I heard more than one Razorback fan say, “I don't want no moral victory,” after Arkansas' 31-27 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. I have to disagree.
Before I continue, exactly what is a moral victory?
The definition I found said, “a defeat that can be interpreted as a victory on moral terms, for example, the defeated party defended their principles.”
My definition of a moral victory is a loss that could've been a lot worse than it was.
By my definition, Arkansas fans should be pleased with their team's performance on Saturday.
Yes, I was the one back in 2011 who said fans shouldn't be satisfied after Arkansas' 31-26 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. That was not a moral victory. It was a devastating, disappointing loss.
The difference? The Razorbacks were 10-2 going into the game with a chance to vault the program into the elite in college football. Arkansas was better than Ohio State that year. Anything less than a victory had to be a disappointment.
Fast forward to Saturday, with the Hogs going 0-for-a couple of seasons in the SEC. The expectations have changed.
Honestly, after the debacle against San Jose State, watching the Razorbacks take the Aggies down to the wire should've made you feel so much better about the program. Yeah, it was a game Arkansas could've won. And, yeah, a win would've given the program such a needed boost.
But, if after watching the game you still don't feel like the Hogs took a step in the right direction, perhaps you should just go ahead and leap off the bandwagon.
I thought the team looked pretty good. The defense actually defended the pass. Or, attempted to. The tackling was … somewhat better … maybe.
At defensive end, Junction City's Jamario Bell had a heck of a game. He lost containment once early but after that, he was rock solid. I thought he played well. I'm so happy for that young man, who has persevered through injuries, position changes and all sorts of stuff. He's finally getting his chance and is making the most of it.
Offensively, Arkansas moved the ball and made some key third-down conversions. Ben Hicks, who replaced an injured Nick Starkel, looked good … really good. He made throws I didn't know he could make. Hell, where's that guy been all season?
Coach Chad Morris asserted after the game that Starkel is still the starter. That's O.K. I think Starkel gives the team the best chance to win. But, Hicks showed he can play in this league, at least on his best day.
Arkansas can feel pretty good about the quarterback position, which is something that couldn't be said a year or two ago.
And, the Razorbacks showed fight. They competed. I know, that's what they're supposed to do. But still, it was good to see on a nationally televised game.
They didn't win and they could've, probably should've.
But, for Razorback fans to turn up their noses at this “moral victory” would be like a starving, homeless person saying no to a Chick-fil-A sandwich. Even if it's not what you want, you'd better take it because there might not be anything better coming your way anytime soon.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Monday, September 23, 2019
What's the problem with the Razorbacks?
How damaging was Arkansas’ 31-24 loss to San Jose State on Saturday? A four-star cornerback, who had verbally committed to sign with the Razorbacks, announced he had re-opened his recruiting process and reneged on the commitment.
I don’t believe he said it was a direct result of the Hogs’ embarrassing loss. But he didn’t have to say it.
It’s hard to commit early to a team that’s turning into a joke, especially when you have other, better offers on the table.
Arkansas finds itself in a catch-22. Fire Coach Chad Morris and his staff and risk losing another recruiting class. Or, keep the staff and risk more embarrassing losses, which could also hurt the recruiting class.
A big reason Arkansas’ program is in its current situation isn’t even Morris’ fault. Bret Bielema’s final two recruiting classes were poor. Actually, when he was fired, that class yielded next to nothing.
Teams don’t recover from one awful recruiting class, let alone two. When Morris arrived in Fayetteville, he took over a program bereft of talent. To his credit, last year’s class, on paper, looked really good. On the field, it’s still pretty good with two stud receivers and a lot of promising young talent.
The question is, can Morris run an SEC program that competes on a national level? He’s never done it before. Has he shown us anything, so far, that would make anyone think he can lead Arkansas back to a top-25 level?
Okay, let’s give him a check for recruiting. The Razorbacks had a class ranked close to, if not in the top-25 last season.
But, can he coach?
Not gonna lie, I was horrified in his very first game last year when Arkansas was penalized for having two players on the field wearing the same number. It was on a special teams play, and no one made a big deal out of it because the Hogs won the game.
But seriously? It’s called attention to detail and how can you preach that to players when the coaches don’t realize they have two players on the field wearing the same damn number?
At the high school level, can you imagine that happening to a Scott Reed-coached team?
Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal, but it shocked me and alarmed me, to say the least. Obviously, bigger problems were to come.
I’ve listened to Coach Morris speak to the press and even interviewed him, briefly, face-to-face. To say he’s not very charismatic is a massive understatement. Of course, neither was Bobby Petrino. But, Petrino was an offensive mastermind.
What’s Morris’ calling card as a coach?
I think they need to give him more time to find out. Bailing on another coach, in my opinion, would crush recruiting. Three terrible recruiting classes in four years is damn near equivalent to the death penalty.
As bad as the coaching might be, closing the talent gap in the SEC is the biggest issue in Fayetteville. Arkansas got pushed around by San Jose State. That can’t happen and I’m not sure that’s a problem with Xs and Os or, as Jeff Williams used to say, Jimmys and Joes.
Oh, some changes to the staff have to be made. The tackling and pass coverage were beyond atrocious. How do you overrun every single play?
And, as young and inexperienced as Arkansas’ offensive line is, five guys have to be able to block four. I mean, I’m no math genius but, come on.
I’m not impressed with Coach Morris or this staff. But, a lot of these problems were here when he arrived. Can’t blame everything on him. Frankly, I just know that Arkansas cannot afford to start all over again.
Instead of calling for another coach’s head, it’s time Hog fans took a deep breath and show some patience and support this program. Arkansas has to have a good recruiting class and it’s not going to help lure players to the hill when the entire state is bitching about the coach.
Besides, it has to get better. I mean, it can’t be this bad.
Can it?
I don’t believe he said it was a direct result of the Hogs’ embarrassing loss. But he didn’t have to say it.
It’s hard to commit early to a team that’s turning into a joke, especially when you have other, better offers on the table.
Arkansas finds itself in a catch-22. Fire Coach Chad Morris and his staff and risk losing another recruiting class. Or, keep the staff and risk more embarrassing losses, which could also hurt the recruiting class.
A big reason Arkansas’ program is in its current situation isn’t even Morris’ fault. Bret Bielema’s final two recruiting classes were poor. Actually, when he was fired, that class yielded next to nothing.
Teams don’t recover from one awful recruiting class, let alone two. When Morris arrived in Fayetteville, he took over a program bereft of talent. To his credit, last year’s class, on paper, looked really good. On the field, it’s still pretty good with two stud receivers and a lot of promising young talent.
The question is, can Morris run an SEC program that competes on a national level? He’s never done it before. Has he shown us anything, so far, that would make anyone think he can lead Arkansas back to a top-25 level?
Okay, let’s give him a check for recruiting. The Razorbacks had a class ranked close to, if not in the top-25 last season.
But, can he coach?
Not gonna lie, I was horrified in his very first game last year when Arkansas was penalized for having two players on the field wearing the same number. It was on a special teams play, and no one made a big deal out of it because the Hogs won the game.
But seriously? It’s called attention to detail and how can you preach that to players when the coaches don’t realize they have two players on the field wearing the same damn number?
At the high school level, can you imagine that happening to a Scott Reed-coached team?
Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal, but it shocked me and alarmed me, to say the least. Obviously, bigger problems were to come.
I’ve listened to Coach Morris speak to the press and even interviewed him, briefly, face-to-face. To say he’s not very charismatic is a massive understatement. Of course, neither was Bobby Petrino. But, Petrino was an offensive mastermind.
What’s Morris’ calling card as a coach?
I think they need to give him more time to find out. Bailing on another coach, in my opinion, would crush recruiting. Three terrible recruiting classes in four years is damn near equivalent to the death penalty.
As bad as the coaching might be, closing the talent gap in the SEC is the biggest issue in Fayetteville. Arkansas got pushed around by San Jose State. That can’t happen and I’m not sure that’s a problem with Xs and Os or, as Jeff Williams used to say, Jimmys and Joes.
Oh, some changes to the staff have to be made. The tackling and pass coverage were beyond atrocious. How do you overrun every single play?
And, as young and inexperienced as Arkansas’ offensive line is, five guys have to be able to block four. I mean, I’m no math genius but, come on.
I’m not impressed with Coach Morris or this staff. But, a lot of these problems were here when he arrived. Can’t blame everything on him. Frankly, I just know that Arkansas cannot afford to start all over again.
Instead of calling for another coach’s head, it’s time Hog fans took a deep breath and show some patience and support this program. Arkansas has to have a good recruiting class and it’s not going to help lure players to the hill when the entire state is bitching about the coach.
Besides, it has to get better. I mean, it can’t be this bad.
Can it?
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