Arkansas Fight - Arkansas Razorbacks vs Texas A&M Aggies - 2013Your daily source for Razorback News.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46887/expats-fave.png2013-10-01T11:33:42-05:00http://www.arkansasfight.com/rss/stream/45288252013-10-01T11:33:42-05:002013-10-01T11:33:42-05:00Why Optimism Is Different Than Accepting Defeat
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<figcaption>Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Losing to the Aggies sucked. Losing always sucks. We're not ignoring that, but there was evidence that the Razorback program is heading in the right direction, maybe even faster than we thought. And that's exciting.</p> <p>This is an excerpt of a column I wrote for <a href="http://www.sportinglifearkansas.com/is-optimism-warranted-after-razorback-loss/" target="_blank">Sporting Life Arkansas. You can read it in its entirety here.</a></p>
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<p>The final score of Arkansas’ game against Texas A&M was about what I expected it to be, but how they got there didn’t happen the way I thought it would.</p>
<p>I expected the Razorbacks to have some success moving the ball and scoring some points against the Aggies’ suspect defense. I didn’t expect Arkansas to be able to essentially keep up with A&M throughout the game until late in the fourth quarter. I didn’t think, even with Brandon Allen at quarterback, Arkansas had the offensive firepower to keep up with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134696/johnny-manziel">Johnny Manziel</a> and the Aggies’ explosive offense.</p>
<p>I would have thought that if Arkansas attempted more passing plays (they tried 36) than rushing plays (30), it would be a sign Arkansas wasn’t going to be competitive. And I certainly never expected Allen to throw for more yards than Manziel (even though he completed fewer passes), more touchdowns, and complete the longest pass of the day. I’d have thought if Arkansas was in a situation where they felt the need to throw that many passes, it would be because they found themselves in a big hole they were desperately trying to get out of.</p>
<p>Yet, even though the Razorbacks were behind the entire game, they were never out of it. Arkansas was only down by a full two touchdowns for a span of 5:12 in the second quarter. They were within two scores the entire game, and three times in the second half had possession with the chance to take the lead. It was, without a doubt, the team’s best performance since the opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.</p>
<p>As we all know, the Razorbacks failed to convert those go-ahead opportunities and eventually lost the game. And no one’s trying to gloss the loss. The Hogs made frustrating mistakes. The pick-six just after halftime was brutal. The ill-fated two-point-conversion attempt was questionable at best, and that failure forced Arkansas to go for it on 4th-and-10 from the A&M 16 instead of kicking a field goal to cut the Aggies’ lead to within a single possession. A&M scored 45 points without needing very much magic from Manziel. Eleven of Allen’s 16 completions went to players who don’t play receiver. This isn’t a perfect team by any stretch. There are definitely things the team needs to improve upon.</p>
<p>But understand, optimism after seeing the team making strides in a positive directions is not the same thing as "accepting" or "being happy with" a loss.</p>
<p>Arkansas hasn’t been this competitive against a top 10 team in a loss since 2010 (unless you count the 2012 LSU game, which I don’t because that was a putrid, sloppy, frigid game in which neither team played well and Arkansas only scored 13 points). Facing one of the best offenses in the country with an offense that’s not proven terribly effective even before Brandon Allen was injured, it made sense that this game could have been another in a long series of blowouts against great teams.</p>
<p>But that didn’t happen.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.sportinglifearkansas.com/is-optimism-warranted-after-razorback-loss/" target="_blank">You can read this in it's entirety here</a>.</p>
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/10/1/4791074/why-the-arkansas-razorbacks-are-optimistic-coming-out-of-the-texas-aDoc Harper2013-09-30T19:16:42-05:002013-09-30T19:16:42-05:00Breaking Better, Hogs' Chemistry vs. A&M
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<figcaption>Wesley Hitt</figcaption>
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<p>Looking back at Saturday, Looking onward to Saturday</p> <p>"Chemistry is the study of transformation." If you are a fan of AMC's <i>Breaking Bad</i>, and maybe even if you aren't, you know those are the words of the fictional Walter White, high school chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin. In one game with the Aggies, the Hogs have not become expert chemists and suddenly transformed themselves into a top tier SEC team, but this did look like a changed team from the one we last saw in New Jersey. Though it was a 17/36 night with a pick six for Brandon Allen, it was still apparent that he was the prime catalyst for an offensive reaction that put up thirty three points on the A&M defense. Being at home, a prime-time ESPN audience, having last year's Heisman trophy winner on your field, a sold out stadium, a dash of Korliss Marshall from the scout team, all contributed to the Hogs, as I put it, <i>breaking better </i>last Saturday night.</p>
<p>But there is still an ingredient for a winning formula that Bret Bielema has not yet found in this team, and that is a sharp killer instinct where the Hogs insert the knife in a worthy opponent and keep twisting it all the way through a game from start to finish. This has been an age old problem for the Hogs that certainly didn't start with the arrival of Bielema. In Petrino's last game, for example, the 2012 Cotton Bowl, they had Kansas State down early, but didn't put them away until much later in the game. It is almost like the team goes looking for drama! The Drama Hogs, as I call them. Many of them might be majoring in sociology, but I've thought for years that a fair number of them are also getting minors in theater. We don't own the record for the number of overtimes for nothing, you know.</p>
<p>In Saturday night's game, the offense had chances to score after the defense made a rare stop, thus the opportunity to put some pressure on A&M for a change. But, unfortunately, those series were over quickly and never amounted to any points. And A&M could keep their sweat towels away from their foreheads confident that they were going to stay far enough ahead of our Hogs. In <i>Breaking Bad </i>terms, the Hogs never got close enough to become the ones who knock for the Aggies. Who knows if anybody, LSU maybe?, will do that to A&M this year.</p>
<p>The Hogs aren't alone in this, of course. The teams that know how to put on effective pressure and keep that pressure on another team are in the minority. We wouldn't have the great momentum swings that we see in so many college football games if that were not the case. To get the Hogs closer to being in a steady state of consistently winning games, Bielema is going to have to demand over and over again that his players stay focused and hungry, demanding perfection from themselves and their teammates, with no letting up on any phases of the game. It is what Nick Saban has instilled in his players, and if Bielema wants us to be like Bama, he'll need to do more than just put in a power running game.</p>
<p>Though it was a loss and A&M has owned us for the last two games, we saw last Saturday night the morphing of a team that had choked away a game the previous week into a team that had no woe as me about it and went out there and competed hard against what is simply a more talented team at the moment in the Aggies. If our guys can keep morphing, keep transforming themselves, keep breaking better, we'll see an "A One" team emerge sooner rather than later. Next opportunity, Florida, where the Hogs could get their first win against the Gators since joining the SEC. It would be about time!</p>
<p>This week's poll question is about what you think will be the most important ingredient for a victory in the Swamp.</p>
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/9/30/4788724/johnny-marched-but-so-did-the-hogsKevinHog2013-09-30T11:46:54-05:002013-09-30T11:46:54-05:00Pork Links: Brandon Allen, A&M Review, John Daly
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<figcaption>Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hollydaniellee_/status/384409420769148928" target="new">Deatrich Wise was shimmying</a>, not twerking so I've been told. </p> <p>The quarterback position (and the defense facing <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134696/johnny-manziel">Johnny Manziel</a>) was the main cause for concern late last week before Bret Bielema announced via Twitter that his starting quarterback against the Aggies would be Brandon Allen. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thestate.com/2013/09/29/3010364/allen-provides-spark-to-arkansas.html">Allen provided a spark to the offense</a>, and kept Arkansas in the game moreso than I believe Derby would have. BA set several career-highs in the ball game despite the losing effort. I think it's safe to say fans left the game fairly encouraged about the offense.</p>
<p>There are a couple of ways to look at the loss on Saturday from the vantage point of each team. For A&M, the win was a bit of a disappointing one, but a win nonetheless, and for Arkansas it was a bit of a Moral Victory if you're into that kind of thing (I'm normally not, but I'll make an exception for this one). A&M's SB Nation site <a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/9/29/4783220/arkansas-texas-am-aggies-game-review-defense-analysis">Good Bull Hunting reviewed the Arkansas game</a> from their viewpoint. Oh, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/158256/otha-peters">Otha Peters</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/143562/deshazor-everett">Deshazor Everett</a> had a wrap on his hand and still picked off Brandon Allen's pass, so don't give me that <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/otha_peters/status/381821848503058432">"I have a cast on my arm" stuff.</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/otha_peters/status/381821848503058432"></a>Arkansas native John Daly, who has been sober for the better part of four and a half years, was videoed outside of a pizza joint in Nashville, TN Sunday night doing John Daly-things. Daly, know for his colorful wardrobe at PGA golf tournaments, wowed the late night crowd with his pure golf skill in a parking lot. <a target="_blank" href="http://instagram.com/p/e3iWrqC4M-/">Watch this</a>. It's pretty impressive. Oh, then Daly got into a Twitter war with Clay Travis and called him ugly. I can die happy now.</p>
<p>Texas A&M and Arkansas combined for just over 1,000 yards of offense on Saturday night with defensive stands few and far between. After five weeks, Arkansas is averaging over 410 yards per game on offense. In the 2013 version of the SEC, that's only good for 10th best in the conference. No team is averaging less than 5.5 yards per play this season. All of your <a target="_blank" href="http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/stats/total-offense/">SEC stats can be found here</a>. Some of the numbers are astronomical.</p>
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/9/30/4786460/arkansas-razorbacks-internet-chatter-september-30-brandon-allen-texas-am-review-john-dalyScottie Bordelon2013-09-29T13:27:09-05:002013-09-29T13:27:09-05:00Feel the Rhythm: Texas A&M
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<figcaption>Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Your Bert-Approved Companion To The Texas A&M Game </p> <p><span>Brought to you this week by Tito's Vodka, Bob Marley, and the slippery asphalt of Lot 44. If you haven't seen it, The Pit made a better tackle during the Hog Walk than either team could claim last night. Bert went down like a goon taken out by a Tommy Gun in a mob movie. He got back up, though, much like his Hogs would throughout their battle against Aggie.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1832275/bret-bielema-voodoo.gif"><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1832275/bret-bielema-voodoo_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Bret-bielema-voodoo_medium"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3306377/bret-bielema-voodoo.gif">cdn1.sbnation.com</a></p>
<p>Extended time in the rain is never optimal, but it certainly didn't put a damper on the crowd last night. Easily the best crowd since Alabama in 2010, and the element of Johnnyhate made it seem even more intense at times. Beverage of choice yesterday was whatever anyone who was standing could fetch me. Ain't no seat-check at a tailgate, and I'm no sucker. Let's get to the game.</p>
<p>Johnny Football gonna Johnny Football. Worth the price of admission. Funny thing about gravity, though, is that the fall is always equal to the rise. He seems to enjoy ensuring that the entire world will revel in his, and make no mistake, his is inevitable and will be spectacular. I can't wait. I'm petty like that.</p>
<p>The A&M offense is so dynamic and efficient and talented across the field at most every position that I have a hard time giving the Hog defense any type of a grade. I didn't see any new issues pop up last night. Our linebackers are still non-existent. Secondary still improving, still butt-puckeringly inconsistent. Yes, the defensive line got gashed by the run, but that's a byproduct of not giving #2 another career day. Also, the A&M running back corps is pretty freaking good.</p>
<p>Some obvious and maybe not as obvious defensive takeaways from last night: <br><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/207051/darius-philon" class="sbn-auto-link">Darius Philon</a> is a beast. I will take any other defensive linemen you'd like to spurn in the future, Dur Saban. One day heads up will be just fine.</p>
<p>We did quite a bit of toying with Manziel in the first half. Dropping linemen and blitzing from the back seven and whatnot. Did a decent job of mixing coverages and disguising them, but he just wasn't fooled. Cover 1, Cover 2, didn't matter. That's to his credit. Saw less of it in the second half, probably because the staff realized JFF wasn't going to be baited into a mistake. And also because he barely needed to throw the football in the first place.</p>
<p>Rohan Gaines flying up to stop their rushing attack was necessary, and it was good to see him back and making plays, but it was a little disheartening to know that they could go play-action over the top at any time they wanted, and never did because they didn't need to.</p>
<p>Moving onto the offense. Great performance against a less-than-stellar defense, but the game was probably decided between the pick-six and the two three-and-outs following defensive stops. With that said, the balance was superb and its effectiveness just underscores how one-handed Jim Chaney was last week in Piscataway.</p>
<p>Two picks and the fourth down pass into the end zone notwithstanding, I think Brandon Allen played a very good game. He is accurate with the quick-hitters, and throws the ball with enough zip to hit some pretty tight windows.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/206983/alex-collins" class="sbn-auto-link">Alex Collins</a> is a running back. Not a sprinter playing running back. He doesn't have the final gear. Maybe he will develop it. Maybe he won't. If he doesn't, there is still a long list of NFL backs in that mold making scads of money. He has enough power to get through the line and enough speed to get around the corner and get downfield. What makes him scary good, however, will always be cuts at speed and acceleration coming out of them. His long run at the end of the first half to help setup Hocker was a run an elite back makes.</p>
<p>The play-action pass play that went to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/215211/hunter-henry" class="sbn-auto-link">Hunter Henry</a> on the Hogs' first drive is a beauty. Herndon runs a deep post and looks perfectly setup and then you see Henry 20 yards clear of everyone save the safety that is chasing Herndon and out of the play.</p>
<p>What about a corner fade to Henry in the red zone? He's not too different physically from Mike Evans, and the kid has incredible hands.</p>
<p>Jonathan Williams got better as the game went on. We give Collins most of the praise, and he deserves every bit, but Williams just keeps scoring touchdowns.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/207017/korliss-marshall" class="sbn-auto-link">Korliss Marshall</a> had a great run. I missed it. I had some beer yesterday. Excited to see the highlights.</p>
<p>What are we going to do when Hocker misses a kick? It seems almost unfathomable, doesn't it? Yet it's bound to happen.</p>
<p>The Gauntlet continues with a trip to Gainesville next week. They don't have their starting quarterback, and it looks likely we'll catch Carolina the next week without theirs as well. I'm going to stop way short of predicting a win over the Gators since we've never beaten them, ever, anywhere, since we've been in the SEC, but damn if it doesn't look a lot more promising than it did preseason. Or even last week.</p>
<p>See y'all next week.</p>
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<div><i style="vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Trent Wooldridge will be that <span class="il">guy</span> with enough <span class="il">bourbon</span>. He loves the S-E-C chant and honks because he hates Texas. He puts honey on his pizza, demands aisle seats, and sees quitting golf as more of a hobby than actually playing golf. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/twooldridge" target="_blank">@twooldridge</a> and track his quest to transform his three-year-old into a southpaw ace in the bigs.</i></div>
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/9/29/4783706/feel-the-rhythm-texas-a-mTrent Wooldridge2013-09-28T22:52:44-05:002013-09-28T22:52:44-05:00A&M 45, Hogs 33: Glimpses of the Future
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<figcaption>Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>By no means is the final product there yet, but tonight we saw some of what is to come.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I feel confident that most Arkansas fans thought this game had all of the makings for a blowout: a team coming off a devastating loss a week ago, facing the best player in college football, and possessing a suspect defense.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most Razorback fans thought Manziel could have a similar performance to his national showcase from a year ago, where he threw for 453 yards and three touchdowns and added 104 yards and a score on the ground in College Station. If you didn't think this, here's to you for having more faith in the a Razorback rebound than me.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While this edition of the Southwest Classic never saw an Arkansas lead, there were times when Arkansas fans were thinking, "maybe...just maybe we can pull this off." The Hogs pulled to within five points of the A&M lead before attempting a far-too-early two-point conversion which failed with a minute to go in the third quarter.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Five points was as close as the Razorbacks would get to the tenth ranked team in the country, losing 45-33 in Fayetteville.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The score may not suggest it, but there </span>are parts of this loss that let us in on what is to come, as Arkansas looks to get back to bowling, though they stand three wins away from doing so.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Brandon Allen was back. He threw two interceptions, but he also was able to effectively move the ball through the air better than this offense did in his absence. He was under a 50% completion mark and threw two picks (one of which was a late-game heave), but tossed for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Let's face it. This offense is more explosive with him and it was good to see him under center again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/206983/alex-collins" class="sbn-auto-link">Alex Collins</a> was back to being a 100-yard rusher, and as we march further through this season he must continue to be one of the two best offensive players on the team. The other being <a href="#" class="sbn-auto-link">Johnathan Williams</a> who came alive in the passing game with two touchdown receptions in the second half.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/215211/hunter-henry" class="sbn-auto-link">Hunter Henry</a> was much more comfortable tonight than over the last game and a half. He caught passes for a couple big gains and is clearly Allen's go-to receiver.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I liked Deatrich Wise and his enthusiasm, no matter the what continual downers Brock Huard and Mark Jones said during the second quarter about his celebrations. Wise got the crowd into the game as much as it has been involved all season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The defense as a whole played better than it did a year ago, but really, how could this unit not?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are plenty of issues on the defensive side of the ball, but as far as slowing down the most exciting player in the game, they can leave Razorback Stadium knowing they "held" Johnny Football to only three points more than the vaunted Alabama defense.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Johnny is going to be Johnny, and as one of college football's greats on the field, he is going to get his.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, the run defense was atrocious, especially in big situations. In two consecutive scoring drives the Aggies didn't complete a pass and scored 14 points. So much for a balanced offense. Part of that is because the defense as a whole seemed to have a mindset to just not let Johnny beat them. And he didn't have one of his most masterful performances, but he did hand the ball off to Trey Williams and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/136011/tra-carson" class="sbn-auto-link">Tra Carson</a>, who both averaged over six yards per carry for just under 150 yards..</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sure, just like every other team in the game, this one has some flaws. It can get better all over the field, in this season and in subsequent ones. But going forward, through tough building games like this one where the Razorbacks have nothing to hang their heads about, Arkansas got better.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bielema has this team headed in the right direction, where a tough defense is expected and an offense with the ability to score in a multitude of ways is required. We saw tonight more glimpses of what can come.</p>
<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; line-height: 25.59375px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; max-width: 100%;" class="pgh-paragraph">-----</p>
<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, Georgia, serif; line-height: 25.59375px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; max-width: 100%;" class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph7"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 19.2pt;">A native of Arkansas now calling the Hogs from yonder in Georgia, you can follow Graham on Twitter </i><span><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><span><a style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #828282;" href="https://twitter.com/grahamreaves" target="_blank">@grahamreaves</a> </span></b></span><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 19.2pt;">or read his blog, </i><a style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #828282; font-weight: bold; background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://grahamreaves.blogspot.com/">On My Mind In Georgia</a><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><span><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">.</i></span></b></p>
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/9/28/4781868/the-razorbacks-played-well-show-glimpses-of-future-texas-a-m-arkansas-2013Graham Reaves2013-09-28T17:45:02-05:002013-09-28T17:45:02-05:00Razorbacks vs Texas A&M GameThread
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<p>Fire away!</p>
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/9/28/4779448/arkansas-razorbacks-vs-texas-a-m-aggies-gamethreadDoc Harper2013-09-27T19:47:08-05:002013-09-27T19:47:08-05:00Bielema Tweets Brandon Allen Is Back!
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<p>SOOIE!</p> <p> </p>
<p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Excited for a LIVE crowd in Razorback Stadium to start SEC play.We have a number of players back including QB <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandonAllen_10">@BrandonAllen_10</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WPS&amp;src=hash">#WPS</a> #1-0</p>&mdash; Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) <a href="https://twitter.com/BretBielema/statuses/383730636483076096">September 27, 2013</a></blockquote></p>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>I'm gonna try not to get to delirious here because<a target="_blank" href="http://www.arkansasfight.com/2012/9/20/3365364/tyler-wilson-has-been-cleared-to-play-praise-everything-arkansas-rutgers"> I did that in a similar situation last year and we all know how that turned out</a>. And even with Allen, Arkansas is still a healthy underdog to A&M, whereas I genuinely believed the Razorbacks would beat Rutgers last year when Tyler Wilson came back.</p>
<p>That being said, HELL YEAH!</p>
<p>Bielema said as recently as Thursday that Allen had not thrown at practice, so it will be interesting to know if that was all a farce, or if in fact Allen was held out all week until getting cleared today.</p>
<p>But assuming this does mean Allen will start and is at least something close to 100%, this is absolutely great news for the Razorbacks. While AJ Derby largely did what he was asked to do against Rutgers last week, his abilities are clearly much more limited than Allen's, and Allen's presence alone should prevent the Aggies from crowding the line of scrimmage to keep Arkansas' running backs in check.</p>
<p>Here's a very appropriate gif made earlier today by an Aggie fan, that feels much more appropriate now</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830499/FAT-NAKED-ARKANSAS-FAN.gif"><img alt="Fat-naked-arkansas-fan_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830499/FAT-NAKED-ARKANSAS-FAN_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/306135/FAT-NAKED-ARKANSAS-FAN.gif">cdn2.sbnation.com</a></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica;">And here are some that were posted by fans to express their feelings about Allen's return.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica;"><a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830475/tumblr_inline_mp3575hjF21qz4rgp.gif"><img alt="Tumblr_inline_mp3575hjf21qz4rgp_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830475/tumblr_inline_mp3575hjF21qz4rgp_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://media.tumblr.com/00abe25ee53c72273d823330d6f3e1ab/tumblr_inline_mp3575hjF21qz4rgp.gif">media.tumblr.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830487/gricnh.gif"><img alt="Gricnh_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830487/gricnh_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f131/Bigtool4u/gricnh.gif">i46.photobucket.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830493/jonah-hill-o.gif"><img alt="Jonah-hill-o_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1830493/jonah-hill-o_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/2241299/jonah-hill-o.gif">stream1.gifsoup.com</a></p>
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https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/9/27/4778804/bret-bielema-tweets-brandon-allen-is-back-for-texas-a-m-game-arkansas-razorbacksDoc Harper2013-09-27T14:00:08-05:002013-09-27T14:00:08-05:00Feral Swine Headlines Week 6
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JwxkFCYKRDKrrp3hS96tlLb7XmA=/265x0:3730x2310/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20260049/20130921_mbr_sn3_108.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>After a crushing loss to Rutgers last week, Arkansas begins SEC play and it's four game gauntlet with Texas A&M. Here's what to watch for in week 5 of the Feral Swine Headlines.</p> <p>It’s a new week (thank God) here in the college football world and that means we Arkansas faithful can put the Rutgers game behind us and look forward to top 10 Texas A&M and reigning Heisman Trophy winner <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134696/johnny-manziel">Johnny Manziel</a> coming into Fayetteville.</p>
<p>Yikes.</p>
<p>Since last week’s game was so fun, I’ll leave it in last week, where it belongs, and just look forward to the fun that awaits this weekend. 3-1 A&M comes rolling into town after an ugly yet dominating performance over SMU (ugly because they missed 3 PAT’s and over 30 penalties were called, dominating because they still won by 29 points). What bodes well for Arkansas is that A&M is allowing 218 yards per game on the ground and 5.1 yards per carry, while the Razorbacks are rushing for 246 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/206983/alex-collins">Alex Collins</a> is the nation’s fifth best rusher through 4 weeks with 481 yards and 2 touchdowns.</p>
<p>Now, if you’ve watched an Arkansas game in the past few weeks, you’ll know that with Brandon Allen out, this offense is very one dimensional. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/112822/javontee-herndon">Javontee Herndon</a>, our leading receiver, has 200 yards on the season. Through two games, AJ Derby has thrown for 173 yards and one touchdown. Jonathan Williams also boasts one passing touchdown on his stat sheet. That should tell you all you need to know.</p>
<p>Now, we all know what can happen to our defense this week. Chris Smith and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/136791/trey-flowers">Trey Flowers</a> could really make some NFL noise this weekend if they can contain Manziel, the only hard part will be containing Manziel. He leads the Aggie offense who are tops in the country with 2,409 total yards, Manziel accounts for 1,483 of them.</p>
<p>This is game one of Arkansas’ proverbial gauntlet, but we can hardly afford to look forward here. I think Arkansas can keep it close through the first half, and Budda and the Beast put on a show. At the end of the day, though, they’ll need I dunno, a quarterback to help them out. Unless the Austin Allen era begins this weekend (it won’t) I don’t see the duo getting any help.</p>
<p>The matchup should provide some fireworks, but I don’t see the Hogs getting out with a victory. Catch the game at 6 pm CT on ESPN 2.</p>
https://www.arkansasfight.com/2013/9/27/4777418/feral-swine-headlines-gauntlet-game-oneZack Veddern