Have the Arkansas Razorbacks Finally Expelled their Demons after Auburn?

Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity – A poster in my old high school weight room

The only luck the Arkansas Razorbacks and Bret Bielema seem to have had since 2012 has been of the not-so-good variety. Meaning bad luck, and lots of it. Even in last night’s win over the Auburn Tigers, the Hogs suffered a handful of injuries. But finally, when the offense needed a big play, Brandon Allen delivered. And when the defense needed a big stop, Josh Liddell delivered. And FINALLY, when the Hogs just needed a lucky break…luck delivered, in the form of some big drops by the Auburn offense.

The Razorbacks defeated the Auburn Tigers 54-46 in four overtimes, and they did it in spectacular fashion. Was this the game, much like last season’s LSU win, where the Hogs have turned the corner after a BYE week? It very potentially could be. The Razorbacks host UT-Martin on Halloween, then set out for two straight SEC road trips to LSU and Ole Miss before ending the season in back to back home games against Mississippi State and Missouri. If the Hogs win out at home, then they go bowling. And as luck would have it, all 3 remaining home games are against beatable teams.

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More important than that, however, is the improvement of the offense since the beginning of the season. I mean, think about the loss of key skill players for a moment. Here’s a list of the first string players that were not on the field during the 4th overtime, when the Hogs scored on 1 play and got a huge 2 point conversion: Johnathan Williams, Keon Hatcher, Alex Collins, and Jared Cornelius. Of the guys that were expected to (and did) start the season in key positions, only Brandon Allen, Hunter Henry, and Drew Morgan were on the field. And despite all that, the Hogs converted 4 different times, and got both 2 point conversions. It appears that the Arkansas offense may finally be starting to mesh as a unit, especially with the emergence of Jeremy Sprinkle and Dominique Reed in the passing game as well.

Oct 24, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Brandon Allen (10) drops back to pass against the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Even more important than that, though, would be the expelling of some very troublesome demons for Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks. The Hogs were able to close out a close game, win in overtime, depend on the passing game, execute in the red zone, and make a big passing situation stop on defense. Finally, when the chips were down, the Razorbacks made the right moves and took care of business.

The Auburn game could turn out to be more than just “turning a corner” for the Razorbacks. Brandon Allen made 2 touchdown throws in overtime, and also hit a cast-handed running back with a beautiful floating pass for a 2 point conversion. Not to mention the brilliantly executed 4th quarter drive that gave the Razorbacks the go ahead field goal. (that we made!) The defense screwed up late in regulation, but they eventually got the job done. The offensive line is blocking well, and the running game looked great in key situations.

The Razorbacks just aren’t good enough to blowout SEC competition like they did down the stretch in 2014. They’re a young team that has a few key seniors and juniors to lean on. If the Hogs want to go bowling this year, it’s going to require 4th quarter execution and key second half adjustments. And we finally saw that from the Razorbacks this season.

Maybe, as unenviable as the Hog’s position is, it’s the best position for this type of team. The 2015 Razorbacks are a team that, much like in 2014, has their back against the wall. And as we saw last year, that’s when the Hogs played their best football.

For a squad to have suffered the injuries and disappointments that this 2015 team has endured, they’ve come out of their BYE week, taken care of business, and set themselves up for a run to the postseason. What a turnaround that would be for this team.

UT-Martin is a solid squad that has a 5-2 record. Their losses come to Ole Miss and a Jacksonville State team that took Auburn to overtime. If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that no game is a guarantee. The Razorbacks absolutely need to win on Halloween to go bowling, and once again find themselves in a must-win scenario at home. Leave it to the Razorbacks to hinge a season on an out of conference game on Halloween.

The “Heart Attack Hogs” wouldn’t have it any other way.

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