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Re: New Head Coach for Arkansas Football

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1318720222539427840
https://www.nwahomepage.com/sports/pig-trail-nation/trio-of-hogs-named-to-fwaa-freshman-all-american-watch-list/
Trio Of Hogs Named To FWAA Freshman All-American Watch List
PIG TRAIL NATION
by: ArkansasRazorbacks.com

Posted: Oct 20, 2020 / 10:08 AM CDT / Updated: Oct 20, 2020 / 10:08 AM CDT

Photo Courtesy: University of Arkansas Athletics

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas redshirt freshmen DB Jalen Catalon, DB Hudson Clark and OL Brady Latham have been selected to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-American Watch List, the organization announced Tuesday.

Catalon leads all FBS freshmen and ranks fourth overall averaging 11.3 tackles per game, while his 45 total tackles are second among rookies. The Mansfield, Texas native also leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally averaging 7.3 solo tackles per game. In Arkansas’ 33-21 Week 4 win over Ole Miss, he became the only SEC player since 2000 to have at least nine tackles with a fumble recovery and an interception return for a touchdown. A starter in all four games for the Razorbacks, the safety has recorded at least nine tackles in every game and set a career-high with 14 at No. 13 Auburn. Also, he has broken up two passes and forced one fumble. Catalon is the first Razorback freshman to record 45 tackles in a season since Dre Greenlaw posted 95 over 13 games in 2015.

Clark is the nationwide freshman leader with three interceptions and is tied for first among all FBS players. Making his second career start against Ole Miss, Clark turned in one of the most memorable Razorback performances of late, becoming the first freshman in school history to intercept three passes in the same game. His three picks are tied for second-most in a game in school history and third-most in conference history, while becoming the first SEC freshman to intercept three passes since Mississippi State’s Darren Williams in 2003 against Troy. The walk-on was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance against the Rebels. Clark is also sixth on the team and fourth among defensive backs with 14 tackles on the season.

Latham has started all four games at left guard for the Razorbacks earning a PFF offensive grade of 69.3, the highest among Arkansas offensive lineman who have played at least 250 snaps this season. He also ranks third on the team in PFF’s pass blocking grade (77.6) and run blocking grade (68.1).

The Razorbacks return to the field against Texas A&M on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 6:30 p.m. in College Station. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network and the ESPN App. https://twitter.com/i/status/1318564492096188417

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Arkansas football: 5 biggest reasons the Razorbacks are SEC's biggest surprise

Post by HawaiianHogster »

Grant Morgan’s pick-6 on Saturday confirmed it. Old Arkansas is gone.

Gone are the days of teams looking at their schedule and assuming an automatic win with they see the Razorbacks. Sam Pittman has them sitting at 2-2 (an admitted blown call from 3-1) in his inaugural season and is an early favorite to win SEC Coach of the Year. He has to be in the national conversation, too, if Arkansas keeps it up.

The schedule does get tougher. No. 7 Texas A&M awaits after a bye week this week, and No. 2 Alabama and No. 10 Florida are farther down the road. However, Arkansas still has a great chance to get to 4 or 5 wins this season. That would be a major accomplishment considering it had lost 20 straight SEC games coming into the season.
It’s inarguable that the Razorbacks have been the conference’s biggest surprise this season, but what are the ways it has accomplished that? Here are 5 reasons the Hogs are this year’s most shocking team:

1. The defense
Barry Odom is due for a raise or another foray into being a head coach if he keeps the defense performing as it has so far.

The former Missouri head coach has Arkansas ranked 5th in the SEC allowing just 25.5 points per game. The Razorbacks also lead the conference in turnovers forced (3.3 per game). Considering Arkansas was the league’s worst defense last season, this improvement was unexpected.

The players who are stepping up are remarkable, too. Walk-on redshirt freshman Hudson Clark had 3 interceptions in the victory against Ole Miss. Morgan leads the conference in tackles with 52. Arkansas has had an answer for most of the offenses it has seen so far.

Pittman and Odom seem to have found a great union between coach and coordinator. The defense has been at the forefront of both wins so far.


2. Treylon Burks
Burks went without a touchdown in 2019 but has one in both of the full games that he’s played this season.

His one-handed grab in the corner of the end zone against Ole Miss this past week was a highlight-worthy clutch catch. Burks also leads the Razorbacks in receptions (19) and yards (249).

His play isn’t really surprising. He was the team’s leading receiver as a freshman despite going scoreless. Progress was to be expected as a sophomore. But we are beginning to see how good Burks can look with a capable quarterback throwing him the ball.

Last season was a disaster in that department, but the Hogs have looked a lot better with Feleipe Franks. and Burks is reaping the benefits

3. Multiple SEC wins
Let’s be honest, even if you thought Arkansas had a chance to win a game this year, you probably put the ceiling at 1.

That the Razorbacks are sitting at 2 victories with the season not even half over is nothing short of remarkable. (And, again, they should have beaten Auburn, too.) Arkansas hadn’t won an SEC game since 2017 before its victory against Mississippi State. Saturday snapped a home conference losing streak that dated to 2016.

The Razorbacks are already better than they were the past 2 seasons with more room to grow. Missouri, LSU and Tennessee all seem like games within reach. If the Razorbacks win those and steal an upset in 1 of their other 3 games, we’re looking at a winning season.

Regardless of how the rest of the year shapes up though, Arkansas is already ahead of where virtually all of us thought it would be in the win column.


4. Franks’ impact
Feleipe Franks has been close to a top 5 quarterback in the SEC this season.

Through 4 games, his 8 passing touchdowns are already more than any Razorbacks QB threw last year, when 5 quarterbacks recorded a start. He has thrown for 974 yards and has a quarterback rating of 143.9.

It’s been a bounce-back year for Franks, who transferred to Arkansas from Florida this offseason. He suffered an ankle injury during his junior year with the Gators and stood little chance of starting after Kyle Trask’s big breakout.

He found a home in Arkansas that needed him as much as he needed it.

With the NCAA announcing a blanket waiver to grant an extra year of eligibility to all fall athletes, this doesn’t have to be Franks’ last season as a Razorback either.

5. Sam Pittman
As great as the rest of the things on this list have been for Arkansas, Pittman is the man behind it all.

He restored a culture to Razorback football that didn’t exist when Chad Morris was the coach. He absolutely nailed his coordinator hires. Watch the team and it’s not difficult to see: He got his players to believe they can win. Watch him in his interviews and you can see his leadership and passion shine through.

This season is one thing, but Arkansas has to feel good about its future as long as Pittman is at the helm.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/arkansas-football/arkansas-football-the-5-biggest-reasons-the-razorbacks-are-the-secs-biggest-surprise/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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Re: New Head Coach for Arkansas Football

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1318902156116676610 Image
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https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/202 ... ce-week-5/


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Bye Week For Arkansas and Texas A&M

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1320023443077726209 https://247sports.com/college/arkansas/Article/Class-of-2022-instate-wing-Joseph-Pinion-commits-to-Arkansas-153388811/
After a physical fall camp and four weeks of SEC play, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman was happy to see an open date on the schedule this Saturday. The Hogs are off to a strong start, but with the injuries starting to pile up the bye week came at a perfect time. The Razorbacks have been digging deep into their depth to the point where there really wasn't a whole bunch left.

"I’ve said it before: We had to get healthy this week," Pittman said. "We’re so happy with the guys who came in and helped the football team and helped themselves when we had injuries. But our depth, honestly guys, going into some of these games was … I didn’t know if I might need to suit out, and that wouldn’t be good. So we had to get healthy, and we have done that."

The Razorbacks have used this week to heal up and hope to be as close to full strength as possible heading into practice next week. But don't be mistaken, despite going light on the contact at practice the last few days, Arkansas has already put plenty of focus on their Halloween date at No. 7 Texas A&M next weekend.


"Three days of non contact basically. We’ve been in helmets, no pads, but we are preparing for Texas A&M," Pittman said. "We’ve done that now for two practices and will be again today. But it’s non-physical practices. We’ll practice about an hour and a half and I believe we’ll have - besides the injuries that have been season-ending injuries - I think we’ll be pretty close to full tilt come Monday."

Barry Odom and the Arkansas defense will have their work cut out for them once again when they face Texas A&M. The Aggies have a solid group of veterans up front and a pair of dynamic talents in sophomore running back Isaiah Spiller and senior quarterback Kellen Mond. With a powerful rushing attack and the most mobile quarterback the Hogs have faced to this point, the Aggies present a different type of challenge.

"Spiller, the guy's incredible. I mean, he's played really, really well," Pittman said. "They've got five returning starters on the O-line. They're a good football team, a really good football team. And of course Mond, who's been there since 1922. Is the guy ever going to graduate and get out of there? He's been there forever, and what a really good player he is."


Arkansas has been able to make key adjustments for each game and execute them effectively, and next Saturday will be no exception. Pittman trusts the defensive staff to put together another strong game plan, and in his mind, the first decision to be made is whether to start in a 3 or 4-man front against the Aggies.


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"The bottom line, good offensive, good defensive coordinators, good special teams and good head coach. What they do is they adjust to give themselves the best chance to win," Pittman said. "Because make no mistake, we're not going out there for respect, we're not going out there for anybody to say we played hard. We're going out there to win. So, our game plan has to give our kids their best chance to do that.

"If you really look at Barry Odom and the defense and what they've done in the four different games, it has been somewhat similar in some ways. Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Certainly much different with Auburn and Georgia. We'll come up with the best game plan possible for us to have a chance to win the football game. We'll have to figure out whatever that front is that starts, whether we're going to play a 3 or 4-man front to start and what all the auxiliaries around that, we'll have to figure out what tendencies they have at A&M and exploit that situation."



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Last edited by HawaiianHogster on Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Arkansas

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Link
Arkansas Lyrics by Chris Stapleton

Took a Nine Eleven 'bout a hundred and seven down a back road
Where the white river runs and the southern sun makes the kudzu grow
And what I found in the Ozark mountains I ain't ever seen
It sure does feel like you're sittin' on the top of the world to me

[Chorus]
Gotta get down, gotta get down to Arkansas
Havin' so much fun that it's probably a little bit against the law
All the boys and the girls down there sure do know how to have a ball
If you wanna get down, gotta get down to Arkansas

[Verse 2]
Well, we burned through the one light towns likе a scalded dog
When we lit out of Fayеtteville, they were callin' the hogs
We made a pit stop in Little Rock for some barbecue
And when we hit West Memphis there were blue lights in our rear view

[Chorus]
Gotta get down, gotta get down to Arkansas
Havin' so much fun that it's probably a little bit against the law
All the boys and the girls down there sure do know how to have a ball
If you wanna get down, gotta get down to Arkansas

[Instrumental]
[Chorus]
Gotta get down, gotta get down to Arkansas
Havin' so much fun that it's probably a little bit against the law
All the boys and the girls down there sure do know how to have a ball
If you wanna get down, gotta get down to Arkansas
Gotta get down, gotta get down to Arkansas
Havin' so much fun that it's probably a little bit against the law
All the boys and the girls down there sure do know how to have a ball
If you wanna get down, gotta get down to Arkansas
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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Arkansas vs Tam Halloween Night in Texas, Kyle Field Stadium

Post by HawaiianHogster »

Tam has better stats all around than Arkansas. The line started out at 15 points in favor of Tam and went down as far as 10 points and sits now around 11.5 to 12.5 points depending on who you go with for betting.

The win against Florida was huge for Tam. The announcers were so excited all they could talk about was "Tam is back". Tam this and Tam that. Mond this and Mond that. The running game is back and they have a descent passing game to compliment it. All roads lead to an Arkansas loss. Tam has the high level, highly paid and acclaimed head coach. Their O-line is big and fast. The D-line too. They bring back a lot of starters from last season on both sides of the ball. They are very athletic and aggressive. So there's no way Arkansas can pull out a win at Tam's home field.

While Arkansas has a lowly head coach with way less pay and is on his first year as an SEC head coach ever. He's only been a line coach his whole DIV1 coaching career. The team he took over was about the worst team in the NCAA. The worst team in the SEC for sure for 3 years in a row. They're not as big, fast, and athletic as Tam is all around. They aren't as deep. The odds are against them.

https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/arkansas-razorbacks-texas-am-aggies-202010310084/

Halloween night which is 1:30 pm our time on the SEC Network, the two teams square off to fight to see who is the second best team in the SEC West division after Alabama.

Go to the link and you can see the differences between the two teams. According that and some of the above explanations Tam is supposed to win by 12.5 points or more. Good luck if your betting. The gamblers believe that Tam will win with the spread. Some folks believe that Arkansas could beat the spread.

Us Razorback fans believe the Hogs win. We don't care by how much either. A blowout would be nice but then again a tough hard fought win would feel even better.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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Re: New Head Coach for Arkansas Football

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Image https://twitter.com/i/status/1321975590703026176 https://twitter.com/i/status/1321953875188981763 Image
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Coach Pittman

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Link https://twitter.com/HitThatLineAR/status/1321885573934653445


https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2020/oct/28/what-sam-pittman-said-during-radio-show-previewing/
FAYETTEVILLE — It is forecast to be clear Saturday night when Arkansas is scheduled to play No. 8 Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Indoors was the only place the Razorbacks could find those conditions in Fayetteville in this week's practices leading up to the game. Arkansas has practiced at the Walker Pavilion each day since Monday as a cold rain fell outside.

“The only unfortunate thing is we haven’t been able to go outside this week,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said Wednesday during his weekly radio show at the Catfish Hole restaurant. “We just felt like we’d have better practices staying in. Hopefully there's a chance — a small chance — we can go outside tomorrow.”

Pittman credited the designers of the Walker Pavilion, the full-scale indoor football field that was built in the 1990s and was one of the first of its kind in the SEC.

“They built it right,” he said.

Pittman said the team can do everything indoors that it can outdoors, with the exception of punting.

“Those poor (punters) have got to go outside,” Pittman said. “They’ve got to give it up for the team. They have punted this week, just not indoors.”

Being inside has had its perks this week, primarily to simulate crowd noise the Razorbacks expect to hear at Kyle Field. Texas A&M has recorded the SEC’s two largest announced attendances at a football game this season, including an announced 24,709 for a game against Florida on Oct. 10. Some have disputed that figure, claiming it was much larger.

Pittman said he expects around 50,000 fans to be in attendance at the stadium that has a listed capacity of 102,733. The Razorbacks have piped in crowd noise and had the Aggies’ fight song blaring each practice this week.

“We talked about the crowd noise and we wanted to fix that problem quick, fast and in a hurry,” Pittman said. “We had crowd (noise) last week and this week. I don’t believe it will be a problem.

“We’ve handled that well this week.”

Pittman reiterated Wednesday earlier comments that crowd noise was not much of a factor in the Razorbacks’ first two road games at Mississippi State and Auburn.

“I do believe this will be our first game on the road…where we’ll feel like it’s a road game,” Pittman said.

“We're trying to act like we're there. We have crowd noise, we're playing their fight song and we’re trying to already be there with our mind.”

Pittman expects a strong challenge from the Aggies (3-1), who are coming off an open week, too. Texas A&M has won its past two games, 41-38 over Florida and 28-14 at Mississippi State on Oct. 17.

Arkansas’ primary objective Saturday is to stop a Texas A&M rushing attack that is led by running back Isaiah Spiller, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in all three of the Aggies’ victories.

“Spiller really is playing well,” Pittman said. “He had 173 yards rushing against Florida and is playing exceptional.”

Pittman also praised the play of Texas A&M senior quarterback Kellen Mond, who has led an efficient offense that ranks fifth in the SEC in total offense despite taking the league’s third-fewest number of offensive snaps. Mond is completing 61.5% of his passes, has thrown nine touchdowns to two interceptions, and has not been sacked since the season opener against Vanderbilt.

“He’s playing fast, the receivers are getting open and the offensive line is doing a good job of protecting him,” Pittman said. “This is the best I’ve seen him. He's confident. He doesn’t have as many rushes this year, which means he’s living in the pocket, throwing deep balls and really having a fine year.

“We need to get pressure on Kellen with three rushers and make sure we can try to contain him when he gets outside the pocket.”

Pittman said he is excited about the game plan assembled by Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

“We have multiple sizes of guys, therefore we can play several different fronts, several different packages on the back end,” Pittman said. “Barry will go a whole game of not blitzing one time, then he'll go a game where it seems like he's blitzing twice in one play."

Defensively, Pittman said the Aggies also present a challenge that he experienced firsthand while the offensive line coach at Georgia last season. The Bulldogs won a close game 19-13 last November.

“They gave us problems up front…that were problematic during the game,” Pittman said. “Their back end is very aggressive. They're big, physical and fast."

The recent time off has given Arkansas’ players a chance to get healthy, Pittman said.

“I think we’re close to full tilt besides the kids who had season-ending injuries,” Pittman said, and indicated most previously injured players will be available Saturday.

Defensive end Dorian Gerald has practiced this week, but he is questionable for the game Saturday. Gerald hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury during the first half of the season opener against Georgia.

“We just don’t know what percentage he’s going to be of full,” Pittman said.

Among those who have benefitted from the rest is running back Rakeem Boyd, who injured his ankle during the Razorbacks’ Week 2 game at Mississippi State, missed the following week’s game at Auburn and was limited in his return against Ole Miss.

Boyd spent his freshman season at Texas A&M and grew up in Houston, about 100 miles from College Station.

“I think health-wise he’s as healthy as he’s been all year,” Pittman said. “I don’t believe he has been healthy since the beginning of the Georgia game, but I think he’s ready to have a good game….I think it means something to him going back to Texas, being around his home.”

Pittman hopes the Razorbacks’ offense will be able to play a more physical game against the Aggies. Arkansas has struggled at times in short-yardage situations, although it did have a key conversion with Boyd’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Ole Miss.

“We can’t just turn around and say we’re going to bully you into the end zone,” Pittman said.

“We’re not a big, physical team yet to say, ‘We’re going to give it to this guy. What are you going to do about it?’ I think we’ll become that team.”

To this point the team has been most physical on defense. Pittman credited safety Jalen Catalon with establishing a physical presence early in the Ole Miss game with a big hit on star receiver Elijah Moore, a fumble recovery near the goal line and an interception return for a touchdown — all in the first 20 minutes of game time.

“Somebody has to set the tone. Somebody has to be the intimidator,” Pittman said. “He was against Ole Miss.

“It’s like the fights. If you sit around and wait on the other old boy to throw a punch, he might knock you out; you probably ought to throw the first one. That’s what we try to do, what we talk to our kids about, that we’re going to fight, so let’s throw the first punch and see what happens.”

Catalon joined the show via telephone and said the team is looking forward to measuring itself against a string of strong teams in the final six weeks of the season.

“Our goal is not to win two games. We’re trying to win the whole thing from here on out,” Catalon said. “We don’t want to lose again. I think that’s the mentality that has been built throughout the program.

“I think we’ve got our respect, now it’s time to go finish out the season and win these games.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1320884366378225664 https://www.nwahomepage.com/sports/pig-trail-nation/arkansas-will-need-running-game-clicking-to-beat-texas-am/
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will need its offense to be clicking on Saturday night when they take on No. 8 Texas A&M in Kyle Field.

The offense seems to be getting better each week, but will need to be at its best for the Hogs to stand a chance against the talented Aggies. One area on offense where the Hogs are clearly needing to improve is the running game. Sam Pittman was asked how do you fix the running game?

“I don’t know,” Pittman said. “We’ll just have to continue to practice and get better. Certainly we have enough runs and all those things. We just have to get better. Our backs have to be better. Our line has to be better. Our tight end has to better. Wide outs have to get to safeties better. I mean to have a running game you have to have all 10 guys in there getting after it. Everybody on our team has to get better. Our backs have to break tackles. I mean that’s part of being a good back. All those things we have to continue to work on.”

Senior Rakeem Boyd bypassed the 2020 NFL Draft to return to the Razorbacks. He has struggled with injuries so far this season. He has 33 carries for 88 yards and one touchdown so far. That’s far off the pace he set his first two seasons when he rushed 307 times for 1,867 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has also caught six passes for 15 yards. It wouldn’t surprise Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher to see Boyd find his game this weekend in College Station.

“I mean Boyd is a big, strong guy, physical, runs hard, runs through people,” Fisher said. “They’ve ran the ball solidly in the games. I mean they’re not averaging tons of yards on it, but they make you play the run. That’s the thing about getting better at the run. You’ve got to practice it, you’ve got to get your line chances at it and they create plays down the field. So they’re running the football really solid and the other thing is Feleipe can run the football. Whether he pulls it or they run the power read, they do any kind of thing in that regard, it can cause a lot of problems. They’re getting better and better at that, and their backs are doing a solid, very good job.”

Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks also feels Boyd is getting healthier and ready to regain his old form.

“Yeah, I think Rakeem has worked extremely hard with the guys in the training room, getting his body back, getting his mind right,” Franks said. “He’s just continually, it’s a process, day by day, he’s getting closer and closer to 100 percent. He feels really good and he looks really good at practice, in my opinion. It’s just something we can build on. He had a really good practice today and we need to build on that tomorrow. I think once he’s 100 percent again, it’ll be good to have him back out there.”

Boyd signed with Texas A&M out of high school and attended school there as a true freshman. Any sense he is extra looking forward to this game?

“I haven’t really talked to him about it,” Franks said. “I can just tell that in everybody’s eyes, including Rakeem, that he’s excited to get back out there. He’s feeling a lot better. His ankle is feeling a lot better, and he’s ready to get back out there and go 100 percent again. I can tell you that, though. He is excited to go out there, just like all of us, and perform and play a big game.”

Redshirt sophomore Trelon Smith leads the Hogs in rushing with 56 carries for 221 yards. He’s tied for second on the team with 14 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. Smith has impressed his teammates including wide receiver De’Vion Warren.

“Trelon Smith, that’s a guy that doesn’t complain much, doesn’t really pout much,” Warren said. “He just goes in and works hard every chance he gets. As a teammate he’s a good guy to be around. He makes you laugh and want to be around. He’s a good person to talk to.”

Franks also has been impressed with Smith’s attitude and talent.

“I think he’s a good player, and an even better person,” Franks said. “He just comes in and isn’t the type of the guy to ever complain, not the type of guy to ever want more than something that he deserves. He just goes out there and puts his noise down and works every day. And it’s a testament to the running back room, because all those guys do that.

“He’s doing a great job keeping his mind in the right spot early in the season and now developing into what he’s become. He’s a good player and his personality is even better. He’s a great guy to be around in the locker room. He’s always keeping a smile on everybody’s face. So good guy.”

Arkansas also has redshirt freshman A’Montae Spivey and true freshman Dominique Johnson at running back if needed. Spivey has four carries for 11 yards.


Below link to radio interview with Coach Sam Pittman
https://t.co/F8Ejh97RNW?amp=1
Last edited by HawaiianHogster on Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:30 pm, edited 3 times in total.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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Captain Morgan

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1321472243403280384

The full interview with Morgan
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/84-grant-morgan-arkansas-built/id867652949?i=1000496360521
Last edited by HawaiianHogster on Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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HawaiianHogster
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Aggie Land

Post by HawaiianHogster »

Wow they finally beat a team that is respected as a contender in the SEC and now they think they can sleepwalk and beat us like a high school team. If this was the Hogs of the past 4 years I would say they were correct in assuming it will be a cakewalk for them.

However win or lose the RAZORBACKS are gonna female dog slap those aggies into next season. Take that to the bank!


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“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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Barry Odom

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https://247sports.com/Article/Barry-Odom-Arkansas-Razorbacks-football-turnaround-153671318/

Barry Odom's second chance has led to a renaissance at Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Barry Odom is not one for forcing ideas on his team, particularly when attempting the dangerous balancing act of building something as simple as confidence within a brow-beaten defense.

Confidence must develop organically, Arkansas' new defensive coordinator said. You don't simply yell, share year-long mottos and provide motivational messages to a team expecting nearly 100 players to change their psychological makeup. You plant seeds and you wait patiently to see if those ideas blossom into a team-wide philosophy.

First-year Arkansas coach Sam Pittman hired Odom to turn around Arkansas' defense, sure, but he also wanted someone who followed his ideals. Pittman inherited the worst SEC program over the last three years and understood he must start from the ground floor. He told every player they were important. He treated the fifth-team cornerback the same as starting quarterback Feleipe Franks.

One month into his first season, Arkansas is 2-2 and has an argument to be ranked nationally with a 3-1 record if not for a blown call by game officials in a loss at Auburn. Arkansas' offense under the guidance of Kendal Briles has improved since the comatose days of Chad Morris, who failed to win an SEC game in less than two years as head coach. The key, however, has been the Razorbacks' back-from-the-dead defense.

"There wasn't a lot of confidence in our abilities (last season)," defensive back Jalen Catalon said.

Arkansas (2-2) has provided SEC friends and foes the template on how to slow and defeat the wide-open offenses of Mississippi State and Ole Miss, while also playing sound football against the likes of top-5 Georgia and holding Auburn to only three touchdowns in what should have been a second road victory early in the season.


Odom was enticed to join Arkansas' staff just weeks after he lost his job as Missouri's head coach. The reason? Pittman. "I've known him for a long time, and he is as sincere and as real of a person as I've ever been around," Odom told 247Sports last week. "And that's hard to find in this line of work."

The game plans began coming together in January and February, when Odom wasn't familiar with Arkansas' personnel. He knew time would be needed to scheme for Mike Leach's Air Raid, a scheme the veteran coach has rarely faced in his career.

"I'm a simple learner," Odom said. "And I can't put together a game plan -- I mean, I can, but I'm better when I work way ahead."

In the meantime, Odom had to find building blocks. He had to do something different with this roster, which ranked as the worst Power 5 defense in the country in 2019 (124th nationally).

"We were very deliberate on teaching and cross-training guys at different positions, just because our depth is not very good, to be quite honest," Odom said. "And I thought there would be times throughout the course of this season, because of our depth or lack of, that the guys would have to play different spots."

Several stars have since emerged, but the same player is not dominating the box score each week. The stars change depending on the game, game plan, and the scheme. It's a design borne from necessity.


And so came the revolution and the natural growth of confidence. Players moved across the field in practices. They understood their assignments mentally after months of virtual-only meetings on Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring and summer, and it translated well when the team finally returned to the practice field in August.

It was clear the defense was different in its season opener against Georgia. Open-field tackling had improved. Players crashed to the ball at full speed rather than being timid.

Arkansas led No. 4 Georgia 7-5 at halftime. The Hogs would lose 37-10 but the message was sent: this defense was different. They could force punts and they were surprisingly strong against the run, and even provided a glimpse of dominance with a goal-line stand.

A few weeks later, the Razorbacks did it again with two goal-line stands and seven (!) turnovers in a 33-21 victory against Ole Miss, a team that scored 48 a week earlier against No. 2 Alabama.

"You don't know if it's going to be play No. 7 or play No. 91 that determines the outcome of the game and look at those through fourth-down stops at, really, the inch-line and how huge that ended up being at the end of the day," Odom said. "That's more validation for the things that we're talking about. We play every snap as if it is its own game."

Meanwhile, do your best to define Odom's defense. What is the base scheme? There isn't one, and that has wreaked havoc against SEC opponents (25.5 points per game; No. 1 in turnover margin; No. 1 in interceptions).

"We can play multiple different defenses, we can have a whole new game plan that possibly you have or have not seen," Pittman said. "Basically it's what's the best way we can stop these guys -- and it's not necessarily a new blitz or slamming the line or twisting the line. It might be a whole new concept of going from a four-down to three-down look, playing zone the entire day, or let's blitz and play man-free (coverage). He's able to do that. He's diligent about his film study. And the kids believe in him because he's a great teacher and a great man."

Case in point: With depth an issue, Odom shifted more players before the Ole Miss game and walk-on Hudson Clark had three interceptions. One day later he was told he would soon be placed on scholarship.

Arkansas is a proud program. It prides itself on being the lone football power in the state. It serves as both the state's college and NFL team. Its fans are as passionate as any in the SEC, even if it might be smaller than the blue-blood bases. They have witnessed success. They have advanced to the SEC Championship three times since the SEC expanded in 2002. They have a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up in Darren McFadden. Not so long ago they were a darkhorse to contend for an SEC Championship under Bobby Petrino, whose pro-spread offense led the Hogs to a pair of double-digit win seasons before he crashed his motorcycle (and revealed an extramarital affair) and the program into a ditch on the winding Pig Trail known by locals as a scenic-but-dangerous side road connecting Fayetteville to the rest of the state.

Life here has been nothing but mostly frustration. It hit a new low in the final year of the Bret Bielema era and the two years of the Chad Morris error. The program suffered a winless conference season for the first time in its history. A 20-game losing streak in the SEC followed before Pittman and Odom took the controls.

"I'm excited about the progress that we've made, but, man, we've left a lot out there," Odom said. "And I think that we're just starting to scratch the surface on some of the things that we can do defensively."

Hope is back in the Arkansas locker room and it is spreading across the fan base.

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COMMENTS
"We had two or three years of terrible football," linebacker Hayden Henry said. "And now that things are clicking a little bit, we're playing better. I don't think that necessarily means that we're listening to social media more, I think we're definitely excited to get wins and it's nice to see people tweeting nicer things about you for sure. There's nothing worse than losing and you're getting freaking ripped on Twitter. I'll tell you that right now. It's terrible. So it is nicer to see people tweet good things at you.

"But I think everyone's still very hungry to keep proving people wrong."


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“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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Razorback vs Aggies Pregame Stuff

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Image https://twitter.com/i/status/1322567667623092224 https://twitter.com/i/status/1322562004092157988 Image
Image https://twitter.com/i/status/1322543444879904769 Image
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“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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More Picks and Stuff

Post by HawaiianHogster »

Links below shows video and photo of who Hogville picks to win tonight's game against TAMU.


https://pebkcfczsart2vvmtor63d62jd.gcdn ... 1i26WKH8TE
https://www.hogville.net/2020/10/31/sco ... s-am-game/
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“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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10 Things To Know - Texas A&M

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10 Things to Know Before Kickoff
https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/10-thing ... exas-am-3/

1. – The Razorbacks captured their first home SEC win since 2016, when they defeated Ole Miss 33-21 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Oct. 17. Arkansas scored 24 points off seven turnovers, recording six interceptions in a game for the first time since 2003 against Mississippi State, and held the Rebels 21 points under their season average.

2. – Versatile sophomore WR Treylon Burks set career-highs in receptions (11), receiving yards (137) and rushing yards (46) while also making a TD grab that was the No. 1 play on SportsCenter against the Rebels. He became one of six Razorbacks since 1997 to make at least 10 catches for over 100 yards and a touchdown in the same game. Interestingly, four of those six performances have come from Hogs that hail from Warren, Ark., including Burks, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright (who did it twice). Burks became the first SEC player since Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara in 2016 to record at least 130 receiving yards and 40 rushing yards in the same game.


3. – Veteran WR De’Vion Warren has jumped out to a fast start in his senior campaign, leading Arkansas with three receiving touchdowns while recording the second-most receiving yards (231). A week after earning his first career 100-yard receiving game in the upset win at No. 16 Mississippi State, Warren made a career-high five catches for 95 yards and scored two touchdowns for the first time in his career at No. 13 Auburn. The senior’s average of 21.0 yards per reception ranks fourth in the SEC and 15th nationally.

4. – Despite playing one or two fewer games than most of the nation’s leaders, Arkansas’ defense ranks first in the country with 10 interceptions, which is the most through the school’s first four games since 2000, and is tied for first nationally registering three defensive touchdowns. The Razorbacks lead the SEC in third down conversion defense (32.4%), red zone defense (61.1%), passing efficiency defense (109.16), turnovers gained (13) and turnover margin (1.50). Defensive coordinator Barry Odom’s unit has made an exceptional improvement from last season on third downs, lowering the opponent’s conversion rate from 45.5% to 32.4%, the 17th best mark in America. Opposing offenses are facing an average of 7.2 yards needed to reach the line to gain on third down.


5. – Senior LB Grant Morgan played the game of his career against the Rebels, recording career-highs of 19 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss with an interception return for a TD and 1.0 sack. He became the second FBS player since 2000 to have at least 15 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss and an interception return for a touchdown. Morgan took home SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week, Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of and Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week honors for his performance. The former walk-on is fifth nationally averaging 13.0 tackles per game and his 53 total tackles are the most by a Hog in the season’s first four games (since 2000).


6. – Walk-on redshirt freshman DB Hudson Clark has taken Razorback nation by storm this season and accomplished something no other rookie has done before in school history. He intercepted Ole Miss QB Matt Corral three times, becoming the first SEC freshman to pick off three passes in the same game since Mississippi State’s Darren Williams in 2003 against Troy and the first Hog to ever do it. For his performance, he was named SEC Freshman of the Week and Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week. The Dallas native is one of two FBS players to pick off three passes in a game this season. Coincidentally, another freshman walk-on DB, Wake Forest’s Nick Andersen, had three against No. 19 Virginia Tech. Clark possesses the eighth-highest PFF defensive grade (80.0) in the FBS among cornerbacks who have played at least 200 snaps. The Football Writers Association of America placed Clark on its Freshman All-American Watch List.


7. – Redshirt freshman DB Jalen Catalon has been a tackling machine, and his average of 11.3 tackles per game leads all FBS freshmen. Against Ole Miss, he became the first SEC player since 2000 to post at least nine tackles with an interception return for a touchdown and a fumble recovery. Since 2000, he is the only SEC freshman to record 45 or more tackles through the first four weeks of the season. Along with Clark and OL Brady Latham, he was also named to the FWAA Freshman All-American Watch List.


8. – The Arkansas and Texas A&M matchup is one of the most contested games in school history, as the two were Southwest Conference rivals from 1915-91 and played every year from 1927-91. The Razorbacks have an all-time series lead of 41-32-3 and are playing in College Station for the first time since 2012, where they hold a 17-14-1 advantage. The last six matchups have been played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with three of those games needing overtime to decide a winner. Arkansas is in search of its first win at Kyle Field since a memorable Nov. 24, 1989 victory when the No. 9 Razorbacks took down the No. 14 Aggies, 23-22, locking up the Southwest Conference title and a Cotton Bowl berth. Current Arkansas radio analyst, then-QB Quinn Grovey, rushed for a 25-yard score on the opening drive and engineered the game-winning drive, which was capped off by a Barry Foster two-yard plunge into the end zone, securing a 23-20 lead with 2:52 remaining.

9. – The ghosts of Halloween have played nice to Arkansas through the years, as the Hogs are 11-6-1 and have not lost on the final day of spooky season since 1942. Arkansas posted exactly 63 points in each of its last two games on Halloween, overmatching UT Martin 63-28 in 2015 and Eastern Michigan 63-27 in 2009. The Aggies are the Hogs most common Halloween opponent with Arkansas holding a 5-2 advantage in Oct. 31 battles. Texas A&M handed Arkansas its last Halloween loss in 1942, 41-0, but Arkansas followed by winning the next four spooky meetings against the Aggies. Arkansas’ first-ever matchup against the Aggies was also it’s first on Halloween, a 6-0 setback in 1903, when the forward pass was illegal and both touchdowns and field goals were worth five points.

10. – Just like the Razorbacks, Texas A&M is coming into this weekend’s game after a bye week, and before the break, defeated Mississippi State, 28-14. The Aggies are led by senior QB Kellen Mond, who has the most passing yards in school history (8,363) and needs 267 yards of offense to supplant Johnny Manziel (9,986) as the school’s record holder. Texas A&M’s offensive line has only surrendered two sacks, which is one of the top marks in the country among teams that have played four games. The Aggies defense surrenders an average of 75.5 rushing yards per game, ranking seventh in the FBS and second in the SEC. Clarksburg, W.Va. native Jimbo Fisher is in his third season as head coach and is 20-10 in College Station.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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I will End It with This

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1322584122221563904 https://twitter.com/i/status/1322574353205264385 Image




You know who I think will win. Better than that I know the Razorbacks will give it their best shot. They won't quit, give up, feel sorry for themselves, or get down on one another for making mistakes. They will strive for excellence. This is a Big Rivalry for the Hogs. We have some players on our team that lived in Texas. Boyd went to TAMU his freshman year before joining Arkansas. The team is one and together on getting this "W". See you guys after the game win or lose with postgame posts.

GO HOGS GO! BEAT TAMU!

Here it is my prediction which will have no affect on the real outcome.
Razorbacks 38
Aggies 28
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

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