Mega-Disaster in Arkansas Razorback Football

Why would they do that? What part of their good season did they not like?

 

Nutt is only a symptom of the disease. The problems start with Broyles. Both of them must go.

BTW, I know this isn't Hogville, but welcome to the darkside.

 

Some folks seemingly just can't stand success. I've read all kinds of stuff on this and who knows what is true. The one thing I'd have to say though is that if I had McFadden and Jones on my team and a huge, talented offensive line and then had to choose whether I'd let a Freshman start slinging the ball all over the place... I'd have done exactly what Nutt did.

The reality though is that Nutt is probably done unless he pulls out an absolutel miracle season next year... assuming he's the coach come September.

I hate it for you guys. Arkansas finally looked like they were ready to turn the corner and be a perennial competitor for the west. Very unlikely now though.

 

An interesting quote from Frank Broyles in my 1967 copy of Texas Football in an article on recruiting: "You may get the boy with promises, but you lose a parent, a friend, and eventually you lose the game-- I'd rather just lose the boy at the beginning."

 

One version I keep hearing is that there's a former Hogs QB coach who played QB at Vandy (I think his first name is David..mind drawing a blank right now) that Nutt wanted to bring in as co-offensive coordinator. Another version had Nutt giving this chap the play calling duties and leaving Malzahn as just a headset. There are other rumors out there, namely that Malzahn was promised to be the head coach after this year's poor showing, and since that didn't happen, Nutt has been emboldened and Malzahn left because he won't be the Hogs head coach anytime soon.

I can't believe any version that has Houston Nutt as an innocent party. Yet Broyles has guilt written all over the place and Malzahn may be complicit. I am shocked Nutt hasn't taken another job - any job. You normally can't have an opening anywhere without Nutt's name being tied to it. But is it as simple as the three game losing streak at the end of the year catching up to Nutt?

John Wilkerson said it best on the WNML-Knoxville today: can you remember a division-winning coach being on the hot seat (Save for DuBose, and that wasn't for football reasons)? Nutt's seat is about as hot as anyone's in the SEC.

 

1) He shouldn't have hired Malzahn. Arkansas is a run-dominated team (and rightfully so, given their talents). There was no reason to get a no-huddle, spread offense OC out of high school other than just to get the recruits. Whether Nutt made the call or Broyles forced his hand, it was a bad decision.

2) He should have worked harder on the passing game. Yes, running is the bread and butter, but you need some condiments too. The last three losses came partly because of the inability to even have a servicable passing game.

 

Broyles should go. I've never liked Nutt but something is just amiss with this whole deal. Seems like there's enough guilt to go around. I read in the paper today that TE Ben Cleveland (I hope I remembered the name right) is one of the Springdale boys not transferring.

Does Malzahn have head-coaching goals? Just curious.

 

If I recall correctly, they got Frank from Mo. after one year. He was a great coach there. I think he is the only one who every coached them to number one. As AD he has had some good coaches and a few Ar. boy as well. I don't know all there problems but as far back is I can recall they haven't been happy, even when Frank had them on top.

 

They were division champs, Ken ---- what else do you want??? They had an impressive season and a bowl appearance

Sounds to me like its one of those disgruntled fanbase that adopts the foolish mentaltiy----

We finished 10-2 but that ain't good enough!!

You gotta look at the teams they're against----Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Florida-----for a team to finish where they did against who they played----I would call it a pretty fantastic season!!!

Or

Are you just jealous because The Pigs didn't play in the Sugar or over in the Toastedos????

 

1) As I have said on another board, bragging about winning the SEC West is like bragging at a wedding about being a bridesmaid. A division "championship" is meaningless other than as a ticket to the Georgia Dome. No one believes Arkansas was the best team in the Western Division. The best team was LSU.

2) Everyone made a big deal about a "10-win" season as if it meant something. Well, it doesn't. 10/14 is only 71.4% Good, but not stellar. When we had 11 game seasons, 10 wins meant something--90.9%. 9-3 is actually a better record--75%. The 10 wins look even worse when you consider the caliber of some of the opponents (Utah State, SEMO, LA-Monroe) and the "gifts" of inaccurate kicking by Vandy and especially by Bama. The only quality wins I see are South Carolina, Tennessee, and Auburn.

3) The absolute ineptitude of the offense vs. Wisconsin was downright criminal. With a stifling defense holding UW to negative yards, the Razorbacks still lost. That is unacceptable.

4) Many of the losses came from a lack of discipline, especially on special teams. If they had executed without making stupid mistakes, the LSU, FL, and UW games could have gone the other way. Sure, sometimes you mess up. But the Razorbacks should have won at LEAST one of those three games.

5) If 10-4 is a fantastic season to a Hog fan, then that Hog fan has basically said that "gee whiz, we're just lil' ole' Arkansas! We can't compete with the big boys!"

Bottom Line: anything less than an SEC Championship or a BCS at-large bid is not a fantastic season. At best, it is a good season. I say this season was a good season--above mediocre but not great. We were "a play or two away" from a mediocre season and from a great one.

I don't expect to get a BCS bid every year. That's unrealistic. What isn't unrealistic is to expect that in 9 years of one coach's tenure that a BCS bid should materialize. No other coach in the BCS conferences has been at a school for that long without a single BCS bid.

I was thinking that this year would be the year. I was behind Houston Nutt all season. I thought he was bungling the QB issue, but I still thought we could make it to the Sugar Bowl (and hoping for a shot in Tempe, but I knew that was a long-shot). Right when we got our hopes up, our coaching caught up with us, as it has for 9 years.

 

I don't wish that. I hope we go undefeated. I would gladly endorse Nutt as a coach if he can prove that he can take the Hogs to the next level.

If we win the BCS title game, everyone wins. Broyles can go out on top. Nutt can either jump ship to a higher paying job or stay as a proven top-tier coach. I don't think this would happen, but I'd like it to.

 

So you "can" Nutt because he won't develop a passing game??

Whats the difference between running the ball past the goal line and passing the ball past the goal line??

If you have a running back that simulates a diesel truck---that can be counted on for 5 yard carries every single time he touches the ball----verses a host of recievers who can't "catch a cold" much less a football---who do you want on your side???

Deliberately telling us that it would be worth 5 years of losing and redevelopment of the program----dude----what a waste of those 5 years.

I say---just give Nutt a little time----retirement bliss in some back woods cabin in Mountain Home or over in Jasper will beckon to him

But to say---you're willing to wait 5 years---and get rid of Nutt now---is a waste of those 5 years. If I'm winning with Nutt at the helm--whether its a passing attack or a running attack--I'm winning

Don't you reckon????

 

Running only works against top teams when there is a credible passing threat. Otherwise, you can just stuff the box full of LBs to gum up the run. Also, when McFadden wasn't 100%, Arkansas lost quite a bit of productivity.

Case in point: the opening drive in the bowl game that resulted in no points--McFadden was tackled from behind because he wasn't at 100% in speed. If he had made that touchdown, Arkansas likely would have won the game.

If we were winning SEC championships, I'd say, sure, it doesn't matter how you do it if you win. Bottom line though: UA will NEVER be consistently competitive for the SEC without a serviceable passing game.