2008 Woodie Awards
Four Downs
Razorback Road
Matt Jones
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Sports
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There were a lot of burning questions following Arkansas' 9-7 loss to Auburn Saturday night. Here are a few:
1. Is Arkansas' offense really that bad?
Yes. Coming into the season, the general feeling around the state was Arkansas wouldn't feel the effects of Gus Malzahn's departure as long as Arkansas had Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Marcus Monk and Peyton Hillis on its side. Nothing could be further from the truth. Saturday night showed Arkansas' offense is two hours west living on Tulsa time.
The mess Arkansas ran Saturday night was anemic until the late touchdown drive, and even then it looked like - pardon the message-board lingo - a "junior high offense." Arkansas' first two plays on the drive included a heave by its running back to a receiver and a throwback pass from a wideout to a fullback.
Arkansas lacks any sign of a conventional offense outside of its running game. When the running game is shut down as it was Saturday, Arkansas' offense becomes non-existent. Tennessee-Chattanooga wasn't a fluke. One touchdown despite 495 yards of total offense against Kentucky wasn't a fluke. Arkansas' offense is horrible.
Jim Mora's infamous postgame rant following a Saints loss in 1996 could best sum up Arkansas' performance Saturday.
"We couldn't do diddly poo, offensively. We couldn't make a first down. We couldn't run the ball. We didn't try to run the ball. We couldn't pass. We sucked. Our coaches did a horrible job. Our players did a horrible job. We got our butts kicked. It sucked. It stunk."
2. Can Darren McFadden win a Heisman?
No. If the best you can muster is 17 carries for 43 yards at home, you don't deserve a Heisman Trophy, nor will you be in contention. The truth is, McFadden is 0-3 in front of a national TV audience this season, and it's imperative to perform well on the national stage to win the award.
It doesn't help that McFadden ran the same play straight up the middle play-in and play-out. A lack of creativity offensively has hindered his chances.
1. Is Arkansas' offense really that bad?
Yes. Coming into the season, the general feeling around the state was Arkansas wouldn't feel the effects of Gus Malzahn's departure as long as Arkansas had Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Marcus Monk and Peyton Hillis on its side. Nothing could be further from the truth. Saturday night showed Arkansas' offense is two hours west living on Tulsa time.
The mess Arkansas ran Saturday night was anemic until the late touchdown drive, and even then it looked like - pardon the message-board lingo - a "junior high offense." Arkansas' first two plays on the drive included a heave by its running back to a receiver and a throwback pass from a wideout to a fullback.
Arkansas lacks any sign of a conventional offense outside of its running game. When the running game is shut down as it was Saturday, Arkansas' offense becomes non-existent. Tennessee-Chattanooga wasn't a fluke. One touchdown despite 495 yards of total offense against Kentucky wasn't a fluke. Arkansas' offense is horrible.
Jim Mora's infamous postgame rant following a Saints loss in 1996 could best sum up Arkansas' performance Saturday.
"We couldn't do diddly poo, offensively. We couldn't make a first down. We couldn't run the ball. We didn't try to run the ball. We couldn't pass. We sucked. Our coaches did a horrible job. Our players did a horrible job. We got our butts kicked. It sucked. It stunk."
2. Can Darren McFadden win a Heisman?
No. If the best you can muster is 17 carries for 43 yards at home, you don't deserve a Heisman Trophy, nor will you be in contention. The truth is, McFadden is 0-3 in front of a national TV audience this season, and it's imperative to perform well on the national stage to win the award.
It doesn't help that McFadden ran the same play straight up the middle play-in and play-out. A lack of creativity offensively has hindered his chances.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jim G
posted 10/15/07 @ 3:18 PM CST
Arkansas in the Nutt years:
38-36 in SEC play
0-5 vs. Georgia
0-3 vs. Florida
3-6 vs. LSU (0-4 since '02)
2-4 vs. Tennessee
1-1 vs. Vanderbilt
2-2 vs. (Continued…)
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