A rather embarrassing 30-17 loss by the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday in Oxford has limited the talk by Hogs fans about “cheating” officials in the Southeastern Conference.
Such complaining was all the rage in the Natural State/Land of Opportunity/Wonder State after the gallant effort by the Hogs of Bobby Petrino in their 23-20 loss to top-ranked Florida on Oct. 17.
The fact that Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks offense were inside the Florida 40-yard line three times in the third quarter and came away with three points didn’t seem to interest the whiners and moaners as a possible reason for the loss. It was all about “those SEC officials.”
When league “suits” admitted the mistaken call against a Razorbacks linemen who whistled for a personal foul during the Florida game, the glee almost could be felt from Piggott to Foreman. Later in the week, when the SEC suspended the crew for its Arkansas-Florida performance, it was like tossing a bloody arm in a tank of sharks. Think “frenzy.”
But this Monday … officials, as in the black-and-white-shirted variety, aren’t so much a topic of conversation.
With their beloved 22-year-olds losing soundly to a team coached by Houston Dale Nutt, who had fled these environs, Woo-Pig-Soooie-ans were a bit close-lipped. Could be that their jaws were tired from producing hot air for referee flambé or could be that they mouthed off too much to Ole Miss fans on message boards, once they got around to remembering the Mississippi game … long about Friday.
Whatever the reason, Hog Central Station is a bit quiet this Monday night.
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The first drive in the 11:21-start football game between the University of Arkansas and the University of Mississippi at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., leads one to believe that the Razorbacks defense possibly thought that because the Hogs nearly beat Florida last week the Mississippi offense would just lie down before them in this game.
It turns out that Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead and his crew didn’t believe the Arkansas press clippings and went on a long opening scoring drive for a 7-0 lead. Two drives later, it looks they’ve done it again. Ole Miss 14, Arkansas 0.
If this goes the way most Razorbacks comebacks go, they fall behind early, then fall just short.
That strategy Hogs fans had of “teaching Houston Dale Nutt a lesson” isn’t working out so well so far.
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Nancy and I spent a cool but calm weekend at the lake. (Our dog, Daisy, a Lhasa apso we keep cut short, also came along.) The leaves are starting to change colors and Ouachita is up to its upper banks. No TV, no Internet. Beautiful.
It was almost a blast from the past — we listened to the Arkansas-Florida football game Saturday afternoon on the radio, via a sports station at 96.3 FM out of Fort Smith, then switched to the American League Championship Series between the Angels and the Yankees on XM Satellite Radio. We worked in a DVD of “Friday Night Lights,” the movie, in between.
It was nice. We didn’t get involved in the “blame the referees” stuff about the Razorbacks game because we couldn’t see if they were bad calls or not. The radio announcers (Chuck Barrett and Keith Jackson) said there were some bad calls, but both of those guys DO work for the University of Arkansas, so what do you expect?
I know that the Razorbacks were much-improved over previous games this year, yet they had three chances to score from inside the Gators 40-yard line in the third quarter and managed only three points. So, yes, we scared the top-ranked Gators, but we had chances to win and didn’t — we lost 23-20. That’s it. Whine all you want, but if you want to be Hog-crazy, worry about the Ole Miss game.
The rest of us will get on with our lives or continue to watch the baseball playoffs — football doesn’t really start until the World Series is over. That’s what matters to me, after my family.
Meanwhile, it’s back to work in the midst of some wonderful fall weather.
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