Don’t know about y’all, but I am beyond ready for someone to be named head FB coach, so the University of Arkansas program can get back to looking ahead and hitting that line! ‘Tis way past due for this wayward and listless vessel to cease drifting amok and come to shore. Now is the time to look within and find a leader equipped with a proper-sized chip on his shoulder and the relentless spirit of a fighting wild Razorback to lead this team into the future and beyond.
If it were up to me, I’da already inked Bobby “Mr. Football” Petrino.
Sure, he does bring a somewhat divided house to the picture amongst fans. But what about the Mississippi St. debacle? It looked like even the powers-to-be at the mighty, mighty SEC are opposed to MF returning to Fayettenam. FoFrigginReal, 18 flags? Yet another Arkansas Razorback – School Record!! Just sayin’.
Poor MF. As if his road to hoe weren’t rocky enough?
Thanks to the always anonymous Hall Closets textline, I am kept abreast of the freshest names that flash across the bottom of the Board of Regents’ screen up on the Hill as potential HC candidates. So far, James Franklin’s name has had the most juice, but seeing as how he just pocketed $49 mil from Penn St., he may not be in such a hurry to jump back into the fire. With that kinda cash, who would be? Besides, I am not quite sold on him as the coach, anyway.
Then there’s the once-sexy Gus Malzahn, current OC at Florida St., UofA alum and a name thrown around any and every time the HC position opens up. He was one of the hottest coaches around during the early 2000s, but his rizz and success have waned; besides, some bridges were scorched when he coached under Houston Nutt that may not be mendable.
My favorite longshot is former Razorback QB (and pitcher) and eternal legend, Barry Lunney, Jr. The lefty is a three-sport superstar from Ft. Smith Southside who bleeds cardinal red, has coached all over the country and possesses nerves of steel. In my book, he is the lead dark horse down the stretch, worthy of a look – a good, hard look.
One story that does have legs is Kevin Scanlon will be named the next Athletic Director. He played QB for Lou Holtz back in the day, has been in or around the scenes of the athletic dept. for decades, is a model representative of the school and program, and would be an excellent hire. This position needs someone with deep and direct ties to the U of A, and Scanlon has those in spades.
Meanwhile, two longtime friends and hall-of-fame NC2A coaches squared off up in East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday night in what was billed as an “exhibition” game but had all the makings of a Vernal Classic. Once the final horn sounded, Tom Izzo’s Michigan St. Spartans had out-scrapped his buddy’s Arkansas Razorbacks, 69-66, in a high-energy contest dominated by physicality and relentless defense – all game and all over the floor. In an evening fulla squeaks (sneakers and floor burns), the Spartans managed to eke out the dub over the Hogs in a dang-near dead-level statistical contest that smelled like March.
“Some games you win, some games you lose and some games you learn,” Cal said postgame. “Tonight, we learned.”
Despite managing to sink only one 3-pointer the entire 40 minutes (versus seven made by the Hogs), Michigan St. dominated the points in the paint, 46-28, to even up that disparity and, ultimately, win the game at the charity stripe. Both teams missed eight free balls, but the Spartans netted 18, compared to 15 for the visitors. The second half saw Arkansas go cold from the suburbs, as newcomers Darius Acuff, Jr., and Meleek Thomas struggled to find their range after flaming up during the first stanza, along with the rest of the team.
This is quite the team Cal has assembled, and the kids will only get better with time. Make sure you catch them when you can.
Get out, enjoy the foliage and GoHogs!!