Hogs Pull Trifecta

After the storms settled on Arkansas' 38-24 win over Ole Miss Saturday, there were three more lightening strikes waiting in the wings. Arkansas had one of it's best recruiting weekends of the year as they pulled in verbal pledges from three highly sought after recruits.

The first of the three to commit was highly touted tight end Chris Barnett. Barnett(6'6" 250 4.6) out of Hurst, Tx is one of the best hauls of the class. Barnett has great hands and has continued to work on his blocking this season. Barnett held offers from schools such as Oklahoma, USC, Alabama, Florida St., Notre Dame, Miami, and many more. Barnett is ranked by rivals.com as the 28th best prospect in Texas and the 212th ranked overall prospect in the country.

The second commit of the weekend came yesterday afternoon when WR Quinta Funderburk ended his recruiting process. The Chesapeake, VA product made the 22nd commitment of the class. Funderburk(6'5" 205 4.5) is the 8th best prospect out of Virginia, and is considered the best WR in the Northeast portion of the country. Funderburk on the season has 42 catches for 982 yards and 9 TDs. The WR prospect also had offers from Alabama, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, USC, Florida, Michigan, among a host of others.

Finally, the weekend closed out as Arizona prep star Kelvin Fisher Jr. gave the coaching staff a call to tell them he was finished with his recruitment and wanted to be a Razorback. Fisher(5'11" 175 4.5) is projected at safety on the next level. Fisher is the 8th ranked prospect out of Arizona and is the 3rd prospect Arkansas has pulled from that state this year. Fisher had offers from Boise State, Arizona State, Duke, West Virginia, Washington, Oregon, among others.

Arizona LB Makes the Call

Brock Haman has officially ended his recruiting process. The 6'4" 235lb LB out of Arizona made the call to the Arkansas coaching staff last night at around 9:00. Haman, who had offers from UCLA, Arizona State, Arizona, Oregon State, among others, says that Arkansas is the best overall place for him. "The Hogs seem like the best overall place for me. They play great football, and I really like the looks of my recruiting class."

The Arkansas staff has a reputation of playing younger players since they have been at the University of Arkansas. Haman believes he can come in and contribute once he arrives on campus. "I believe I will have an impact at linebacker for Arkansas, and I am expecting big things in my future years there. I cannot wait to be a part of an already great program they have in Fayetteville."

Haman made is official visit for the Tennessee Tech game earlier in the year, but he did manage to catch the Hogs take on #1 ranked Alabama last weekend. "It is going to be huge to play in front of such a large crowd at Arkansas. It is the type of crowd a player can just feed off of."

Brock Haman is the 20th commitment of the Razorbacks 2011 class. Verbal commitments are non-binding.


-Clint Alan

Hogs attempt to Roll Tide: Part I

In what is being billed as the game of the year so far in 2010 SEC play, Arkansas and Alabama prepare to battle it out in an early season SEC West showdown.

Alabama rides a 27 regular season winning streak into Razorback Stadium. The defending national champion has not lost an SEC game in over two years. Arkansas meanwhile, comes in to Saturdays contest on a 4 game winning streak, having won 8 of its last 7 overall games.

Saturday marks the first time two top ten teams have met in Fayetteville since the 1979 season, when Arkansas played host to the Cougars of Houston. Arkansas last beat a #1 AP team at home in 1981, when visiting #1 Texas lost in a blowout. In 2006, Arkansas took care of #1 LSU on the road, 50-48.

As the day draws near, let's take a look inside the numbers  to see how each team matches up with the other. Today, we will focus on the defenses of both teams to get an idea of how each team stacks up against the other.

When you think of Alabama football recently, you think of defense. The 2010 version of the Crimson Tide, features a potent offense, including the nations #1 passing efficiency QB in Greg McElroy. The defense, which is yet to be seriously tested, still ranks among the best in the nation but is very young and raw. Replacing 9 starters from 2009's national championship defense, it still has questions that need to be answered.

Through 3 games this season, Alabama ranks near the bottom of the SEC in sacks, with only 2 on the season. It seems as though Saban is hesitant on bringing too many men that would then allow his young secondary to be exposed in man coverage. The Alabama front four has not seemed to muster as much of a pass rush as they did a year ago. This could spell trouble for the Tide on Saturday if they cannot get pressure on Mallett without using blitzing schemes. The Arkansas offensive line was able to go nearly an entire game without yielding a sack last week, until very late in the 4th quarter. If it takes that long for Alabama to get to Mallett this week, that would be great news for Hog fans.

The Arkansas defense boasts one of the best pass rushes so far in the young season of 2010. Arkansas leads the league in sacks with 12, an average of 4 per game. Anthony Leon leads the way with 2.5 sacks on the season, and Demario Ambrose & Ross Rasner right behind with 2 a piece. This is a must come Saturday. The Razorbacks must get in the face of McElroy to disrupt his timing. McElroy has yet to face a serious pass rush this season, and the Alabama offensive line has only given up 5 sacks through 3 games this season. Not exceptional by any means, considering the competition the Tide have played.

Stopping the run has been the Crimson Tide's trademark since Saban arrived  four years ago. This season, against weak to horrible competition, Alabama ranks 7th in the SEC in stopping the run. Alabama has allowed 120.7 yards per game rushing to its opponents this season, giving up an average of 3.8 yards per rush, but yet to give up a score on the ground. Arkansas has yet to prove it can consistently move the ball on the ground this season, and is still in search of that marquee back who will take over late in the game. Supposedly loaded with talent, Arkansas has yet to produce a 100 yard rusher this season.

Keeping it with rushing defense, Arkansas ranks 5th in the conference in that category, yielding just over 111 yards per game. Last week Georgia could never find its groove in the running game. The Bulldogs managed some nice runs at times, then at times the Razorback defense would step up and stuff the run. Arkansas has only given up 2 rushing touchdowns this season, and is only allowing 2.8 yards per attempt. The Arkansas run defense will surely be tested this week, as Alabama boasts the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who returned last week after missing the start of the season with a knee injury. Mark Ingram is also being pushed for playing time back Trent Richardson. The Tide boast one of the most potent backfields in all of college football, and likely the most productive duo since the Razorbacks tandem of Darren McFadden & Felix Jones. The Crimson Tide rank 2nd in the league in rushing offense, averaging 250.7 yards per game.

This certainly will be Arkansas' biggest challenge yet on the ground. The Razorbacks must try to contain two very potent backs, who have the capability of breaking the big run at any time. In fall camp, DC Willy Robinson stressed to the defense that eliminating big plays would be the key to a successful campaign. Alabama averages a whopping 6.8 yards per rush, and has scored 9 touchdowns this season on the ground. If Arkansas is to have a chance in this game, the Alabama ground game cannot be allowed to run wild and burn the clock.

In 2009, Alabama ranked among the best in stopping the pass. So far in 2010, the Tide are still among the best in league play, only allowing 132.7 yards per game through the air. Alabama has had to replace all but one regular in its secondary from a year ago, but so far have not disappointed. The Alabama defense has yet to face a tough passing challenge so far in the young season, nothing like what they will encounter in Fayetteville this Saturday.

Alabama has only given up 1 touchdown through the air this year, and is only allowing 4.3 yards per completion to its opponents. Do not let the young secondary image fool you, this group has talent. The Tide secondary also has picked off 5 passes this season. While young and a little inexperienced, Saban knows how to prepare a secondary with hidden coverages, hidden blitzes, anything to confuse the opposing QB. While the Alabama pass defense has put up great numbers so far this season, it has yet to face a potent passing attack like the Razorbacks.

The Arkansas Razorback secondary made many highlight reels a year ago, but there was one glaring problem. They were not Arkansas highlights, they were opposing teams' reels they were featured on.

This season, the Razorbacks boast the 3rd best pass defense in the conference, only allowing 144.3 yards per game through the air. Arkansas has intercepted 2 passes this year, none returned for touchdowns. The Hogs are giving up 7.3 yards per catch, and opponents are completing passes at a 50% rate. Arkansas has allowed only 2 touchdowns through the air this year as well. Not staggering numbers, but a far cry from where the Hogs sat this time last year in these categories.

If Arkansas is to have a chance in this game, it must be able to eliminate the big play. Alabama will certainly try and stretch the field with the deep ball and deep crossing routes to open up the run game. Arkansas must stay disciplined in the play action game. Getting caught looking into the backfield on play action, will eventually lead to a big play for the Crimson Tide.

Saturday cannot get here soon enough. Students are already camping out at the entrance of Razorback Stadium, and the Goodyear blimp is already flying high above campus. In what should be the best atmosphere Fayetteville has seen in 30+ years, this game will not disappoint.

By the Numbers on Defense:

Rushing Defense
(5)Arkansas: 111.3
(7)Alabama: 120.7


Passing Defense
(2)Alabama: 132.7
(3)Arkansas: 144.3


Pass Defense Effic.
(1)Alabama: 73.6
(6)Arkansas: 115.0


Interceptions
(3)Alabama: 5
(9)Arkansas: 2


Sacks By
(1)Arkansas: 12
(12)Alabama: 2


Opponents 1st Downs p/g
(t1)Arkansas: 13.7
(t1)Alabama: 13.7


Opponents 3rd down conv. %
(3)Alabama: 28.3
(4)Arkansas: 29.5


Turnover Margin
(5)Alabama: +1
(9)Arkansas: -3


Red Zone Defense
(2)Alabama: 66.7%
(9)Arkansas: 100%


parethesis=conference ranking
www.secsports.com


-Clint Alan

Hogs staff going National for 2011 class

DT Kevin McReynolds of Washington DC.

With 16 high school seniors already committed to play for the University of Arkansas, this class sets up to be one of the strongest of the Petrino era.

The Razorback coaching staff has gotten verbal commitments from 7 in state prospects for the 2011 class. All 7 of those rank in the top 10 prospects in the state. Not bad for the state of Arkansas, considering the Hogs only signed 4 in state players in the 2010 class.

To have success at Arkansas, the recruit map is going to have to extend well beyond the state of Arkansas, and even well beyond the southeast portion of the United States. The state of Arkansas just does not produce enough talent to support an SEC program. Previous staffs at Arkansas would offer anyone in state who were life long Razorback fans or who showed the desire to wear the uniform. It is hard to build quality depth, redshirt program, & championship teams when taking that approach.

From 2002-07, Arkansas signed a whopping 59 athletes from the state of Arkansas. An average of 9.83 in state kids per year in that 6 year range. Of those 59, 30 either had minimal contributions or left the program all together. That is just at a 50% success rate of in state players within that 6 year period.

As we move into the meat of the 2011 recruiting season, the Arkansas staff has plucked what it wants from within the state, and has now moved national. The staff seems to understand that to build a championship program at Arkansas, you must broaden your horizons. You must hit every corner of this nation to find the top talent that there is available.

LB Brock Haman out of Scottsdale, AZ

What has held the Arkansas program back for so long? Why have the Razorbacks never been able to be a consistent winner & contender in the SEC West? It is simple; lack of recruiting on the national scene, and being too caught up in who has been a life long Razorback fan.

As I mentioned before, Arkansas currently has 16 commits for the 2011 class, of which 7 of those are from within our great states borders. Now, let's take a look at the rest.

Arkansas currently has 9 out of state commits, who are all from 9 different states. The Hogs currently have commits from the states of, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama, Kansas(orig.OK), Illinois, Florida,  & Oklahoma.

Astonishing right? What is even more unbelievable about the current staff are the athletes not yet committed, whom they are still chasing.

As of today, Arkansas has sent out 199 scholarship offers for the 2011 class. Of those 199 offers, only 9 are within the state of Arkansas. That means, 190 offers have been sent out nation wide by our staff. West Coast, East Coast, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, Midwest. You name it, there is a prospect in that area of the country with an Arkansas Razorback scholarship offer.

This staff gets it. They understand what it takes, and what it is going to take to sustain excellence at the University of Arkansas. They do not care who else may be recruiting a kid. They do not care if a prospect is an 11 hour drive, or a 4 hour plane ride away. The only thing this staff seems to care about is finding the best possible athletes available across the country and persuading them to come to Arkansas to be a part of something special.

When the dust has settled, and the letter of intents roll into the BAC in February, Arkansas fans should feel a sense of relief. Why? It is 2011, and Arkansas has a leader who knows what it is going to take to be successful here, and he is not going to let a few miles cloud his judgement on whether he wants a prospect or not.


-Clint Alan

TIME TO ROLL UP MY SLEEVES

The national media and many in the local media have called us crazy, redneck, and stupid idiots.

Well, I'm not taking it anymore.  You wimps in the local media that have not defended us on the National level, or (and SHAME ON YOU!!!) have jumped on the bandwagon and agreed with them should be embarrassed.  

Our fans are being shredded in the national media.  Local personalities have called us "idiots, rednecks, and (in the past) terrorist."  

We are a passionate fan base.  We are FANaticals.  All of that is true.  I own that.  But we also have a lot of pride in this state for our University, our teams, and our people.  The attitude by some of you on this board and most of our local media that have the attitude, "Let them eat cake..." is what the problem is.

The reason that there is a free press is for people to know what is going on.  To not just be fed a bunch of bull by the people with the coin.  Who are representing the fans these days?  Who came to our defense?  

Wait, we are the crazy ones for holding a coach (who is a public employee) accountable for being a bad coach and a worse person?  We, the ones that are paying the bills!  When no one else, including the media would stand up and say anything (you know...their jobs) the fans stood up and said, "We are not taking this anymore."  I don't think I am being dramatic when I say this is kind of the whole reason we have free press, so the common man could know what was going on and do something about it if no one else would.

The truth is now coming out about HdN but it didn't happen until he was run out of here by people that demanded better.

I'm sorry, but when people that should know better allow members of the Hog fan base to be run down in the hopes that they (a college kid, Bo, and a radio guy that wanted the play by play) could advance their careers just makes our local media look weak and pathetic.

You guys know I am a minister.  You know I'm pretty even tempered.  I've taken criticism on this board for my reports and now radio show.  You know that I usually am a show it on the field and shut them up guy.  You can say that I am bad at all of those things. But when the national and local media start trashing this state, this fan base and our coaches (Ones that are actually good at their jobs) then it is time to take a stand.

I've got emails and messages into Gregg Doyel, Paul Finebaum and a couple of other hacks today.  We will see if they actually want to defend their ignorance of what is going on here and still writing about it.  Also, Andy, you also have my number and the stations number.  I invite you to give us a call and we will talk about any and all of this on the air.

For those of you that want to change the subject and make it about me trying to promote a show...fine, I'll take it as that.  But I'm also giving the people that have blasted this fan base a chance to defend themselves in a public arena to the fans that they have besmirched. 


-Ched "Ugly Uncle" Carpenter

Hogs get Double Dose of star power

Two phone calls of disappointment for two programs, led to one phone call of excitement for another. 

Saturday night, Neville HS standout DT Demarcus Hodge pledged to continue his football career for the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

Hodge, 6'1" 305lbs, had narrowed his scholarship offers down to 3 schools a few weeks back. The big time DT cut his list to TCU, Mississippi State, and Arkansas. 

Hodge makes the 16th commitment of the 2011 class for Arkansas. What Hodge brings to the Arkansas defense instantly is added depth and size up front. Arkansas signed the #3 rated DL class a year ago according to rivals.com, but continues to add to that depth of star quality players with this comittment. 

Look for Hodge to make an instant impact in the fall of 2012. He brings strength, the ability to plug the middle of the line, and a knack to draw double teams. Hodge is the Hogs 4th DL commitment of this class

-Clint Alan

Early morning hog calls are likely the norm around the state of Arkansas. Today, Kody Walker gained first hand experience, as he rolled out of bed and chose the Hogs over home state school Missouri.

Walker, a 6'1" 230lb RB out of Jefferson City, MO announced his decision at a pre-set press conference held at Atkins Stadium this morning at 9 a.m.

Walker fits the mold of what Head Hog Bobby Petrino wants in a running back. Big, powerful, gains yards after contact, and one who does not go down easily. In an interview Friday, Walker admitted that the style of offense was a big factor in where he would decide to play at the next level.

The Jeff City product will likely get the opportunity for early playing time as a freshman. Arkansas Head Coach Bobby Petrino has a reputation of giving ample opportunity to everyone, no matter the class. Arkansas has led the nation the last two seasons combined in freshman played & started.

-Clint Alan

Stability at QB position post scrimmage

The  Big Story of the Summer has been the foot of Ryan Mallett.  The big story of the fall practice just might be Mallett’s back up Tyler Wilson.
Wilson has been performing at a high level since he got the chance to work soley with the first team offense in the Spring.  Today’s practice scrimmage was no different.  Make no mistake, Mallett is your starter going into the season and it isn’t even close.  However, the coaches, players and fans know they have someone that can step in and not miss a beat should the unthinkable happen.
Mallett’s number one offense struggled some today against the first team defense.  Mallett looked impressive on most of his passes today, but timing, touch, and dropped passes slowed the offense down.  
Tyler Wilson on the other hand carved apart the second team defense all day.  Don’t expect that Arkansas will have a drop off after Mallett leaves next year.  Petrino has another great quarterback just waiting in the wings.  
Check out all the stats from today’s scrimmage on Brandon Marcello’s Whole Hogs Sports: http://blogs.nwaonline.com/slophouse/2010/08/day-10-scrimmage-statistics-unofficial/


    -Ched "Ugly Uncle" Carpenter