If you’re an Arkansas fan, you very well might have become an Auburn fan by default in recent weeks.
Yeah, it’s difficult to root for an in-division rival, but the Razorbacks have an outside shot at playing in a BCS bowl depending on how they and the Tigers finish their respective seasons.
You know the story. If Auburn wins out, it will play for the national championship, leaving the door open for another SEC team to potentially make it to the BCS – most likely the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. If the Razorbacks close the season with wins over Mississippi State and LSU, they’ll be an attractive at-large candidate to make the first BCS bowl in school history.
Both teams kept up their end of the bargain on Saturday, with the No. 15 Razorbacks beating UTEP 58-21 and the No. 2 Tigers downing Georgia 49-31.
Arkansas (8-2) continued a month-long offensive tear, racking up 577 yards of total offense and scoring on nine of its 10 possessions. The Razorbacks overcame a fast start by UTEP to record their fourth consecutive win.
“I think we’ve improved a lot as a football team,” Petrino said. “You work hard and you see improvement in offense, defense and special teams. Our guys have taken a lot of pride in what they do in practice. We have a very close team with very good chemistry. It makes it a lot of fun to coach because they come to work every day and have great work ethic. They take a lot of pride in their preparation so it has been enjoyable and when you get the wins it’s fun to see the smiles on our players’ faces.
“We got a very dominant win and that’s osmething we talked about we needed to get done.”
It wasn’t easy – and certainly not dominant – early on. The Miners (6-5) were red hot early with a 51-yard touchdown run by Leilyon Myers on the game’s first possession and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score just minutes later by Marlon McClure.
“Defensively I thought we needed to be more aggressive,” Petrino said. “We started blitzing and getting the tempo going, and the blood flowing. I didn’t think we came out and hit and tackled the way we normally do.
“I thought our seniors were very focused. It was emotional for them out on the field before the game, but they did a nice job of getting focused.”
UTEP led 14-7 following the return, but the Razorbacks never panicked and Knile Davis’ 70-yard touchdown run on the first play of the ensuing possession tied it. Ryan Mallett hit D.J. Williams for a 32-yard score later in the quarter and the rout was on as Arkansas scored 45 consecutive points during one stretch.
For the first time this season, the Hogs had more rushing yards (326) than passing (251). Much of that came on the heels of Davis, who finished with 182 yards on 11 carries.
Davis, the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week, has now rushed for 550 yards and 9 touchdowns in the last four games.
“Knile is doing a nice job,” Petrino said. “He’s hitting his paths very hard and making the first guy miss, and getting yards after contact. Now you’re at the point that you think every time he touches the ball he has a chance to go the distance. He has improved a lot as the year went on.
“We’re getting the right runs called. The offensive line is coming off the line striking and finishing. Our guys are really playing with great effort. They’re taking a lot of pride in finishing and being physical. Our running backs are doing a better job and the receivers are doing a better job of blocking downfield. As a group we’ve improved in the running game.”
Mallett had a nice night, as well. The Razorbacks signal caller finished 19 of 26 passing for 215 yards and tied his own school record with five touchdown passes.
Playing in perhaps his final game in Fayetteville, the redshirt junior added a 14-yard rushing score in the first quarter and tied Madre Hill’s 15-year-old school record with six touchdowns accounted for in a single game.
“He was very efficient,” Petrino said. “He did a nice job of being very focused and understanding what the coverages were. He probably had two errant throws and the other ones were on the money. He was very good when we got down near the red zone with his accuracy. He made some very accurate throws that resulted in touchdowns.”
One of Mallett’s top targets was the tight end Williams, one of several seniors playing their final game on campus. Williams caught five passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns before being pulled with a shoulder injury in the third quarter.
“D.J. is a guy that we really have a lot of confidence in,” Petrino said. “With Greg Childs no longer with us, it’s good to get him going. We’re calling more plays for him and he always answers the bell. He’s a big part of our football team.
“I think he’s doing pretty good. He was smiling in the locker room.”
Now Arkansas looks ahead to next week’s game at Mississippi State. The No. 19 Bulldogs lost 30-10 at Alabama on Saturday, but remain a viable threat to derail the Razorbacks’ hopes for the BCS.
“We’re excited about next week’s game,” Petrino said. “That’s real important for us to go on the road and get another win on the road.
“We’ll be focused. We’re not going to have any problem focusing for this game.”
For more visit WholeHogSports.com. You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
The bargain was not in place yesterday! Hogs could have tied for SEC West with Auburn loss to Georgia and a loss to Alabama! Possibility was 4 teams with two losses. Now it ok to root for Auburn!
Starkville is a tough place to play (and live). But the Hogs seem ready.
And all the ESPN announcers are so sure LSU is going to the Sugar Bowl,as far as they are concerned Hogs not a problem,GO HOGS WIN OUT,KICK TAILS TAKE NAMES.
hogjim, I agree with your comment about ESPN. The only thing that is worse is Verne “Lame”quest’s constant cheering for Newton.
I am confident the Hogs can do this. Those of us exiles who live in Pac-10 country (yawn) are watching the SEC with great interest, and pride! I’m glad I’m not the only person who noticed Verne Lundquist’s bias. Go Auburn, and most of all GO HOGS!
Vanessa A ’81
I cannot make myself cheer for Auburn even though it would put us in a bigger bowl game… When Gus Malzahn put in an injured Dyer in the game just so he could get a chance to score on us, I was done for good then. Gus maybe from Arkansas but he is doing nothing but hurting Arkansas. Having him come to touchdown club meetings is nothing but a feather in his cap and helps him recruit Arkansas even more…
Boo the competition… Go Arkansas!
Sorry, but I can’t forgive the player, Auburn’s team (and the SEC Administration) for not legitimately helping to take care of the Newton matter, aleady.
All QB Newton is doing is denying, speculating “I’m not going to comment because I won’t be hurt by all this”. Auburn, for it’s part, is also simply denying this serious matter, but not properly addressing it.
The SEC administration has had this (Newton controversy) reported to them every since 1st Quarter of 2010. Is this just another example of “Looking the other way” just like they did with Arkansas’ complaints about the game officials during Ark vs Auburn game?
There’s some indication by the SEC Administrators’ “non-rulings” that the SEC is attempting to CREATE a result in the league standings rather than making honest and reasonable rulings for ALL the teams in the conference.
Then, this SEC Administration is useless and not to be trusted and should be REPLACED. They’re making a habit of bad or poor rulings and decisions for the league, making the league look dishonest, and are not making good examples for the teams or young men whom play in it. Therefore, it may be required of the NCAA administrators to decide for the SEC, what has happened in this matter. Maybe the SEC should just turn over their duties to the NCAA to make decisions for the conference which they are apparently unable to handle.
(SEC administrators – your positions at the head of the SEC are not supposed to just represent a cushy job for you and where you can have your own little “kingdom” – you’re supposed to be “leaders” and STAND for SOMETHING MEANINGFUL and give careful guidance for ALL the teams in this conference of teams.)
So, I’m not going to yell for a school and player whom have not been absolved from their responsibilities, just because they may get away with it, without proving they’re NOT guilty in a very important and sensitive rules question. And, after all, this “rules violation” question holds up the remaining SEC teams from fully determining whom is the true SEC West Champion and may be “robbed” of enjoying a normally-run legitimate conference outcome.
Arkansas has to keep focus on MSU and let the BCS stuff take care of itself. A slip up to MSU might make it even a tougher challenge to get up for LSU. Two loses and might mean Memphis here we come and I dont know anyone who wants to make that trip again. Take care of the Bulldogs like there is no other game left to play!
Dittoes on taking care of MSU, MC et al.
Dittoes on Cam Newton affair from Paulo R. And I will add this on that – Hey SEC – look how many players and teams were screwed when the PAC10 and USC did not take care of their business with that cheatin’ Reggie Bush and family and Pete Carroll.
Pay for play or not, Auburn is the team they are on the field of play with Cam. In this country you are innocent until proven guilty without a shadow of doubt. Arkansas needs to play hard to get to 10-2 and see where we go after that, which im sure would be the Sugar bowl if Auburn goes undefeated Any less of that would be a crime for sure.
Amen Paulo…
And MC, I for one do NOT want to make the Memphis trip again. lol Too cold and too many commercials… Never a opportunity to get into the game… Why even have the band there at all?!? Couldn’t hear them play because of the dang commercials!
the good and bad,The Bad thing would be going to Memphis,The Good thing would be Barbecue Ribs and Cold Beer.
I am pretty sure we will NOT be going to Memphis this year. We’ll leave that game to UGA, Tennessee, or Kentucky.
There is another way to get to the Sugar Bowl. Auburn loses to Alabama but beats South Carolina and we beat Mississippi State and LSU. At that point it would be no question.