The Arkansas Razorbacks play with True Grit
By Cory Thone
It is a necessity that you listen to this song on loop when you read this article.
The Arkansas Razorbacks were able to get a hard fought victory over the Auburn Tiger Saturday, October 24th in a 54-46, 4 overtime game in Fayetteville. The crowd was louder than we’ve heard Donald W. Reynolds in quite some time, and the team played as hard as possible to give fans the win.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team play as hard as this 2015 Razorbacks squad. I’m serious. Their effort may not be adding up to the wins that they deserve, but the effort is there. In fact, when you look at the Razorbacks losses since 2014, one thing you notice about Bret Bielema’s teams is that they have never…not once…quit on their coach or fans.
That is something that not every school can say about their teams. After a whole season mired with injuries to key players, the Hogs had to watch a true freshman that has busted his ass for them all season long get carted off the field. Let me tell you something, that’s a hard thing to watch. Did the Razorbacks get down and depressed when Rawleigh Williams got taken off the field with a neck injury? Nope. They scored in 3 plays, and Alex Collins held up the double-deuce to let Williams know that the score was for him.
AC after his last TD. #22 pic.twitter.com/J8VJTlt1tc
— Arkansas Razorbacks 🐗 (@ArkRazorbacks) October 24, 2015
Damn, I love Alex Collins. And I love this team, for all their faults. When push came to shove tonight, the Hogs shoved harder and stronger, and came away with a win. Pure and simple, they played harder in the 4th overtime than Auburn did. Even when Alex Collins limped off the field before overtime, the Hogs rallied around Kody Walker.
Can we talk about Kody Walker? The kid has a cast on his hand, and he rushed for 2 scores in overtime, and caught a 2 point conversion. That is the definition of grit, ladies and gentlemen. Once again, the Hogs were faced with a situation where they had not a single healthy running back, and they had to turn to the most beleaguered player on the Razorbacks team: Brandon Allen.
Oh, Brandon. So many times this year, things just haven’t gone your way. Today, though, was not one of those days. Allen was brilliant in overtime, hitting Morgan for 2 scores, and converting 2 conversions with his arm. Not to mention that he came up limping after the throwback pass from Duwop that resulted in a first down. The tenacity that Brandon Allen has shown in his career, not just tonight, is the kind of mentality that every player should have.
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If you want to see the mentality of a team, look at their QB. Brandon Allen has been through more hard times as the starter for Arkansas than maybe an QB in Hogs history. And yet, when he had every reason to lay down tonight, he stood up. He limped back to the huddle, and led the Hogs on a game winning drive.
Brandon Allen has grit. True Grit. And it’s reflected in how the Hogs play. And when his time at Arkansas comes to an end, no matter what his final record is as a starter or how many yards he throws for, there is one thing you can’t take away from him: His Grit.
And the Hogs will need every ounce of it if they want to make a bowl game this year.
Woo Pig.