Just excellent, Commissioner. Further commenting about the state of Arkansas football feels a little bit like piling on at this point. Maybe Petrino was trying to get himself fired. I know they were missing their #1 quarterback who is quite good and all, but he does not play defensive back (although their starting full back is also their backup middle linebacker and until last week, one of their quarterbacks was a wide receiver) or offensive line. I have trouble figuring out how he planned to win with this supporting cast, much less be a top ten team. And if anyone knows what it feels like to see a proud program betrayed by failures at the top, it is Alabama fans. Good luck to the Hogs. For us, after a game like this is it best to ignore the opponent and focus on yourself.
As you have pointed out, there are areas to improve. Alabama committed too many penalties in the
game. Jones caught a ball that should
have been fair caught and nearly turned it over. Our defensive backs/safeties have some
communication issues that cannot still remain against teams like Missouri,
Tennessee and LSU. We still have issues
on the edge with the speed rush. We are
still searching for the best combination of players for nickel and dime.
But focusing on ourselves also means acknowledging that
some things are improving. The kicking
game, which has at times been a liability (and at times been the sort of unit
that makes you hold your breath) is not only rounding into shape, it is
becoming a weapon. I would never lower a
grade for a kicker asked to kick a 50+ yard field goal, especially in the
rain. The much-maligned Foster made one
and missed another by, literally, the width of the football. He also recovered a fumble, caused by back up
running back Dee Hart, who was as excited as if he had scored a touchdown. We kicked off the football into the dadgum
end zone repeatedly. The offensive line
played much better. Backup players like
Kenyon Drake showed that the future is bright.
Jalston Folwer's loss was covered well.
Seeing gigantic Jesse Williams in the backfield brought back all sorts
of memories, including when he ran the wrong way. Best of all Eddie Lacy hit
the holes fast and hard and once, Coffee/Ingram/Richardson like had two Hog
defenders bounce off him at the same time.
I still do not think he is quite back to the level he was before his
foot and ankle injuries, but you can bet the rest of the league is not happy to
see him at even this level. Coach
Stallings is famous for saying that you shouldn't flaunt your success, but you
don't have to apologize for it either.
It will be an interesting matter to see if the team will
be able to put this game behind it and perform at a higher level against
Florida Atlantic than they managed after the Michigan game. If so, that too is significant.
Because much more comment about the game seems like
putting syrup on a chocolate bar, I'm going to say a word about CBS. I have not ever been much of a fan of the
Verne and Gary show. And watching games
on other networks would lead you to believe there is some truth to that old saw
about it standing for Commercials Before Sports, but yesterday may have been a
new low. Verne mangled so many different
names that the drinking game where you have to take a slug every time he
mispronounces a name will have to be cancelled because too many fans will pass
out. Yesterday he (at least twice) had
A.J. McCarron playing for ARKANSAS.
Which is ok, I guess, because when he was under center for us he called him
T.J. He even has Gary doing it now. Look, I know these two guys knew that
yesterday had the makings of a blow out and if they could have changed games
like ESPN changed Game Day, they would have.
But that's no excuse for repeatedly mangling the names of starters,
assigning them to the wrong teams, describing the Tuscaloosa
"hurricane," etc. I'm sure
Verne is a nice gentlemen. I hope he
enjoys his retirement. I hope it starts
before CBS broadcasts another one of our games.
Roll Tide everyone.
See you at Parents Weekend.
The Correspondent From The Tire Store
I am a big Verne defender, but I seem to be in a dwindling minority these days. If Verne has got to go, I say we must replace him with another Minnesotan of Swedish origin: Jerry Lundegaard (the kidnapping car salesman from "Fargo"). And Jerry's new analyst will have to be Steve Buscemi as long as we are in the "Fargo" mode. Now that, my friends, would make for some interesting game day commentary and color! But you're not going to fire my Tracey. Absolutely not!
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