….  The decision by Houston Dale (er…David Lee) to run a slow-developing stretch play when backed up in their own end zone was a classic head-scratching play call that we all remember so well.  Certainly the easiest safety the Hogs’ defense will ever earn.

The Ugly

• The Razorback defense was so bad in the first half, they even made Rebel quarterback Randall Mackey look efficient.  Mackey, who came into the game completing only 47.1 percent of his passes, hit 10 out of his first 12 against what can only be described as ‘very soft’ coverage by the Hogs’ cornerbacks and virtually no pass rush.  It was a very ugly start against an offense ranked 108th nationally.
• The “Good Hands” kickoff return team certainly didn’t live up to their name on Saturday.  That’s because in order to have “good” hands, your hands actually have to touch the ball when the other team attempts an onside kick.  Credit Ole Miss for good execution, but there’s no excuse for how meek the effort was by the Hogs to go up and grab the ball in the air and seal the victory.

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

Walking on Sunshine also contributed to this post.

ESPN.com: No. 9 Arkansas rallies from 17 down to edge Ole Miss

Tyler Wilson threw for 232 yards and rushed for two touchdowns and No. 9 Arkansas rallied from an early 17-point deficit to beat Mississippi 29-24 on Saturday.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Run game carries Arkansas past Ole Miss 29-24, Game Stats (PDF), Post-game Notes (PDF), Post-game Quotes (PDF), Bobby Petrino Post-game Press Conference (Vide0)
• ESPN.com (Video): No. 9 Arkansas Holds Off Ole Miss
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Willy Robinson, Tyler Wilson, Dennis Johnson, Game Recap
• Razorback Nation (Video): Dennis Johnson, Jake Bequette, Jerico Nelson
• Matt Jones: Comeback Hogs notch another win
• Chris Bahn: Dennis Johnson Gives Razorbacks, Run Game A ‘Spark’ In Victory At Ole Miss, Two-Minute Drill
• Jim Harris: Razorbacks Don’t Make It Easy On Themselves in Comeback Win Over Rebels
• Robbie Neiswanger: Slow Start? No Problem. Arkansas Regroups, Beats Ole Miss, Johnson Leads Razorbacks’ Rushing Efforts
• Scott Faldon: Arkansas Defense Survives Another Rough Start
• Harry King: Arkansas edges Ole Miss

[Show as slideshow]

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Ha…very nice, T-towner.  And nice to get a little payback for last year’s game on The Plains, huh?  Now we hope you’ll choose to wear your new RBN T-Shirt this Saturday while you enjoy watching the Hogs dish out some more “reality” in Oxford.

So here we go:

Walking on Sunshine:  Rested Hogs should have their way in Oxford.  After the win, Bobby Petrino bounces across the field (à la Jim Harbaugh) and slap-shakes Nutt’s hand in exuberant celebration.  Well…we can dream can’t we?  Arkansas 45, Ole Miss 20.

HogBaller:  This game is still personal for most Razorback fans, and all business for Bobby Petrino and a team focused on a BCS finish.  Houston Nutt will try to work his Rebel Bears into a frenzy, while Petrino reminds his team to execute what they’ve practiced.  Emotion vs. preparation.  Is this Houston’s last stand?  Arkansas 52, ‘Mascot Confused’ 16.

HogBlogger:  Houston Dale has his back to the wall.  And the wall falls down.  Arkansas 48, Ole Miss 3.

TipsterHog:  Yes Houston Dale…there’s a light at the end of the tunnel…and it’s not a train.  It’s your career dissipation light, Coach.  Enjoy that $6,000,000 buyout and good luck at Tulane next year.  Arkansas 41, Ole Miss 10.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick.  And feel free to add your own take like “Who needs a plane banner?  We’ve got banners, here!” or “Colonel Reb is still crying.  Hogs roll.”

While the Hogs were at home enjoying their newfound #9 BCS ranking, Houston Nutt (24-20, 4th year) and the Rebels were in the middle of an Alabama firestorm.  And like everyone else, they took their 52-7 whippin’ and would like to move on.

“It is hard to say this but there were things we did better.  Things like screens and draws looked good for a moment but they are so quick and so fast everything gets closed up in the blink of an eye.  They (Alabama) are a different level of team.” — Houston Nutt

The Alabama game completed a week of turmoil for the Black Bears as Nutt had to suspend four players, including star running back Brandon Bolden.  It’s pretty easy to suspend these guys against Alabama.  Look for all four to return this week against the Hogs.

The self-inflicted implosion of the Ole Miss program has been littered with suspensions and player dismissals this season.  The latest casualty is wide receiver Melvin Harris, who Nutt kicked off the team this week after a myriad of problems including a DUI arrest last November.

A few years removed from the NFL talent-laden roster Ed Orgeron had assembled, Nutt’s weak recruiting and what can best be described as a ‘junior high’ offense has the Rebels virtually last in every statistical category.

Randall Mackey, the third starting quarterback of the season, is trying to use his legs to give the Black Bears a little offense.  Mackey (433 passing yards, 2 TDs), who is completing just 47.1 percent of his passes, replaced Zack Stoudt after his five interception performance in a 30-7 loss to Vanderbilt.

The only spark on offense in 2011 has been the play of speedster running back Jeff Scott (361 yards, 6 TDs, 4.8 yards per carry), who doubles as a dangerous punt return man.  Wide receivers Ja-Mes Logan (229 yards) and Donte Moncrief (207 yards, 2 TDs) are good, but with no offensive system that can get them the ball on a regular basis, the pair are virtual non-factors.

On defense, Ole Miss was further decimated by the loss of starting senior cornerback Marcus Temple (28 tackles, 2 INTs) and senior defensive end Wayne Dorsey (22 tackles, 3 sacks) to injury in the Alabama loss.  Temple sustained a broken ankle, and Dorsey a broken arm.

Sophomore linebacker Mike Marry (55 tackles, 4.5 TFL) and cornerback Charles Sawyer (4 INTs) anchor a defense that ranks last or next to last in the SEC in total yards, rushing yards, and scoring defense.  Hotty toddy, gosh almighty!!!

So with all this negativity swirling around the team, are the Rebels doing anything right you ask?  You bet…junior punter Tyler Campbell, from Little Rock Catholic, is averaging a stellar 45.4 yards per punt with a long of 73.  Those numbers are good enough to land Campbell 10th nationally just ahead of Dylan Breeding (44.9 – 12th nationally).

The best stat of all, though, is the Rebels have lost nine straight SEC games.  If they lose their tenth in a row to the Hogs Saturday, that will be the first time that has happened in the history of the Ole Miss football program.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I really do.  I know it’s not a train coming because of the guys that are playing, especially the amount of young players that are playing.  So, to me, about hanging on, the stick-to-it-ness, the never-give-up attitude, the perseverance, all those things.  All those lessons, to me, (are) what football’s about. Everybody keep believing.” — Houston Nutt press conference - 10/17/11

Just keep on “believing” coach…the SEC just wouldn’t be the same without you.

The Hogs are favored by 17.

Arkansas clinched the Southeastern Conference Western Division title, sweeping a doubleheader from Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score – Game 1 (PDF), Box Score – Game 2 (PDF)
• ArkansasRazorbacks.com (Video): Game 1 Highlights, Game 2 Highlights
• Matt Jones: Fant, McKinney come up big in win, Arkansas rallies to win SEC West
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Dave Van Horn, D.J. Baxendale, James McCann
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Sweeps Doubleheader, Wins SEC West, Fant Leads Arkansas to Game One Win
• Razorback Nation (Video): Collin Kuhn, Kyle Robinson, James McCann, Barrett Astin

Ole Miss pitchers Matt Crouse and Jake Morgan combined to allow just one run as the Rebels defeated No. 23 Arkansas 2-1 on Thursday night at Baum Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats (PDF), Game Highlights (Video)
• Matt Jones: Rebels down Arkansas 2-1 in opener
• WholeHogSports.com (Video): Dave Van Horn, D.J. Baxendale, Collin Kuhn
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Stumbles in Series Opener

Of the four leaders (Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Alabama), Auburn appears to have the inside track for the division title, as the Tigers visit lowly Tennessee.  The Vols, winners of only five SEC games (5-22) are really bad.  Alabama has the hardest task, facing South Carolina (20-7), especially with the Gamecocks still vying to win the East.

Meanwhile, Mississippi State hosts LSU (11-16).  Despite a disastrous start, the Tigers have won 7 of their last 9 conference games, and are still fighting to make the SEC Tournament.

All in all, the Diamond Hogs have fared well if you look at the last two weekends.  Going 3-3 against top 5 nationally ranked Florida and South Carolina has kept the Hogs in the thick of things, while giving them a big confidence boost for the post season.

The pitching has been tremendous, especially D.J. Baxendale (8-1, 1.57 ERA).  Timely, two-out hitting against the Gators and Gamecocks was good to see, even though the Hogs remain the worst hitting team in the SEC (.271 average).  (Some would say that’s familiar territory for Arkansas hitting coach Todd Butler.)

Ole Miss is led by Alex Yarbrough (.353, 7 HRs, 38 RBIs) and Tanner Mathis (.341, 27 RBIs).  Infielder/Catcher Miles Hamblin (.264, 5 HR, 23 RBIs) will also be in the lineup somewhere.  He is the brother of former Arkansas first baseman, and career home run leader Danny Hamblin.

The 2011 Rebels have more home runs (43), than they do stolen bases (42).  By contrast, the Hogs are middle of the pack with 32 HRs, but lead the SEC in stolen bases with 104.

Our gut tells us that it may take a sweep this weekend to keep up with Auburn.  If the Hogs can win on Thursday night, that might put some added pressure on the other three to keep pace.

Keep your fingers crossed.  See you at the Baum.

Chris Warren scored 24 points and handed out nine assists as Mississippi defeated Arkansas 84-74 Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Clarke’s 26 leads men in Oxford, but Hogs fall, Game Stats (PDF)
• ArkansasSports360.com: Full-Court Press

Chris Warren took control in the second half, scoring 19 points as Mississippi pulled away for a 69-60 win over Arkansas on Saturday.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Razorbacks lose second straight at home, Game Stats (PDF), Game Highlights (Video), Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• Matt Jones: Arkansas Wastes Golden Opportunity
• Dudley Dawson: Ole Miss 69, Arkansas 60
• Chris Bahn: Razorbacks Lose To Ole Miss, Blow Another Opportunity At Bud Walton Arena
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Drops Second Straight Home Game

But it was the Razorback run defense that hit the field against Ole Miss apparently equipped with new batteries.  (The old ones were exposed as incredibly leaky by one Cameron Newton.)  The defense put on a wonderful display on Saturday of team speed and swarming to the ball.

Good thing Houston Dale only believes in passing the ball after reaching a certain count of running plays.  The Arkansas secondary wasn’t up to the task when the D-line didn’t get pressure on the quarterback.

To their credit, the Razorback defense played the last few possessions on pride.  They had spent a lot of time on the field against a very punishing offense.   The Ole Miss fumble at the one yard line was definitely a gift that saved a touchdown.  Had the Rebel Black Bears scored, there’s no telling what the final outcome would have been.

Special teams were near flawless in execution.  Wind-aided touchbacks protected the still suspect kickoff coverage unit.

The only real blemish was Joe Adams foolishly fielding a punt inside the 10-yard line.  But rather than being meekly tackled and slinking to the bench to get chewed out, Adams chose the tactic of distracting the coaches from his error by running 97 yards for a touchdown.  Uh yeah…Coach Petrino needs to find even more ways to get this guy the ball.

It is interesting that the offense seems to have a lot more intensity with Tyler Wilson in the game.  Why the Ryan Mallett-led offense continues to experience a letdown following a couple of scores…I don’t know.  The Wilson-led intensity could be explained by the other offensive players picking up their game to support the second string guy.  Whatever…there is definitely a difference in performance.

Knile Davis ran for 117 of his 179 yards with Wilson in the game.  The O-line blocked beautifully for Davis, but he also made some cuts and hit some holes that have been there all year.  He is by far the best of the backs and deserves the bulk of the carries.

It’s very obvious that this Razorback team is growing up before our eyes.  The defense and special teams responded well to the debacle of the Auburn game.  Perhaps the Hogs have found a running game by placing their faith in Knile Davis.

If they can figure out how to bring some type of consistent performance to the offense, there’s no reason to lose another game.  Keep having these long dry spells in scoring and it will be a struggle to go .500 in the remaining conference games.

The Good

• For the third straight week, tailback Knile Davis set a career rushing mark.  The sophomore from Missouri City, Texas rolled up 176 yards on 22 carries and 3 TDs.  The big one was his 71-yard, fourth quarter jaunt that pushed the Hogs’ tenuous lead back to 31-17 with 11 minutes to play.
• Bobby Petrino’s early season promise to Ken Hatfield of a Razorback punt return for a touchdown has been fulfilled.  Joe Adams’ 97-yard, second quarter return broke Hatfield’s school record of 95 yards (Tulsa, 1963), and put the Hogs on top 21-0.  Jarius Wright’s block to seal the long run was the icing on the cake.

The Bad

• As for the lightning delays, while we understand that caution prevails, the delays — especially the second one — were absolutely ridiculous.  The second delay lasted 31 minutes — which pretty much tells you it should’ve never been called in the first place.  Another example of NCAA guidelines trumping common sense.  I’m sure it was probably ‘good’ for concessions, though.
• Ryan Mallett’s first play of the first series interception was one of the worst passes we’ve ever seen him throw.  Had Ole Miss linebacker Allen Walker not stepped in front of the pass and made the play, several other Rebel defenders in the area likely would have.  Mallett’s seven interceptions through seven games this season have equaled his total for all of 2009.

The Ugly

• Despite only surrendering 24 points Saturday, the Hogs continue to allow staggering yardage totals on defense.  In the four SEC games against Georgia (392), Alabama (421), Auburn (470) and Ole Miss (512), Willy Robinson’s crew has allowed an average of 448.8 yards per game.  Notice the alarming upward trend, too.  ‘Ugly’ and worrisome to say the least.

Of course, in a game that lasted nearly five hours, we can’t possibly mention everything that was “Good, Bad and Ugly.”  What did we leave out?

ESPN.com: Arkansas takes down Ole Miss after two delays

Knile Davis ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 21 Arkansas waited out two weather delays to beat former coach Houston Nutt and Mississippi 38-24 on Saturday.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Davis delivers through storms, Game Stats, Post-game Notes, Bobby Petrino Post-game Press Conference (Video)
• ESPN.com: Davis, Arkansas Get Past Mississippi (Video)
• Razorback Nation (Video): Post-game Interviews – Willy Robinson, Ryan Mallett, Knile Davis, Houston Nutt
• Dudley Dawson: Arkansas 38, Ole Miss 24
• Matt Jones: Fittingly, Hogs Prevail in the Slop, Arkansas-Ole Miss Postgame Notes
• Robbie Neiswanger: Davis, Ground Game Lead Arkansas To Win
• Scott Faldon: Mallett Leaves Second Straight Game With Injury
• Dennis Byrd: Adams, Childs Injured; Bequette Makes Impact
• Chris Bahn: Knile Davis Bails Out Razorbacks With Huge Rushing Performance, Two-Minute Drill
• Jim Harris: Perhaps Hog Fans’ Spite Toward Nutt Finally Can Ease

But anyway…time to put that one behind us.  Congrats again to OwassoHog, who’s been commenting on the site so long that we pretty much consider him our resident ombudsman.  We’re sure he’ll be wearing his new “We Called That Play Brotha” t-shirt with pride on Saturday.

So here we go:

Walking on Sunshine: In a week where the fans have had a rough time putting the Auburn loss behind them, the Hogs have no time to ‘waller’ in self-pity.  TCTWF, as usual, has had this game circled.  His bunch of Black Bears will be jacked and ready.  Jeremiah Masoli is not Cam Newton.  Arkansas 38, Ole Miss 30.

HogBaller: Houston Nutt’s Super Bowl will end in disappointment as Bobby Petrino finally gets the monkey off his back, sending Hootie and the Black Bears back to Oxford with a loss.  The Razorbacks play like their namesake and make this a fun one for Hog fans to watch.  Does anyone know if the pre-game flyover includes banners?  Arkansas 42, Ole Miss 13.

HogBlogger: Houston Dale usually has a way with games he takes personally.  But not this time.  Hogs roll in the rain.  Arkansas 38, Ole Miss 17.

TipsterHog: The ramifications of losing this game for a third straight season are too catastrophic to fathom.  In the words of Al Davis, “Just win, baby.”  Arkansas 42, Ole Miss 24.

Leave a comment with your name, e-mail address and pick.  And feel free to add your own take like “Secure your laptops and your weed” or “Does a Black Bear $h*! in the Ozarks?  Hogs roll.”

The game marks the second return to Fayetteville for the former Razorback head coach.  The first meeting in 2008 was an ugly affair, with Nutt waiting in the tunnel to run out at the same time that Bobby Petrino and the Razorbacks were running through the ‘A’ and onto the field.

The game itself was an emotion-filled contest that came down to the wire, with the Hogs recovering an onside kick with less than a minute left in regulation.  Many will remember the controversial pass interference call against London Crawford that went against the Razorbacks and sealed the win for Ole Miss.  Adding insult to injury, Nutt and staff remained on the field celebrating and having reunions with various Razorback players and assistants before finally heading to the locker room.

Ole Miss won handily at last year’s game in Oxford, and meeting #3 between Nutt and Petrino promises to be another highly emotional matchup between not only the coaches, but the fanbases as well.

While the Ole Miss fans are quick to thank Razorback fans for Houston Nutt, Arkansas fans are quicker to thank them for hiring him.  Nutt overstayed his welcome for many, and he was never able to get the program to a championship winning level in his 10 seasons on The Hill.

Right or wrong, the outcome of Saturday’s game will provide a measuring stick by which Bobby Petrino will be judged.  Razorback fans want to continue seeing signs of the progress that Petrino is making with the Arkansas football program.  Beating Ole Miss and Nutt for the first time gets a monkey off of Petrino’s back, and provides tangible results to fans that the program is making progress under his leadership.

Nutt was asked during his weekly press conference if he thought the emotions about beating him still ran high in Arkansas.

“You know, I don’t know.  I think it’s probably died down a little bit,” Nutt said.  “But I don’t know.  I’m sure that there’s a few people that naturally want to see that.”

Indeed, most would argue that the fervor hasn’t died down much since 2008.  For some Hog fans, in fact, Saturday is all about hanging “half-a-hundred” on the used car salesman that sold them an AMC Pacer disguised as a Rolls Royce.  This group — angry at how the final years of the Nutt era played out — want to see nothing short of total domination, humiliation and running the score up on the Rebel Care Bears.

Game time is set for 11:21 AM, so the tailgating may be limited.  Despite the potential hangover effect from the Auburn loss and the early start time, I expect Razorback fans will show up ready to go at kickoff.  Bobby Petrino and staff should have the Hog players motivated, and look for Nutt to pull out all the stops and extra pages in the playbook.

The Razorback Nation is definitely ready to begin putting the Nutt chapter behind us…by beating Ole Miss and sending TCTWF back to Oxford where he belongs.

Friday nights are getting to be pretty routine with Drew Smyly (8-0, 2.26 ERA).  Smyly has become as solid of a Friday starter as we’ve seen.  His steady performance last Friday almost seemed to surprise the ESPNU announcers, who had all but anointed stud Ole Miss starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz (6-1) as the best left-handed pitcher in America.  No doubt Pomeranz is very good…but Smyly was better last Friday night.

Clutch home runs on Friday by Brett Eibner, Tim Carver and Travis Sample (grand slam) highlighted the explosion that saw the Hogs score 10 runs in the final three innings.

Saturday’s 3-2 loss was disappointing, but some good things came out of the game.  While the Hogs could do little with Ole Miss starter Aaron Barrett (8 IP, 6 H, 6 Ks), strong performances by pitchers T.J. Forrest and Geoffrey Davenport out of the bullpen kept the game within reach.  Forrest and Davenport combined for 6 1/3 innings of shutout relief.

One of the things that has been a bit shaky during the last couple of weeks was getting that quality relief outing when we needed it.  Against Ole Miss, the Hogs bullpen did the job, including a nice job by Jordan Pratt who recorded his first save on Friday night.  The junior right-hander from Harrison went 1 2/3 innings and recorded four of the five outs on strikeouts.

Sunday was all Mike Bolsinger, who delivered perhaps the best performance of his Razorback career.  Striking out a career-high 11, Bolsinger (5-2) held the Rebels to just two hits in eight innings in the 7-0 win.  After struggling in recent weeks to the point where he was sent back to the bullpen, Mike came through in a big way when the Hogs needed it on Sunday.

While Ole Miss and LSU have been chasing the Hogs for the last four or five weeks, it looks now like Auburn may be the main challenger down the stretch.  Auburn has one of the best SEC hitting teams we’ve seen in a while and they’re hot — sweeping Mississippi State this past weekend to pull to within a game of first.  The Tigers also have the tie-breaker with the Hogs, having won two of three in Fayetteville.

A good series win like this one over Ole Miss could spark the Razorbacks down the stretch.  The Hogs host South Carolina (17-7, 36-11) this weekend, but first comes the much-anticipated trip to Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock to host Louisiana Tech on Tuesday night.

Mike Bolsinger pitched a career-high eight innings and Andy Wilkins tallied three RBI to lead the No. 10 University of Arkansas baseball team to a 7-0 win over 11th-ranked Ole Miss Sunday afternoon at Oxford-University Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats, Post-game Comments (Video)
• Matt Jones: Arkansas 7, Ole Miss 0
• The Clarion-Ledger: Ole Miss loses to Razorbacks 7-0

Zack Cox and Tom Hauskey both went deep for the No. 10 University of Arkansas baseball team but it wasn’t enough to push past Ole Miss in a 3-2 loss Saturday night at Oxford-University Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats, Post-game Comments (Video)
• Matt Jones: Ole Miss Evens Series With 3-2 Win

The No. 10 University of Arkansas baseball team exploded for 10 runs over the final three innings in an 11-4 win over No. 11 Ole Miss Friday night at Oxford-University Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Game Stats
• Matt Jones: Eibner, Smyly Lead Arkansas to Win at Ole Miss
• The Clarion-Ledger: Eibner, Razorbacks knock Rebels for loop