Before the game, I worried that our home state would lose its collective mind if the Hogs suffered a third straight defeat at the hands of Houston Dale Nutt. Well, the Hogs finally beat their old coach, but I still may have lost a little of my sanity in the process.
The Hogs' sluggish second-half play, Ole Miss' post-intermission revitalization and two - two! - delays caused by lightning storms had me pulling my hair out. What a perfect game for Houston to win, I was thinking. I'm kind of shocked it didn't end up going into multiple overtimes.
Thankfully, Knile Davis was there to make sure that all was right with the world. Yes, you read that right. Knile Davis, a member of the Hogs' much-maligned backfield, had a monster day, rushing for three touchdowns and a total of 177 yards on 22 carries. In particular, his two fourth-quarter TDs steadied the Hogs' listing ship.
Kudos also go to Tyler Wilson, who stepped in once again to perform admirably while Mallett was sidelined for ... well, we're not really sure yet. Presumably it had something to do with last week's concussion, but that's not clear at this exact moment.
Mallett's status isn't the only question hanging over the Hogs as of now. For starters, how serious are the injuries suffered by Greg Childs and Joe Adams? And why does Arkansas consistenly look, well, kind of terrible in the second half?
Maybe the hours and days ahead will provide some answers, but for now, let's raise a glass to Davis, Wilson, Cobi Hamilton and all the rest who made just enough plays down the stretch to make sure the third time against Houston Dale Nutt was the charm.
What are your thoughts on today's win?
*I wanted to use "Lightning Strikes Twice" as a headline, but Matt Jones of WholeHogSports beat me to the punch. Damn you, Mr. Jones!)