Go Hogs Go! A UArk TCY/FOF Dynasty

Izulde · 12-23-2008, 02:43 AM

Hit that line. Hit that line. Keep on going.
Take that ball right down the field.
Give a cheer. Rah! Rah!
Never fear. Rah! Rah!
Arkansas will never yield.
on your toes Razorbacks to the finish.
Carry on with all your might.
For it's A-A-A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S for Arkansas,
Fight, Fight, F-i-ight, Fight, Fight.
Go Hogs Go!!

We're back with a combined TCY/FOF dynasty and this time, inspired by BYU 14's BYU dynasty. Since I'm a master's student at Arkansas now and will actually get a degree from there, it's goodbye Laramie, hello Fayetteville!

Who knows? Perhaps I'll actually see some success here.

Quick and Dirty: By The Numbers
Starting Prestige: 79 (Very Good - 8th in SEC, 4th in SEC South)
Preliminary Offense: I-Formation (OC has 5 years experience)
Preliminary Defense: 4-3
SEC Bowl Tie-Ins: 5
Preseason Ranking: #38

OC Carlton Fried (53)
Playcall: Terrible
Injury Avoid: Lousy
Rehab: Terrific
Congeniality: Good
QB: Terrific
RB: Decent
WR: Terrible
OL: Terrific
KP: Terrible
Offense: I-Formation
Exp: 5 years

He'll be canned immediately after this season. I delegate play-calling authority to my coordinators, so having a terrible playcaller is an absolute no-go. I'm also really loathing his boom/bust development ratings.

DC Conrad Fredrickson (42)
Playcall: Terrible
Injury Avoid: Very Good
Rehab: Terrific
Congeniality: Terrific
DL: Excellent
LB: Pretty Good
DB: Excellent

This guy is a dream come true as a DC... except he can't call plays to save his life, either. The previous coach appears to have had an obsession with terrible playcallers with the initials CF. I'm not even going to bother pondering what that might mean.

SC Allen Webb (31)
Academic Eligibility: Terrible
Syndicate Investigation: Terrible
Solicit Donations: Good

Young guy, but if he can't keep our players academically eligible, there's no point in keeping him. Winning will get booster donations, not some phoneworker. The abysmal investigations isn't going to be a problem. I intend to run a clean program.

Scouts
Northwest: Pretty good all around, especially on D.
Southwest: Fantastic ability to scout offense. Not so the D.
Midwest: RB and LB are Excellent. He can't scout anything else.
Deep South: Our home region scout is Excellent at finding kickers, sucky at pretty much everything else.
Southeast: Good to great on offense, terrible at scouting D. My lone Excellent QB scout.
Great Lakes: RBs, WRs and DBs = trustworthy. Everywhere else = No.
New England: Great on both sides of the line and DBs.
Mid-Atlantic: RBs and Ks rock the house, otherwise sucks.

Okay, so our scouting staff seems to be designed at finding hotshot RBs. Not a surprise, since the I is the O upon my A.

Since neither one of our coordinators can playcall their way to a Peewee League win, I'm not going to dick with either of the schemes. Besides, Racine Park, my HS alma mater, has a long history of running the I and producing great tailbacks, as I've mentioned many times before.

That said, I'm not wedded to or even in love with the I necessarily. My tendency is to fall for the Run and Shoot and my historical Dolphins dynasty was built around the idea of getting a great QB and stacking up a superb corps of WRs. But then again, I played HB my one season of high school football, so I tend to be fond of the run game a little because of that.

Offenses you're not likely to see from my teams:
Pro - Boring
Single back - I oddly do like the idea of a blocking FB and the SB isn't exotic enough to make me like it.
Wishbone - I appreciate its historical significance, but I like having 2 WRs.
Double Wing - Ball control and power running = boring.
T-Formation - If I was going to have a 3 RB backfield, I'd go with the Flexbone or hell, even the Wishbone before the T-formation
Power I - Umm. Yeah, I'd just stick with the basic I.

So that leaves the I, the Wing-T, the Veer, the Trips, the Run and Shoot and the Flexbone as the possible offenses once we get going. I'll admit, the Flexbone fascinates me for its uniqueness and it'd mean I'd never have to recruit a TE.

But let's take a look at what we've got roster-wise, eh?

Code:

Guzowski, Clyde         5    QB   Jr    50                50                  
Bradford, Danny         2    QB   So*   17                76                  
Wallace, Kent           3    QB   Jr    51                51                  
Norton, Derrick         18   QB   Sr    44                44

Wallace has a more balanced range of throws and he's got a cannon for an arm, so he'll get the initial nod. Guzowski is more of a scrambler and specializes in the screen pass. ....Yeah, not my kind of QB, though he'll be the #2 man. Bradford has absolutely sick potential, but the RS Freshman will probably never realize it. That said, I'm going to make him the #3 QB, so he can maybe get some garbage time in. Norton will be pissed, but I don't care. He's a senior. I'll definitely be looking for a QB in recruiting, because that's my favorite position to recruit.

Code:

Winchester, Darryl      23   RB   So    72                79                  
Godinez, Mitchell       30   RB   So*   20                75                  
Sandstrom, Jorge        24   RB   Jr    51                51                  
Hirsch, Sammie          25   RB   Fr    61                100                 
McIntyre, Dave          42   RB   Sr    62                81                  
Gaylor, Allen           45   RB   Sr    52                52

Holy shit. The previous regime really was obsessed with finding great running backs. I've never seen a RB corps this stacked before in my entire life. Winchester is even better than his ratings suggest by my eye and Hirsch will play on Sundays. That is just one -sick- combination. Winchester is the clear-cut #1 and after that, it's a tossup between McIntyre and Gaylor, because Hirsch gets a free red shirt. I fully expect to see both Winchester -and- Hirsch in the NFL someday... Hirsch's only potential pitfall is that he's kind of a moron and isn't industrious in the classroom. Man oh man, I'm going to love watching this group the next few years. It's so ridiculously good I'm not going to recruit here.

Code:

Garrison, Renaldo       40   FB   Fr    28                70                  
Warren, Ricky           26   FB   So    47                76                  
Fisher, Britt           48   FB   Fr    35                55                  
Taylor, Ike             34   FB*  Fr    15                59

I could give less of a damn about FBs. I'm redshirting Garrison so I can forget about this position group for the next four years. Warren starts for as long as we even need a FB on our roster.

Code:

Welshans, Lincoln       93   TE   Sr    48                68                  
Alexander, Ike          89   TE   Jr    38                38                  
Reed, Rufus             86   TE   Fr    22                76                  
Wojciechowicz, Leonard  96   TE   Sr    49                67                  
Kuebrich, Luke          99   TE*  Fr    16                63

Welshans and Wojciechowicz are a tossup as the starter. I'll probably go with Welshans though, because he's a fantastic receiver. Reed, if he ever develops, will be phenomenal and Kuebrich intrigues as well, so they'll both redshirt.

Code:

Giles, Adam             85   WR   Jr    56                56                  
Kelly, Johnny           84   WR   Sr    50                50                  
Linquist, Earl          82   WR   Sr    55                55                  
Woodson, Shane          7    WR   Sr*   41                42                  
Garcia, Rufus           81   WR*  Fr    26                54                  
Jeffries, Colin         88   WR*  Fr    26                63                  
Chandler, Joseph        80   WR*  Fr    24                58

All those great RBs mean WRs get ignored. I'm not thrilled with any of these guys. Linquist is an obvious starter and I'll probably go with Kelly as the other starter, because Giles drops too many damn passes and doesn't have upside in the right areas. Jeffries intrigues me enough and this group is bad enough that I'll make him the #3 WR as a true freshman, but we're definitely going to be shopping in recruiting.

Code:

Hall, Gerald            50   C    Jr*   22                70                  
Hickman, Mack           55   C*   Jr*   18                57                  
Lee, Jamie              56   C*   Fr    19                42

Terrible situation here. Hall's the starter by default, but we need a serious talent infusion.

Code:

Thompson, Mel           60   G    Sr*   63                83                  
Lewis, Mercury          76   G    Sr*   42                74                  
Hastings, Luke          64   G*   So*   18                76                  
Stensrud, Emmitt        62   G*   Fr    7                 53

Thompson at LG, Lewis at RG and Hastings, who looks like a future cornerstone, as the main backup. Stensrud isn't as promising as his potential suggests, so no redshirt for him. While our two starters can hold down the fort for a couple years, I'd like to lay the foundation for the future here, especially if Hastings can't develop into his potential. To encourage Hastings, I give him a scholarship.

Code:

McKenna, Jack           74   T    Fr    35                67                  
McDonald, Oliver        67   T    Sr*   29                59                  
Blouir, Travis          78   T    Fr    15                54                  
Zahavi, Anthony         68   T*   Fr    18                45

McKenna has awesome potential and I wish I could redshirt him, but we're so thin on numbers here, he and McDonald will start at LT and RT respectively. Blouir fascinates me as a road-eating RT. Zachavi's not worth commenting on.

Code:

Burkhammer, Ralph       6    P    Jr    61                63                  
Samuels, Junior         1    P    So    31                55                  
Bullock, Tom            16   K    Sr    59                68                  
Johnston, Warren        10   K    Jr    49                49                  
Dwight, William         8    K*   Fr    10                48

Eh. Burkhammer and Bullock get the nod here. Samuels and Johnston, whose scouting report indicates greater potential than the static ratings suggest, will redshirt. Dwight's filler.

Code:

Beltran, Aaron          90   DE   Jr*   41                67                  
Hruby, Richard          98   DE   So    44                67                  
Linstrom, Oliver        77   DE   Sr*   91                91                  
Weidner, Damon          73   DE   Sr    79                81                  
McGregor, Mitch         94   DE*  Fr    24                68                  
Abreu, Donny            92   DE*  So*   10                51

I weep that Weidner's in his senior year and that Linstrom has NFL ability, but not enough endurance to be a true topflight player, in spite of his juggernaut talent. Beltran looks a lot better upsidewise than Hruby, so he'll be the primary backup. McGregor's redshirting and we're going to be scrambling to try and find replacements for the fantastic standards we're starting off with.

Code:

Middleton, Lincoln      72   DT   Sr*   61                61                  
Sowell, Rich            71   DT   Sr*   43                63                  
Lowe, Joey              70   DT   Sr*   44                44                  
Moss, Lincoln           79   DT*  Fr    14                38                  
Becht, Kurt             75   DT*  So*   3                 27

Moss earns a redshirt. Middleton gets the start and if we stay with a 4-3, Lowe will be the other starter, but our deplorable state here has me strongly considering a 3-4.

Code:

Starks, Norm            43   ILB  Sr    82                82                  
Phillips, Nathan        95   ILB  So*   25                79                  
McKenzie, Chuck         52   ILB  Sr    58                61                  
Connell, Neil           57   ILB* Fr    9                 41

Starks looks NFL-bound after this season. Phillips is extremely raw and doesn't look -that- exciting a prospect. McKenzie is good enough that if we didn't have the numbers, I'd be tempted to pull the trigger on a 3-4, even though my preference is for the 4-3. Connell's a body.

Code:

Flowers, Thurman        97   OLB  Sr*   35                82                  
Daft, Spencer           49   OLB  Sr    65                69                  
Klekamp, Ernest         91   OLB  Sr    53                63                  
Lynn, Aaron             58   OLB  Sr*   64                66                  
Jacques, John           51   OLB* So*   16                57

An unfortunately senior-heavy group. Daft and Lynn will be the starters with Klekamp the reserve. Flowers isn't anywhere near what that potential is trying to suggest. Jacques has nice upside, but he's extremely raw. We seriously need youth here.

Code:

Fields, Marlon          37   CB   Jr    50                63                  
Lynn, Henry             47   CB   Sr    40                40                  
Goodlink, Kenyon        44   CB   So    37                37                  
Gowin, Greg             29   CB   Jr*   45                45                  
Graveson, Rick          46   CB   Jr*   68                76                  
Wolfe, Roderick         20   CB*  Fr    11                47

Graveson is absolutely awesome and so much better than the rest of this group, I'm going to go with a Top/2nd CB orientation. Flip a coin between the rest of these guys for the 2nd CB and the subsequent backup spots. Goodlink's bars suggest potential and upside not being reported here, so he'll redshirt. I could ride with this group since it's young enough, but I'd really like to acquire another blue chip to pair with Graveson.

Code:

Fisk, Derrick           32   S    Sr    42                42                  
Simmons, Junior         33   S    Jr    29                50                  
Weber, Walter           31   S*   Fr    14                69                  
Womer, Graham           28   S*   Fr    16                51

Great potential on the two walk-ons, enough that I'll bite the bullet and name one of them the starter opposite Fisk. We need more developed players here.

Primary Recruiting Needs
WR
C
G
T
DE
DT
ILB
OLB
S

Intermediate Needs
QB
TE
CB
P

No Worries
RB
FB

Starting Recruit List
S Cris Worlow
P Morris Quintana
RB Ralph Rose (I know, I know, but he's from a ridiculously good school)
T Mark Richard
DE Randall Abraham
G Arnie Petus (Not SEC level probably, but he comes from a decent HS)
QB Bo Higgins (#1 overall player in the country!)
WR Jared Chin
WR Tyrone Riley

Note on Recruiting House Rules
I'm only permitted to recruit blue and green players, with the exception of Arkansas, where I'm able to go after everyone because we're the flagship campus of the UA system. Hence, how I added Worlow and Rose to the list, who are both Red Arkansas players (who will hopefully someday wear Arkansas red!)

Note on Bowl Games
I need to find the bowl games list and I'm not adverse to changing up the default bowl tie-ins, adjusting them as the years go by according to how the conferences do.... If that's possible, that is.

BYU 14 · 12-23-2008, 07:48 AM

LOL, I knew you would do this. Arkansas is a great choice and with those backs you should have one of the best run games in the nation. Hey Georgia Tech showed the flexbone can work in a BCS conference this year, go for it!

I will be following.

MJ4H · 12-23-2008, 08:57 AM

finallyfinallyfinallyfinally

*subscribed

Izulde · 12-23-2008, 03:15 PM

BYU 14: Thanks.

I agree, our run game should be absolutely insane. As for what offense we'll run, I'm still not sure on that. Or heck, even the D.

MJ4H:

Welcome aboard!

Izulde · 12-26-2008, 02:00 AM

The instrumental version of the Razorbacks Fight Song

2004 Arkansas Razorbacks and SEC South Preview
The Razorbacks will be led by one of the nation's powerful rushing attacks, spearheaded by RB Darryl Winchester (So) and seniors Allen Gaylor, a speedy change-of-pace back and Dave McIntyre, a short-yardage specialist. FB Ricky Warren (So) will pave the way as the team's best run-blocker.

Big-armed QB Kent Wallace (Jr) won the starting job at the Spring game, but he isn't a guarantee to stay there. If he struggles, look for the safer-throwing Clyde Guzowski to step in under center. Neither one will have much in the way of receiving targets, although the coaching staff is quietly excited about walk-on freshman Colin Jeffries's potential as the third WR. This lack of quality wide receivers only further cements the importance of the Hogs' running game this year.

The offensive line, while nothing spectacular, appears geared to the run game and is led by G Mel Thompson (RS Jr).

The Hogs boast the best starting pair of DEs in the SEC, maybe even in the country in senior Damon Weidner and redshirt junior Oliver Linstrom and DTs Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) and Joey Lowe (RS Jr) team with them to form an excellent defensive front four.

Senior ILB Norm Starks heads up a very good starting linebacker unit, OLBs Spencer Daft (Sr) and Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) his cohorts. There's depth as well in Ernest Kleklamp (Sr) and Chuck McKenzie (Sr).

Defensive backfield will be the Razorbacks' biggest weakness as they lack playmakers outside of studly RS So CB Rick Graveson and anything remotely resembling quality depth. Expect to see teams throw away from Graveson as much as possible, because there's simply not much else there.

All in all, this year's version of the Hogs looks like an extremely talented team on both sides of the ball, but their senior-heavy defense points to a need to go bowling this year and emphasize defense in recruiting, because the cupboard's looking a little bare next season. A bowl game certainly seems within reach, although the offensive line and secondary appear too suspect to have dreams of an SEC title, much less a run at a national championship.

#15 Alabama
The Crimson Tide have a very good two-headed rushing attack in senior RBs Jake O'Neill and Teddy Huntley, a solid QB in junior Leland Warfield and of the country's best receiving TEs in Thurman Flora (RS Jr). The offensive line is stronger than the Razorbacks', but the defense is much weaker, even in the secondary, where top CBs Harvey Battle (Sr) and Ken Bronson (Jr) are noted mostly for their electrifying return ability rather than their coverage skills.

#23 Auburn
Tigers fans better hope QB Willie Nichols (Sr) stays healthy, because not only is he one of the most mistake-free passers in the division, there's nobody else behind him. Auburn's passing attack is to be feared, as they have a strong receiving corps, most notably Keith Freibergs (Jr) and Doug Rucci (Sr). Unfortunately, outside of G Alfred Anastasiades (Jr), a Preseason All-American, the offensive line is terrible. Great special teams, but the defense is iffy, save for a good but not great linebacker group.

#12 Louisiana State
Senior QB Alvin Fleming is the best in the SEC South and LSU's running backs go five deep, each of them a worthy challenger to Darryl Winchester. Now that's stacked! Junior TE Percy Isaacs is even better than Alabama's Flora, there's a glut of good receivers and the offensive line is good as well. The defense bears some equally astounding news. There's three RS Jr DEs rated Excellent by the National Collegiate Scouting Service: George Coble, Erik Sudderth and the crown jewel of them all, Preseason All-American Carlos Singleton. The defense is very good all-around, save for some issues at cornerback, but that's made up for somewhat by the presence of two terrific senior safeties: run-stopping machine Lincoln Stokley and ballhawking Darrin Niles. Little wonder LSU has the preseason ranking they do and in fact, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Tigers in the national championship game.

Mississippi
Ole Miss has a pair of great junior running backs in Jamie Moss and Sean Flickinger and a superlative TE in senior Omar Dirita, but they have no legitimate QB or WRs worth mentioning and their lone truly talented offensive lineman is run-blocking specialist RS Jr William Buckner. The Rebels have a terrific run defense, anchored by RS junior DT Shawn Sawyer, a Preseason All-American and senior OLB Nathan Sevcik, but Ole Miss's pass defense is going to get shredded, especially in the SEC.

Mississippi State
The Bulldogs are last and least in the SEC South, maybe even the entire conference. The offensive line is pretty good, with redshirt juniors C Sedrick Lincoln and G Junior Waddle the headliners, but the rest of the offense is stupendous in its dreadfulness. The defense isn't much better, though it does have two good players in DT Bernard Davidson (Sr) and S Perry Tuaolo (Sr). On the other hand, Tuaolo's a run-defense specialist and there's no playmakers on defense at all.

Predicted SEC South Standings
1. LSU
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Arkansas
5. Mississippi
6. Mississippi State

LSU is the clear-cut class of the division and after that, it's a dogfight between the Auburn variety Tigers, the Crimson Tide and the Razorbacks for second place, with any one of the teams capable of breaking out. It's going to be a long year for football in Mississippi, because neither Ole Miss or State are any good this season.

Preseason Top 25
1. Michigan
2. Oklahoma
3. Miami (FL)
4. Florida State
5. Ohio State
6. Georgia
7. Nebraska
8. Texas
9. USC
10. Florida
11. Tennessee
12. Louisiana State
13. Penn State
14. UCLA
15. Alabama
16. Notre Dame
17. Wisconsin
18. Virginia Tech
19. Clemson
20. Kansas State
21. Texas A&M
22. Oregon
23. Auburn
24. Washington
25. Iowa

Izulde · 12-26-2008, 09:29 PM

Week 2 News
With no games on tap for the first week of the college football season, we head right on into Week 2, where the Razorbacks are set to take on the New Mexico State Aggies in the home opener. From all accounts, the evening promises to be a long one for the Aggies at the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, where the Hogs are two touchdown favorites. Senior cornerback Zach Blackner is New Mexico State's best player and the only one who'd be likely to see significant action in an Arkansas uniform.

Randall Abraham, the top DE prospect in the state of Arkansas from McGehee High School in McGehee will be in attendance at this week's game and all reports say that he could be an early commit to the Hogs.

Rumored New Recruits
DE Ben Clemons
DT Adam Curtis
ILB Will Bilba
OLB Stanley Crawford
CB Rex Yellope
C Andy Goodwin
T Cedric Lowe

SEC Recruit Battle Alert
LSU is also pursuing DE Ben Clemons, a pass-rushing specialist just outside the Rivals.com Top 100 players at 101 and the ranked 8th nationally among defensive ends. He hails from Leavitt Area High School in Turner, Maine, and has thus far been pursued only by LSU and Arkansas. If a team closer to home indicates interest, both the Tigers and the Razorbacks are likely out of it, as Clemons has indicated a wish to stay in New England if at all possible.

OLB Stanley Crawford, the top-ranked outside linebacker in the US, rated #47 overall, has already drawn massive interest and scholarship offers, including from SEC schools Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee, along with the Razorbacks' archrivals, the Longhorns of the University of Texas. The battle over Crawford will be one of the most intense and closely watched of the year.

Running Hog Wild! Razorbacks Shut Out Aggies To Open Season

A sellout crowd at the opening game of the 2004 season

It was a mismatch even more brutal than the Vegas men had it, as the Arkansas Razorbacks shut out the New Mexico State Aggies by the brutalizing score of 47-0 to get the season off to a roaring start.

The Hogs took a while to get started, a promising opening drive that was almost exclusively Darryl Winchester running and receiving nullifed by a fumble and it wasn't until just under two and a half minutes remained in the first quarter that the scoreboard changed, Kent Wallace finding Earl Lindquist in the endzone for an 18 yard TD reception to put the Razorbacks up 7-0.

A fumble recovery on the following Aggies drive gave Arkansas a short field and three Darryl Winchester runs was all the Hogs need to score again and go up 14-0 at the start of the second quarter. It was the first of Winchester's 3 TDs on the night.

New Mexico threatened to score a few minutes before halftime, but senior Damon Weidner got an 8 yard sack and the attempted 45 yard FG went wide right. Not that it would have mattered, as the game was already 27-0 at the time, the Hogs' rout a foregone conclusion even then.

The squash was sealed midway through the third quarter, when, with a 37-0 Arkansas lead, backup quarterback Clyde Guzowski took the field along with the rest of the Razorback second unit and engineered a field goal-yielding drive make the score 40-0.

47-0 was the final and Hog Nation couldn't be any happier with how their team started off the year. No injuries and an absolutely dominating performance by both units.

Game MVP: RB Darryl Winchester

Razorback Leaders
Passing
Kent Wallace (Jr) - 11 of 18 - 195 yards - 1 TD
Clyde Guzowski (Jr) - 4 of 5 - 60 yards
Danny Bradford (RS Fr) - 1 of 1 - 12 yards - 1 TD

Rushing
Darryl Winchester (So) - 24 carries - 121 yards - 2 TDs - 1 fumble
Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 11 carries - 78 yards

Receiving
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 4 receptions - 43 yards - 1 TD
WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - 3 receptions - 69 yards
WR Colin Jeffries (Fr) - 2 receptions - 56 yards

Defense
ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 9 tackles, 1 assist - 5 TFL
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 5 tackles - 3 TFL - 1 sack
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2 tackles, 2 assists - 1 INT - 20 INT return yards

Offensive Line/Special Teams
T Jack McKenna (Fr) - 5 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed
K Tom Bullock (Sr) - 2/3 FG - 5/6 XP

MJ4H · 12-26-2008, 09:37 PM

booya!!

Izulde · 12-27-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ4H

booya!!

Indeed. It was an awesome way to kick off the year.

Izulde · 12-28-2008, 08:46 PM

Other Week 2 SEC Results
UNLV 10 #9 Tennessee 34
South Carolina 38 Vanderbilt 0
Oregon State 7 #10 LSU 51
Memphis 21 Mississippi 55
Utah State 14 #13 Alabama 63
Kentucky 3 Louisville 52
Tulane 18 Mississippi State 26
Lousiana-Monroe 3 #19 Auburn 55
Middle Tennessee State 0 #8 Florida 72

SEC vs. Other Conferences Week: 9-1

Only lowly Kentucky kept the SEC from having a perfect opening weekend. Lots of high-scoring creamfests here, the biggest surprise of which was Ole Miss's 34 point reaming of Memphis. I'm still thinking LSU has a great shot at making the national title game this year. They're fantastic.

Offense Player of the Week
QB Wesley Pitcher - UCLA - 25/32 - 386 yards - 6 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Jose Alexander - Illinois - 6 tackles - 5 sacks - 1 Pass Defense

Arkansas Razorback POTW Nominees
QB Kent Wallace
RB Darryl Winchester
RB Allen Gaylor
FB Ricky Warren

Razorbacks and Longhorns Form New Rivalry Trophy---The Bloody Orange
The University of Arkansas Razorbacks and the University of Texas Longhorns announced today that they're adding a new twist to their historic rivalry---a traveling trophy called The Bloody Orange. The trophy is a large, stuffed orange mounted on a cherry wood base and topped with fascimile blood. The players of every team that wins the Battle for the Bloody Orange will get to sign the trophy and if either school wins five consecutive games, they get to keep the Bloody Orange and the Bloody Orange II will be introduced.

Should a Bloody Orange be retired, the captain of the losing team must also sign the trophy, in the blood section of the orange as a marker of their defeat. The first Battle for the Bloody Orange occurs this week as the #7 ranked Longhorns come to Fayetteville to take on the Razorbacks on a nationally televised game on CBS.

Other Week 3 News
Home field advantage gives the Razorbacks a 2 point edge according to the oddsmakers, but the Hogs players and coaching staff are considering this game a difficult challenge.

"Any time you have Arkansas playing Texas, it's a huge rivalry game. And it's even bigger this year with the Bloody Orange", sophomore RB Darryl Winchester noted.

The Longhorns offense is led by RB Jimmy Washington (Jr), who had 18 carries for 129 yards and 3 TDs and 2 catches for 20 yards and another TD in Texas's opening game. Big 6'6, 326 lb T Brandon Joyner (Jr) anchors a solid offensive line and the Longhorns have incredible depth at linebacker and safety, where S Eddie Garner (Jr) already has 2 interceptions on the year.

It promises to be a close game and perhaps it's a good thing no recruits are scheduled to visit campus this week.

SEC Recruit Battle Alert
DE Ben Clemons
-Arkansas, Colorado, LSU
OLB Stanley Crawford
-Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Wisconsin

With Crawford taking visits at Oklahoma, the archrival Longhorns and the Red Raiders already, the Razorbacks' chances of landing him appear quite slim. Clemons draws interest from Colorado, but still wants a team close to his home in frigid Maine.

QB Bo Higgins, the #1 recruit in the US, has offers from Arkansas, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee on board. Early reports suggest he's leaning towards the Buckeyes, Tigers or Volunteers, but perhaps the Hogs can pull of an upset.

Longhorns Gore Razorbacks 40-0 In Inagural Battle for the Bloody Orange

A group of Longhorns fans celebrate after Texas's slaughter of Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Last week's promising start against New Mexico State seemed naught but a mirage for the Hogs following this afternoon's 40-0 shellacking at the hands of the hated Texas Longhorns.

Texas struck first five minutes into the first quarter, Longhorns redshirt junior QB Jim Griffith hitting fellow redshirt junior FB Seth Maestas for an 11 yard TD pass. That 7-0 score held until midway through the second quarter, when Griffith escaped a 3rd and 20 jam by connecting with WR Will Kwan for 33 yards to keep a drive alive that resulted in Texas's second TD o the day on Maestas's 1 yard goal line plunge.

The Hogs couldn't get anything going on offense in the first half, crossing into Longhorn territory just twice as they went into the locker room at halftime down 14-0. It was even worse in the second half, as the furthest Arkanas advanced on the field was their own 34 yard line, while the Longhorns continued to rack up points, playing with fire and passion missing from a dazed and confused Razorback squad who played ugly all day.

Razorback Leaders
Passing
Kent Wallace (Jr) - 5 of 13 - 79 yards - 1 INT

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 14 carries - 39 yards
RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 6 carries - 28 yards

Receiving
TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 3 catches - 53 yards

Defense
ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 11 tackles, 5 assists - 2 forced fumbles - 1 hurry - 5 times caught
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 8 tackles, 3 assists - 1 TFL - 0.5 sack - 1 hurry - 1 blocked pass
DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 1 hurry

Other Week 3 SEC results
Arkansas State 7 #10 LSU 53 (Raycom)
#19 Auburn 31 Mississippi State 10 (Raycom)
Mississippi 31 #13 Alabama 34 (Fox Regional)
Eastern Michigan 7 #8 Florida 59 (ESPN2)
#5 Georgia 17 South Carolina 31 (ESPN)

Ole Miss nearly pulls off the major-league upset on the Crimson Tide and the Rebels may be a better team than most people think. The Bulldogs couldn't prevent the same fate and get ripped apart by the Gamecocks. It's going to be an interesting year over in the SEC North, though I'm predicting the Gators roll to the SEC Championship to face off against LSU. Both those teams have looked dynamite these first two games.

SEC Versus Other Conferences Week: 2-1
SEC Versus Other Conferences Year: 11-2

MJ4H · 12-28-2008, 09:07 PM

Well that sucks.

Izulde · 12-29-2008, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Well that sucks.

But also not altogether unexpected. Honestly, the score doesn't really reflect how well our defense played. Giving up 40 points sounds like a lot, but the Longhorns were working with short fields the whole damned game, especially in the second half.

Given that, it's not surprising Texas scored 40. Our OC is so gone after the year, whereas our DC is actually making a case for himself to be retained.

BYU 14 · 12-29-2008, 09:16 AM

Ouch....rough loss, I would definitely replace the OC too.

kingfc22 · 12-29-2008, 12:56 PM

Starks is a stud.

I'm interested to see how his year turns out.

Izulde · 12-29-2008, 01:40 PM

BYU 14: Yep, I said even before the season started that Carlton Fried is going to be gone next year. Initially I thought the same of Conrad Fredrickson, but his intangibles and developmental ability, plus the solid showing by our D the first two games is making me re-think that.

kingfc22: Agreed. Not thrilled about the 5 times caught from the Longhorns game, but the guy finds ways to make plays. I'm going to follow his probable NFL career with great interest.

Izulde · 12-29-2008, 07:33 PM

Offensive Player of the Week
RB Donnell Boling - Kansas State - 24 carries - 284 yards - 3 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DT Karl Vibert - Louisville - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 4 sacks

Arkansas POTW Nominees
None

Hogs Set To Take On Louisiana-Monroe
The Razorbacks catch a breather by going against the Indians in Fayetteville this week. Arkansas's favored by 9 and should win this one handily, as ULM's best player is K Renaldo Porter (Sr) and the only position where the Indians even come close to matching the Hogs.

It's a good time to host an easy opponent, as three recruits are visiting this week. G Arnie Pettus, the top-ranked guard recruit in Arkansas, from Watson Chapel High in Pine Bluff, will be attending the game, along with P Morris Quintana, the 29th rated punter in the country, who hails from Sylvain Hills High in Sherwood. Rounding out the visitors is another Arkansas native, S Chris Worlow from Searcy High in Searcy, rated 9th nationally among safeties and the state's #2 prospect behind P Jorge Congdon.

SEC Recruit Battle Alert
DE Ben Clemons
-Arkansas, Colorado, LSU, Maryland, Oklahoma

The Clemons battle may be over with the Terrapins stepping in with a scholarship offer. The blue-chipper is said to be extremely happy with the much shorter distance to his hometown than the other contenders and looks primed to head to College Park.

OLB Stanley Crawford
-Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Wisconsin

Competition's heating up for Crawford, as the SEC schools are moving in to try and woo the country's #1 OLB and Top 50 player. We're still predicting him as a Longhorn by the time all is said and done.

QB Bo Higgins
-Arkansas, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee

Interesting mix of schools but it looks now like it'll probably be the Tigers or the Volunteers.

CB Hunter Reed, the top-ranked CB in Illinois, becomes the Razorbacks' newest recruiting target and scholarship offer receipient, which draws them into a battle with SEC South foe Auburn and Kansas State.

Hogs Offense Wakes Up In 73-18 Pummeling Of Indians

The Razorbacks storm out of the tunnel before the game, led by a clowning QB Clyde Guzowski (Jr, #5)

Just one week after an embarassing loss in the Battle for the Bloody Orange, the Razorbacks rampaged over the Indians with a revived offense.

Things started off slow with the Hogs building a tenuous 6-0 lead on two K Tom Bullock (Sr) field goals and then redshirt sophomore Rick Graveson electrifed the home crowd with a dazzling 77 yard punt return for a TD with just over two minutes to go in the first quarter.

The Hogs scored again before the first quarter ended, as Graveson intercepted Indians senior QB Vincent Wilcox, returning it 25 yards to put the Razorbacks on ULM's 4 yard line. QB Kent Wallace (Jr) connected with senior TE Lincoln Welshans for the TD on the next play to make it 21-0 Arkansas.

Louisiana-Monroe struck back with a field goal shortly after the start of the second and intercepted Wallace early on the next Hogs drive, but the Indians weren't able to convert.

The second half ended with an incredible 6 straight plays involving sophomore RB Darryl Winchester for 11+ yards, 5 runs and a pass reception. Although the drive didn't result in a score, it was 28-10 Razorbacks at the half and the Indians were looking demoralized.

But then the Indians came out fired up after the half, holding Arkansas to a 3 and out and engineering a TD drive capped off by Wilcox's 25 yard strike to senior WR Kelly Rasmussen. The ensuing 2 point conversion made it a two-possession game at 28-18.

That would be as close as Lousiana-Monroe would get, as the Hogs defense stiffened up the rest of the way, while the offense rained down the points, including a 40 yard TD run by RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) midway through the fourth quarter to make it 59-18.

Wallace played the entire game despite the blowout margin of victory, leading some to believe the Arkansas coaching staff wanted to deliver a statement that their offense isn't anywhere near as bad as it looked in last week's clunker loss to Texas. It was a phenomenal game by the junior, who was named Game MVP for his performance.

Razorback Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 23 of 36 - 374 yards - 5 TDs - 1 INT

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 28 carries - 171 yards - 2 TDs
RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 6 carries - 58 yards - 1 TD

Receiving
WR Colin Jeffries (Fr) - 4 catches - 101 yards - 1 TD
WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - 4 catches - 78 yards - 1 TD - 1 drop
TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 4 catches - 55 yards - 1 TD - 1 drop

Defense
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 5 tackles, 2 assists - 1 TFL - 1 INT - 4 times caught
DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 3 tackles - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 2 hurries
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 3 tackles, 2 assists - 3 TFL - 1.5 sacks
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 2 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 1.5 sacks - 7 hurries

Offensive Line/Special Teams
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 3 punt returns - 96 yards - 32.0 yard average - 1 TD
T Jack McKenna (Fr) - 4 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed
T Oliver McDonald (RS Jr) - 4 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed
G Mel Thompson (RS Jr) - 4 Key Run Blocks
K Tom Bullock (Sr) - 3/3 FGs, 43 Yard Long - 8/8 XPs

***End Webpage***

Coach Notes

Milestones
QB Kent Wallace has the first 300+ yard passing game of my regime, WR Colin Jeffries the first 100+ yard receiving game, thereby validating my trust in the true freshman as the #3 receiver.

Other SEC Scores
#9 LSU 41 #19 Auburn 14 (CBS)
#7 Florida 3 #10 Tennessee 7 (ESPN)
Indiana 10 Kentucky 35
Vanderbilt 14 Mississippi 49
Marshall 0 Georgia 41
South Florida 3 South Carolina 55
Lawrence 0 #13 Alabama 62

LSU keeps winning big and they absolutely decimate Auburn on national television. My preseason pick for them is looking better and better every week. That low-scoring contest between the Gators and the Volunteers shocks me, even more that Tennessee pulled out the upset. True, it was South Florida, but watch out for the Gamecocks, who are now 3-0 and still riding high after their upset of Georgia last week.

SEC Versus Other Conferences Week: 5-0
SEC Versus Other Conferences Year: 16-2

Dominant year for the conference so far, though a lot of these games have been against clearly inferior competition.

MJ4H · 12-29-2008, 08:28 PM

Awesome. This dynasty makes me want to play TCY again. I wonder if anyone here still has the TCY Viewer I wrote ages ago. That would be awesome. I didn't keep it when I changed computers though, so if no one has it, it's long gone.

Izulde · 12-30-2008, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Awesome. This dynasty makes me want to play TCY again. I wonder if anyone here still has the TCY Viewer I wrote ages ago. That would be awesome. I didn't keep it when I changed computers though, so if no one has it, it's long gone.

Awesome.

But yeah, I definitely agree that a well-written TCY dynasty gets the urge to play it again going. I'm having an absolute blast writing this one and TCY's enough of a challenge that I'm probably going to be playing and writing this one a good long while, unlike FOF, where I've unfortunately conquered SP mode and don't have the attention span needed to stick with an MP league.

Izulde · 12-30-2008, 03:36 PM

It's a nervous moment seeing two high priority e-mails pop up in my inbox this time of year. But I won't look at them just yet. If it's good news, I want to savor the moment. If it's bad news, I want to delay the depression.

Offensive Player of the Week
QB Levon Reynolds - Boston College - 33/43 - 484 yards - 6 TDs - 1 INT
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Floyd Sevick - Kentucky - 6 tackles - 5 sacks

That's going to be the highlight of the Wildcats' season I bet, Sevick winning National Defensive Player of the Week.

Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominees
QB Kent Wallace (2nd time)
RB Darryl Winchester (2nd time)
RB Allen Gaylor (2nd time)

I'm surprised WR Colin Jeffries didn't get a nod, but it is what it is.

And now for the e-mails.

Nothing exciting. No recruit decisions. Just WR Colin Jeffries and S Graham Womer wanting scholarships. Jeffries gets his, but Womer is just going to have to wait, because if we get better players in, he may be a non-factor or even cut next year.

Undefeated Crimson Tide To Roll Into Fayetteville For Hogs SEC Opener
The #12 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are coming to Arkansas this week and the SEC South co-leaders, with a 3-0 (1-0) record, promise to be a dangerous opponent. Junior QB Leland Warfield has completed an insane 82.1% of his passes so far this season for 615 yards, 9 TDs and 3 INTs. That rate of accuracy is #1 in the country, Virginia's Eddie Malchow a distant 2nd at 74.4%. CB Harvey Battle (Sr) leads the SEC in punt return average with 12.5 and is second in kick returning with 28 yards a return. CB Ken Bronson (Jr) is just behind Battle in the punt return category, averaging 12.2 yards per return.

Sophomore K Craig Watkins is off to a fine start, 4/5 on FGs and a perfect 21/21 on extra points and senior ILB Harry Tubbs leads Alabama's defense with 18 tackles, 2 assists, 3 TFL, a QB hurry and an interception. Another senior LB, OLB Matt Veighey, has been the Tide's top coverage man with 2 interceptions and caught just 3 times for a 22.3% pass defense.

Warfield's accurate arm and the deadliness of Alabama's special teams mean this will be as difficult a game as the Battle for the Bloody Orange and we could see a similiar result despite the even odds given this matchup. In another worrying sign, this game is a national one, televised on ESPN and the Razorbacks are 0-1 thus far in televised games this season.

No recruits will be attending the game.

SEC Recruit Battle/Texas-Arkansas Recruit Battle Alert
DE Ben Clemons
-Arkansas, Colorado, LSU, Maryland, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma

OLB Stanley Crawford
-Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Wisconsin

Four visit slots filled by Crawford now and all signs point to him going to the Big 12, as he has yet to visit an SEC school. The Razorbacks staff will no doubt be pushing hard to be his fifth official visit and give the Hogs an outside shot at landing the nation's top-ranked OLB.

QB Bo Higgins
-Arkansas, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee

Higgins takes his first official visit with the Buckeyes, but the Razorbacks aren't out of it yet by any means.

CB Hunter Reed
-Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas State, Wisconsin

3 of the SEC South's 6 teams are now in pursuit of Reed, who no doubt will be watching this week's Razorbacks/Crimson Tide game to get a sense of which school he might like better.

RB Ralph Rose, an in-state prospect from powerhouse Dover High in Dover, has ruffled feathers in his hometown by choosing Alabama for his first official visit. Arkansas's top-ranked RB is a Top 20 RB nationwide (#17) and to lose him to a division foe would be aggravating to the Hogs, even if it's not a position of need. Rose, known for his ability to fight for extra yardage, is being recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Penn State, Purdue and Virginia.

WR Jared Chin, the #10 WR in the country from Oswego High in Oswego, IL who really knows how to exploit defenses and get open, has already taken visits at Illinois, Penn State and Purdue and he appears headed for Urbana-Champaign, but Arkansas, Boston College and Texas are pressing to try and get him as well. Chin is one of two Illinois WRs being courted by the Razorbacks; Tyrone Riley from La Salle-Peru Township in La Salle is the other.

ILB Will Bilba, the run-stopping #2 ILB in Texas, idolizes the Longhorns, but has received no word from them. He's taken a visit at Baylor, but also has offers from two SEC schools in Arkansas and Vanderbilt, along with scholarships from Colorado State and North Texas.

New Recruits
DT Bruce Freestone

OOC Note: Since recruiting is proving a rough go, I've loosened up my blue and green only rule a little bit. If a player idolizes Arkansas, then I have the right to offer them a scholarship, no matter what color they are, just as I can recruit any Arkansas native no matter what color.

The Tide Stops Here---Razorbacks Upset #12 Alabama 19-14

University of Arkansas co-eds are all smiles after the Hogs' upset of the 12th ranked Crimson Tide

Head coach Jestor Izulde had a feeling the moment sophomore RB Darryl Winchester tore up the field with a 77 yard run on the first play of the game.

"When Darryl had that big play and got the crowd going, I knew we had a good chance of pulling off the upset", Izulde said at the post-game press conference.

Although the Hogs had to settle for a field goal and a slim 3-0 lead, the tone was set for the rest of the game---a gritty, defensive slugfest highlighted by big plays, such as OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr)'s key third down sack of Crimson Tide QB Leland Warfield (Jr) in Arkansas territory midway through the first quarter that forced Alabama to punt.

The Razorbacks got a scare when QB Kent Wallace (Jr) was intercepted in the Hogs half of the field with 3:42 left in the first, but two straight TFL by DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) and ILB Norm Starks (Sr) and a dropped pass on third down created a three and out punt to save the day again.

That defensive stand proved critical, not only for stopping the Tide, but the ensuing punt resulted in a crowd-rousing 64 yard punt return by redshirt sophomore CB Rick Graveson, his second big return in as many games. Although the Hogs once again had to settle for a FG and a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter, it was much-needed insurance.

Things were looking good for the Hogs after they got a fumble recovery in Alabama territory a few minutes later, but then Winchester fumbled two plays after the turnover and Crimson Tide junior OLB Andre Numbers picked the ball and ran it back 61 yards for a TD and a game-changing 7-6 Alabama lead.

A golden opportunity for the Hogs came on a partially blocked punt with 3:44 left in the half that put Arkansas on the Tide's 21 yard line, but Winchester wasted it when he fumbled again and Alabama recovered.

The 7-6 score still stood at halftime, but the Razorbacks got another gift handed to them when they recovered another Alabama fumble on the Tide's first play of the second half's opening drive. Unfortunately, Kent Wallace was intercepted by CB Harvey Battle (Sr) two plays later and Battle ran it back 41 yards to put the Tide in Arkansas territory.

Fortunately, the defense came up with another critical stop and the Razorbacks were able to put together a scoring drive, capped off by a 23 yard TD pass from Wallace to senior WR Earl Linquist, giving the Hogs a 13-7 lead with 8:10 left in the third.

The Hogs scored again after a 45 yard punt return by Graveson started the Razorbacks in Crimson Tide territory and FB Ricky Warren (So) converted potential disaster into glorious celebration by picking up senior RB Allen Gaylor's fumble and running it in 4 yards for another TD. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, but Arkansas extended its lead to 19-7 with just over two minutes left in the third.

Alabama scored the final points of the game on a 42 yard TD pass from Warfield to WR Ike Turnbull (So) to make it 19-14 with 6:16 left in the game. The Tide threatened to take the lead again with at the two minute mark, but Hogs junior CB Marlon Fields came up with the clutch endzone interception to save the Razorbacks and seal the thrilling upset win.

Game MVP: Norm Starks

Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 16 of 32 - 207 yards - 1 TD - 4 INTs

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 30 carries, 155 yards - 2 fumbles

Receiving
WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 6 catches - 75 yards - 1 TD
WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - 3 catches - 56 yards

Defense
ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 12 tackles, 4 assists - 5 TFL
DE Damon Wiedner (Sr) - 3 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 4 hurries
CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 3 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 pass defense - 1 INT
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 forced fumble - 1 fumble recovery
DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 5 TFL
OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 1 pass defense

Special Teams/Offensive Line
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 5 punt returns - 147 yards - 29.4 average
K Tom Bullock (Sr) - 2/2 FGs - 39 yard long - 1/1 XP
C Gerald Hall (RS So) - 4 Key Run Blocks

***End Webpage***

Coach's Notes
Superb effort by our defense, who really saved our collective bacon with stop after stop after stop despite 4 picks by Wallace and 2 fumbles a piece by Winchester and Gaylor. Scary to see so many upper classmen on that list and we're really going to miss Starks next year.

Still, it's our first win against a Top 25 team this season and of my tenure. It's also our first televised victory. And it's always nice to win the conference opener.

Other SEC Scores
Troy 0 #20 South Carolina 48
Louisiana Tech 7 #9 Tennessee 42
Mississippi 45 Wyoming 14
Auburn 20 Pittsburgh 54
Vanderbilt 41 Navy 7
Mississippi State 0 #8 LSU 52 (FOX Regional Broadcast)
Kentucky 0 #23 Florida 38 (CBS)

Vanderbilt hands Navy its first loss of the year in a marvelous massacre of the Midshipmen. The Gamecocks are rising fast, LSU still looks top of the line and the Gators rebound from last week's loss to the Volunteers to de-claw the Kentucky Kitties, who are too tame to be deserving of the Wildcats nickname. I'm amazed at how bad Auburn is looking so far this year. They're much more talented than their record suggests.

Early Season SEC South Standings

Code:

SEC South Standings

#7 Louisiana State	4-0	2-0
Arkansas		3-1	1-0
#24 Alabama		3-1	1-1
Mississippi		3-1	1-1
Auburn			2-2	1-1
Mississippi State	1-2	0-2

If you'd have told me before the season that Ole Miss would start the year 3-1 and come damn close to being 2-0 in SEC play after almost upsetting Alabama, I'd have called you crazy. But the Rebels are finding ways to win.

Outside of the Rebels oddity, the early board is looking exactly like I predicted, with LSU dominant, a dogfight between us, Auburn and Alabama and Mississippi State firmly entrenched in the cellar.

I'd hate to be in the SEC North, who boast #8 Tennessee, #16 Florida, #18 South Carolina and #19 Georgia. Four Top 25 teams in one division. No wonder Kentucky and Vanderbilt suck so bad. Though I don't think the Commodores are all that horrible. I think they'd kick Mississippi State's ass anyway. Now Kentucky and Mississippi State... there's a War of the Worst I'd have a hard time picking the winner of.

Izulde · 12-31-2008, 01:17 AM

A single urgent e-mail this week.

It's mildly bad news. ILB Will Bibla, the #2 ILB in Texas and idolizer of the Longhorns, has decided to accept Baylor's offer and will be playing for the Bears. Hope he likes losing, because they're 0-3 right now, last in the Big 12 South.

I say mildly bad because Bibla wasn't that good a recruit, to be honest and seemed overrated relative to his ranking.

Offensive Player of the Week
RB Butch Edwards - North Texas - 28 carries - 247 yards - 2 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Doug Gowins - North Texas - 7 tackles, 1 assist - 4.5 sacks

A rare coup for the Mean Green, sweeping the National Player of the Week awards, the first time I've ever seen that happen. UNT is 3-1 so far this season and while they've yet to play a Sun Belt game, I think they could win the conference this season with guys like those two on there.

Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations
RB Darryl Winchester (3rd time)
WR Earl Linquist (1st time)

Any doubt that Winchester is our team MVP on offense should be erased by now. In all 3 of our victories this season, he's earned a POTW nomination, the only Razorback to do so.

Guzowski To Get The Start In Gainesville Versus #16 Gators
Razorbacks head coach Izulde Jestor announced a change at QB for this week's away game against the #16 University of Florida Gators, saying that junior Clyde Guzowski will start instead of Kent Wallace, the junior who's started every game this season for the Hogs. Wallace threw 4 interceptions in last week's upset win against the then-12th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and those turnovers led Jestor to make the switch to the more accurate Guzowski.

There'll also be new wrinkles in the Razorback offense for the Gators to contend with, as Guzowski has some running ability and adds a new dimension to Arkansas's attack.

Not that Florida should have any problems winning this one. Senior QB Allen Parrish is arguably the best in the SEC this year, throwing for 963 yards, 12 TDs and just 3 picks so far in the season. RB Herb Leftwich (So) has run for 403 yards and 4 TDs, an average of almost 101 yards a game with no fumbles. That rushing total is good for third in the SEC behind South Carolina senior Blaine Hill and Arkansas's own sophomore Darryl Winchester. Florida also has a strong, deep receiving corps that provides a lot of targets for Parrish to throw to. Senior DE Stephen Finnegan leads the SEC and is 3rd in the nation in sacks with 7.5 and first in the SEC and 2nd in the country in TFL with 11. Junior S Grant Fredrick is tied for 2nd in the US with 7 pass defenses and is a topnotch run-defender to boot. RS junior G Paul George is the leader a very good Gators' offensive line and a monster run-blocker, third in the SEC with 14 key run blocks. The linebacking corps of Florida's 3-4 defense is downright frightening and if there's any weaknesses at all in the Gators D at all, it's DT, where walk-on RS freshman Terry Ackerman scares no one. Trying to find a similiar hole in the Gators' offense is impossible and Florida is very justified in being 9 point favorites at home.

SEC/Texas Recruit Battle Updates
DE Ben Clemons
-Arkansas, Colorado, LSU, Maryland, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma, Southern Mississippi

Maine All-State DE Clemons visits the Sooners, who boast a good English department, but the money's still on Maryland.

OLB Stanley Crawford
-Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech

All five official visits are now in and the Razorbacks sneak in to be the lone SEC school in contention. The Texas All-State player seems bound for the Longhorns, however.

QB Bo Higgins
-Arkansas, Clemson, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, USC, Tennessee

With Higgins taking the Buckeyes as his only visit so far, the competition for the nation's top rated player and Florida All-State QB heats up. Three SEC schools are in the running now and the general feeling is that it's anybody's ballgame.

CB Hunter Reed
-Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Illinois, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin

Illinois All-State CB Reed wants to get out of Illinois, but so far the furthest schools to offer are archrivals Alabama and Auburn. The smart money's on Auburn, who, in addition to being the furthest away, boasts a good Trigonometry program.

RB Ralph Rose
-Alabama, Arkansas, Penn State, Purdue, Virginia, UCLA

The first player being fought over not to be an All-State selection, Rose still appears Alabama bound, but that's not such a bad thing, given that Rose doesn't appear a good enough player to crack the deep Razorback RB depth chart. His signing would largely be one of scholastic coup and an inroad into one of Arkansas's best high schools.

WR Jared Chin
-Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, LSU, Penn State, Purdue, Texas

We'll be shocked if the Illinois All-State player ends up going anywhere but to the Illini or the Boilermakers.

ILB Will Bibla
Committed to Baylor

Recruits Visiting Campus This Week
OLB Stanley Crawford - Texas All-State OLB - Rivals.com #1 OLB in US
DT Bruce Freestone - #3 DT in Missouri

Crawford, as already noted, is a likely Longhorn signing and Freestone is just as likely to commit to Arkansas. The Joplin, MO native grew up a diehard Razorbacks fan thanks to his father, Brent Freestone, Class of 1973.

New Recruits
ILB Sammy McPherson

Gators Chomp Hogs 56-14

The University of Florida band plays during the Gators' 56-14 drubbing of Arkansas Saturday in Gainesville

For one brief, shining moment, it appeared the Razorbacks would pull off their second straight upset of a Top 25 team.

The clock read 5:39 to go in the first quarter when RB Darryl Winchester (So) ripped right through the middle of the Florida defense for 75 yards and the game's first score, a TD that put the Hogs up 7-0. And when senior DE Damon Weidner sacked heralded Gator senior QB Allen Parrish on the next series, forcing a fumble that the Razorbacks recovered and turned into a TD scoring drive to go up 14-0, it really seemed like the miracle was going to happen.

But then Parrish found RB Herb Leftwich, who zoomed down the field after the catch for a 52 yard TD reception to cut the lead to 14-7 with 1:22 left in the first and completed 4 straight passes on the Gators' next drive to score another TD in the second quarter to tie it up.

That momentum shift changed everything, as Florida scored two unaswered touchdowns before the half, the second one just five seconds before the gun went off to go up 28-14 at halftime.

The second half was an unmitigated disaster for the Razorbacks, as Parrish carved up the secondary, finishing with 357 yards, 6 TDs and no interceptions on 22 for 31 passing to win Game MVP, the offense got into Gators territory just once the entire half and QB Clyde Guzkowski was intercepted twice.

Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
Passing
QB Clyde Guzkowski (Jr) - 11 of 27 - 91 yards - 1 TD - 2 INTs

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 13 carries - 82 yards - 1 TD

Receiving
None worth mentioning, as the top performance was 1 catch for 26 yards

Defense
ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 8 tackles, 5 assists - 1 forced fumble - 2 pass defenses
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 2 tackles, 3 assists - 1 sack - 1 pass block - 1 hurry
CB Marlon Fisk (Jr) - 8 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL

Special Teams/Offensive Line
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 3 kick returns - 98 yards - 32.6 average
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 3 punt returns - 32 yards - 10.6 average

***End Webpage***

Coach Notes
Forget about Clyde Guzowski starting for us the entire rest of the year. Kent Wallace would've been just as accurate and made more yardage that might've translated into more points. A damned disappointing defeat that drops us to fourth in the SEC South.

Other SEC Scores
Arkansas State 14 Mississippi 38
Ohio 3 Kentucky 61
Mississippi State 3 Vanderbilt 34
Auburn 11 #8 Tennessee 21
#7 LSU 24 #19 Georgia 27
#18 South Carolina 3 #24 Alabama 27

SEC Vs. Other Conferences Week: 2-0
SEC Vs. Other Conferences Last Week: 4-1
SEC Vs. Other Conferences Year (LW): 20-3
SEC Vs. other Conferences Year: 22-3

The Crimson Tide stun the Gamecocks and the Bulldogs ruin my prediction that LSU should be a national title contender by pulling off the upset there. Now it's up to Tennessee to save the SEC's national title game appearance hopes. Ole Miss at 4-1 is just ridiculous and I really want to kick their asses when we play them. A three game tailspin for Auburn is causing a lot of consternation and hand-wringing and they can't be happy about the Tide's upset of the Gamecocks. I predict an ugly Iron Bowl for the Tigers this season.

Oh well, at least LSU should still win our division and make the SEC title game. Then again, the Tide might be riding high with new energy and focus after we upended them last week.

The way we're playing so far, I think we're shooting for what I thought we would be, a bowl game appearance of some kind and hopefully a victory. Sadly, this might be our best season for some time to come if we can't get an influx of talented recruits, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

BYU 14 · 12-31-2008, 07:32 AM

Ouch, only 7 yards on 12 carries for Winchester outside of that 1st Quarter TD scamper, the Gators got him dialed in quickly.

I have a certain Sophomore that at BYU that got dialed in too in his latest game.

Izulde · 12-31-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Ouch, only 7 yards on 12 carries for Winchester outside of that 1st Quarter TD scamper, the Gators got him dialed in quickly.

I have a certain Sophomore that at BYU that got dialed in too in his latest game.

Yep. I'm putting most of the blame on myself by starting Guzowski over Wallace. He just doesn't have the arm or the range of throws to open up our offense and he didn't run the ball at all. Frustrating to think how it might've turned out with Wallace in there instead.

Izulde · 01-01-2009, 02:30 AM

A bye week, but a busy week just the same, judging from the influx of e-mails in my inbox. Indeed, no less than 5 recruits have made their decision.

The top recruit in the entire country, QB Bo Higgins, spurns us without even a visit, signing with Ohio State. A real groinpuncher, though I suppose I should have expected it.

DE Ben Clemons went the expected route and will suit up for the Maryland Terrapins for the next four years, declining to visit as well. Maybe we set our sights too high this season, but it was worth a try.

There's just one bit of good news about OLB Stanley Crawford declining to join the Razorbacks and it's that he stunned everyone by spurning the Longhorns to sign with Texas Tech. At least I can have a little schadenfreude over that.

0-4 on the year makes for a .000 batting average, but then we finally get a couple hits.

Razorbacks Get First Two Commits Of The Year
Good news for Razorbacks fans this week, as the University of Arkansas received signed letters of intent from two recruits in the bye week. DT Bruce Freestone from nearby Joplin High in Joplin, MO and in-state recruit P Morris Quintana from Sylvan Hills High in Sherwood, are the two newest Razorbacks.

"It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to play for the Razorbacks", Freestone said at the press conference announcing his signing, "I was worried when I hadn't heard from Coach Jestor and I was thinking about taking Mizzou's offer when the coach called me a couple weeks ago and asked if I wanted to play for the Hogs. I said yes sir, I certainly do."

Freestone recorded 64 tackles and 4 sacks in his senior year, while Quintana averaged 44.51 yards a punt for the Bears in his final high school season. Both are Rivals.com Top 1000 recruits, Freestone ranked 727 and Missouri's #3 DT, while Quintana is #847 and rated the 29th best punter in the United States.

While neither player looks like a starter as a true freshman, the Hogs have 3 DTs who will be seniors next season, opening the door for Freestone after a likely redshirt season.

Razorbacks commit DT Bruce Freestone (#78) runs down a Glendale Falcons football player in a game earlier this season

Joplin Eagles football helmet

No Sylvan Hills Bears media could be found for this article.

***End Article***

I'm not wowed by either signing, to be totally honest, though according to my scouting notes, Freestone is 48++ by our rating system and Quintana is 73+. But when neither one made the All-State team, it's tough to get all that excited.

Offensive Player of the Week
QB Gary Wason - Colorado State - 25 of 34 - 355 yards - 6 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Lee Garner - Indiana - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 5 sacks

I'm a little surprised Allen Parrish didn't get the award, though he naturally received a nomination.

Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations
RB Darryl Winchester (4th time)

The 75 yard TD run is the only reason he even appears on this list. Still, he's been a bright spot in an up and down season thus far.

SEC/Texas Recruiting Battle Updates
DE Ben Clemons
Committed to Maryland

OLB Stanley Crawford
Committed to Texas Tech

QB Bo Higgins
Committed to Ohio State

CB Hunter Reed
-Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Illinois, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin

Reed's waffling and appears struck by indecision, as he has yet to visit a single school. How long will teams be patient with a player rumored to have attitude problems before they start pulling offers?

RB Ralph Rose
-Alabama, Arkansas, UCLA, Penn State, Purdue, Virgina, Washington (Walk-On Offer)

More schools are calling for Rose, but we still see him in Crimson Tide red when he signs.

WR Jared Chin
-Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, LSU, Nebraska (Walk-On Offer), Penn State, Purdue, Texas

With 3 Big Ten schools his only visits, Chin appears bound for the Midwest's powerhouse conference, despite frantic efforts by the Razorbacks to lure him south.

Recruits Visiting Campus
ILB Sammy McPherson

New Recruits
QB D.J. Springer
OLB Lincoln Clauss
DE Bernie Pearson
WR Bryant Thompson
CB Mercury Austin
K Cedric Goff

Other SEC Scores
#17 LSU 28 #16 Florida 38 (CBS)
#7 Tennessee 51 #15 Georgia 28 (ESPN)
Mississippi 17 South Carolina 22 (Fox Regional Broadcast)
#20 Alabama 41 Kentucky 13 (Raycom)
Rutgers 21 Vanderbilt 24
UAB 30 Mississippi State 7

How lowly the Mississippi State Bulldogs look in losing to a mid-tier mid-major team in the Blazers. The Gators officially served notice that their 7-3 loss to the Volunteers was a fluke, while Tennessee is looking like an ardent national title contender after blowing up the Georgia version of the Bulldogs. I'm surprised Vandy almost lost to Rutgers, but bull out the win they did. Ole Miss continues to give better teams scares, which worries me for when we play them. The Tide are now 2-0 since losing to us. Guess we were a good motivation

SEC Vs. Other Conferences Week: 1-1
SEC Vs. Other Conferences Year: 23-4

Offensive Player of the Week
QB Josh Sellers - Oklahoma - 24 of 36 - 461 yards - 5 TDs - 1 INT
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Kevin Corbett - Notre Dame - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 4 sacks

Week 8
2 recruit decision e-mails this week.

T Cedric Lowe really wanted an academic school, so he's headed to Stanford and C Andy Goodwin, a devout Mormon, is trekking clear across the country for BYU. While neither one is a fantastic prospect, our offensive line is one of our weakest areas, so losing them hurts from that perspective. Just an ugly recruiting year thus far.

Razorbacks Face Pivotal Test Against Tigers
Arkansas's entire season could hinge when they travel to Alabama this week to take on the surprisingly struggling Auburn Tigers, who are 2-3 (1-2). Picked by most pundits in the preseason to finish second in the SEC South, Auburn's lost three straight games and find themselves ahead of only cellar-dweller Mississippi State in the division.

Much of the blame can be placed on senior QB Willie Nichols. Expected to be one of the conference's top signal-callers, he's been mired in mediocrity, completing 53.3% of his passes for 862 yards, 8 TDs and a surprising 6 INTs. Senior ILB Wally Mast has been one of Auburn's few bright spots on the year, 3rd in the SEC in tackles with 41 solo and 11 assists, 6 of them TFL. He also has a sack, a block, 2 pass hurries, 2 pass defenses and an interception on the year. The other Tigers star has been S Alvin Mayes (RS So), who has 3 interceptions and 3 pass defenses in a showing as unexpected as Nichols's difficulties.

The Hogs appear to have the advantage on the reeling Tigers, but Auburn's at home and far too talented to a squad to have the record they do. That spells trouble for the Razorbacks, who are favored by a single point.

SEC/Texas Recruit Battles Update

CB Hunter Reed
-Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado State, Virginia Tech

Reed's racking up the frequent flier miles this week, hopping all around the country in a blitzkrieg of all five official visits. It's anybody's guess where he'll go, but we'll predict another Hogs recruiting loss and Reed to the Hokies.

RB Ralph Rose
-Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Purdue, Virginia

Rose is another one making a number of visits this week and once again, three SEC South schools are fighting it out with a Virginia school and one other program for a recruit's services. We've been predicting Rose for the Tide for weeks now and we'll stick to that.

WR Jared Chin
-Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue

The Eagles and Razorbacks win Chin's other two official visits, but the call here is a coin flip between the Fighting Illini and the Boilermakers, with the in-state state school holding the edge for the Illinois All-State WR.

WR Bryant Thompson, the #13 WR nationally and an Arizona All-State WR, is being heavily pursued and visiting Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Virginia and Virginia Tech and it's too difficult to call where he'll end up.

DT Adam Curtis, a Rhode Island All-State member and the state's top DT, now has another SEC South school pursuing him in Ole Miss. Razorbacks head coach Izulde Jestor is said to be outraged at the Rebels' late-season entry and vows to bring Curtis to Fayetteville.

They just couldn't let the Razorbacks alone in the pursuit of Illinois's top WRs. Now WR Tyrone Riley, the #2 ranked player at his position in Illinois, and the #11 WR nationally, has offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Iowa State, Kansas State, Northern Illinois, Utah and Wisconsin. As the Badgers are his only visit, he seems Madison-bound.

K Cedric Goff, the #3 K in the US and a Texas All-State team member, has gone from being lightly recruited to a deluge of offers, including Arkansas, Bowling Green, Clemson, Georgia, Mississippi (Walk-On), North Texas, Ohio State, USC, Tennessee and TCU. The Bulldogs appear to have the inside track, but the Mean Green and the Horned Frogs can't be counted out either.

Recruits Visiting Campus
QB D.J. Springer
RB Ralph Rose
WR Jared Chin
WR Bryant Thompson
T Mark Richard
DE Bernie Pearson
DT Adam Curtis
OLB Lincoln Clauss
CB Mercury Austin
CB Hunter Reed

A record 10 recruits on the year coming to Fayetteville this week, many of whom are high priority on the Razorbacks' list.

Hogs Edge Tigers In 27-20 Thriller

Arkansas junior reserve WR Adam Giles hauls in a crucial 17 yard catch on third down in the fourth quarter of the Razorbacks' 27-20 win.

RB Darryl Winchester (So) came out roaring.

On the Razorbacks' first drive of the game, he had 3 straight runs for 10+ yards, including a 13 yard dart through the middle of the Auburn D for the TD, pulling a slippery move remarkably reminiscient of his highlight 75 yard TD run two weeks ago against Florida. That score drew first blood and put Arkansas up 7-0.

Auburn fought back with a sustained drive that put them into Arkansas's half of the field, showing gutsy play-calling by going for it twice on fourth down. The first time they succeeded, but pressure from the Hogs defensive line forced Auburn QB Willie Nichols (Sr) to dump off a screen pass that was quickly wrapped up on 4th and 21.

QB Kent Wallace (Jr) completed two straight passes after the turnovers and the Tigers, plagued by penalties all game long, drew two straight defensive holding flags that put the Razorbacks in the red zone. Winchester eventually ran it in for his second rushing TD of the day, but a missed XP made it 13-0.

The Tigers responded with a TD drive that cut Arkansas's lead to 13-7 with 6:50 left in the first half. A fired up Auburn defense then forced a 3 and out and S Ricardo Phillip (So) returned the punt 38 yards to the Razorback 25 yard line. But then the Hogs defense stiffened and Auburn settled for the FG to make it 13-10 and that scoreline stayed at the end of the half.

Auburn tied the game at 13 with a FG on their first possession in the third quarter and it looked like the Hogs were letting their fast start vanish in the autumn sun, just like they did two weeks ago in Gainesville. That impression grew when senior starting TE Lincoln Welshans dropped two passes on the Razorbacks' next drive, including a third down throw that would've given Arkansas the first down. K Tom Bullock (Sr) was just short on a 45 yard FG try on the Hogs' next possession and television sets everywhere in the Natural State were in danger of being smashed.

Doom seemed all but certain after Nichols connected with senior WR Doug Rucci for 15 yards and the go ahead score to make it a 20-13 game on the first play of the fourth quarter.

But then Wallace showed why he won the starting QB job in spring training, making huge throws with his major-league arm, including a 15 yarder on 3rd and 10 to junior WR Adam Giles, a 32 yard pass to senior WR Josh Kelly and the game-tying 12 yard TD checkdown to Winchester.

The teams traded 3 and outs and seemed headed for overtime when the Hogs special teams came up with a huge play, partially blocking a punt deep in Auburn territory to start the offense out on the Tiger 33. Auburn committed an offsides penalty the very next play and the Razorbacks marched down the short field for the go-ahead and game-winning TD with just 1:13 left in the game, getting the score on a 7 yard trick reverse by senior WR Earl Linquist.

CB Rick Graveson (RS So) then sealed the Hogs' victory with an interception at the Auburn 37.

Game MVP: RB Darryl Winchester

Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 17 of 26 - 212 yards - 1 TD

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 29 carries - 111 yards - 2 TDs

Receiving
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 5 catches - 42 yards - 1 TD
WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 4 catches - 49 yards
WR Johnnie Kelly (Sr) - 2 catches - 49 yards

Defense
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 1 tackle, 1 forced fumble
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 10 tackles - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 2 hurries
CB Rick Graveson (So) - 4 tackles - 1 pass defense - 1 interception
OLB Aaron Lynn (Sr) 6 tackles, 5 assists - 2 TFL - 1 hurry

Offensive Line/Special Teams
CB Rick Graveson (So) - 2 punt returns - 29 yards - 14.5 average
C Gerald Hall (RS So) - 3 key run blocks - 0 sacks allowed

***End Webpage***

Coach Notes

Darryl Winchester had a record 13 stokes in that game. The kid did it all. He ran, he received, hell he even had a forced fumble and a tackle on special teams. I love having him on the team and I'm going to be pissed if he doesn't play on Sundays.

Ours was also one of 3 SEC games on Raycom this week and thus far, we're 2-2 in televised games this season, our biggest victory the 19-14 upset of then #12 Alabama on ESPN naturally. That handed the Crimson Tide their first loss of the year and really motivated them.

Other SEC Scores
Southern Mississippi 7 #17 Alabama 41
Vanderbilt 17 Georgia 45 (Raycom)
#24 South Carolina 38 Kentucky 7 (Raycom)
#6 Tennessee 27 Mississippi 10 (ESPN)

'Bama abuses a shoddy Golden Eagles team and Georgia is back on form after getting whipped by the Volunteers last week. I don't know how Ole Miss is doing it, but the Rebels are constantly finding ways to play better than they should. Nice to see the Gamecocks get back on track by beating up the Kitties.

Since we're a little over halfway through the season now, I'll update the SEC standings.

Code:

SEC North

#6 Tennessee		6-0	4-0
#21 South Carolina	6-1	4-1
#13 Florida		5-1	3-1
#19 Georgia		4-2	2-2
Vanderbilt		3-3	1-3
Kentucky		2-4	0-3

SEC South

#14 Alabama		6-1	3-1
Arkansas		4-2	2-1
LSU			4-2	2-2
Mississippi		4-3	1-3
Auburn			2-4	1-3
Mississippi State	1-4	0-3

The North is just as nasty as I figured it'd be at the start of the season. What amazes me is that the Crimson Tide are 6-1, with their only loss thus far to us. Mississippi is probably the best 1-3 conference record team in the country given how well they've played relative to expectations. I still can't get over Auburn, though. They've now lost four straight, a mark of shame matched only by Mississippi State in the SEC.

Izulde · 01-01-2009, 09:33 PM

Our first big injury news of the season hits and it's a bad one. Starting LT Jack McKenna (Fr), who's been having an awesome year and handling the spot better than we'd hoped, separates his shoulder and is out an estimated 4 weeks. After a lot of thought and debate, we choose to insert walk-on T George Heath (RS Jr) as the starting LT, as he's the most balanced and developed of the remaining tackles and we can't afford to go with inexperience in the middle of a good season like we're having.

Another five recruits e-mail us their decisions this week, but I'm going to look through some other news first.

Offensive Player of the Week
RB Desmond Snedeker - Notre Dame - 22 carries - 168 yards - 1 TD
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Maurice Gomez - Northern Illinois - 3 tackles, 2 assists - 3.5 sacks

Oddly weak choice for OPOTW in my opinion, but what do I know? The Fighting Irish are a pedestrian 4-3, but they're still getting votes for the Top 25.

Arkansas Razorback POTW Nominations
RB Darryl Winchester (5th time)
DE Damon Weidner (1st time)
QB Kent Wallace (3rd time)

Finally we get some defensive recognition. Wallace wasn't exactly worthy of a nomination in my opinion, but we'll take it.

Speaking of the Top 25, now that we're at the halfway point of the season, time to update.

Midseason Top 25
1. Michigan
2. Oklahoma
3. Ohio State (+2)
4. Nebraska (+3)
5. USC (+4)
6. Tennessee (+5)
7. UCLA (+7)
8. Virginia Tech (+10)
9. Florida State (-5)
10. Texas A&M (+11)
11. Miami (FL) (-8)
12. Texas (-4)
13. Florida (-3)
14. Alabama (+1)
15. Penn State (-2)
16. Boise State***
17. Oregon (+5)
18. Purdue***
19. Georgia (-13)
20. Michigan State***
21. South Carolina***
22. Maryland***
23. Hawaii***
24. LSU (-12)
25. Pittsburgh***

Dropped Out: Notre Dame (#16), Wisconsin (#17), Clemson (#19), Kansas State (#20), Auburn (#23)

The Wolverines and Sooners are hanging on to the #1 and #2 spots in the polls and it's all changed up from then on out. Judging from this list, the power conferences this year are the Big Ten, the SEC and possibly the Big 12.

But of course, it'll all be different at the end of the season, I'm sure and you can never tell how the bowl games will play out.

Now on to the recruits.

CB Mercury Austin wanted a top-level academic school so badly, he's willing to go literally all the way across the United States from his hometown in Oregon to go to school in Virginia, suiting up for the Cavaliers. I hate to lose another CB, but it is what it is.

Razorbacks Land Four More Recruits - Three Arkansas All-State Players
The Hogs hit paydirt in the Natural State this week, receiving commitments from Arkansas All-State players T Mark Richard from Hot Springs High in Hot Springs, DE Randall Abraham from McGehee High in McGehee and the biggest coup, S Cris Worlow from Searcy High in Searcy. RB Ralph Rose from tiny powerhouse Dover High in Dover was the other commit, a surprise, given that he seemed destined for Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Asked why he chose the Hogs over the Tide, Rose replied, "All my friends were dogging me about going to Alabama and when I came to the campus to check it out, Darryl (Winchester) pulled me aside and said that this program is dedicated to the running game and that if I stayed in-state, the coaches would do everything they could to get me to the NFL. That really sold me, because the coaches are always going to try and make a program look good, but when a player gives that kind of good review, it makes you want to play there."

The crop is a distinctive one, with Rose (#181) and Worlow (#147) Rivals.com Top 250 players, Richard just outside that range at #263 and Abraham #545. Rose is rated the #17 RB in the country, Worlow head coach Izulde Jestor's first Top 10 position recruit as the #9 ranked safety in the US.

Worlow, Richard and Abraham are all possible immediate contributors, while Rose, blocked by Darryl Winchester and Sammie Hirsch, is almost certain to redshirt.

***End Article***

Thus far, all in-state recruits except DT Bruce Freestone, who's only an hour away so he's essentially a local recruit as well. I realize it's important to snatch up the in-state talent, but it's frustrating as I'm trying to build pipelines elsewhere, too.

I'm still shocked we got Rose. I think Darryl Winchester deserves some kind of medal for bringing the kid in. While Ralph looks to be extremely overrated, Dover's one of the best schools in the state despite having only about 450 students (78 Athl. Prep/97 Acad. Prep according to National High School Rating Services {NHSRS}), so getting a foot in the door there is going to be a major plus.

By the way, with Rose's commitment, we win our first ever SEC recruiting battle.

Arkansas: 1-0
Alabama: 0-1
Auburn: 0-1

The Crimson Tide lose their two best RBs to graduation, but Terrell Bullock will be okay next year and true freshman Preston Wharry and redshirting sophomore Hardy Ziemak have potential and 3 years of eligibility remaining.

Auburn will return starter Xavier Sullivan but they better hope some of their raw, young guys start filling out their alleged NFL-level talent or they're in trouble.

Neither the Tigers nor 'Bama have landed a RB yet and the Tide are particularly irked about it.

Razorbacks Host #19 Bulldogs Saturday Afternoon

Georgia Bulldogs senior S Leroy Serrano is angry.

"Who have the Razorbacks beat this year worth mentioning?" Serrano irately inquired last week after hearing Arkansas's in second place in the SEC South. "They beat 'Bama at home, which was a fluke and then they had to come from behind to beat Auburn, who hasn't done jack this season. And they're in second place in the division? (Expletive) that. If we were in the South, we'd be winning the whole thing."

Serrano has been Georgia's best player this season, the rangy safety accumulating 30 tackles, 12 assists, 9 TFL, 2 interceptions, and an SEC lead-tying 10 pass defenses. On offense, the Bulldogs are led by a deep, talented RB corps spearheaded by senior Winston Jacobs, who has 617 yards and 6 TDs with no fumbles in six games and a 102.8 yard per game average, an average good for third in the SEC. Senior WR Andy Porter is 7th in the SEC in receiving yards with 387 and is tied for the conference lead in TD receptions with 7. Georgia has an excellent roster overall and on paper, should destroy the Hogs by much more than the 5 points oddsmakers spot the Bulldogs.

SEC/Texas Recruiting Battles

CB Hunter Reed
-Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado State, Virginia Tech

No change.

RB Ralph Rose
-Committed to Arkansas

WR Jared Chin
-Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue

No change.

WR Bryant Thompson
-Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Virginia, Virginia Tech

Put a gun to our heads and we'll say Thompson's off to Alabama, though it's still anybody's ballgame.

DT Adam Curtis
-Arkansas, Mississippi, Washington State

With the Cougars entry, it looks like Curtis is going off to Pullman.

WR Tyrone Riley
-Arkansas, Georgia, Northern Illinois, Texas A&M, Wisconsin

We've been calling Riley for the Badgers ever since last week and even with his five visits finalized this week, nothing's here that changes our minds.

K Cedric Goff
-Georgia, Michigan, North Texas, Tennessee, TCU

For the first time this season, a Razorback target refuses to even make Fayetteville one of his five official visits. That has to be a kick in the teeth for head coach Izulde Jestor and his staff.

New Recruits
ILB Pat Thompson
C Clifton Lyon

Recruits Visiting Campus
WR Tyrone Riley
CB Rex Yellope

Rescinded Offer
G Arnie Pettus

#24 Bulldogs Best Razorbacks 27-12

Andy Porter, the Georgia Bulldogs' star senior wide receiver, hauls in the first of his two TD receptions on the day

In a season full of omens, two of the darkest yet struck the Razorbacks just two and a half minutes into Saturday's game against the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

First, RB Darryl Winchester (So) fumbled the ball and Georgia recovered. Then, ILB Norm Starks, the heart of the Hogs defense, went down with a devastating head injury that not only ends his collegiate career, it puts his NFL prospects under an ominious cloud. A few plays later, WR Andy Porter (Sr) made a beautiful in-stride catch in the endzone for a 24 yard TD to put Georgia up 7-0 and the Bulldogs lead stretched to 10-0 on the first play of the second quarter, a 29 yard FG.

Arkansas's offense, like it has so many times against marquee opponents this season, just couldn't get it going and redshirt freshman Bulldogs QB Dale Rich kept making his throws when it counted, including a 12 yard TD strike to Porter with six and a half minutes left in the first half to make it 17-0 Georgia.

The Bulldogs drove again for another TD on the first drive of the second half, making it 24-0 Georgia and seemingly putting the game out of reach.

But then QB Kent Wallace (Jr), completed two straight passes, including a breathtaking 44 yard catch and run to Winchester, who atoned for his early game fumble with a 12 yard TD run following the two completions. At 24-6 after a failed 2 point conversion, the Hogs were finally on the board, just under six minutes left in the third.

Time was running out, however, and not even CB Rick Graveson (RS So)'s Hogs-spirits lifting 64 yard punt return for a TD to make it 24-12 after yet another failed 2 point try could forestall the inevitable.

And adding insult to an already injurious day, senior ILB Chuck McKenzie, Starks's replacement, received a punishing blow to the head just as severe as his teammate's. His college days too, are done and now the Hogs have to look high and low for a new starting ILB and hope that their once promising season hasn't just gone up in smoke.

Game MVP: WR Andy Porter

Razorback Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 9 of 29 - 149 yards - 3 INTs - 2 fumbles

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 18 carries - 45 yards - 1 TD - 1 fumble

Receiving
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 4 catches - 67 yards
WR Adam Giles (Jr) - 2 catches - 42 yards

Defense
OLB Spencer Daft (Sr) - 12 tackles, 2 assists - 5 TFL - 1 fumble recovery
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 9 tackles, 3 assists - 3 TFL - 1.5 sacks, 1 hurry - 1 forced fumble
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 1 pass block - 2 hurries
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 2 pass defenses
ILB Chuck McKenzie (Sr) - 7 tackles, 3 assists - 3 pass defenses

Offensive Line/Special Teams
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 5 punt returns - 92 yards - 18.4 average - 1 TD

***End Webpage***

...Great. Just fucking great. The football gods just wiped out any semblance of a decent ILB corps in one game. I guess that means we're going to get a sneak preview of how our defense is going to look next season. We're now forced to start Nathan Phillips (RS Fr), who could be decent someday, but who's extremely raw right now and go with true freshman Neil Connell, who not only sucks now, he'll always suck, as his top backup.

Why oh why didn't I put more emphasis on inside linebacker in recruiting? So much for the temporary flirtation with the 3-4. We won't have enough decent players to even field a stout 4-3.

Well, now I'd call a bowl appearance a successful season and the same probably holds true for next year as well, given all the senior defensive talent we're losing.

Other SEC Scores
Troy 0 #24 LSU 50
#13 Florida 44 Mississippi State 0
Kentucky 38 Auburn 42
Louisiana-Monroe 13 Vanderbilt 17
#14 Alabama 6 #6 Tennessee 41 (CBS - National Game of the Week!)

The same ULM team whose asses we kicked 73-18 nearly knocks off Vandy, but the Commodores grit it out. After seeing the Volunteers spank the tar out of the Tide on national television, I don't think there's anybody left in the country who doesn't think Tennessee's a bona fide national title contender. In fact, they move up two places to #4 on the strength of that win. Heh. Auburn is underachieving like mad this year. That close a win against the Kitties? Talk about failing to live up to preseason hype.

SEC Vs. Other Conferences Week: 2-0 (1-0 last week)
SEC Vs. Other Conferences Year: 26-4

Swaggs · 01-01-2009, 10:41 PM

How are you planning to incorporate FOF into this Dynasty?

Izulde · 01-02-2009, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swaggs

How are you planning to incorporate FOF into this Dynasty?

I was planning on just tracking the Razorback alumni in the NFL, but who knows what I'll eventually decide on .

kingfc22 · 01-03-2009, 03:36 AM

NOOOOOO!!! I put the hex on Starks...

How does ILB Pat Thompson rank amongst the recruits across the nation?

Izulde · 01-03-2009, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingfc22

NOOOOOO!!! I put the hex on Starks...

How does ILB Pat Thompson rank amongst the recruits across the nation?

Yeah I'm not sure if he even makes it to the NFL now and I think he and Weidner are the seniors most likely to play on Sundays.

WRT Thompson, #647 national, #28 ILB.

Izulde · 01-03-2009, 08:50 PM

Offensive Player of the Week
QB Wesley Pitcher - UCLA - 22/38 - 339 yards - 4 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
ILB K.C. Becker - Tennessee - 10 tackles, 4 assists - 2 sacks - 1 INT

This is Pitcher's second National Player of the Week award and the senior Bruin signalcaller is no doubt a Heisman Trophy candidate, though who knows what his NFL prospects are. His #7 UCLA team is 7-0 (4-0), Oregon the only other undefeated school in Pac-10 play.

With no less than 8 recruits sending in their decisions this week, it's pretty much make or break for this year's class.

WR Tyrone Riley pulls a stunner by committing to Northern Illinois and I still can't believe he'd go to the Huskies when the Badgers were hot on him. It would've been fun to watch the Big Ten rivalry between him and WR Jared Chin, who chooses Purdue over the Illini, much to the pain of Illinois football fans.

We lose our second recruit of the year to Ohio State when DE Bernie Pearson commits to the Buckeyes. I'm really starting to hate tOSU right about now.

Five Recruits Run For Razorbacks
In their most successful week of the recruiting season, the Arkansas Razorbacks football team acquired five new members, scoring a number of steals in the process.

Despite losing Illinois WRs Tyrone Riley and Jared Chin to Northern Illinois and Purdue respectively, the Hogs landed a nice consolation prize in Arizona All-State WR Bryant Thompson from Round Valley High in Springerville, AZ. Thompson, rated #165 nationally, #13 by position, is known for fighting for extra yardage after the catch and had an amazing 77 receptions for 1,855 yards and 10 TDs in his senior season.

Connecticut All-State ILB Pat Thompson, from Ridgefield High in Ridgefield, CT, ranked #647 and 28th among ILBs, also signed on the dotted line, along with OLB Lincoln Clauss, who hails from West High in Torrance, CA (#579/30th OLB). Those two players will greatly bolster a linebacking corps losing many of its top players to graduation.

Another New Englander, Rhode Island All-State DT Adam Curtis from North Kingstown High in North Kingstown, RI (#620/43rd among DTs) made the surprise decision to join the Razorbacks as did Illinois All-State CB Hunter Reed from Coal City High in Coal City, IL (#307/22nd among CBs).

With all 11 commits thus far in the Top 1000 and 7 All-State players in the mix, the Razorbacks are putting together a solid, if not necessarily flashy class.

***End Article***

Solid, but not flashy. Good assessment of how our class is looking so far. I'm most excited about Reed in terms of the pipeline, as Coal City High does a great job of prepping players for playing the college level (95 Athletic Prep).

In terms of most likely to play as a true freshman, my current hunch says Bryant Thompson could be a starter as a true frosh, with the rest up in the air.

SEC/Texas Recruit Battle Rankings
Arkansas: 4-0
Alabama: 0-3
Auburn: 0-2
Mississippi: 0-1

Note: I'm only going to update those rankings for recruits listing both us and the other SEC school/Texas among our official visits.

I'm sure the Crimson Tide have to hate us by now. Not only did we spoil Alabama's perfect season, but we've stolen 3 recruits from them this year: RB Ralph Rose, CB Hunter Reed and WR Bryant Thompson.

New Recruits
WR Graham Manning

It's a bye week, so we'll just watch the SEC games.

Other SEC Games
Auburn 17 Mississippi 45
Kentucky 3 Mississippi State 38
Vanderbilt 0 #22 LSU 63 (Raycom)
#12 Florida 45 #17 Georgia 10 (Fox Regional Network)
#4 Tennessee 23 #21 South Carolina 34 (CBS)

And just like that, the Gamecocks claw the Volunteers' national title hopes to shreds. Auburn's season is officially gone to hell and back and Ole Miss is somehow just one win away from bowl eligibility. I'm not all that surprised to see Florida whip Georgia so badly, either.

Week 11

Offensive Player of the Week
QB Barry Wagoner - Mississippi - 32/42 - 413 yards - 5 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Lee Gardner - Indiana - 9 tackles, 2 assists - 4 sacks

Three recruits make their choices this week. CB Rex Yellope chooses Illinois over us and WR Graham Manning jumps ship to the Navy Midshipmen, but we land C Clifton Lyon from Somerset HS in Somerset, MA (#874/#50 C). Not a great pickup by any means, but we needed to bring in someone to try and give us more quality at C.

New Recruits
TE Jumbo Phillips
G Tyrone Galliard

Razorbacks Face Fired-Up Gamecocks
The Razorbacks are on the road this week to visit the #16 South Carolina Gamecocks, who are riding high after upsetting the undefeated, #4 Tennessee Volunteers last week. RS junior Gamecocks QB Richard Bridges has been a surprise this season, completing 67.2% of his passes for 1,770 yards, 17 TDs and 5 INTs. Of course, he's helped by senior RB Blaine Hill, who leads the SEC and ranks 5th in the country with 1,045 yards rushing on 250 carries, with 8 TDs, an impressive 130.6 yards per game. Junior WR Edgar Bierce and senior WR Bobby Horner rank 4th and 5th in receiving yardage in the SEC, with 550 and 542 yards respectively and each with 6 receiving TDs. Redshirt junior K Sherman Fisk is one of the best in the conference, converting 12/14 FGs with a long of 45 yards.

RS junior DE Grant Mergen is in the Top 10 in the US and the SEC leader in sacks with 11.5, along with 15 hurries, 5 pass blocks and 15 TFL out of his 19 on the season. He's the only defensive star for the Gamecocks, though, which opens up a silver of opportunity for the Hogs, who are 13 point underdogs.

South Carolina Stunner! Hogs Upset #16 Gamecocks 24-21

An upset Gamecocks fan leaves the stadium after South Carolina's 24-21 loss to Arkansas.

University of South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Herman Simmons was still staring at the scoreboard half an hour after the game ended. Just gazing in disbelief at the 24-21 line.

"It wasn't suppose to be like this. We're in the middle of a dream season, going up against a team that doesn't have its starting left tackle, missing both the starting and backup middle linebackers... Not much of a defense outside of their line... and they come in and beat us on our home turf, maybe even ruin our chances at an SEC championship."

That teams was the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, playing without freshman LT Jack McKenna, who was still out with a shoulder strain and defensive star ILB Norman Starks, the studly senior whose season ended against Georgia with a concussion, as did his backup's, senior ILB Chuck McKenzie.

And yet, the Hogs found a way to win.

Arkansas struck first after senior S Derrick Fisk drilled Gamecocks star senior RB Blaine Hill to force a fumble and junior CB Marlon Fields recovered on the South Carolina 6. The Razorbacks weren't able to score a touchdown, but they came away with a FG to be up 3-0 with 4:48 left in the first quarter.

South Carolina answered with insurance two minutes into the second quarter when RS junior QB Richard Bridges flared a long bomb down the field that junior WR Edgar Bierce pulled in the 41 yard TD to make it 7-3.

The Gamecocks got the ball back early in the next drive, following a fumble by Razorback sophomore FB Ricky Warren on the Arkansas 26, and appeared set to score when walk-on freshman S Graham Womer came up with a clutch endzone interception.

The Razorback defense came up with a key fourth down stop with 3:35 left in the half on redshirt junior DT Rich Sowell's sack of Bridges and junior QB Kent Wallace responded by marching the Hogs down the field on three long passes, the last a 10 yard TD throw to freshman WR Colin Jeffries to make it 10-7 with just under two minutes to go.

A long, sustained drive opened up the second half, a 9 minute grind capped off by a 11 yard RB Darryl Winchester (So) TD run to put Arkansas up 17-7.

The teams then traded interceptions and the Gamecocks engineered a clock-chewing TD drive of their own to make it 17-14 early in the fourth.

Four plays later, Winchester showed why he's one of the most exciting players in the country, zipping down the sideline for a 67 yard TD run to give the Hogs 24-14 insurance.

From then on, it was a battle of stiffened defenses until Bridges connected with Bierce for their second big TD of the game, this one good for 54 yards, making it 24-21 with just over two minutes left on the game clock.

The Gamecocks got two tries at a tie or a go ahead, but were forced to punt on the first drive and on the second drive, Razorbacks redshirt junior DE Oliver Linstrom sacked Bridges and forced a fumble picked up by Sowell to clinch the upset.

Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 18 of 32 - 215 yards - 1 TD - 2 INTs

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 30 carries - 155 yards - 2 TDs

Receiving
TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 3 catches - 70 yards
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 5 catches - 40 yards
WR Colin Jeffries (Fr) - 4 catches - 53 yards - 1 TD

Defense
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 4 TFL - 2 sacks - 1 pass defense
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 6 tackles - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 2 hurries
OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 5 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 2 sacks
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 1 tackle, 2 assists - 1 pass defense - 1 interception
S Derrick Fisk (Sr) - 5 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 2 forced fumbles

***End Webpage***

What an amazing victory, one that makes us 2-3 against Top 25 teams this season. To do it on the road makes it even sweeter and we're now one win away from bowl eligibility.

Other SEC Scores
UW-Green Bay 10 Auburn 20
Notre Dame 38 #11 Tennessee 41
Georgia 28 Kentucky 0
#9 Florida 41 Vanderbilt 20
Mississippi State 7 #22 Alabama 44 (Raycom)

It's a sign of just how far Auburn's fallen that they have a tough time of it against a Sol-8 school, one that just started football up this season. The Fighting Irish threw a hell of a scare into the Volunteers, who suddenly look vulnerable.

SEC Standings

Code:

SEC North

#7 Florida		8-1	6-1
#9 Tennessee		8-1	5-1
#25 South Carolina	7-2	5-2
#24 Georgia		6-3	4-3
Vanderbilt		4-5	1-5
Kentucky		2-7	0-6

SEC South
#20 Alabama		7-2	4-2
#19 LSU			6-2	3-2
Arkansas		5-3	3-2
Mississippi		5-3	2-3
Auburn			4-5	2-4
Mississippi State	2-6	1-5

Tight races in both divisions. Florida's looked invincible since their narrow loss to Tennessee, but the Volunteers looked the same before losing last week to South Carolina and so did Alabama in the weeks after losing to us.

Way too close to call either division and I give the Gators serious props for not allowing their early season loss to derail their year. They probably won't make the national title game, but the SEC championship is in their seat at the moment.

kingfc22 · 01-03-2009, 09:40 PM

Nice win!

Izulde · 01-04-2009, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Nice win!

Thanks.

I was floored when I went to look at the game log. I figured at best we'd end up with a margin of loss like Georgia, with a very real possibility of repeating the Texas and Florida reamings.

Izulde · 01-04-2009, 04:13 PM

Offensive Player of the Week
RB Lonnie Fitzgerald - Pittsburgh - 45 carries - 232 yards - 3 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Spencer Hennek - UAB - 6 tackles, 3 assists - 3.5 sacks

Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations
RB Darryl Winchester (6th time)
DE Oliver Linstrom (1st time)

Two recruits notify us of their decisions this week.

G Tyrone Galliard pulls a swerve move and signs with Lawrence University. ...Yeah, good luck in the Sol-8, buddy. But the real nutcrusher is High School All-American ILB Sammy McPherson, who I thought we had locked up, suddenly going to Tucson to play for the University of Arizona Wildcats.

New Recruits
WR Sean Gilmore
FB Andy Richmond

Rebels Come To Fayetteville For Pivotal Matchup
The University of Mississsippi Rebels, picked for second to last in the SEC South by most preseason publications, has exceeded all expectations with their 5-3 record. Their surprise run has been engineered by junior QB Barry Wagoner, who has 2,224 yards and 19 TDs to 10 INTs on 59.4% passing and senior WR Joe Reese, second in the SEC in kick return average at 30.6 yards, including a TD. One thing that could affect the Rebels' chances is DE Lee Oben (RS Jr)'s questionable status for this week's game with a hyperextended elbow. Oben has been the Rebels' top player on defense, with 26 tackles, 15 assists, 12 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 3 blocks and 9 QB hurries. If he can't play, look for a Razorback rout. If he's able to suit up, we could have a close game, despite Arkansas with home field advantage and a 6 point favorite line.

It's a key matchup, as a victory for the Hogs puts them solidly in third place in the division and makes them bowl eligible, while a win for the Rebels makes them bowl eligible and adds more chaos to the SEC South standings, as they'll be tied with the Razorbacks and potentially LSU as well. Arkansas will be helped by the return of freshman LT Jack McKenna to the starting lineup.

Hogs Stomp Rebels 38-6

Arkansas Razorbacks mascot Big Red dances before Saturday afternoon's game against the Ole Miss Rebels

For a while, it looked like it was going to be another close, tough game for the Razorbacks football team, especially after the Rebels scored a FG to take the early 3-0 lead at 9:21 in the first quarter.

But on the ensuing kickoff return, as he's done so many times this season, RB Darryl Winchester (So) made the tremendous highlight play, bursting free for a 91 yard TD return to make it 7-3 Arkansas.

Just two plays later, CB Rick Graveson (RS So), another big-play specialist this year for the Hogs, intercepted junior Rebels QB Barry Wagoner at the Razorback 11, but the long, promising Arkansas drive was stopped by a Winchester fumble, the Rebels recovering on their own 38.

Arkansas scored again with 8:59 left in the second quarter, junior QB Kent Wallace tossing a 2 yard screen to WR Earl Linquist (Sr) for the score and 14-3 Razorbacks lead.

Ole Miss threatened to answer on their next drive, until senior DE Damon Weidner and DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) combined on a sack, forcing a fumble recovered by DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) on the Arkansas 16 to preserve the 14-3 score at the half.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost the Rebels a potential touchdown midway through the third quarter, forcing them to settle for a 28 yard FG to cut the Razorbacks lead to 14-6.

Winchester scored his second touchdown of the game on the next drive, the audacious decision by the Hogs to call a run play on 3rd and goal from the 20 yard line paying off as the sophomore sensation ran it in for the TD and the 21-6 lead.

The fourth quarter was all Arkansas defense and special teams, with two more interceptions of Wagoner and a blocked punt for the game's final TD.

Game MVP: DE Damon Weidner

Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 13 of 23 - 212 yards - 2 TDs

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 32 carries - 125 yards - 1 TD - 1 fumble
RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 3 carries - 20 yards

Receiving
WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 4 catches - 84 yards - 1 TD
TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 3 catches - 51 yards

Defense
S Derrick Fisk (Sr) - 8 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 3 pass defenses
S Walter Weber (Fr) - 7 tackles - 1 INT - 1 forced fumble
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 6 tackles - 6 TFL - 4.5 sacks - 1 hurry
DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 3 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 1 fumble recovery
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 0 tackles, 3 assists - 1 pass defense - 2 INTs - 0 times caught

Offensive Line/Special Teams
G Mercury Lewis (RS Jr) - 8 Key Run Blocks
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 2 kick returns - 109 yards - 54.5 average - 1 TD

***End Webpage***

In a lot of ways, the single biggest win of the season. We crush the Ole Miss hype, go bowl eligible and probably just clinched ourselves a minimum of third place in the SEC South.

Other SEC Scores
#24 Georgia 34 Auburn 17
Vanderbilt 37 Kentucky 42
#25 South Carolina 6 #7 Florida 56
#20 Alabama 25 #19 LSU 40

I know this is beating the proverbial dead horse, but it still stuns me to see Auburn at 4-6 (2-5). Kentucky gets the major upset and morale booster in knocking off Vanderbilt, while Florida continues to build its case for a national title appearance by blowing out the Gamecocks, who appear completely deflated after our upset win over them last week. LSU gives my preseason prediction validity by solidly beating the Crimson Tide and suddenly, we're sitting at a tie for first place in the SEC South with the Tigers, as Alabama drops to 4-3 in SEC play with the loss.

Izulde · 01-05-2009, 01:02 PM

Offensive Player of the Week
RB Byron Albert - Clemson - 30 carries - 171 yards - 2 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Damon Rodriguez - Miami (FL) - 6 tackles, 2 assists - 5 sacks

First time ever a conference has won both Player of the Week awards. Congratulations to the ACC, though I think Damon Weidner got hosed.

Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations
DE Damon Weidner (2nd time)
RB Darryl Winchester (7th time)
G Mercury Lewis (1st time)
QB Kent Wallace (4th time)

In another first, Lewis is our first offensive lineman to receive POTW consideration. Richl deserved and a great feather in his cap.

Just one recruit makes his decision this week, but it's a big one.

Top 25 QB D.J. Springer Commits To Hogs!
This is the one Izulde Jestor wanted most.

QB D.J. Springer, a dual threat QB ranked #179 by Rivals.com, #24 among QBs, signed a letter of intent to play for the Razorbacks. Hailing from Lodi High in Lodi, CA, Springer compiled an impressive season, both through the air and on the ground: 177/286 (61.8%) for 3,033 yards (10.6 Y/AT average, 18 TDs and 3 INTs and 122 rushes for 836 yards (6.85 YPC) and 8 TDs. He also excels academically, currently carrying a 3.62 GPA and recording an 1199 SAT score.

While a probable redshirt candidate next season, the Hogs coaching staff is extremely excited to land Springer and believe he could be the QB of the future.

Razorbacks recruit QB D.J. Springer is all smiles at Lodi High School after announcing his commitment to Arkansas

***End Article***

What a huge relief. While we'll be fine with Kent Wallace under center again next year, I don't know if Danny Bradford (RS Fr) will ever grow into his potential.

Regarding academics, we've got a pretty decent class thus far and I'll post our results after we complete our recruiting for the year.

Razorbacks Must Avoid Complacency Against Bulldogs
The Hogs travel to Mississipi this week to take on Mississippi State and they'll have to avoid looking ahead when they play the woeful Bulldogs (2-6) (1-5).

Senior RB Kent Brosseau is Mississippi State's lone point-scoring threat and that's on kick returns, where he ranks second in the SEC with a 29.2 yard average with a TD. Fellow senior S Perry Tuaol leads the Bulldogs defense with 53 tackles, 17 assists, 8 TFL, a QB hurry, 2 INTs and 5 pass defenses.

With those two the only stars on the Bulldogs, it looks to be a long afternoon for the 11 point underdogs and the Hogs should run away with this one.

Hogs Stampede Bulldogs 38-13

The Mississippi State marching band were the only Bulldogs to have a good game in the Arkansas Razorbacks' 38-13 cakewalk win.

When the Mississippi State Bulldogs started off the game with a false start penalty that put them at their own 8 yard line and got an unnecessary roughness penalty two downs later to pin them at the 4, you had the feeling the day was going to be just as long as most predicted.

After Razorback CB Rick Graveson (RS So) returned the punt 35 yards for a TD to make it 7-0 with the game not even two minutes old, feeling became reality.

The Bulldogs started to put together a drive on the following possession, but Arkansas DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) sacked walk-on junior QB K.C. Green for a 6 yard loss on third and 1 on the Mississippi State 40.

Arkansas responded with a lengthy scoring drive, relying heavily on RB Darryl Winchester (So)'s legs to set up the 6 yard TD pass from QB Kent Wallace (Jr) to senior WR Johnnie Kelly for a 14-0 Razorbacks lead with 5:36 left in the first.

A very bizzare sequence of events occurred just after the two minute warning in the first half, as three straight interceptions put the Bulldogs on the Arkansas 5 yard line. From the official game log:

Code:

3-09-ARKN46 (01:55)   ARKN 3 Wallace pass was intercepted by MSST 39 Huntley at
the MSST33.  
The interception was returned 35 yards. Tackled by ARKN 88 Jeffries.  
  
Possession to Mississippi State.  
  
1-10-ARKN32 (01:44)   MSST 19 Green pass was intercepted by ARKN 46 Graveson at
the ARKN07.  
The interception was returned 0 yards. Tackled by MSST 87 Bullock.  
  
Possession to Arkansas.  
  
1-10-ARKN07 (01:35)   ARKN 3 Wallace pass was intercepted by MSST 35 Tuaolo at the
ARKN23.  
The interception was returned 18 yards. Tackled by ARKN 67 McDonald.

Despite this fortunate gift, the Bulldogs could only manage a field goal to make it 17-3 at the half.

It turned to 24-3 midway through the third quarter when Winchester finally got his first TD of the game on a 24 yard run, but the Bulldogs responded with a TD of their own, making it 24-10 on a drive featuring three completions for 25+ yards by Green.

The Bulldogs' fate was officially sealed after Wallace hit senior WR Earl Linquist for an 8 yard TD and a 21 point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Junior Razorbacks CB Marlon Fields scored the game's final points, returning an interception 45 yards for a TD with 2:50 left.

Game MVP: RB Darryl Winchester

Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 14 of 24 - 168 yards - 2 TDs - 3 INTs

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 29 carries - 206 yards - 1 TD
RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 5 carries - 26 yards

Receiving
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 6 catches - 75 yards
WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 2 catches - 29 yards - 1 TD

Defense
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 4 TFL - 3 sacks - 1 hurry
ILB Nathan Phillips (RS Fr) - 6 tackles, 4 assists - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 2 pass defenses
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 5 tackles - 3 TFL - 3 sacks - 1 pass block - 2 hurries
DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 sack
CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 interception - 1 TD
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2 tackles - 1 TFL - 2 interceptions - 1 forced fumble

Offensive Line/Special Teams
G Mel Thompson (RS Jr) - 6 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 3 punt returns - 41 yards - 13.6 yard average - 1 TD - 1 fumble

***End Webpage***

Excellent all-around victory and Damon Weidner now has 7.5 sacks in the last two games to vault him into first place in the SEC, fourth in the country with 17.5. He also leads the conference in TFL, third in the nation with 26. I really wish he wasn't a senior. He's going to garner some serious All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year consideration, I wager, especially since we still have one more game to go to increase his stats.

Major props to Nathan Phillips too, for stepping in at MLB and having an effective game. It may just be MSU, but his showing is encouraging for the future.

Other SEC Scores
Mississippi 7 #17 LSU 31 (CBS)
#6 Florida 24 #18 Florida State 27 (Fox Regional Network)
South Carolina 17 Clemson 38 (Fox Regional Network)
#8 Tennessee 37 Vanderbilt 7 (Raycom)
Auburn 17 #23 Alabama 31 (Raycom)

We were the only SEC game not to be on televison this week, as you can see. LSU punts the Rebels back to .500 overall and a 2-5 SEC record. Ole Miss is who I thought they were. Heartbreaking loss for the Gators to those bastard Seminoles, who all but end our hopes for an SEC representative in the national championship, unless Tennessee can keep climbing. South Carolina's season is ending in a real tailspin, with three straight losses, but the Gamecocks can still finish third in the SEC North if the Bulldogs lose to Georgia Tech. Ugly Iron Bowl for Auburn this year, and I wish the Tigers had pulled off the upset, because then we would've clinched at least second place in the SEC South. I -think- we still have second place locked up regardless of how we do in our final game because of our upset win over the Tide early in the season, but I'm not sure.

SEC Vs Other Conferences Week: 0-2 (2-0 the last time we had OOC games, but I forgot to update it)
SEC Vs Other Conferences Year: 28-6

Speaking of, here's a look at the standings with a game to go.

Code:

SEC North

#12 Florida		9-2	7-1
#6 Tennessee		9-1	6-1
South Carolina		7-4	5-3
#19 Georgia		7-3	5-3
Kentucky		3-7	1-6
Vanderbilt		4-7	1-7

SEC South
#15 LSU			8-2	5-2
Arkansas		7-3	5-2
#21 Alabama		8-3	5-3
Mississippi		5-5	2-5
Auburn			4-7	2-6
Mississippi State	2-7	1-6

We get some votes from the pollsters, but still can't crack the Top 25. That's fine. Our blowout losses to Texas and Florida have me thinking we're not a Top 25 team anyway.

#15 LSU is our final opponent of the season and I'm not expecting we'll be able to upset them. Still, even if we fall to third place, I'm damned proud of what the team has done this year, especially after the season-ending injuries to senior ILBs Norm Starks and Chuck McKenzie and look forward to whatever bowl game we get invited to.

Izulde · 01-11-2009, 05:35 PM

Offensive Player of the Week
RB Darryl Winchester - Arkansas - 29 carries - 206 yards - 1 TD
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Donald Agranoff - Oklahoma - 5 tackles - 5 sacks

Awesome! The first 200+ rushing game of my tenure in Arkansas is also the first ever National Player of the Week award. Congratulations, Darryl!!!

Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations
RB Darryl Winchester (8th time, 1 win)
DE Damon Weidner (3rd time)
DE Oliver Linstrom (3rd time)

Two recruit decisions in the mail today.

Razorbacks Haul In Two More; One Scholarship Left
South Dakota All-State FB Andy Richmond, from Millbank High in Millbank, SD, the 47th ranked FB in the country, committed to the Razorbacks this week. A star inside and outside the classroom, Richmond currently has a 3.98 GPA and is said to have performed extremely well on the SAT with a 1553 score.

WR Sean Gilmore, from James Whitecomb Riley High in South Bend, IN, isn't ranked, but the Hogs coaching staff is hoping that he'll be a diamond in the rough. At the very least, he should add depth to Arkansas's weakest position group.

Neither one is expected to be an impact freshman, but one never knows what the spring game will bring.

***End Article***

I'm satisfied with these late pickups. Gilmore probably won't see the field much and Richmond is reportedly weakest in run-blocking, but he stands a chance to contribute at some point, if I stay with an offense that needs a FB.

Jestor To Face #15 LSU In First-Ever National Game Of The Week

New Razorbacks head coach Izulde Jestor has had unprecedented success with the Hogs in his first season and he has an opportunity to win the SEC South and an SEC Championship game if his team can beat the #15 LSU Tigers this week in Fayetteville.

It'll be a tall order, even with home field advantage. LSU's senior QB Alvin Fleming has the best QB rating in the SEC, fourth in the country at 183.0. He's completed 68.7% of his passes for 2,567 yards, 27 TDs and 6 INTs. Fellow senior WR Emmitt Montgomery has been Fleming's main target, with 56 catches for 1,080 yards, 6 TDs and no drops. That yardage is good enough for tops in the SEC, third in the US. Senior K Kelvin Lincoln leads the SEC in field goals made with 18 (on 22 attempts), 43 yards his long.

On defense, DE Erik Sudderth (RS Jr) and DE Carlos Singleton (RS Jr) both have 11 sacks, with Singleton ranking third in the SEC in QB hurries with 17. The Tigers also have a pair of terrific senior playmaker safeties. S Darrin Niles has been a force this season, defending an SEC-leading 14 passes and picking off 5 passes, including two runbacks for TDs and S Lincoln Stokley has 5 INTs as well.

That sensational set of safeties spells trouble for the Hogs, especially with interception-prone QB Kent Wallace (Jr). LSU is well-deserving of their 6 point odds and could very well blow out the Razorbacks in this week's National Game of the Week on CBS.

#15 Tigers Claw Hogs 42-17

Despite Big Red's cool-handed optimism before the game, the Hogs were crushed 42-17 by rank-pulling LSU

An ugly, penalty-marred first quarter resulted in a 0-0 score, but then a costly third down defensive pass interference penalty gave LSU new life and RB Ed Bunn (So) ran it in from 12 yards out to make it 7-0 shortly after the start of the second quarter.

The nastiness of sloppy play, turnovers and penalties continued until just before halftime, when LSU managed to punch it across the goal-line on a 1 yard Bunn run to head into the locker room up 14-0.

Tigers senior QB Alvin Fleming came out fired up for the second half, combining his first two passes for 53 yards to spark a TD drive capped by Bunn's third rushing TD of the day on an 11 yard counter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, it was 28-0 LSU, as the Razorbacks' offense was stymied all afternoon long. RB Darryl Winchester (So) broke loose for a 32 yard TD run a few players later to finally put Arkansas on the board, but the game's ending was already written and LSU made doubly certain of it by answering with another sustained TD drive to make it 35-7 with 8:51 left in the game.

Game MVP: RB Ed Bunn

Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
Passing
QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 9 of 25 - 65 yards - 1 TD - 1 INT

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 13 carries - 88 yards - 1 TD
RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 6 carries - 45 yards

Receiving
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 3 catches - 16 yards - 1 drop

Defense
OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 9 tackles, 3 assists - 8 times caught
CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 6 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 INT
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 3 tackles, 3 assists - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 1 hurry
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 3 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 3 hurries

***End Webpage***

Ugly loss, but not unexpected and we hung with them for the first half. I do wonder what would happen if we'd stopped them from that last second TD at the end of the half. Disappointing that we embarassed ourselves like that in my first National Game of the Week appearance. Oh well. We've been on TV quite a bit this year, which makes me happy.

Other SEC Games
Mississippi State 7 Mississippi 45 (Raycom)
Georgia Tech 28 #19 Georgia 31 (Raycom)
Kentucky 10 #6 Tennessee 66 (Fox Regional Network)

The only surprise here is the Bulldogs nearly losing to Yellow Jackets, who aren't very good this year. Then again, it's been that kind of up and down season for Georgia.

Final SEC Regular Season Standings (Except For A Meaningless Miss St. OOC Game

Code:

North

#5 Tennessee		10-1	7-1
#10 Florida		 9-2	7-1
South Carolina		 7-4	5-3
#17 Georgia		 8-3	5-3
Kentucky		 3-8	1-7
Vanderbilt		 4-7	1-7

South

#11 LSU			 9-2	6-2
Arkansas		 7-4	5-3
#21 Alabama		 8-3	5-3
Mississippi		 6-5	3-5
Auburn			 4-7	2-6
Mississippi State	 2-8	1-7

I'm perfectly happy with a 7-4 record and taking second place in the SEC South. We don't have an elite QB and our WR corps is terrible. Of course, whether or not we replicate this feat next season... that's still up in the air.

But for now, we'll wait and see what bowl game we get invited to. That LSU/Tennessee SEC Championship should be a great game to watch.

Izulde · 01-12-2009, 02:53 AM

Offensive Player of the Week
QB Sammie Benton - Tennnessee - 22/33 - 390 yards - 5 TDs
Defensive Player of the Week
DE Howie Banks - Boston College - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 4.5 sacks

Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominees
RB Darryl Winchester (9th time, 1 win)

Championship Week Games
Big 12: #9 Nebraska 28 #2 Oklahoma 35
SEC: #5 Tennessee 7 #11 LSU 38 (CBS)
ACC: #16 Virginia Tech 28 #7 Miami (FL) 56
Pac 10: #12 USC 28 #3 UCLA 42

Other SEC Games
Mississippi State 27 #19 Hawaii 38 (Fox Regional Network)

Great effort by the Bulldogs against the Rainbow Warriors. LSU stuns everyone and bolsters my preseason prediction that they're a legitimate national title contender by hammering the hell out of the Volunteers.

Interesting scenario now, with Oklahoma, Michigan, UCLA and Boise State all undefeated. But when the final regular season polls come out, it's Oklahoma #1, Michigan #2, UCLA #3 and Boise State #6, with Texas and Miami (FL) at #4 and #5 respectively. The Longhorns shouldn't be #4 in my opinion, but what do I know?

TE Jumbo Phillips is our final scholarship recruit, the #63 TE in the country. Not likely to see playing time as a freshman and my guess is a redshirt, but I like his ability to make tough catches in traffic.

But the biggest shock of the season comes when we're passed over for a bowl game!

Instead, the SEC representatives are:
Fiesta Bowl: Maryland vs. LSU
Holiday Bowl: West Virginia vs. Tennessee
Citrus Bowl: Purdue vs. Florida
Cactus Bowl: Virginia vs. Georgia
Gem Bowl: California vs. Alabama

I'm really pissed at the Gem Bowl organizers. We finished ahead of the Tide in the standings, yet they go for the glitzy Top 25 ranking over the team that earned it. UGH!!!

Hell of a matchup in the BCS Bowls. You've got an Orange Bowl National Championship of #1 Oklahoma vs #2 Michigan and the Rose Bowl features the other two undefeated teams in the country in UCLA and Boise State. Beautiful planning by the BCS organizers.

The Crimson Tide win the inagural Gem Bowl in Columbia, SC, spanking Cal 34-10, so they at least validate their selection. Still pisses me off, though.

To make matters worse, T George Heath (RS Jr Walk-On) gets busted for violating team policy and is in danger of failing a class on top of it. I suspend his ass.

But that's not the worst news. DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr), one of our stars and who we need back next season, is in danger of failing Sports Management and my idiotic assistants didn't save any tutoring hours for him. Hello end season going to hell fast.

SEC Bowl Results
Gem Bowl: California 10 #20 Alabama 34
Cactus Bowl: Virginia 41 #16 Georgia 31
Citrus Bowl: Purdue 27 #8 Florida 24
Holiday Bowl: #21 West Virginia 35 #9 Tennessee 42
Fiesta Bowl: #15 Maryland 24 #9 LSU 14

SEC Bowl Record: 2-3

Terrible year for the conference in bowl play. Three upsets and the Volunteers just narrowly avoiding a fourth against the Mountaineers. Maybe it's karma for their denying us a bowl game.

The Rose Bowl is the best bowl game of the entire year, as #3 UCLA edges #5 Boise State 31-24 in a thrilling, back and forth battle. So much for all the arguments about the Broncos belonging in the national title game.

#2 Michigan utterly crushes #1 Oklahoma 51-14 in the Orange Bowl to win the national championship. UCLA fans have something to argue about now, I think, but not too much given the Bruins needed everything they had to top Boise State.

For me, it's a no-brainer vote for the Heisman Trophy and that's UCLA's QB Wesley Pitcher of the 2 National Player of the Week awards. He threw for 4,571 yards, 54 TDs and 16 INTs, just one hell of a season.

And Wesley Pitcher wins the Heisman Trophy! Just barely, though.

Heisman Trophy Top 5 Vote-getters
#1. QB Wesley Pitcher (UCLA) - 126 votes
#2. QB Allen Parrish (Florida) - 123 votes
#3. QB Johnny Arnold (Michigan) - 117 votes
#4. QB Dale Meidinger (USC) - 103 votes
#5T. QB Levon Reynolds (Boston College) - 100 votes
#5T. QB Norbert Alcott (Notre Dame) - 100 votes

Biggest Heisman Voting Snub
QB Josh Sellers (Oklahoma) - 4,145 yards - 50 TDs, 7 INTs

Code:

Orange Bowl              Michigan (12-0) 51, Oklahoma (12-1) 14                 
Rose Bowl                UCLA (12-0) 31, Boise State (11-1) 24
Sugar Bowl               Utah (11-1) 38, Texas (10-2) 21                        
Fiesta Bowl              Maryland (10-2) 24, Louisiana State (10-3) 14          
Tangerine Bowl           Ohio State (10-2) 13, Miami of Florida (9-3) 3         
Cotton Bowl              USC (9-3) 31, Nebraska (9-4) 6         
Gator Bowl               Florida State (9-3) 27, Texas A&M (9-3) 10             
Holiday Bowl             Tennessee (11-2) 43, West Virginia (9-3) 35            
Three Rivers Bowl        Colorado State (10-2) 45, Penn State (8-4) 31          
Sun Bowl                 Virginia Tech (9-3) 39, Washington (8-4) 31            
Citrus Bowl              Purdue (9-3) 27, Florida (9-3) 24                      
Nintendo Bowl            Clemson (8-4) 47, Texas Christian (9-3) 3              
Alamo Bowl               Michigan State (9-3) 33, Texas Tech (7-5) 20           
Las Vegas Bowl           Notre Dame (8-4) 52, UNLV (7-5) 7          
Cactus Bowl              Virginia (8-4) 41, Georgia (8-4) 31                    
Hawaii Bowl              Wisconsin (8-4) 37, Hawaii (11-2) 3                    
Emerald Bowl             Oregon (9-3) 68, Air Force (6-6) 0                     
Motor City Bowl          Northern Illinois (10-3) 34, Missouri (8-4) 3          
Gem Bowl                 Alabama (9-3) 34, California (7-5) 10                  
Coffee Bowl              Pittsburgh (9-3) 30, Louisville (9-3) 13               
Music City Bowl          Marshall (9-4) 24, Boston College (7-5) 20             
Potato Bowl              Navy (7-5) 42, North Texas (9-3) 14                    
Dairy Bowl               Arkansas State (9-3) 16, UW-Green Bay (7-5) 14

Surprising that the Phoenix were able to give our fellow Arkansas school such a stiff run, but then again, the game was up in Madison, so not that big a shock, really. Schadenfreude fills me as Texas got reamed by Utah. Take that, you bastards!

Home state advantage didn't do much for Florida and Miami. UNLV and Hawaii flat out embarass themselves in what amount to home games for them. There's talk of the Hawaii Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl swapping out with other bowls next year to prevent that happening again.

For the unusual bowls, I'll give their locations:

Dairy Bowl - Madison, WI
Potato Bowl - Boise City, ID
Coffee Bowl - Seattle, WA
Gem Bowl - Charleston, SC
Cactus Bowl - Tucson, AZ
Nintendo Bowl - Redmond, WA
Three Rivers Bowl - Pittsburgh, PA

Season End Top 25
1. Michigan
2. UCLA
3. Oklahoma
4. Ohio State
5. Texas
6. Tennesee (SEC)
7. Utah
8. Miami (FL)
9. Florida State
10. Boise State
11. Maryland
12. LSU (SEC)
13. USC
14. Florida (SEC)
15. Alabama (SEC)
16. Virginia Tech
17. Colorado State
18. Texas A&M
19. Oregon
20. Nebraska
21. Hawaii
22. Purdue
23. Georgia (SEC)
24. Michigan State
25. Pittsburgh

Uhh... okay. Utah beats Texas and the Utes wind up BEHIND the Longhorns in the Top 25. Paging Logic, paging Logic, where are you? Oh well, at least they got the #1 and #2 right. 5 SEC teams in the Top 25, but only one in the Top 10. Hard to call this anything but a disappointing year for the conference.

Final Razorbacks Team Summary

Code:

Record: 7-4
Rank: 40
   
Arkansas                Team      Rank  
Rushes                  396       61          
Rushing Yards           1598      45          
Yards Per Carry         4.03      39 (T)      
Pass Attempts           293       87 (T)      
Completions             151       91 (T)      
Passing Yards           2039      70 (T)      
Yards Per Attempt       6.95      57          
3rd Down Conversions    35.5      58 (T)      
Points Per Game         28.0      45          
Turnovers               25        80 (T)      
Turnover Margin         +3        53 (T)      
   
Opponents               Team      Rank  
Rushes                  382       55 (T)      
Rushing Yards           804       14          
Yards Per Carry         2.10      8           
Pass Attempts           336       62 (T)      
Completions             193       75 (T)      
Passing Yards           2751      105         
Yards Per Attempt       8.18      112 (T)     
3rd Down Conversions    34.1      64          
Points Per Game         23.3      57          
Turnovers               28        25 (T)      
   
Primary Formation: I-Formation
   
Week  Team  Versus        Oppnt  
2     47    NMST (84)     0       
3     0     TEXS (5)      40      
4     73    LAMN (115)    18      
5     19    ALAB (15)     14      
6     14    at FLOR (14)  56      
8     27    at AUBR (69)  20      
9     12    GEOR (23)     27      
11    24    at SCAR (38)  21      
12    38    MISS (52)     6       
13    38    at MSST (106) 13      
14    17    LSST (12)     42      
   
Passing             Pos   Att   Comp  Yards Y/Att TD    Int  
3 Wallace           QB    259   135   1876  7.24  14    15      
5 Guzowski          QB    33    15    151   4.57  1     2       
Team                ---   293   151   2039  6.95  16    17      
   
Rushing             Pos   Att   Yards Y/Att TD    Stff  YdLst  
23 Winchester       RB    260   1298  4.99  13    86    149     
45 Gaylor           RB    58    272   4.68  1     14    27      
3 Wallace           QB    35    -100  -2.85 0     28    154     
Team                ---   396   1598  4.03  17    141   369     
   
Receiving           Pos   Targ  Catch Yards Y/Ctc YAC   TD  
84 Kelly            WR    56    22    361   16.4  97    2       
23 Winchester       RB    54    34    346   10.1  147   2       
82 Linquist         WR    43    22    314   14.2  159   4       
88 Jeffries         WR    37    14    272   19.4  105   2       
93 Welshans         TE    31    20    311   15.5  95    1       
45 Gaylor           RB    19    11    79    7.1   44    0       
85 Giles            WR    19    9     136   15.1  83    2       
26 Warren           FB    14    11    106   9.6   83    2       
96 Wojciechowicz    TE    13    3     30    10.0  12    0       
Team                ---   293   151   2039  13.5  837   16      
   
Defense             Pos   Tack  Asst  Sack  TFL   Ints  Defn  
73 Weidner          DE    54    10    18.5  28    0     0       
32 Fisk             S     50    16    0.0   11    0     5       
43 Starks           ILB   48    17    0.0   11    0     3       
49 Daft             OLB   48    17    0.0   8     1     5       
77 Linstrom         DE    47    17    11.5  19    0     1       
58 Lynn             OLB   47    14    4.0   11    0     3       
72 Middleton        DT    42    15    6.5   15    0     0       
46 Graveson         CB    35    12    0.0   3     8     7       
37 Fields           CB    29    5     0.0   4     6     1       
31 Weber            S     27    7     0.0   2     1     1       
47 Lynn             CB    25    4     0.0   1     0     4       
95 Phillips         ILB   21    10    1.0   3     0     3       
70 Lowe             DT    18    7     0.0   4     0     0       
91 Klekamp          OLB   18    8     1.0   3     0     0       
52 McKenzie         ILB   11    7     1.0   3     0     3       
Team                ---   629   188   46.0  132   17    39

It's going to be open competition next year for the starting QB spot. As much as I love Wallace's big arm, he threw way too many interceptions. Of course, having iffy WRs didn't help either.

2004 Arkansas Razorbacks SEC Leaders
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 1st in rushing yards
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 1st in punt return yard average and TDs (3), T-1st INTs
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 2nd in sacks, 1st in TFL, T-5th in hurries
CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 3rd in INTs
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - T-7th in sacks, T-6th TFL, T-6th in hurries

2004 Arkansas Razorbacks National Leaders
RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 9th in rushing yards
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2nd in punt return yard average, 1st in PR TDs, T-5th in INTs
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 4th in sacks, 3rd in TFL

2004 Arkansas Razorbacks Awards
DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 2nd Team All-American, All-USA Senior All-Star, 1st Team All-SEC, All-SEC Senior All-Star
DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 2nd Team All-SEC
OLB Spencer Daft (Sr) - 2nd Team All-SEC, All-SEC Academic Team
OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 2nd Team All-SEC
CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2nd Team All-SEC
WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - All-SEC Academic Team

Great year for Weidner. Daft was a surprise selection, while Lynn came on late in the year after injuries to our starting MLBs. But why the hell isn't Darryl Winchester anywhere on this list?!

Graduating Seniors
DE Damon Weidner*
OLB Spencer Daft*
TE Lincoln Welshans*
WR Earl Linquist*
WR Johnny Kelly*
K Tom Bullock*
ILB Norm Starks*
CB Henry Lynn*
S Derrick Fisk*
QB Derrick Norton
RB Allen Gaylor
RB Dave McIntyre
TE Leonard Wojciechowicz
ILB Chuck McKenzie
OLB Ernest Kleklamp

Ouch! We're losing 9 starters, 5 on defense, including the incomparable Weidner, whose pro career I'm greatly looking forward to. The offensive starters I'm not terribly concerned about or anyone on that side of the ball we're losing, to be honest. Defense is a big, big worry, however.

Final Recruiting Class

Code:

  Player                  Pos   HT   WT   ST   NRank ByPos  StRank ByPos
**Worlow, Cris            S     6-1  180  AR   147   9      2      1        
$$Thompson, Bryant        WR    6-0  190  AZ   165   13     3      1        
**Rose, Ralph             RB    5-10 202  AR   181   17     3      1        
##Reed, Hunter            CB    5-8  168  IL   307   22     17     1        
$$Springer, D.J.          QB    6-2  186  CA   179   24     19     6        
$$Thompson, Pat           ILB   6-2  202  CT   647   28     13     1        
$$Quintana, Morris        P     6-5  207  AR   847   29     9      2        
$$Clauss, Lincoln         OLB   5-11 211  CA   579   30     79     3        
**Richard, Mark           T     6-2  259  AR   263   32     4      1        
##Curtis, Adam            DT    6-4  261  RI   620   43     4      1        
##Richmond, Andy          FB    6-4  232  SD   ---   46     7      1        
##Lyon, Clifton           C     6-3  270  MA   874   50     15     4        
**Freestone, Bruce        DT    6-2  268  MO   727   53     20     3        
**Abraham, Randall        DE    6-1  229  AR   545   61     7      1        
##Phillips, Jumbo         TE    6-3  228  MD   ---   63     35     2        
##Gilmore, Sean           WR    6-1  186  IN   ---   ---    41     4        
   
  Player                  All-St All-US Status
**Worlow, Cris            Yes    No     Committed *      
$$Thompson, Bryant        Yes    No     Committed *      
**Rose, Ralph             No     No     Committed *      
##Reed, Hunter            Yes    No     Committed *      
$$Springer, D.J.          No     No     Committed *      
$$Thompson, Pat           Yes    No     Committed *      
$$Quintana, Morris        No     No     Committed *      
$$Clauss, Lincoln         No     No     Committed *      
**Richard, Mark           Yes    No     Committed *      
##Curtis, Adam            Yes    No     Committed *      
##Richmond, Andy          Yes    No     Committed *      
##Lyon, Clifton           No     No     Committed *      
**Freestone, Bruce        No     No     Committed *      
**Abraham, Randall        Yes    No     Committed *      
##Phillips, Jumbo         No     No     Committed *      
##Gilmore, Sean           No     No     Committed *

Izulde Jestor 2004 Report Card
Team Performance: 48
Academic Performance: 43
Recruiting Performance: 23
TV Revenue: 85
Alumni Donations: 69
Attendance: 77
Overall Grade: 57

Sounds about right, though I'll quibble somewhat with the Recruiting ranking. We got a lot of television exposure this year, which should help us for next season, bowl snub and occasional wrong-end blowouts aside.

2004 NFL Draft

Draft-Eligible Arkansas Razorbacks
DE Damon Weidner
ILB Norm Starks
WR Johnny Kelly
OLB Spencer Daft
ILB Chuck McKenzie
RB Allen Gaylor
RB Dave McIntyre
OLB Ernest Kleklamp
TE Lincoln Welshans
TE Leonard Wojciechowicz
S Derrick Fisk
WR Earl Linquist

Weidner's a lock to be drafted, as he's rated the #3 DE in the class. McKenzie wowed a lot of scouts in private workouts and is one of the fastest rising players on draft day. Daft showed excellent intelligence and intriguing upside in interviews, while Starks had a great combine and showed there's no worries about the concussion that ended his season, which was deemed more severe than McKenzie's. Wojciechowicz looks like he could catch on as a long snapper, while Kelly might be a late-round flyer pick. Everyone else is looking like a UDRFA.

QB Wesley Pitcher should go in the first round and South Carolina alum RB Blaine Hill may be a Top 10 pick. I'm also curious to see if Razorback slayer WR Andy Porter from Georgia goes anywhere.

Draft Results - Arkansas Razorbacks and Others of Interest
#3 overall pick - RB Blaine Hill - Detroit Lions
#9 overall pick - QB Wesley Pitcher - Arizona Cardinals
3rd round - 23rd pick - DE Damon Weidner - Buffalo Bills
5th round - 22nd pick - ILB Norm Starks - Baltimore Ravens
6th round - 3rd pick - ILB Chuck McKenzie - Jacksonville Jaguars
6th round - 19th pick - OLB Spencer Daft - Seattle Seahawks
7th round - 26th pick - WR Andy Porter - Minnesota Vikings
7th round - 31st pick - WR Johnny Kelly - New York Giants

Heh. Kelly -just- misses becoming Mr. Irrelevant. I'm stunned Weidner fell so far and I think my hated archrival Bills (in NFL fandom terms) got an absolute steal there.

QB Wesley Pitcher is a training camp hold-out as is RB Blaine Hill, but I'm pleased to report all the Razorbacks signed before camp.

After training camp, QB Wesley Pitcher is still holding out, but RB Blaine Hill signs midway through camp.

Terrific training camp by Norm Starks, but he's still a longshot to make the team. Nice showings by Damon Weidner and Chuck McKenzie, but only Weidner's roster spot seems assured.

Opening Day Projections
QB Wesley Pitcher - Starting QB - Arizona Cardinals
RB Blaine Hill - Starting RB - Detroit Lions
DE Damon Weidner - Backup DE - Buffalo Bills
MLB Norm Starks - 3rd string MLB - Baltimore Ravens
MLB Chuck McKenzie - Practice Squad - Jacksonville Jaguars
SLB Spencer Daft - Practice Squad - Seattle Seahawks
WR Andy Porter - Free Agent
WR Johnny Kelly - 5th WR - New York Giants

I probably won't report on Porter or Hill after this, unless it's an end-season check-in. Pitcher nearly got screwed out of the Heisman and I've never seen a player win National Player of the Week twice in a season, so I'm going to follow his career along with the Hogs alumni.

Izulde · 01-12-2009, 09:32 PM

To: [email protected]

Oliver Linstrom has failed his Sports Management class and will be ineligible for the upcoming football season.

@$%!%!%!$%!%$!%$!%!$%^#^%^!$%!!

YOU FUCKING DUMBASS LINSTROM!

There went our entire season down the drain.

Ugh.

2004 Coach of the Year
Wendell Rose - Michigan

Deserving of the award, but I'm so pissed off about Linstrom I can't even see straight.

Luckily, there's staff hiring to take my mind off of things and we quickly institute sweeping reforms.

Offensive Coordinator Kenny Jones (60 years old)
Play Call: Excellent
Injury Avoid: Terrific
Rehab: Terrible
Congeniality: VG

QB: Terrific
RB: Pretty Good
WR: Decent
OL: Excellent
K: Terrific
Experience: None

He may be a rookie hire and an old one at that, but he's the perfect fit for us and a breath of fresh air after last year's disaster. I also like that he isn't wedded to a particular offense, as we may be changing it up this year.

DC Conrad Fredrickson's play calling improved to Lousy, but he took hits in Congeniality and Secondary development. He keep his job solely because there's nobody out there that's better and he did do a good job with the unit last year all in all.

Syndicate Coordinator Steven Buckley (38)
Academic Eligibility: Terrific
Syndicate Investigation: Lousy
Donations: Very Good

A massive upgrade from our previous POS SC. Maybe he can keep our star players from becoming academically ineligible.

I'm feeling terribly lazy, so for the scouts, I only concern myself with our home region, and punt out the useless 71 year old duffer for a bright young fellow (36) whose only areas of weakness are K and DL.

Ticket prices we leave alone.

Scheduling

Those bastards in Austin refuse to schedule another Battle for the Bloody Orange, so we're stuck with home games against Georgia Tech and Duke this year.

Oh, that reminds me, I forgot to check the final adjusted class rankings, so I only have the end-season recruiting rankings, which are as follows:

Code:

Top 25 Recruiting Classes
1. Texas
2. USC
3. Maryland
4. Wisconsin
5. Texas A&M
6. Notre Dame
7. UCLA
8. Virginia Tech
9. Michigan
10. Iowa
11. Colorado
12. Illinois
13. Florida (SEC)
14. Pittsburgh
15. Northwestern
16. Tennessee (SEC)
17. Penn State
18. Ohio State
19. Kansas State
20. Missouri
21. Purdue
22. Virginia
23. Georgia Tech
24. Toledo
25. Syracuse

Other SEC Recruiting Class Rankings
28. Arkansas
36. Vanderbilt
43. Kentucky
46. Auburn
71. Alabama
82. Georgia
95. Mississippi State
108. South Carolina
109. Mississippi
125. LSU (Ranked dead last in the country!)

I'm sure there was some adjustment, but even if we dropped some, #28 is an impressive accomplishment. Nice work by everyone at the University.

And now it's time for a roster review!

Code:

Guzowski, Clyde         5    QB   Sr    57                77                  
Bradford, Danny         2    QB   Jr*   17                99                  
Wallace, Kent           3    QB   Sr    47                64                  
Norton, Derrick         18   QB   Sr    40                54                  
Springer, D.J.          16   QB   Fr    17                62

Guzowski busted his ass over the summer and made huge strides in his game. He'll take over as the starting QB, with Bradford the likely #2, as Wallace has really regressed. Springer gets a redshirt and is our QB of the future, though I'll probably bring someone else in as competition, given we're losing 3 seniors here.

Code:

Winchester, Darryl      23   RB   Jr    90                96                  
Godinez, Mitchell       30   RB   Jr*   21                49                  
Sandstrom, Jorge        24   RB   Sr    47                59                  
Hirsch, Sammie          25   RB   So*   56                82                  
Rose, Ralph             39   RB   Fr    33                76

Winchester is pissed about last year's snubs in the awards and he comes in as one of the top RBs in the country. Needless to say, he'll start. Hirsch's redshirt year was a huge disappointment, but he'll still be the #2 RB, with true freshman Rose slotting as the #3 back. I don't see Rose as worthy of a redshirt.

Code:

Garrison, Renaldo       40   FB   So*   38                81                  
Warren, Ricky           26   FB   Jr    58                58                  
Fisher, Britt           48   FB   So    34                77                  
Richmond, Andy          42   FB   Fr    18                36                  
Taylor, Ike             34   FB*  So*   24                49

Warren, then Garrison. Richmond doesn't have the upside to deserve a redshirt, though I'm really hyped about Garrison's potential.

Code:

Alexander, Ike          89   TE   Sr    40                49                  
Reed, Rufus             86   TE   So*   33                99                  
Phillips, Jumbo         84   TE   Fr    16                63                  
Kuebrich, Luke          99   TE*  So*   27                50

Big decline from last year's group. Reed's ridiculous upside will earn him the start and I'll probably make Alexander the backup. Phillips dons a red shirt.

Code:

Giles, Adam             85   WR   Sr    54                55                  
Jeffries, Colin         88   WR   So    28                42                  
Woodson, Shane          7    WR   Sr    50                70                  
Gilmore, Sean           83   WR   Fr    23                37                  
Thompson, Bryant        4    WR   Fr    26                78                  
Garcia, Rufus           81   WR*  So    27                37                  
Chandler, Joseph        80   WR*  So    15                26

Last year's weakest group doesn't look much better. Jeffries and Woodson start, Giles figures in as the #3 WR, with Thompson occupying the #4 spot. I think Gilmore has more upside than what the numbers suggest, so he'll redshirt. I'd call this a major need area in recruiting still.

Code:

Hall, Gerald            50   C    Sr*   41                50                  
Lyon, Clifton           54   C    Fr    7                 57                  
Hickman, Mack           55   C*   Sr*   20                61                  
Lee, Jamie              56   C*   So*   15                63

Hall starts, Lee's #2 and Lyon gets a freed redshirt.

Code:

Hastings, Luke          64   G    Jr*   19                47                  
Thompson, Mel           60   G    Sr    62                62                  
Lewis, Mercury          76   G    Sr    37                45                  
Stensrud, Emmitt        62   G*   So    15                42

Thompson and Lewis will hold down the fort another year, Hastings the backup. Desparately need new players here.

Code:

McKenna, Jack           74   T    So    24                86                  
McDonald, Oliver        67   T    Sr    32                47                  
Blouir, Travis          78   T    So    21                77                  
Richard, Mark           63   T    Fr    19                86                  
Heath, George           65   T*   Sr    16                16                  
Zahavi, Anthony         68   T*   So    20                62

McDonald at LT, McKenna at RT, as their current skills require a position switch. Richard will be the main backup, though he probably deserves a red shirt. We need more skilled and developed players here.

Code:

Burkhammer, Ralph       6    P    Sr    60                78                  
Samuels, Junior         1    P    Jr*   45                83                  
Quintana, Morris        14   P    Fr    21                92                  
Dunlap, Everett         19   P*   Jr*   27                51                  
Johnston, Warren        10   K    Sr*   58                67                  
Dwight, William         8    K*   So*   44                68

Burkhammer will do for another year. Quintana's yet another red shirt. Johnston takes over kicking duties, but I'll keep an eye out in recruiting for a K.

Code:

Beltran, Aaron          90   DE   Sr*   45                47                  
Hruby, Richard          98   DE   Jr    42                53                  
Linstrom, Oliver (IE)   77   DE   Sr    84                100                 
Abraham, Randall        91   DE   Fr    23                70                  
McGregor, Mitch         94   DE*  So*   36                41                  
Abreu, Donny            92   DE*  Jr*   20                80

Sigh. Imagine the unit we'd have if Linstrom hadn't gotten his butt suspended. It's not Weidner/Linstrom, let me tell you. It'll have to be Beltran and Hruby, with the other two scrubs as reserves. Abraham is redshirted and we'll be looking hard here, too.

Code:

Middleton, Lincoln      72   DT   Sr    63                78                  
Sowell, Rich            71   DT   Sr    42                42                  
Lowe, Joey              70   DT   Sr    42                59                  
Curtis, Adam            93   DT   Fr    13                48                  
Freestone, Bruce        96   DT   Fr    11                55
Moss, Lincoln           79   DT*  So*   7                 61                  
Becht, Kurt             75   DT*  Jr*   15                64

If we have -any- kind of ILB corps at all, I'm switching to a 3-4. Otherwise it'll be Middleton and Lowe, with the two freshmen picking up red shirts. Very disappointingly raw class so far.

Code:

Phillips, Nathan        95   ILB  Jr*   32                61                  
Thompson, Pat           53   ILB  Fr    13                48                  
Bensen, Tommy           59   ILB* Sr    3                 19                  
Connell, Neil           57   ILB* So    18                63

....Ummm...Yeah. 4-3 it is, with Phillips sliding in the middle and Thompson as his main backup. Another need area in recruiting.

Code:

Flowers, Thurman        97   OLB  Sr    46                55                  
Lynn, Aaron             58   OLB  Sr    74                96                  
Clauss, Lincoln         45   OLB  Fr    15                59                  
Jacques, John           51   OLB* Jr*   15                44

We'll go with Lynn and Flowers as the starters, Clauss as the backup. Holy hell we're thin this year in depth. I should just make the whole defense a priority in recruiting and be done with it.

Code:

Fields, Marlon          37   CB   Sr    53                53                  
Goodlink, Kenyon        44   CB   Jr*   33                55                  
Gowin, Greg             29   CB   Sr*   47                67                  
Graveson, Rick          46   CB   Sr*   77                97                  
Reed, Hunter            21   CB   Fr    35                50                  
Wolfe, Roderick         20   CB*  So    17                72

Finally, a group with depth. Fields, last year's nickel back and the awesome beyond compare Graveson are the starters, with some combination of Goodlink and Gowin as the backups. Reed doesn't impress me at all, so it's Wolfe who gets an extra year here.

Code:

Simmons, Junior         33   S    Sr    43                60                  
Worlow, Cris            43   S    Fr    42                68                  
Weber, Walter           31   S*   So    15                51                  
Womer, Graham           28   S*   So    22                68

Think we'll miss Derrick Fisk? Not so much. I'm very excited about Worlow, the lone freshman I can say that about. He and Simmons will start, while Weber and Womer reprise their reserve roles.

So... what to do about our offense?

After putting a lot of thought into it, I decide to go with the Flexbone. As much as I think Jumbo Phillips has the potential to develop into a good TE and as weak as our WR corps is, I think that's the best offense for our current roster.

Preseason Notes
Ranking: 41
Prestige: 77 (-2) (8th in SEC, 4th in SEC South)

A slight drop thanks to no bowl games.

Initial Recruits
FB Dean Brennan
ILB Jerry Brewer
OLB Ralph Handwerker
G Cedric Berardi
C Bryan Lynn
RB Kenneth Sutton (With our switch to the Flexbone, you can never have enough of these)
QB Broderick Moya
DE Rod West

MJ4H · 01-20-2009, 01:43 PM

Ready for next season!

kingfc22 · 01-20-2009, 02:41 PM

Man, rough way to end the year and how does the #3 DE in the draft fall to the 3rd round. WOW!

Izulde · 01-20-2009, 05:40 PM

MJ4H: I'm thinking of reverting to first person format. The journalistic style and picture hunting gets exhausting.

kingfc22: No kidding on both counts! Although I hate he went to the Bills, I still think Weidner's going to end up an NFL starter someday.

Izulde · 01-21-2009, 01:47 AM

Week 1 SEC Results
UW-Parkside 6 Kentucky 45 (Raycom)
UCF 0 #18 Alabama 54 (ESPN)
#11 LSU 0 #3 Ohio State 31 (National Game of The Week)

So much for the Tigers looking like one of the top teams in the country after getting absolutely skunked by the
Buckeyes. The Crimson Tide gets off to a rolling start while the Wildcats beat a school that didn't even have
football until this universe and is primarily a soccer school.

SEC OOC Record YTD: 2-1

Recruit Visits
FB Dean Brennan

He idolizes us, so I'm going to go ahead and profile him now. From Wagoner High in Wagoner, OK, he's #636 overall
nationall, 19th by position. Smart as hell and from one of the powerhouse schools in Oklahoma (83 Athl/75
Academic). You can be damned sure we're going to pump that pipeline as much as we can over the next four years.

Unfortunately, in terms of our pipeline quest, none of the freshmen we got last year has any lead-ins anywhere,
except WR Sean Gilmore's alma mater in South Bend, IN, which yielded a scrubby TE we have no use or need
for.

New Recruits
QB Calvin Lunderville
CB Charlie Vaughn
G Vinny Palmer

Week 1 NFL Results

QB Wesley Pitcher - Arizona Cardinals (S)
Up and down outing for the rookie QB, who rode the incomparable tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry
Fitzgerald to a 27/54 for 338 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs first-ever NFL regular season game. Unfortunately for
the Cardinals, one of those TDs came in garbage time, making their 24-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers look
closer than it actually was.

DE Damon Weidner - Buffalo Bills
The apprentice outduels the teacher as Tom Brady's Patriots wallop Drew Bledsoe's Bills 42-26.
Though to be fair, New England's got Corey Dillon running the ball and he outranks Willis McGahee by
a considerable margin. Weidner got on the field for 10 plays (6 running, 4 passing) and picked up a tackle and
half a sack in the limited playing time. Way to make the most of your opportunities, Damon!

MLB Norm Starks - Baltimore Ravens
The good news: Baltimore beat Pittsburgh 31-23 in a game that, like Arizona's matchup with the 49ers, wasn't
anywhere near as close as the final score indicates. Big Ben throws 3 interceptions and the Ravens coast on
a 21-3 second quarter mauling. The bad news: Starks was on the field for a measly 2 plays, both on special teams
and didn't distinguish himself at all.

MLB Chuck McKenzie - Jacksonville Jaguars
Practice squad, so who cares how his team did.

SLB Spencer Daft - Seattle Seahawks
Practice squad, so who cares how his team did.

WR Johnny Kelly - New York Giants
The Giants roll the Redskins 31-10 on Kurt Warner's briskly efficient passing and Tiki Barber's nice
running. Kelly had 11 special teams plays, but didn't record any statistics and he batted .000 for his 4 pass
plays as well.

Free Agents
RB Allen Gaylor
RB Dave McIntye
OLB Ernest Kleklamp
TE Lincoln Welshans
TE Leonard Wojciechowicz
S Derrick Fisk
WR Earl Linquist
K Tom Bullock

Yeah... None of these guys are going to get picked up and nor should they be.

Red and White Hog Ball of the Week
DE Damon Weidner as the only one to record any meaningful stats or see the field much at all.

Opening Day: Vs. Georgia Tech @ Fayetteville
It's the season kickoff for both teams and the Yellow Jackets have a really good player in QB Jamie Sikkenga
(Sr). We catch a huge break because their top RB is out for the year on academic suspension, one of three
players on the offensive side of the ball to be so sanctioned. Senior WR Darryl Beaudry is their only
offensive weapon really, but they're stacked on the offensive line, particularly at guard and tackle. The best
player, is, of course T Wally Gaines (Sr), a returning All-ACC 1st Team T. They also return All-ACC 2nd
Team P Donny Henson (Sr).

Tech's defensive line doesn't concern me in the slightest, outside of seniors DE R.J. Lunney and DT Keith
Stennett. Lunney is a returning 2nd Team All-American DE. No ILBs worth mentioning, but their OLB corps
goes 3 deep and has 4 players with Excellent Future Potential, only one of whom is a senior. Scary stuff.
The Yellow Jackets have a pair of very good starting CBs in Grant Scott (Sr) and Don Parker (Jr) and
true freshman Kris Solent looks like an impact gamechanger as the nickel corner. As for the safeties.. not
really a concern.

All in all, I think we match up well against them. Our primary emphasis is going to be on our filthy run game,
which they don't have the tools to defend against, even though their secondary is pretty good. I also think
they'll have a hard time trying to beat us through the air, Sikkenga and Beaudry aside, especially with their #1 RB
gone for the season.

Line: Arkansas by 2

I think we'll top that pretty easily.

So Much For A Good Start: Yellow Jackets Sting Hogs 44-0.
....Yeah. I don't even know what to say about this one. It was over in a hurry, I can tell you that much. We
were down 28-0 by the early part of the second quarter and our offense laid a complete egg as the final score
indicates. Our defense went nowhere too. Senior Tech QB Jaime Sikkenga raped us for 257 yards and 2 TDs on
17 of 23 passing, but the real killer was RB Lamar Horan (RS So) bending us over and violating us for 117
yards and a TD on just 15 carries. Senior WR Harry Wagener equalled 1/3rd of his entire 2004 season in this
one start with 5 catches for 100 yards and a TD.

2nd Team All-American DE R.J. Lunney picked up right where he left off last season with 5 tackles, all TFL,
2 assists, 4.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 forced fumbles. Senior CB Grant Scott picked up 3 pass defenses and
an INT and we threw the ball way too damn much in the early going.

As for what we did, I'll let the stats stand on their own.

Arkansas Razorbacks "Leaders"
Passing
QB Clyde Guzowski (Sr) - 5/15 - 56 yards
QB Danny Bradford (RS So) - 2/7 - 24 yards - 2 INTs

Rushing
RB Darryl Winchester (Jr) - 10 carries - 17 yards
RB Sammie Hirsch (RS Fr) - 8 carries - 21 yards

Receiving
WR Bryant Thompson (Fr) - 3 catches - 49 yards - 1 fumble

Defense
S Cris Worlow (Fr) - 9 tackles, 1 assist - 1 pass defense
DT Lincoln Middleton (Sr) - 7 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 sack
OLB Thurman Flowers (Sr) - 4 tackles, 3 assists - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 1 hurry

A couple promising performances from our true freshmen, but that's about it. And just because that wasn't bad
enough, G Luke Hastings (RS So), our top backup, tears his elbow ligaments, will require surgery and is lost
for the season. It's going to be a -very- long year in Fayetteville.

SEC Scores
Mississippi 34 Arkansas State 14
Vanderbilt 17 North Texas 34
Miami (OH) 0 South Carolina 47
TCU 10 Georgia 55 (Raycom)
Northern Illinois 14 Florida 70 (Fox Regional Network)
Mississippi State 3 #8 Virginia 34 (Fox Regional Network)
#1 Ohio State 45 #25 Tennessee 17 (ESPN)
#10 Louisville 28 #16 Kentucky 35 (National Game of the Week)

SEC OOC Week: 5-3
SEC YTD: 7-4

Stunning upset by the Wildcats over their hated archrivals. Could this be Kentucky's year? They've certainly
looked damn sexy in their first two games. Ohio State kicks the shit out of another SEC team this week, which
simultaneously makes the Buckeyes look like prohibitive early-season national title favorites and puts a black eye
on the conference. Mississippi State looks headed for another year of suckitude, while the Gators and Georgia
indicate they still plan on being top teams in the conference. Judging from early returns, the SEC could be a very
tight race this year. Disappointing to see Vandy start off the wrong note.

NFL Week 2

QB Wesley Pitcher (S) - Arizona Cardinals
Fantastic week for the Cards and Pitcher in Week 2 as they destroy the Colts 40-16 and Pitcher wins his first
Player of the Game award. 25/36 for 342 yard and 3 TDs, his second straight 300+ yard game in as many
starts. Makes you wonder how good this Arizona team would be with an actual defense. Think a rookie QB
throwing for 680 yards and 5 TDs in his first two starts is sick? Peep Anquan Boldin of the 322 yards and 3 TDs
in those two starts. Man, this Cardinals team is -fun- to watch.

DE Damon Weidner - Buffalo Bills
Heartbreak in Buffalo as they lose 20-14 to the Panthers. But really, when Drew Bledsoe throws 3 picks and
Willis McGahee seems stuck at the 50 yard rushing mark, there's not much the Bills can do offensively.
Weidner gets in on 11 plays (7 rushing, 4 passing), but can only manage an assist.

MLB Norm Starks - Baltimore Ravens
Doug Brien kicks a 38 yard FG with 7 seconds left on the clock to lift the Bears over the Ravens 30-27,
ruining a hell of a rally by Baltimore. Starks continues to get his miniscule amount of ST plays, with yet to
record a stat of any kind or show up on the defensive side of the ball.

MLB Chuck McKenzie - Jacksonville Jaguars
Practice Squad.

SLB Spencer Daft - Seattle Seahawks
Practice Squad.

WR Johnny Kelly - New York Giants
Kelly's first NFL catch was as memorable as they come. He hauled in the 50 yard game-winner, a 44 yard bomb
from Kurt Warner that he then sprinted the remaining 6 yards for the TD as the Giants hang on to beat the Chiefs
21-16 and stay unbeaten in the young season. The stadium exploded when Kelly crossed the goal line and even if
he never does anything else in his NFL career, he'll alway have that beautiful, shining moment he can point to.

Red and White Hog Ball of the Week
This one's just as obvious as it was last week - WR Johnny Kelly for his sensational, game-defining TD grab.

MJ4H · 01-21-2009, 11:43 AM

what the

kingfc22 · 01-21-2009, 12:06 PM

Ouch. Hope the change from the I isn't what caused that poor effort from Winchester.

Izulde · 01-21-2009, 03:59 PM

MJ4H: Yeah. My thoughts exactly.

kingfc22: Me too! Because it's too late to switch back.

01-03-2009, 09:40 PM	#29
kingfc22 Head Coach Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Morgan Hill, CA	Nice win! __________________ Fan of SF Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Arsenal

01-04-2009, 04:13 PM	#31
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Offensive Player of the Week RB Lonnie Fitzgerald - Pittsburgh - 45 carries - 232 yards - 3 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DE Spencer Hennek - UAB - 6 tackles, 3 assists - 3.5 sacks Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations RB Darryl Winchester (6th time) DE Oliver Linstrom (1st time) Two recruits notify us of their decisions this week. G Tyrone Galliard pulls a swerve move and signs with Lawrence University. ...Yeah, good luck in the Sol-8, buddy. But the real nutcrusher is High School All-American ILB Sammy McPherson, who I thought we had locked up, suddenly going to Tucson to play for the University of Arizona Wildcats. New Recruits WR Sean Gilmore FB Andy Richmond Rebels Come To Fayetteville For Pivotal Matchup The University of Mississsippi Rebels, picked for second to last in the SEC South by most preseason publications, has exceeded all expectations with their 5-3 record. Their surprise run has been engineered by junior QB Barry Wagoner, who has 2,224 yards and 19 TDs to 10 INTs on 59.4% passing and senior WR Joe Reese, second in the SEC in kick return average at 30.6 yards, including a TD. One thing that could affect the Rebels' chances is DE Lee Oben (RS Jr)'s questionable status for this week's game with a hyperextended elbow. Oben has been the Rebels' top player on defense, with 26 tackles, 15 assists, 12 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 3 blocks and 9 QB hurries. If he can't play, look for a Razorback rout. If he's able to suit up, we could have a close game, despite Arkansas with home field advantage and a 6 point favorite line. It's a key matchup, as a victory for the Hogs puts them solidly in third place in the division and makes them bowl eligible, while a win for the Rebels makes them bowl eligible and adds more chaos to the SEC South standings, as they'll be tied with the Razorbacks and potentially LSU as well. Arkansas will be helped by the return of freshman LT Jack McKenna to the starting lineup. Hogs Stomp Rebels 38-6 Arkansas Razorbacks mascot Big Red dances before Saturday afternoon's game against the Ole Miss Rebels For a while, it looked like it was going to be another close, tough game for the Razorbacks football team, especially after the Rebels scored a FG to take the early 3-0 lead at 9:21 in the first quarter. But on the ensuing kickoff return, as he's done so many times this season, RB Darryl Winchester (So) made the tremendous highlight play, bursting free for a 91 yard TD return to make it 7-3 Arkansas. Just two plays later, CB Rick Graveson (RS So), another big-play specialist this year for the Hogs, intercepted junior Rebels QB Barry Wagoner at the Razorback 11, but the long, promising Arkansas drive was stopped by a Winchester fumble, the Rebels recovering on their own 38. Arkansas scored again with 8:59 left in the second quarter, junior QB Kent Wallace tossing a 2 yard screen to WR Earl Linquist (Sr) for the score and 14-3 Razorbacks lead. Ole Miss threatened to answer on their next drive, until senior DE Damon Weidner and DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) combined on a sack, forcing a fumble recovered by DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) on the Arkansas 16 to preserve the 14-3 score at the half. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost the Rebels a potential touchdown midway through the third quarter, forcing them to settle for a 28 yard FG to cut the Razorbacks lead to 14-6. Winchester scored his second touchdown of the game on the next drive, the audacious decision by the Hogs to call a run play on 3rd and goal from the 20 yard line paying off as the sophomore sensation ran it in for the TD and the 21-6 lead. The fourth quarter was all Arkansas defense and special teams, with two more interceptions of Wagoner and a blocked punt for the game's final TD. Game MVP: DE Damon Weidner Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 13 of 23 - 212 yards - 2 TDs Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 32 carries - 125 yards - 1 TD - 1 fumble RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 3 carries - 20 yards Receiving WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 4 catches - 84 yards - 1 TD TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 3 catches - 51 yards Defense S Derrick Fisk (Sr) - 8 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 3 pass defenses S Walter Weber (Fr) - 7 tackles - 1 INT - 1 forced fumble DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 6 tackles - 6 TFL - 4.5 sacks - 1 hurry DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 3 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 1 fumble recovery CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 0 tackles, 3 assists - 1 pass defense - 2 INTs - 0 times caught Offensive Line/Special Teams G Mercury Lewis (RS Jr) - 8 Key Run Blocks RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 2 kick returns - 109 yards - 54.5 average - 1 TD *End Webpage* In a lot of ways, the single biggest win of the season. We crush the Ole Miss hype, go bowl eligible and probably just clinched ourselves a minimum of third place in the SEC South. Other SEC Scores #24 Georgia 34 Auburn 17 Vanderbilt 37 Kentucky 42 #25 South Carolina 6 #7 Florida 56 #20 Alabama 25 #19 LSU 40 I know this is beating the proverbial dead horse, but it still stuns me to see Auburn at 4-6 (2-5). Kentucky gets the major upset and morale booster in knocking off Vanderbilt, while Florida continues to build its case for a national title appearance by blowing out the Gamecocks, who appear completely deflated after our upset win over them last week. LSU gives my preseason prediction validity by solidly beating the Crimson Tide and suddenly, we're sitting at a tie for first place in the SEC South with the Tigers, as Alabama drops to 4-3 in SEC play with the loss. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

01-05-2009, 01:02 PM	#32
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Offensive Player of the Week RB Byron Albert - Clemson - 30 carries - 171 yards - 2 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DE Damon Rodriguez - Miami (FL) - 6 tackles, 2 assists - 5 sacks First time ever a conference has won both Player of the Week awards. Congratulations to the ACC, though I think Damon Weidner got hosed. Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations DE Damon Weidner (2nd time) RB Darryl Winchester (7th time) G Mercury Lewis (1st time) QB Kent Wallace (4th time) In another first, Lewis is our first offensive lineman to receive POTW consideration. Richl deserved and a great feather in his cap. Just one recruit makes his decision this week, but it's a big one. Top 25 QB D.J. Springer Commits To Hogs! This is the one Izulde Jestor wanted most. QB D.J. Springer, a dual threat QB ranked #179 by Rivals.com, #24 among QBs, signed a letter of intent to play for the Razorbacks. Hailing from Lodi High in Lodi, CA, Springer compiled an impressive season, both through the air and on the ground: 177/286 (61.8%) for 3,033 yards (10.6 Y/AT average, 18 TDs and 3 INTs and 122 rushes for 836 yards (6.85 YPC) and 8 TDs. He also excels academically, currently carrying a 3.62 GPA and recording an 1199 SAT score. While a probable redshirt candidate next season, the Hogs coaching staff is extremely excited to land Springer and believe he could be the QB of the future. Razorbacks recruit QB D.J. Springer* is all smiles at Lodi High School after announcing his commitment to Arkansas* *End Article* What a huge relief. While we'll be fine with Kent Wallace under center again next year, I don't know if Danny Bradford (RS Fr) will ever grow into his potential. Regarding academics, we've got a pretty decent class thus far and I'll post our results after we complete our recruiting for the year. Razorbacks Must Avoid Complacency Against Bulldogs The Hogs travel to Mississipi this week to take on Mississippi State and they'll have to avoid looking ahead when they play the woeful Bulldogs (2-6) (1-5). Senior RB Kent Brosseau is Mississippi State's lone point-scoring threat and that's on kick returns, where he ranks second in the SEC with a 29.2 yard average with a TD. Fellow senior S Perry Tuaol leads the Bulldogs defense with 53 tackles, 17 assists, 8 TFL, a QB hurry, 2 INTs and 5 pass defenses. With those two the only stars on the Bulldogs, it looks to be a long afternoon for the 11 point underdogs and the Hogs should run away with this one. Hogs Stampede Bulldogs 38-13 The Mississippi State marching band were the only Bulldogs to have a good game in the Arkansas Razorbacks' 38-13 cakewalk win. When the Mississippi State Bulldogs started off the game with a false start penalty that put them at their own 8 yard line and got an unnecessary roughness penalty two downs later to pin them at the 4, you had the feeling the day was going to be just as long as most predicted. After Razorback CB Rick Graveson (RS So) returned the punt 35 yards for a TD to make it 7-0 with the game not even two minutes old, feeling became reality. The Bulldogs started to put together a drive on the following possession, but Arkansas DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) sacked walk-on junior QB K.C. Green for a 6 yard loss on third and 1 on the Mississippi State 40. Arkansas responded with a lengthy scoring drive, relying heavily on RB Darryl Winchester (So)'s legs to set up the 6 yard TD pass from QB Kent Wallace (Jr) to senior WR Johnnie Kelly for a 14-0 Razorbacks lead with 5:36 left in the first. A very bizzare sequence of events occurred just after the two minute warning in the first half, as three straight interceptions put the Bulldogs on the Arkansas 5 yard line. From the official game log: Code: 3-09-ARKN46 (01:55) ARKN 3 Wallace pass was intercepted by MSST 39 Huntley at the MSST33. The interception was returned 35 yards. Tackled by ARKN 88 Jeffries. Possession to Mississippi State. 1-10-ARKN32 (01:44) MSST 19 Green pass was intercepted by ARKN 46 Graveson at the ARKN07. The interception was returned 0 yards. Tackled by MSST 87 Bullock. Possession to Arkansas. 1-10-ARKN07 (01:35) ARKN 3 Wallace pass was intercepted by MSST 35 Tuaolo at the ARKN23. The interception was returned 18 yards. Tackled by ARKN 67 McDonald. Despite this fortunate gift, the Bulldogs could only manage a field goal to make it 17-3 at the half. It turned to 24-3 midway through the third quarter when Winchester finally got his first TD of the game on a 24 yard run, but the Bulldogs responded with a TD of their own, making it 24-10 on a drive featuring three completions for 25+ yards by Green. The Bulldogs' fate was officially sealed after Wallace hit senior WR Earl Linquist for an 8 yard TD and a 21 point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Junior Razorbacks CB Marlon Fields scored the game's final points, returning an interception 45 yards for a TD with 2:50 left. Game MVP: RB Darryl Winchester Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 14 of 24 - 168 yards - 2 TDs - 3 INTs Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 29 carries - 206 yards - 1 TD RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 5 carries - 26 yards Receiving RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 6 catches - 75 yards WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 2 catches - 29 yards - 1 TD Defense DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 4 TFL - 3 sacks - 1 hurry ILB Nathan Phillips (RS Fr) - 6 tackles, 4 assists - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 2 pass defenses DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 5 tackles - 3 TFL - 3 sacks - 1 pass block - 2 hurries DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 sack CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 interception - 1 TD CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2 tackles - 1 TFL - 2 interceptions - 1 forced fumble Offensive Line/Special Teams G Mel Thompson (RS Jr) - 6 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 3 punt returns - 41 yards - 13.6 yard average - 1 TD - 1 fumble *End Webpage* Excellent all-around victory and Damon Weidner now has 7.5 sacks in the last two games to vault him into first place in the SEC, fourth in the country with 17.5. He also leads the conference in TFL, third in the nation with 26. I really wish he wasn't a senior. He's going to garner some serious All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year consideration, I wager, especially since we still have one more game to go to increase his stats. Major props to Nathan Phillips too, for stepping in at MLB and having an effective game. It may just be MSU, but his showing is encouraging for the future. Other SEC Scores Mississippi 7 #17 LSU 31 (CBS) #6 Florida 24 #18 Florida State 27 (Fox Regional Network) South Carolina 17 Clemson 38 (Fox Regional Network) #8 Tennessee 37 Vanderbilt 7 (Raycom) Auburn 17 #23 Alabama 31 (Raycom) We were the only SEC game not to be on televison this week, as you can see. LSU punts the Rebels back to .500 overall and a 2-5 SEC record. Ole Miss is who I thought they were. Heartbreaking loss for the Gators to those bastard Seminoles, who all but end our hopes for an SEC representative in the national championship, unless Tennessee can keep climbing. South Carolina's season is ending in a real tailspin, with three straight losses, but the Gamecocks can still finish third in the SEC North if the Bulldogs lose to Georgia Tech. Ugly Iron Bowl for Auburn this year, and I wish the Tigers had pulled off the upset, because then we would've clinched at least second place in the SEC South. I -think- we still have second place locked up regardless of how we do in our final game because of our upset win over the Tide early in the season, but I'm not sure. SEC Vs Other Conferences Week: 0-2 (2-0 the last time we had OOC games, but I forgot to update it) SEC Vs Other Conferences Year: 28-6 Speaking of, here's a look at the standings with a game to go. Code: SEC North #12 Florida 9-2 7-1 #6 Tennessee 9-1 6-1 South Carolina 7-4 5-3 #19 Georgia 7-3 5-3 Kentucky 3-7 1-6 Vanderbilt 4-7 1-7 SEC South #15 LSU 8-2 5-2 Arkansas 7-3 5-2 #21 Alabama 8-3 5-3 Mississippi 5-5 2-5 Auburn 4-7 2-6 Mississippi State 2-7 1-6 We get some votes from the pollsters, but still can't crack the Top 25. That's fine. Our blowout losses to Texas and Florida have me thinking we're not a Top 25 team anyway. #15 LSU is our final opponent of the season and I'm not expecting we'll be able to upset them. Still, even if we fall to third place, I'm damned proud of what the team has done this year, especially after the season-ending injuries to senior ILBs Norm Starks and Chuck McKenzie and look forward to whatever bowl game we get invited to. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

01-11-2009, 05:35 PM	#33
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Offensive Player of the Week RB Darryl Winchester - Arkansas - 29 carries - 206 yards - 1 TD Defensive Player of the Week DE Donald Agranoff - Oklahoma - 5 tackles - 5 sacks Awesome! The first 200+ rushing game of my tenure in Arkansas is also the first ever National Player of the Week award. Congratulations, Darryl!!! Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations RB Darryl Winchester (8th time, 1 win) DE Damon Weidner (3rd time) DE Oliver Linstrom (3rd time) Two recruit decisions in the mail today. Razorbacks Haul In Two More; One Scholarship Left South Dakota All-State FB Andy Richmond, from Millbank High in Millbank, SD, the 47th ranked FB in the country, committed to the Razorbacks this week. A star inside and outside the classroom, Richmond currently has a 3.98 GPA and is said to have performed extremely well on the SAT with a 1553 score. WR Sean Gilmore, from James Whitecomb Riley High in South Bend, IN, isn't ranked, but the Hogs coaching staff is hoping that he'll be a diamond in the rough. At the very least, he should add depth to Arkansas's weakest position group. Neither one is expected to be an impact freshman, but one never knows what the spring game will bring. *End Article* I'm satisfied with these late pickups. Gilmore probably won't see the field much and Richmond is reportedly weakest in run-blocking, but he stands a chance to contribute at some point, if I stay with an offense that needs a FB. Jestor To Face #15 LSU In First-Ever National Game Of The Week New Razorbacks head coach Izulde Jestor has had unprecedented success with the Hogs in his first season and he has an opportunity to win the SEC South and an SEC Championship game if his team can beat the #15 LSU Tigers this week in Fayetteville. It'll be a tall order, even with home field advantage. LSU's senior QB Alvin Fleming has the best QB rating in the SEC, fourth in the country at 183.0. He's completed 68.7% of his passes for 2,567 yards, 27 TDs and 6 INTs. Fellow senior WR Emmitt Montgomery has been Fleming's main target, with 56 catches for 1,080 yards, 6 TDs and no drops. That yardage is good enough for tops in the SEC, third in the US. Senior K Kelvin Lincoln leads the SEC in field goals made with 18 (on 22 attempts), 43 yards his long. On defense, DE Erik Sudderth (RS Jr) and DE Carlos Singleton (RS Jr) both have 11 sacks, with Singleton ranking third in the SEC in QB hurries with 17. The Tigers also have a pair of terrific senior playmaker safeties. S Darrin Niles has been a force this season, defending an SEC-leading 14 passes and picking off 5 passes, including two runbacks for TDs and S Lincoln Stokley has 5 INTs as well. That sensational set of safeties spells trouble for the Hogs, especially with interception-prone QB Kent Wallace (Jr). LSU is well-deserving of their 6 point odds and could very well blow out the Razorbacks in this week's National Game of the Week on CBS. #15 Tigers Claw Hogs 42-17 Despite Big Red's cool-handed optimism before the game, the Hogs were crushed 42-17 by rank-pulling LSU An ugly, penalty-marred first quarter resulted in a 0-0 score, but then a costly third down defensive pass interference penalty gave LSU new life and RB Ed Bunn (So) ran it in from 12 yards out to make it 7-0 shortly after the start of the second quarter. The nastiness of sloppy play, turnovers and penalties continued until just before halftime, when LSU managed to punch it across the goal-line on a 1 yard Bunn run to head into the locker room up 14-0. Tigers senior QB Alvin Fleming came out fired up for the second half, combining his first two passes for 53 yards to spark a TD drive capped by Bunn's third rushing TD of the day on an 11 yard counter. At the start of the fourth quarter, it was 28-0 LSU, as the Razorbacks' offense was stymied all afternoon long. RB Darryl Winchester (So) broke loose for a 32 yard TD run a few players later to finally put Arkansas on the board, but the game's ending was already written and LSU made doubly certain of it by answering with another sustained TD drive to make it 35-7 with 8:51 left in the game. Game MVP: RB Ed Bunn Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 9 of 25 - 65 yards - 1 TD - 1 INT Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 13 carries - 88 yards - 1 TD RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 6 carries - 45 yards Receiving RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 3 catches - 16 yards - 1 drop Defense OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 9 tackles, 3 assists - 8 times caught CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 6 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 INT DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 3 tackles, 3 assists - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 1 hurry DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 3 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 3 hurries *End Webpage* Ugly loss, but not unexpected and we hung with them for the first half. I do wonder what would happen if we'd stopped them from that last second TD at the end of the half. Disappointing that we embarassed ourselves like that in my first National Game of the Week appearance. Oh well. We've been on TV quite a bit this year, which makes me happy. Other SEC Games Mississippi State 7 Mississippi 45 (Raycom) Georgia Tech 28 #19 Georgia 31 (Raycom) Kentucky 10 #6 Tennessee 66 (Fox Regional Network) The only surprise here is the Bulldogs nearly losing to Yellow Jackets, who aren't very good this year. Then again, it's been that kind of up and down season for Georgia. Final SEC Regular Season Standings (Except For A Meaningless Miss St. OOC Game Code: North #5 Tennessee 10-1 7-1 #10 Florida 9-2 7-1 South Carolina 7-4 5-3 #17 Georgia 8-3 5-3 Kentucky 3-8 1-7 Vanderbilt 4-7 1-7 South #11 LSU 9-2 6-2 Arkansas 7-4 5-3 #21 Alabama 8-3 5-3 Mississippi 6-5 3-5 Auburn 4-7 2-6 Mississippi State 2-8 1-7 I'm perfectly happy with a 7-4 record and taking second place in the SEC South. We don't have an elite QB and our WR corps is terrible. Of course, whether or not we replicate this feat next season... that's still up in the air. But for now, we'll wait and see what bowl game we get invited to. That LSU/Tennessee SEC Championship should be a great game to watch. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

01-12-2009, 02:53 AM	#34
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Offensive Player of the Week QB Sammie Benton - Tennnessee - 22/33 - 390 yards - 5 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DE Howie Banks - Boston College - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 4.5 sacks Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominees RB Darryl Winchester (9th time, 1 win) Championship Week Games Big 12: #9 Nebraska 28 #2 Oklahoma 35 SEC: #5 Tennessee 7 #11 LSU 38 (CBS) ACC: #16 Virginia Tech 28 #7 Miami (FL) 56 Pac 10: #12 USC 28 #3 UCLA 42 Other SEC Games Mississippi State 27 #19 Hawaii 38 (Fox Regional Network) Great effort by the Bulldogs against the Rainbow Warriors. LSU stuns everyone and bolsters my preseason prediction that they're a legitimate national title contender by hammering the hell out of the Volunteers. Interesting scenario now, with Oklahoma, Michigan, UCLA and Boise State all undefeated. But when the final regular season polls come out, it's Oklahoma #1, Michigan #2, UCLA #3 and Boise State #6, with Texas and Miami (FL) at #4 and #5 respectively. The Longhorns shouldn't be #4 in my opinion, but what do I know? TE Jumbo Phillips is our final scholarship recruit, the #63 TE in the country. Not likely to see playing time as a freshman and my guess is a redshirt, but I like his ability to make tough catches in traffic. But the biggest shock of the season comes when we're passed over for a bowl game! Instead, the SEC representatives are: Fiesta Bowl: Maryland vs. LSU Holiday Bowl: West Virginia vs. Tennessee Citrus Bowl: Purdue vs. Florida Cactus Bowl: Virginia vs. Georgia Gem Bowl: California vs. Alabama I'm really pissed at the Gem Bowl organizers. We finished ahead of the Tide in the standings, yet they go for the glitzy Top 25 ranking over the team that earned it. UGH!!! Hell of a matchup in the BCS Bowls. You've got an Orange Bowl National Championship of #1 Oklahoma vs #2 Michigan and the Rose Bowl features the other two undefeated teams in the country in UCLA and Boise State. Beautiful planning by the BCS organizers. The Crimson Tide win the inagural Gem Bowl in Columbia, SC, spanking Cal 34-10, so they at least validate their selection. Still pisses me off, though. To make matters worse, T George Heath (RS Jr Walk-On) gets busted for violating team policy and is in danger of failing a class on top of it. I suspend his ass. But that's not the worst news. DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr), one of our stars and who we need back next season, is in danger of failing Sports Management and my idiotic assistants didn't save any tutoring hours for him. Hello end season going to hell fast. SEC Bowl Results Gem Bowl: California 10 #20 Alabama 34 Cactus Bowl: Virginia 41 #16 Georgia 31 Citrus Bowl: Purdue 27 #8 Florida 24 Holiday Bowl: #21 West Virginia 35 #9 Tennessee 42 Fiesta Bowl: #15 Maryland 24 #9 LSU 14 SEC Bowl Record: 2-3 Terrible year for the conference in bowl play. Three upsets and the Volunteers just narrowly avoiding a fourth against the Mountaineers. Maybe it's karma for their denying us a bowl game. The Rose Bowl is the best bowl game of the entire year, as #3 UCLA edges #5 Boise State 31-24 in a thrilling, back and forth battle. So much for all the arguments about the Broncos belonging in the national title game. #2 Michigan utterly crushes #1 Oklahoma 51-14 in the Orange Bowl to win the national championship. UCLA fans have something to argue about now, I think, but not too much given the Bruins needed everything they had to top Boise State. For me, it's a no-brainer vote for the Heisman Trophy and that's UCLA's QB Wesley Pitcher of the 2 National Player of the Week awards. He threw for 4,571 yards, 54 TDs and 16 INTs, just one hell of a season. And Wesley Pitcher wins the Heisman Trophy! Just barely, though. Heisman Trophy Top 5 Vote-getters #1. QB Wesley Pitcher (UCLA) - 126 votes #2. QB Allen Parrish (Florida) - 123 votes #3. QB Johnny Arnold (Michigan) - 117 votes #4. QB Dale Meidinger (USC) - 103 votes #5T. QB Levon Reynolds (Boston College) - 100 votes #5T. QB Norbert Alcott (Notre Dame) - 100 votes Biggest Heisman Voting Snub QB Josh Sellers (Oklahoma) - 4,145 yards - 50 TDs, 7 INTs Code: Orange Bowl Michigan (12-0) 51, Oklahoma (12-1) 14 Rose Bowl UCLA (12-0) 31, Boise State (11-1) 24 Sugar Bowl Utah (11-1) 38, Texas (10-2) 21 Fiesta Bowl Maryland (10-2) 24, Louisiana State (10-3) 14 Tangerine Bowl Ohio State (10-2) 13, Miami of Florida (9-3) 3 Cotton Bowl USC (9-3) 31, Nebraska (9-4) 6 Gator Bowl Florida State (9-3) 27, Texas A&M (9-3) 10 Holiday Bowl Tennessee (11-2) 43, West Virginia (9-3) 35 Three Rivers Bowl Colorado State (10-2) 45, Penn State (8-4) 31 Sun Bowl Virginia Tech (9-3) 39, Washington (8-4) 31 Citrus Bowl Purdue (9-3) 27, Florida (9-3) 24 Nintendo Bowl Clemson (8-4) 47, Texas Christian (9-3) 3 Alamo Bowl Michigan State (9-3) 33, Texas Tech (7-5) 20 Las Vegas Bowl Notre Dame (8-4) 52, UNLV (7-5) 7 Cactus Bowl Virginia (8-4) 41, Georgia (8-4) 31 Hawaii Bowl Wisconsin (8-4) 37, Hawaii (11-2) 3 Emerald Bowl Oregon (9-3) 68, Air Force (6-6) 0 Motor City Bowl Northern Illinois (10-3) 34, Missouri (8-4) 3 Gem Bowl Alabama (9-3) 34, California (7-5) 10 Coffee Bowl Pittsburgh (9-3) 30, Louisville (9-3) 13 Music City Bowl Marshall (9-4) 24, Boston College (7-5) 20 Potato Bowl Navy (7-5) 42, North Texas (9-3) 14 Dairy Bowl Arkansas State (9-3) 16, UW-Green Bay (7-5) 14 Surprising that the Phoenix were able to give our fellow Arkansas school such a stiff run, but then again, the game was up in Madison, so not that big a shock, really. Schadenfreude fills me as Texas got reamed by Utah. Take that, you bastards! Home state advantage didn't do much for Florida and Miami. UNLV and Hawaii flat out embarass themselves in what amount to home games for them. There's talk of the Hawaii Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl swapping out with other bowls next year to prevent that happening again. For the unusual bowls, I'll give their locations: Dairy Bowl - Madison, WI Potato Bowl - Boise City, ID Coffee Bowl - Seattle, WA Gem Bowl - Charleston, SC Cactus Bowl - Tucson, AZ Nintendo Bowl - Redmond, WA Three Rivers Bowl - Pittsburgh, PA Season End Top 25 1. Michigan 2. UCLA 3. Oklahoma 4. Ohio State 5. Texas 6. Tennesee (SEC) 7. Utah 8. Miami (FL) 9. Florida State 10. Boise State 11. Maryland 12. LSU (SEC) 13. USC 14. Florida (SEC) 15. Alabama (SEC) 16. Virginia Tech 17. Colorado State 18. Texas A&M 19. Oregon 20. Nebraska 21. Hawaii 22. Purdue 23. Georgia (SEC) 24. Michigan State 25. Pittsburgh Uhh... okay. Utah beats Texas and the Utes wind up BEHIND the Longhorns in the Top 25. Paging Logic, paging Logic, where are you? Oh well, at least they got the #1 and #2 right. 5 SEC teams in the Top 25, but only one in the Top 10. Hard to call this anything but a disappointing year for the conference. Final Razorbacks Team Summary Code: Record: 7-4 Rank: 40 Arkansas Team Rank Rushes 396 61 Rushing Yards 1598 45 Yards Per Carry 4.03 39 (T) Pass Attempts 293 87 (T) Completions 151 91 (T) Passing Yards 2039 70 (T) Yards Per Attempt 6.95 57 3rd Down Conversions 35.5 58 (T) Points Per Game 28.0 45 Turnovers 25 80 (T) Turnover Margin +3 53 (T) Opponents Team Rank Rushes 382 55 (T) Rushing Yards 804 14 Yards Per Carry 2.10 8 Pass Attempts 336 62 (T) Completions 193 75 (T) Passing Yards 2751 105 Yards Per Attempt 8.18 112 (T) 3rd Down Conversions 34.1 64 Points Per Game 23.3 57 Turnovers 28 25 (T) Primary Formation: I-Formation Week Team Versus Oppnt 2 47 NMST (84) 0 3 0 TEXS (5) 40 4 73 LAMN (115) 18 5 19 ALAB (15) 14 6 14 at FLOR (14) 56 8 27 at AUBR (69) 20 9 12 GEOR (23) 27 11 24 at SCAR (38) 21 12 38 MISS (52) 6 13 38 at MSST (106) 13 14 17 LSST (12) 42 Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int 3 Wallace QB 259 135 1876 7.24 14 15 5 Guzowski QB 33 15 151 4.57 1 2 Team --- 293 151 2039 6.95 16 17 Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Stff YdLst 23 Winchester RB 260 1298 4.99 13 86 149 45 Gaylor RB 58 272 4.68 1 14 27 3 Wallace QB 35 -100 -2.85 0 28 154 Team --- 396 1598 4.03 17 141 369 Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc YAC TD 84 Kelly WR 56 22 361 16.4 97 2 23 Winchester RB 54 34 346 10.1 147 2 82 Linquist WR 43 22 314 14.2 159 4 88 Jeffries WR 37 14 272 19.4 105 2 93 Welshans TE 31 20 311 15.5 95 1 45 Gaylor RB 19 11 79 7.1 44 0 85 Giles WR 19 9 136 15.1 83 2 26 Warren FB 14 11 106 9.6 83 2 96 Wojciechowicz TE 13 3 30 10.0 12 0 Team --- 293 151 2039 13.5 837 16 Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack TFL Ints Defn 73 Weidner DE 54 10 18.5 28 0 0 32 Fisk S 50 16 0.0 11 0 5 43 Starks ILB 48 17 0.0 11 0 3 49 Daft OLB 48 17 0.0 8 1 5 77 Linstrom DE 47 17 11.5 19 0 1 58 Lynn OLB 47 14 4.0 11 0 3 72 Middleton DT 42 15 6.5 15 0 0 46 Graveson CB 35 12 0.0 3 8 7 37 Fields CB 29 5 0.0 4 6 1 31 Weber S 27 7 0.0 2 1 1 47 Lynn CB 25 4 0.0 1 0 4 95 Phillips ILB 21 10 1.0 3 0 3 70 Lowe DT 18 7 0.0 4 0 0 91 Klekamp OLB 18 8 1.0 3 0 0 52 McKenzie ILB 11 7 1.0 3 0 3 Team --- 629 188 46.0 132 17 39 It's going to be open competition next year for the starting QB spot. As much as I love Wallace's big arm, he threw way too many interceptions. Of course, having iffy WRs didn't help either. 2004 Arkansas Razorbacks SEC Leaders RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 1st in rushing yards CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 1st in punt return yard average and TDs (3), T-1st INTs DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 2nd in sacks, 1st in TFL, T-5th in hurries CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 3rd in INTs DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - T-7th in sacks, T-6th TFL, T-6th in hurries 2004 Arkansas Razorbacks National Leaders RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 9th in rushing yards CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2nd in punt return yard average, 1st in PR TDs, T-5th in INTs DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 4th in sacks, 3rd in TFL 2004 Arkansas Razorbacks Awards DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 2nd Team All-American, All-USA Senior All-Star, 1st Team All-SEC, All-SEC Senior All-Star DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 2nd Team All-SEC OLB Spencer Daft (Sr) - 2nd Team All-SEC, All-SEC Academic Team OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 2nd Team All-SEC CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2nd Team All-SEC WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - All-SEC Academic Team Great year for Weidner. Daft was a surprise selection, while Lynn came on late in the year after injuries to our starting MLBs. But why the hell isn't Darryl Winchester anywhere on this list?! Graduating Seniors DE Damon Weidner* OLB Spencer Daft* TE Lincoln Welshans* WR Earl Linquist* WR Johnny Kelly* K Tom Bullock* ILB Norm Starks* CB Henry Lynn* S Derrick Fisk* QB Derrick Norton RB Allen Gaylor RB Dave McIntyre TE Leonard Wojciechowicz ILB Chuck McKenzie OLB Ernest Kleklamp Ouch! We're losing 9 starters, 5 on defense, including the incomparable Weidner, whose pro career I'm greatly looking forward to. The offensive starters I'm not terribly concerned about or anyone on that side of the ball we're losing, to be honest. Defense is a big, big worry, however. Final Recruiting Class Code: Player Pos HT WT ST NRank ByPos StRank ByPos Worlow, Cris S 6-1 180 AR 147 9 2 1 $$Thompson, Bryant WR 6-0 190 AZ 165 13 3 1 Rose, Ralph RB 5-10 202 AR 181 17 3 1 ##Reed, Hunter CB 5-8 168 IL 307 22 17 1 $$Springer, D.J. QB 6-2 186 CA 179 24 19 6 $$Thompson, Pat ILB 6-2 202 CT 647 28 13 1 $$Quintana, Morris P 6-5 207 AR 847 29 9 2 $$Clauss, Lincoln OLB 5-11 211 CA 579 30 79 3 Richard, Mark T 6-2 259 AR 263 32 4 1 ##Curtis, Adam DT 6-4 261 RI 620 43 4 1 ##Richmond, Andy FB 6-4 232 SD --- 46 7 1 ##Lyon, Clifton C 6-3 270 MA 874 50 15 4 Freestone, Bruce DT 6-2 268 MO 727 53 20 3 Abraham, Randall DE 6-1 229 AR 545 61 7 1 ##Phillips, Jumbo TE 6-3 228 MD --- 63 35 2 ##Gilmore, Sean WR 6-1 186 IN --- --- 41 4 Player All-St All-US Status Worlow, Cris Yes No Committed * $$Thompson, Bryant Yes No Committed * *Rose, Ralph No No Committed ##Reed, Hunter Yes No Committed * $$Springer, D.J. No No Committed * $$Thompson, Pat Yes No Committed * $$Quintana, Morris No No Committed * $$Clauss, Lincoln No No Committed * *Richard, Mark Yes No Committed ##Curtis, Adam Yes No Committed * ##Richmond, Andy Yes No Committed * ##Lyon, Clifton No No Committed * *Freestone, Bruce No No Committed *Abraham, Randall Yes No Committed ##Phillips, Jumbo No No Committed * ##Gilmore, Sean No No Committed * Izulde Jestor 2004 Report Card Team Performance: 48 Academic Performance: 43 Recruiting Performance: 23 TV Revenue: 85 Alumni Donations: 69 Attendance: 77 Overall Grade: 57 Sounds about right, though I'll quibble somewhat with the Recruiting ranking. We got a lot of television exposure this year, which should help us for next season, bowl snub and occasional wrong-end blowouts aside. 2004 NFL Draft Draft-Eligible Arkansas Razorbacks DE Damon Weidner ILB Norm Starks WR Johnny Kelly OLB Spencer Daft ILB Chuck McKenzie RB Allen Gaylor RB Dave McIntyre OLB Ernest Kleklamp TE Lincoln Welshans TE Leonard Wojciechowicz S Derrick Fisk WR Earl Linquist Weidner's a lock to be drafted, as he's rated the #3 DE in the class. McKenzie wowed a lot of scouts in private workouts and is one of the fastest rising players on draft day. Daft showed excellent intelligence and intriguing upside in interviews, while Starks had a great combine and showed there's no worries about the concussion that ended his season, which was deemed more severe than McKenzie's. Wojciechowicz looks like he could catch on as a long snapper, while Kelly might be a late-round flyer pick. Everyone else is looking like a UDRFA. QB Wesley Pitcher should go in the first round and South Carolina alum RB Blaine Hill may be a Top 10 pick. I'm also curious to see if Razorback slayer WR Andy Porter from Georgia goes anywhere. Draft Results - Arkansas Razorbacks and Others of Interest #3 overall pick - RB Blaine Hill - Detroit Lions #9 overall pick - QB Wesley Pitcher - Arizona Cardinals 3rd round - 23rd pick - DE Damon Weidner - Buffalo Bills 5th round - 22nd pick - ILB Norm Starks - Baltimore Ravens 6th round - 3rd pick - ILB Chuck McKenzie - Jacksonville Jaguars 6th round - 19th pick - OLB Spencer Daft - Seattle Seahawks 7th round - 26th pick - WR Andy Porter - Minnesota Vikings 7th round - 31st pick - WR Johnny Kelly - New York Giants Heh. Kelly -just- misses becoming Mr. Irrelevant. I'm stunned Weidner fell so far and I think my hated archrival Bills (in NFL fandom terms) got an absolute steal there. QB Wesley Pitcher is a training camp hold-out as is RB Blaine Hill, but I'm pleased to report all the Razorbacks signed before camp. After training camp, QB Wesley Pitcher is still holding out, but RB Blaine Hill signs midway through camp. Terrific training camp by Norm Starks, but he's still a longshot to make the team. Nice showings by Damon Weidner and Chuck McKenzie, but only Weidner's roster spot seems assured. Opening Day Projections QB Wesley Pitcher - Starting QB - Arizona Cardinals RB Blaine Hill - Starting RB - Detroit Lions DE Damon Weidner - Backup DE - Buffalo Bills MLB Norm Starks - 3rd string MLB - Baltimore Ravens MLB Chuck McKenzie - Practice Squad - Jacksonville Jaguars SLB Spencer Daft - Practice Squad - Seattle Seahawks WR Andy Porter - Free Agent WR Johnny Kelly - 5th WR - New York Giants I probably won't report on Porter or Hill after this, unless it's an end-season check-in. Pitcher nearly got screwed out of the Heisman and I've never seen a player win National Player of the Week twice in a season, so I'm going to follow his career along with the Hogs alumni. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

12-23-2008, 07:48 AM	#2
BYU 14 Coordinator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The scorched Desert	LOL, I knew you would do this. Arkansas is a great choice and with those backs you should have one of the best run games in the nation. Hey Georgia Tech showed the flexbone can work in a BCS conference this year, go for it! I will be following.

12-23-2008, 08:57 AM	#3
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	finallyfinallyfinallyfinally *subscribed __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

12-23-2008, 03:15 PM	#4
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	BYU 14: Thanks. I agree, our run game should be absolutely insane. As for what offense we'll run, I'm still not sure on that. Or heck, even the D. MJ4H: Welcome aboard! __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 12-23-2008 at 03:15 PM.

12-26-2008, 02:00 AM	#5
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	The instrumental version of the Razorbacks Fight Song 2004 Arkansas Razorbacks and SEC South Preview The Razorbacks will be led by one of the nation's powerful rushing attacks, spearheaded by RB Darryl Winchester (So) and seniors Allen Gaylor, a speedy change-of-pace back and Dave McIntyre, a short-yardage specialist. FB Ricky Warren (So) will pave the way as the team's best run-blocker. Big-armed QB Kent Wallace (Jr) won the starting job at the Spring game, but he isn't a guarantee to stay there. If he struggles, look for the safer-throwing Clyde Guzowski to step in under center. Neither one will have much in the way of receiving targets, although the coaching staff is quietly excited about walk-on freshman Colin Jeffries's potential as the third WR. This lack of quality wide receivers only further cements the importance of the Hogs' running game this year. The offensive line, while nothing spectacular, appears geared to the run game and is led by G Mel Thompson (RS Jr). The Hogs boast the best starting pair of DEs in the SEC, maybe even in the country in senior Damon Weidner and redshirt junior Oliver Linstrom and DTs Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) and Joey Lowe (RS Jr) team with them to form an excellent defensive front four. Senior ILB Norm Starks heads up a very good starting linebacker unit, OLBs Spencer Daft (Sr) and Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) his cohorts. There's depth as well in Ernest Kleklamp (Sr) and Chuck McKenzie (Sr). Defensive backfield will be the Razorbacks' biggest weakness as they lack playmakers outside of studly RS So CB Rick Graveson and anything remotely resembling quality depth. Expect to see teams throw away from Graveson as much as possible, because there's simply not much else there. All in all, this year's version of the Hogs looks like an extremely talented team on both sides of the ball, but their senior-heavy defense points to a need to go bowling this year and emphasize defense in recruiting, because the cupboard's looking a little bare next season. A bowl game certainly seems within reach, although the offensive line and secondary appear too suspect to have dreams of an SEC title, much less a run at a national championship. #15 Alabama The Crimson Tide have a very good two-headed rushing attack in senior RBs Jake O'Neill and Teddy Huntley, a solid QB in junior Leland Warfield and of the country's best receiving TEs in Thurman Flora (RS Jr). The offensive line is stronger than the Razorbacks', but the defense is much weaker, even in the secondary, where top CBs Harvey Battle (Sr) and Ken Bronson (Jr) are noted mostly for their electrifying return ability rather than their coverage skills. #23 Auburn Tigers fans better hope QB Willie Nichols (Sr) stays healthy, because not only is he one of the most mistake-free passers in the division, there's nobody else behind him. Auburn's passing attack is to be feared, as they have a strong receiving corps, most notably Keith Freibergs (Jr) and Doug Rucci (Sr). Unfortunately, outside of G Alfred Anastasiades (Jr), a Preseason All-American, the offensive line is terrible. Great special teams, but the defense is iffy, save for a good but not great linebacker group. #12 Louisiana State Senior QB Alvin Fleming is the best in the SEC South and LSU's running backs go five deep, each of them a worthy challenger to Darryl Winchester. Now that's stacked! Junior TE Percy Isaacs is even better than Alabama's Flora, there's a glut of good receivers and the offensive line is good as well. The defense bears some equally astounding news. There's three RS Jr DEs rated Excellent by the National Collegiate Scouting Service: George Coble, Erik Sudderth and the crown jewel of them all, Preseason All-American Carlos Singleton. The defense is very good all-around, save for some issues at cornerback, but that's made up for somewhat by the presence of two terrific senior safeties: run-stopping machine Lincoln Stokley and ballhawking Darrin Niles. Little wonder LSU has the preseason ranking they do and in fact, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Tigers in the national championship game. Mississippi Ole Miss has a pair of great junior running backs in Jamie Moss and Sean Flickinger and a superlative TE in senior Omar Dirita, but they have no legitimate QB or WRs worth mentioning and their lone truly talented offensive lineman is run-blocking specialist RS Jr William Buckner. The Rebels have a terrific run defense, anchored by RS junior DT Shawn Sawyer, a Preseason All-American and senior OLB Nathan Sevcik, but Ole Miss's pass defense is going to get shredded, especially in the SEC. Mississippi State The Bulldogs are last and least in the SEC South, maybe even the entire conference. The offensive line is pretty good, with redshirt juniors C Sedrick Lincoln and G Junior Waddle the headliners, but the rest of the offense is stupendous in its dreadfulness. The defense isn't much better, though it does have two good players in DT Bernard Davidson (Sr) and S Perry Tuaolo (Sr). On the other hand, Tuaolo's a run-defense specialist and there's no playmakers on defense at all. Predicted SEC South Standings 1. LSU 2. Auburn 3. Alabama 4. Arkansas 5. Mississippi 6. Mississippi State LSU is the clear-cut class of the division and after that, it's a dogfight between the Auburn variety Tigers, the Crimson Tide and the Razorbacks for second place, with any one of the teams capable of breaking out. It's going to be a long year for football in Mississippi, because neither Ole Miss or State are any good this season. Preseason Top 25 1. Michigan 2. Oklahoma 3. Miami (FL) 4. Florida State 5. Ohio State 6. Georgia 7. Nebraska 8. Texas 9. USC 10. Florida 11. Tennessee 12. Louisiana State 13. Penn State 14. UCLA 15. Alabama 16. Notre Dame 17. Wisconsin 18. Virginia Tech 19. Clemson 20. Kansas State 21. Texas A&M 22. Oregon 23. Auburn 24. Washington 25. Iowa __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

12-26-2008, 09:29 PM	#6
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Week 2 News With no games on tap for the first week of the college football season, we head right on into Week 2, where the Razorbacks are set to take on the New Mexico State Aggies in the home opener. From all accounts, the evening promises to be a long one for the Aggies at the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, where the Hogs are two touchdown favorites. Senior cornerback Zach Blackner is New Mexico State's best player and the only one who'd be likely to see significant action in an Arkansas uniform. Randall Abraham, the top DE prospect in the state of Arkansas from McGehee High School in McGehee will be in attendance at this week's game and all reports say that he could be an early commit to the Hogs. Rumored New Recruits DE Ben Clemons DT Adam Curtis ILB Will Bilba OLB Stanley Crawford CB Rex Yellope C Andy Goodwin T Cedric Lowe SEC Recruit Battle Alert LSU is also pursuing DE Ben Clemons, a pass-rushing specialist just outside the Rivals.com Top 100 players at 101 and the ranked 8th nationally among defensive ends. He hails from Leavitt Area High School in Turner, Maine, and has thus far been pursued only by LSU and Arkansas. If a team closer to home indicates interest, both the Tigers and the Razorbacks are likely out of it, as Clemons has indicated a wish to stay in New England if at all possible. OLB Stanley Crawford, the top-ranked outside linebacker in the US, rated #47 overall, has already drawn massive interest and scholarship offers, including from SEC schools Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee, along with the Razorbacks' archrivals, the Longhorns of the University of Texas. The battle over Crawford will be one of the most intense and closely watched of the year. Running Hog Wild! Razorbacks Shut Out Aggies To Open Season A sellout crowd at the opening game of the 2004 season It was a mismatch even more brutal than the Vegas men had it, as the Arkansas Razorbacks shut out the New Mexico State Aggies by the brutalizing score of 47-0 to get the season off to a roaring start. The Hogs took a while to get started, a promising opening drive that was almost exclusively Darryl Winchester running and receiving nullifed by a fumble and it wasn't until just under two and a half minutes remained in the first quarter that the scoreboard changed, Kent Wallace finding Earl Lindquist in the endzone for an 18 yard TD reception to put the Razorbacks up 7-0. A fumble recovery on the following Aggies drive gave Arkansas a short field and three Darryl Winchester runs was all the Hogs need to score again and go up 14-0 at the start of the second quarter. It was the first of Winchester's 3 TDs on the night. New Mexico threatened to score a few minutes before halftime, but senior Damon Weidner got an 8 yard sack and the attempted 45 yard FG went wide right. Not that it would have mattered, as the game was already 27-0 at the time, the Hogs' rout a foregone conclusion even then. The squash was sealed midway through the third quarter, when, with a 37-0 Arkansas lead, backup quarterback Clyde Guzowski took the field along with the rest of the Razorback second unit and engineered a field goal-yielding drive make the score 40-0. 47-0 was the final and Hog Nation couldn't be any happier with how their team started off the year. No injuries and an absolutely dominating performance by both units. Game MVP: RB Darryl Winchester Razorback Leaders Passing Kent Wallace (Jr) - 11 of 18 - 195 yards - 1 TD Clyde Guzowski (Jr) - 4 of 5 - 60 yards Danny Bradford (RS Fr) - 1 of 1 - 12 yards - 1 TD Rushing Darryl Winchester (So) - 24 carries - 121 yards - 2 TDs - 1 fumble Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 11 carries - 78 yards Receiving RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 4 receptions - 43 yards - 1 TD WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - 3 receptions - 69 yards WR Colin Jeffries (Fr) - 2 receptions - 56 yards Defense ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 9 tackles, 1 assist - 5 TFL DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 5 tackles - 3 TFL - 1 sack CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 2 tackles, 2 assists - 1 INT - 20 INT return yards Offensive Line/Special Teams T Jack McKenna (Fr) - 5 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed K Tom Bullock (Sr) - 2/3 FG - 5/6 XP __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 12-26-2008 at 09:29 PM.

12-26-2008, 09:37 PM	#7
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	booya!! __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

12-28-2008, 08:46 PM	#9
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Other Week 2 SEC Results UNLV 10 #9 Tennessee 34 South Carolina 38 Vanderbilt 0 Oregon State 7 #10 LSU 51 Memphis 21 Mississippi 55 Utah State 14 #13 Alabama 63 Kentucky 3 Louisville 52 Tulane 18 Mississippi State 26 Lousiana-Monroe 3 #19 Auburn 55 Middle Tennessee State 0 #8 Florida 72 SEC vs. Other Conferences Week: 9-1 Only lowly Kentucky kept the SEC from having a perfect opening weekend. Lots of high-scoring creamfests here, the biggest surprise of which was Ole Miss's 34 point reaming of Memphis. I'm still thinking LSU has a great shot at making the national title game this year. They're fantastic. Offense Player of the Week QB Wesley Pitcher - UCLA - 25/32 - 386 yards - 6 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DE Jose Alexander - Illinois - 6 tackles - 5 sacks - 1 Pass Defense Arkansas Razorback POTW Nominees QB Kent Wallace RB Darryl Winchester RB Allen Gaylor FB Ricky Warren Razorbacks and Longhorns Form New Rivalry Trophy---The Bloody Orange The University of Arkansas Razorbacks and the University of Texas Longhorns announced today that they're adding a new twist to their historic rivalry---a traveling trophy called The Bloody Orange. The trophy is a large, stuffed orange mounted on a cherry wood base and topped with fascimile blood. The players of every team that wins the Battle for the Bloody Orange will get to sign the trophy and if either school wins five consecutive games, they get to keep the Bloody Orange and the Bloody Orange II will be introduced. Should a Bloody Orange be retired, the captain of the losing team must also sign the trophy, in the blood section of the orange as a marker of their defeat. The first Battle for the Bloody Orange occurs this week as the #7 ranked Longhorns come to Fayetteville to take on the Razorbacks on a nationally televised game on CBS. Other Week 3 News Home field advantage gives the Razorbacks a 2 point edge according to the oddsmakers, but the Hogs players and coaching staff are considering this game a difficult challenge. "Any time you have Arkansas playing Texas, it's a huge rivalry game. And it's even bigger this year with the Bloody Orange", sophomore RB Darryl Winchester noted. The Longhorns offense is led by RB Jimmy Washington (Jr), who had 18 carries for 129 yards and 3 TDs and 2 catches for 20 yards and another TD in Texas's opening game. Big 6'6, 326 lb T Brandon Joyner (Jr) anchors a solid offensive line and the Longhorns have incredible depth at linebacker and safety, where S Eddie Garner (Jr) already has 2 interceptions on the year. It promises to be a close game and perhaps it's a good thing no recruits are scheduled to visit campus this week. SEC Recruit Battle Alert DE Ben Clemons -Arkansas, Colorado, LSU OLB Stanley Crawford -Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Wisconsin With Crawford taking visits at Oklahoma, the archrival Longhorns and the Red Raiders already, the Razorbacks' chances of landing him appear quite slim. Clemons draws interest from Colorado, but still wants a team close to his home in frigid Maine. QB Bo Higgins, the #1 recruit in the US, has offers from Arkansas, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee on board. Early reports suggest he's leaning towards the Buckeyes, Tigers or Volunteers, but perhaps the Hogs can pull of an upset. Longhorns Gore Razorbacks 40-0 In Inagural Battle for the Bloody Orange A group of Longhorns fans celebrate after Texas's slaughter of Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Last week's promising start against New Mexico State seemed naught but a mirage for the Hogs following this afternoon's 40-0 shellacking at the hands of the hated Texas Longhorns. Texas struck first five minutes into the first quarter, Longhorns redshirt junior QB Jim Griffith hitting fellow redshirt junior FB Seth Maestas for an 11 yard TD pass. That 7-0 score held until midway through the second quarter, when Griffith escaped a 3rd and 20 jam by connecting with WR Will Kwan for 33 yards to keep a drive alive that resulted in Texas's second TD o the day on Maestas's 1 yard goal line plunge. The Hogs couldn't get anything going on offense in the first half, crossing into Longhorn territory just twice as they went into the locker room at halftime down 14-0. It was even worse in the second half, as the furthest Arkanas advanced on the field was their own 34 yard line, while the Longhorns continued to rack up points, playing with fire and passion missing from a dazed and confused Razorback squad who played ugly all day. Razorback Leaders Passing Kent Wallace (Jr) - 5 of 13 - 79 yards - 1 INT Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 14 carries - 39 yards RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 6 carries - 28 yards Receiving TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 3 catches - 53 yards Defense ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 11 tackles, 5 assists - 2 forced fumbles - 1 hurry - 5 times caught DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 8 tackles, 3 assists - 1 TFL - 0.5 sack - 1 hurry - 1 blocked pass DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 1 hurry Other Week 3 SEC results Arkansas State 7 #10 LSU 53 (Raycom) #19 Auburn 31 Mississippi State 10 (Raycom) Mississippi 31 #13 Alabama 34 (Fox Regional) Eastern Michigan 7 #8 Florida 59 (ESPN2) #5 Georgia 17 South Carolina 31 (ESPN) Ole Miss nearly pulls off the major-league upset on the Crimson Tide and the Rebels may be a better team than most people think. The Bulldogs couldn't prevent the same fate and get ripped apart by the Gamecocks. It's going to be an interesting year over in the SEC North, though I'm predicting the Gators roll to the SEC Championship to face off against LSU. Both those teams have looked dynamite these first two games. SEC Versus Other Conferences Week: 2-1 SEC Versus Other Conferences Year: 11-2 __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 12-28-2008 at 08:48 PM.

12-28-2008, 09:07 PM	#10
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	Well that sucks. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

12-29-2008, 09:16 AM	#12
BYU 14 Coordinator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The scorched Desert	Ouch....rough loss, I would definitely replace the OC too.

12-29-2008, 12:56 PM	#13
kingfc22 Head Coach Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Morgan Hill, CA	Starks is a stud. I'm interested to see how his year turns out. __________________ Fan of SF Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Arsenal

12-29-2008, 01:40 PM	#14
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	BYU 14: Yep, I said even before the season started that Carlton Fried is going to be gone next year. Initially I thought the same of Conrad Fredrickson, but his intangibles and developmental ability, plus the solid showing by our D the first two games is making me re-think that. kingfc22: Agreed. Not thrilled about the 5 times caught from the Longhorns game, but the guy finds ways to make plays. I'm going to follow his probable NFL career with great interest. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

12-29-2008, 07:33 PM	#15
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Offensive Player of the Week RB Donnell Boling - Kansas State - 24 carries - 284 yards - 3 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DT Karl Vibert - Louisville - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 4 sacks Arkansas POTW Nominees None Hogs Set To Take On Louisiana-Monroe The Razorbacks catch a breather by going against the Indians in Fayetteville this week. Arkansas's favored by 9 and should win this one handily, as ULM's best player is K Renaldo Porter (Sr) and the only position where the Indians even come close to matching the Hogs. It's a good time to host an easy opponent, as three recruits are visiting this week. G Arnie Pettus, the top-ranked guard recruit in Arkansas, from Watson Chapel High in Pine Bluff, will be attending the game, along with P Morris Quintana, the 29th rated punter in the country, who hails from Sylvain Hills High in Sherwood. Rounding out the visitors is another Arkansas native, S Chris Worlow from Searcy High in Searcy, rated 9th nationally among safeties and the state's #2 prospect behind P Jorge Congdon. SEC Recruit Battle Alert DE Ben Clemons -Arkansas, Colorado, LSU, Maryland, Oklahoma The Clemons battle may be over with the Terrapins stepping in with a scholarship offer. The blue-chipper is said to be extremely happy with the much shorter distance to his hometown than the other contenders and looks primed to head to College Park. OLB Stanley Crawford -Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Wisconsin Competition's heating up for Crawford, as the SEC schools are moving in to try and woo the country's #1 OLB and Top 50 player. We're still predicting him as a Longhorn by the time all is said and done. QB Bo Higgins -Arkansas, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee Interesting mix of schools but it looks now like it'll probably be the Tigers or the Volunteers. CB Hunter Reed, the top-ranked CB in Illinois, becomes the Razorbacks' newest recruiting target and scholarship offer receipient, which draws them into a battle with SEC South foe Auburn and Kansas State. Hogs Offense Wakes Up In 73-18 Pummeling Of Indians The Razorbacks storm out of the tunnel before the game, led by a clowning QB Clyde Guzowski* (Jr, #5)* Just one week after an embarassing loss in the Battle for the Bloody Orange, the Razorbacks rampaged over the Indians with a revived offense. Things started off slow with the Hogs building a tenuous 6-0 lead on two K Tom Bullock (Sr) field goals and then redshirt sophomore Rick Graveson electrifed the home crowd with a dazzling 77 yard punt return for a TD with just over two minutes to go in the first quarter. The Hogs scored again before the first quarter ended, as Graveson intercepted Indians senior QB Vincent Wilcox, returning it 25 yards to put the Razorbacks on ULM's 4 yard line. QB Kent Wallace (Jr) connected with senior TE Lincoln Welshans for the TD on the next play to make it 21-0 Arkansas. Louisiana-Monroe struck back with a field goal shortly after the start of the second and intercepted Wallace early on the next Hogs drive, but the Indians weren't able to convert. The second half ended with an incredible 6 straight plays involving sophomore RB Darryl Winchester for 11+ yards, 5 runs and a pass reception. Although the drive didn't result in a score, it was 28-10 Razorbacks at the half and the Indians were looking demoralized. But then the Indians came out fired up after the half, holding Arkansas to a 3 and out and engineering a TD drive capped off by Wilcox's 25 yard strike to senior WR Kelly Rasmussen. The ensuing 2 point conversion made it a two-possession game at 28-18. That would be as close as Lousiana-Monroe would get, as the Hogs defense stiffened up the rest of the way, while the offense rained down the points, including a 40 yard TD run by RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) midway through the fourth quarter to make it 59-18. Wallace played the entire game despite the blowout margin of victory, leading some to believe the Arkansas coaching staff wanted to deliver a statement that their offense isn't anywhere near as bad as it looked in last week's clunker loss to Texas. It was a phenomenal game by the junior, who was named Game MVP for his performance. Razorback Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 23 of 36 - 374 yards - 5 TDs - 1 INT Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 28 carries - 171 yards - 2 TDs RB Allen Gaylor (Sr) - 6 carries - 58 yards - 1 TD Receiving WR Colin Jeffries (Fr) - 4 catches - 101 yards - 1 TD WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - 4 catches - 78 yards - 1 TD - 1 drop TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 4 catches - 55 yards - 1 TD - 1 drop Defense CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 5 tackles, 2 assists - 1 TFL - 1 INT - 4 times caught DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 3 tackles - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 2 hurries DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 3 tackles, 2 assists - 3 TFL - 1.5 sacks DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 2 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 1.5 sacks - 7 hurries Offensive Line/Special Teams CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 3 punt returns - 96 yards - 32.0 yard average - 1 TD T Jack McKenna (Fr) - 4 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed T Oliver McDonald (RS Jr) - 4 Key Run Blocks - 1 sack allowed G Mel Thompson (RS Jr) - 4 Key Run Blocks K Tom Bullock (Sr) - 3/3 FGs, 43 Yard Long - 8/8 XPs *End Webpage* Coach Notes Milestones QB Kent Wallace has the first 300+ yard passing game of my regime, WR Colin Jeffries the first 100+ yard receiving game, thereby validating my trust in the true freshman as the #3 receiver. Other SEC Scores #9 LSU 41 #19 Auburn 14 (CBS) #7 Florida 3 #10 Tennessee 7 (ESPN) Indiana 10 Kentucky 35 Vanderbilt 14 Mississippi 49 Marshall 0 Georgia 41 South Florida 3 South Carolina 55 Lawrence 0 #13 Alabama 62 LSU keeps winning big and they absolutely decimate Auburn on national television. My preseason pick for them is looking better and better every week. That low-scoring contest between the Gators and the Volunteers shocks me, even more that Tennessee pulled out the upset. True, it was South Florida, but watch out for the Gamecocks, who are now 3-0 and still riding high after their upset of Georgia last week. SEC Versus Other Conferences Week: 5-0 SEC Versus Other Conferences Year: 16-2 Dominant year for the conference so far, though a lot of these games have been against clearly inferior competition. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

12-29-2008, 08:28 PM	#16
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	Awesome. This dynasty makes me want to play TCY again. I wonder if anyone here still has the TCY Viewer I wrote ages ago. That would be awesome. I didn't keep it when I changed computers though, so if no one has it, it's long gone. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

12-30-2008, 03:36 PM	#18
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	It's a nervous moment seeing two high priority e-mails pop up in my inbox this time of year. But I won't look at them just yet. If it's good news, I want to savor the moment. If it's bad news, I want to delay the depression. Offensive Player of the Week QB Levon Reynolds - Boston College - 33/43 - 484 yards - 6 TDs - 1 INT Defensive Player of the Week DE Floyd Sevick - Kentucky - 6 tackles - 5 sacks That's going to be the highlight of the Wildcats' season I bet, Sevick winning National Defensive Player of the Week. Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominees QB Kent Wallace (2nd time) RB Darryl Winchester (2nd time) RB Allen Gaylor (2nd time) I'm surprised WR Colin Jeffries didn't get a nod, but it is what it is. And now for the e-mails. Nothing exciting. No recruit decisions. Just WR Colin Jeffries and S Graham Womer wanting scholarships. Jeffries gets his, but Womer is just going to have to wait, because if we get better players in, he may be a non-factor or even cut next year. Undefeated Crimson Tide To Roll Into Fayetteville For Hogs SEC Opener The #12 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are coming to Arkansas this week and the SEC South co-leaders, with a 3-0 (1-0) record, promise to be a dangerous opponent. Junior QB Leland Warfield has completed an insane 82.1% of his passes so far this season for 615 yards, 9 TDs and 3 INTs. That rate of accuracy is #1 in the country, Virginia's Eddie Malchow a distant 2nd at 74.4%. CB Harvey Battle (Sr) leads the SEC in punt return average with 12.5 and is second in kick returning with 28 yards a return. CB Ken Bronson (Jr) is just behind Battle in the punt return category, averaging 12.2 yards per return. Sophomore K Craig Watkins is off to a fine start, 4/5 on FGs and a perfect 21/21 on extra points and senior ILB Harry Tubbs leads Alabama's defense with 18 tackles, 2 assists, 3 TFL, a QB hurry and an interception. Another senior LB, OLB Matt Veighey, has been the Tide's top coverage man with 2 interceptions and caught just 3 times for a 22.3% pass defense. Warfield's accurate arm and the deadliness of Alabama's special teams mean this will be as difficult a game as the Battle for the Bloody Orange and we could see a similiar result despite the even odds given this matchup. In another worrying sign, this game is a national one, televised on ESPN and the Razorbacks are 0-1 thus far in televised games this season. No recruits will be attending the game. SEC Recruit Battle/Texas-Arkansas Recruit Battle Alert DE Ben Clemons -Arkansas, Colorado, LSU, Maryland, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma OLB Stanley Crawford -Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Wisconsin Four visit slots filled by Crawford now and all signs point to him going to the Big 12, as he has yet to visit an SEC school. The Razorbacks staff will no doubt be pushing hard to be his fifth official visit and give the Hogs an outside shot at landing the nation's top-ranked OLB. QB Bo Higgins -Arkansas, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee Higgins takes his first official visit with the Buckeyes, but the Razorbacks aren't out of it yet by any means. CB Hunter Reed -Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas State, Wisconsin 3 of the SEC South's 6 teams are now in pursuit of Reed, who no doubt will be watching this week's Razorbacks/Crimson Tide game to get a sense of which school he might like better. RB Ralph Rose, an in-state prospect from powerhouse Dover High in Dover, has ruffled feathers in his hometown by choosing Alabama for his first official visit. Arkansas's top-ranked RB is a Top 20 RB nationwide (#17) and to lose him to a division foe would be aggravating to the Hogs, even if it's not a position of need. Rose, known for his ability to fight for extra yardage, is being recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Penn State, Purdue and Virginia. WR Jared Chin, the #10 WR in the country from Oswego High in Oswego, IL who really knows how to exploit defenses and get open, has already taken visits at Illinois, Penn State and Purdue and he appears headed for Urbana-Champaign, but Arkansas, Boston College and Texas are pressing to try and get him as well. Chin is one of two Illinois WRs being courted by the Razorbacks; Tyrone Riley from La Salle-Peru Township in La Salle is the other. ILB Will Bilba, the run-stopping #2 ILB in Texas, idolizes the Longhorns, but has received no word from them. He's taken a visit at Baylor, but also has offers from two SEC schools in Arkansas and Vanderbilt, along with scholarships from Colorado State and North Texas. New Recruits DT Bruce Freestone OOC Note: Since recruiting is proving a rough go, I've loosened up my blue and green only rule a little bit. If a player idolizes Arkansas, then I have the right to offer them a scholarship, no matter what color they are, just as I can recruit any Arkansas native no matter what color. The Tide Stops Here---Razorbacks Upset #12 Alabama 19-14 University of Arkansas co-eds are all smiles after the Hogs' upset of the 12th ranked Crimson Tide Head coach Jestor Izulde had a feeling the moment sophomore RB Darryl Winchester tore up the field with a 77 yard run on the first play of the game. "When Darryl had that big play and got the crowd going, I knew we had a good chance of pulling off the upset", Izulde said at the post-game press conference. Although the Hogs had to settle for a field goal and a slim 3-0 lead, the tone was set for the rest of the game---a gritty, defensive slugfest highlighted by big plays, such as OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr)'s key third down sack of Crimson Tide QB Leland Warfield (Jr) in Arkansas territory midway through the first quarter that forced Alabama to punt. The Razorbacks got a scare when QB Kent Wallace (Jr) was intercepted in the Hogs half of the field with 3:42 left in the first, but two straight TFL by DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) and ILB Norm Starks (Sr) and a dropped pass on third down created a three and out punt to save the day again. That defensive stand proved critical, not only for stopping the Tide, but the ensuing punt resulted in a crowd-rousing 64 yard punt return by redshirt sophomore CB Rick Graveson, his second big return in as many games. Although the Hogs once again had to settle for a FG and a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter, it was much-needed insurance. Things were looking good for the Hogs after they got a fumble recovery in Alabama territory a few minutes later, but then Winchester fumbled two plays after the turnover and Crimson Tide junior OLB Andre Numbers picked the ball and ran it back 61 yards for a TD and a game-changing 7-6 Alabama lead. A golden opportunity for the Hogs came on a partially blocked punt with 3:44 left in the half that put Arkansas on the Tide's 21 yard line, but Winchester wasted it when he fumbled again and Alabama recovered. The 7-6 score still stood at halftime, but the Razorbacks got another gift handed to them when they recovered another Alabama fumble on the Tide's first play of the second half's opening drive. Unfortunately, Kent Wallace was intercepted by CB Harvey Battle (Sr) two plays later and Battle ran it back 41 yards to put the Tide in Arkansas territory. Fortunately, the defense came up with another critical stop and the Razorbacks were able to put together a scoring drive, capped off by a 23 yard TD pass from Wallace to senior WR Earl Linquist, giving the Hogs a 13-7 lead with 8:10 left in the third. The Hogs scored again after a 45 yard punt return by Graveson started the Razorbacks in Crimson Tide territory and FB Ricky Warren (So) converted potential disaster into glorious celebration by picking up senior RB Allen Gaylor's fumble and running it in 4 yards for another TD. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, but Arkansas extended its lead to 19-7 with just over two minutes left in the third. Alabama scored the final points of the game on a 42 yard TD pass from Warfield to WR Ike Turnbull (So) to make it 19-14 with 6:16 left in the game. The Tide threatened to take the lead again with at the two minute mark, but Hogs junior CB Marlon Fields came up with the clutch endzone interception to save the Razorbacks and seal the thrilling upset win. Game MVP: Norm Starks Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 16 of 32 - 207 yards - 1 TD - 4 INTs Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 30 carries, 155 yards - 2 fumbles Receiving WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 6 catches - 75 yards - 1 TD WR Johnny Kelly (Sr) - 3 catches - 56 yards Defense ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 12 tackles, 4 assists - 5 TFL DE Damon Wiedner (Sr) - 3 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 4 hurries CB Marlon Fields (Jr) - 3 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 pass defense - 1 INT DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 forced fumble - 1 fumble recovery DT Lincoln Middleton (RS Jr) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 5 TFL OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 1 assist - 1 TFL - 1 sack - 1 pass defense Special Teams/Offensive Line CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 5 punt returns - 147 yards - 29.4 average K Tom Bullock (Sr) - 2/2 FGs - 39 yard long - 1/1 XP C Gerald Hall (RS So) - 4 Key Run Blocks *End Webpage* Coach's Notes Superb effort by our defense, who really saved our collective bacon with stop after stop after stop despite 4 picks by Wallace and 2 fumbles a piece by Winchester and Gaylor. Scary to see so many upper classmen on that list and we're really going to miss Starks next year. Still, it's our first win against a Top 25 team this season and of my tenure. It's also our first televised victory. And it's always nice to win the conference opener. Other SEC Scores Troy 0 #20 South Carolina 48 Louisiana Tech 7 #9 Tennessee 42 Mississippi 45 Wyoming 14 Auburn 20 Pittsburgh 54 Vanderbilt 41 Navy 7 Mississippi State 0 #8 LSU 52 (FOX Regional Broadcast) Kentucky 0 #23 Florida 38 (CBS) Vanderbilt hands Navy its first loss of the year in a marvelous massacre of the Midshipmen. The Gamecocks are rising fast, LSU still looks top of the line and the Gators rebound from last week's loss to the Volunteers to de-claw the Kentucky Kitties, who are too tame to be deserving of the Wildcats nickname. I'm amazed at how bad Auburn is looking so far this year. They're much more talented than their record suggests. Early Season SEC South Standings Code: SEC South Standings #7 Louisiana State 4-0 2-0 Arkansas 3-1 1-0 #24 Alabama 3-1 1-1 Mississippi 3-1 1-1 Auburn 2-2 1-1 Mississippi State 1-2 0-2 If you'd have told me before the season that Ole Miss would start the year 3-1 and come damn close to being 2-0 in SEC play after almost upsetting Alabama, I'd have called you crazy. But the Rebels are finding ways to win. Outside of the Rebels oddity, the early board is looking exactly like I predicted, with LSU dominant, a dogfight between us, Auburn and Alabama and Mississippi State firmly entrenched in the cellar. I'd hate to be in the SEC North, who boast #8 Tennessee, #16 Florida, #18 South Carolina and #19 Georgia. Four Top 25 teams in one division. No wonder Kentucky and Vanderbilt suck so bad. Though I don't think the Commodores are all that horrible. I think they'd kick Mississippi State's ass anyway. Now Kentucky and Mississippi State... there's a War of the Worst I'd have a hard time picking the winner of. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 12-30-2008 at 03:47 PM.

12-31-2008, 01:17 AM	#19
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	A single urgent e-mail this week. It's mildly bad news. ILB Will Bibla, the #2 ILB in Texas and idolizer of the Longhorns, has decided to accept Baylor's offer and will be playing for the Bears. Hope he likes losing, because they're 0-3 right now, last in the Big 12 South. I say mildly bad because Bibla wasn't that good a recruit, to be honest and seemed overrated relative to his ranking. Offensive Player of the Week RB Butch Edwards - North Texas - 28 carries - 247 yards - 2 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DE Doug Gowins - North Texas - 7 tackles, 1 assist - 4.5 sacks A rare coup for the Mean Green, sweeping the National Player of the Week awards, the first time I've ever seen that happen. UNT is 3-1 so far this season and while they've yet to play a Sun Belt game, I think they could win the conference this season with guys like those two on there. Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations RB Darryl Winchester (3rd time) WR Earl Linquist (1st time) Any doubt that Winchester is our team MVP on offense should be erased by now. In all 3 of our victories this season, he's earned a POTW nomination, the only Razorback to do so. Guzowski To Get The Start In Gainesville Versus #16 Gators Razorbacks head coach Izulde Jestor announced a change at QB for this week's away game against the #16 University of Florida Gators, saying that junior Clyde Guzowski will start instead of Kent Wallace, the junior who's started every game this season for the Hogs. Wallace threw 4 interceptions in last week's upset win against the then-12th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and those turnovers led Jestor to make the switch to the more accurate Guzowski. There'll also be new wrinkles in the Razorback offense for the Gators to contend with, as Guzowski has some running ability and adds a new dimension to Arkansas's attack. Not that Florida should have any problems winning this one. Senior QB Allen Parrish is arguably the best in the SEC this year, throwing for 963 yards, 12 TDs and just 3 picks so far in the season. RB Herb Leftwich (So) has run for 403 yards and 4 TDs, an average of almost 101 yards a game with no fumbles. That rushing total is good for third in the SEC behind South Carolina senior Blaine Hill and Arkansas's own sophomore Darryl Winchester. Florida also has a strong, deep receiving corps that provides a lot of targets for Parrish to throw to. Senior DE Stephen Finnegan leads the SEC and is 3rd in the nation in sacks with 7.5 and first in the SEC and 2nd in the country in TFL with 11. Junior S Grant Fredrick is tied for 2nd in the US with 7 pass defenses and is a topnotch run-defender to boot. RS junior G Paul George is the leader a very good Gators' offensive line and a monster run-blocker, third in the SEC with 14 key run blocks. The linebacking corps of Florida's 3-4 defense is downright frightening and if there's any weaknesses at all in the Gators D at all, it's DT, where walk-on RS freshman Terry Ackerman scares no one. Trying to find a similiar hole in the Gators' offense is impossible and Florida is very justified in being 9 point favorites at home. SEC/Texas Recruit Battle Updates DE Ben Clemons -Arkansas, Colorado, LSU, Maryland, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma, Southern Mississippi Maine All-State DE Clemons visits the Sooners, who boast a good English department, but the money's still on Maryland. OLB Stanley Crawford -Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech All five official visits are now in and the Razorbacks sneak in to be the lone SEC school in contention. The Texas All-State player seems bound for the Longhorns, however. QB Bo Higgins -Arkansas, Clemson, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, USC, Tennessee With Higgins taking the Buckeyes as his only visit so far, the competition for the nation's top rated player and Florida All-State QB heats up. Three SEC schools are in the running now and the general feeling is that it's anybody's ballgame. CB Hunter Reed -Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Illinois, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin Illinois All-State CB Reed wants to get out of Illinois, but so far the furthest schools to offer are archrivals Alabama and Auburn. The smart money's on Auburn, who, in addition to being the furthest away, boasts a good Trigonometry program. RB Ralph Rose -Alabama, Arkansas, Penn State, Purdue, Virginia, UCLA The first player being fought over not to be an All-State selection, Rose still appears Alabama bound, but that's not such a bad thing, given that Rose doesn't appear a good enough player to crack the deep Razorback RB depth chart. His signing would largely be one of scholastic coup and an inroad into one of Arkansas's best high schools. WR Jared Chin -Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, LSU, Penn State, Purdue, Texas We'll be shocked if the Illinois All-State player ends up going anywhere but to the Illini or the Boilermakers. ILB Will Bibla Committed to Baylor Recruits Visiting Campus This Week OLB Stanley Crawford - Texas All-State OLB - Rivals.com #1 OLB in US DT Bruce Freestone - #3 DT in Missouri Crawford, as already noted, is a likely Longhorn signing and Freestone is just as likely to commit to Arkansas. The Joplin, MO native grew up a diehard Razorbacks fan thanks to his father, Brent Freestone, Class of 1973. New Recruits ILB Sammy McPherson Gators Chomp Hogs 56-14 The University of Florida band plays during the Gators' 56-14 drubbing of Arkansas Saturday in Gainesville For one brief, shining moment, it appeared the Razorbacks would pull off their second straight upset of a Top 25 team. The clock read 5:39 to go in the first quarter when RB Darryl Winchester (So) ripped right through the middle of the Florida defense for 75 yards and the game's first score, a TD that put the Hogs up 7-0. And when senior DE Damon Weidner sacked heralded Gator senior QB Allen Parrish on the next series, forcing a fumble that the Razorbacks recovered and turned into a TD scoring drive to go up 14-0, it really seemed like the miracle was going to happen. But then Parrish found RB Herb Leftwich, who zoomed down the field after the catch for a 52 yard TD reception to cut the lead to 14-7 with 1:22 left in the first and completed 4 straight passes on the Gators' next drive to score another TD in the second quarter to tie it up. That momentum shift changed everything, as Florida scored two unaswered touchdowns before the half, the second one just five seconds before the gun went off to go up 28-14 at halftime. The second half was an unmitigated disaster for the Razorbacks, as Parrish carved up the secondary, finishing with 357 yards, 6 TDs and no interceptions on 22 for 31 passing to win Game MVP, the offense got into Gators territory just once the entire half and QB Clyde Guzkowski was intercepted twice. Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders Passing QB Clyde Guzkowski (Jr) - 11 of 27 - 91 yards - 1 TD - 2 INTs Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 13 carries - 82 yards - 1 TD Receiving None worth mentioning, as the top performance was 1 catch for 26 yards Defense ILB Norm Starks (Sr) - 8 tackles, 5 assists - 1 forced fumble - 2 pass defenses DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 2 tackles, 3 assists - 1 sack - 1 pass block - 1 hurry CB Marlon Fisk (Jr) - 8 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL Special Teams/Offensive Line RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 3 kick returns - 98 yards - 32.6 average CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 3 punt returns - 32 yards - 10.6 average *End Webpage* Coach Notes Forget about Clyde Guzowski starting for us the entire rest of the year. Kent Wallace would've been just as accurate and made more yardage that might've translated into more points. A damned disappointing defeat that drops us to fourth in the SEC South. Other SEC Scores Arkansas State 14 Mississippi 38 Ohio 3 Kentucky 61 Mississippi State 3 Vanderbilt 34 Auburn 11 #8 Tennessee 21 #7 LSU 24 #19 Georgia 27 #18 South Carolina 3 #24 Alabama 27 SEC Vs. Other Conferences Week: 2-0 SEC Vs. Other Conferences Last Week: 4-1 SEC Vs. Other Conferences Year (LW): 20-3 SEC Vs. other Conferences Year: 22-3 The Crimson Tide stun the Gamecocks and the Bulldogs ruin my prediction that LSU should be a national title contender by pulling off the upset there. Now it's up to Tennessee to save the SEC's national title game appearance hopes. Ole Miss at 4-1 is just ridiculous and I really want to kick their asses when we play them. A three game tailspin for Auburn is causing a lot of consternation and hand-wringing and they can't be happy about the Tide's upset of the Gamecocks. I predict an ugly Iron Bowl for the Tigers this season. Oh well, at least LSU should still win our division and make the SEC title game. Then again, the Tide might be riding high with new energy and focus after we upended them last week. The way we're playing so far, I think we're shooting for what I thought we would be, a bowl game appearance of some kind and hopefully a victory. Sadly, this might be our best season for some time to come if we can't get an influx of talented recruits, especially on the defensive side of the ball. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 12-31-2008 at 01:20 AM.

12-31-2008, 07:32 AM	#20
BYU 14 Coordinator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The scorched Desert	Ouch, only 7 yards on 12 carries for Winchester outside of that 1st Quarter TD scamper, the Gators got him dialed in quickly. I have a certain Sophomore that at BYU that got dialed in too in his latest game.

01-01-2009, 02:30 AM	#22
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	A bye week, but a busy week just the same, judging from the influx of e-mails in my inbox. Indeed, no less than 5 recruits have made their decision. The top recruit in the entire country, QB Bo Higgins, spurns us without even a visit, signing with Ohio State. A real groinpuncher, though I suppose I should have expected it. DE Ben Clemons went the expected route and will suit up for the Maryland Terrapins for the next four years, declining to visit as well. Maybe we set our sights too high this season, but it was worth a try. There's just one bit of good news about OLB Stanley Crawford declining to join the Razorbacks and it's that he stunned everyone by spurning the Longhorns to sign with Texas Tech. At least I can have a little schadenfreude over that. 0-4 on the year makes for a .000 batting average, but then we finally get a couple hits. Razorbacks Get First Two Commits Of The Year Good news for Razorbacks fans this week, as the University of Arkansas received signed letters of intent from two recruits in the bye week. DT Bruce Freestone from nearby Joplin High in Joplin, MO and in-state recruit P Morris Quintana from Sylvan Hills High in Sherwood, are the two newest Razorbacks. "It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to play for the Razorbacks", Freestone said at the press conference announcing his signing, "I was worried when I hadn't heard from Coach Jestor and I was thinking about taking Mizzou's offer when the coach called me a couple weeks ago and asked if I wanted to play for the Hogs. I said yes sir, I certainly do." Freestone recorded 64 tackles and 4 sacks in his senior year, while Quintana averaged 44.51 yards a punt for the Bears in his final high school season. Both are Rivals.com Top 1000 recruits, Freestone ranked 727 and Missouri's #3 DT, while Quintana is #847 and rated the 29th best punter in the United States. While neither player looks like a starter as a true freshman, the Hogs have 3 DTs who will be seniors next season, opening the door for Freestone after a likely redshirt season. Razorbacks commit DT Bruce Freestone (#78)* runs down a Glendale Falcons football player in a game earlier this season* Joplin Eagles football helmet No Sylvan Hills Bears media could be found for this article. *End Article* I'm not wowed by either signing, to be totally honest, though according to my scouting notes, Freestone is 48++ by our rating system and Quintana is 73+. But when neither one made the All-State team, it's tough to get all that excited. Offensive Player of the Week QB Gary Wason - Colorado State - 25 of 34 - 355 yards - 6 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DE Lee Garner - Indiana - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 5 sacks I'm a little surprised Allen Parrish didn't get the award, though he naturally received a nomination. Arkansas Razorbacks POTW Nominations RB Darryl Winchester (4th time) The 75 yard TD run is the only reason he even appears on this list. Still, he's been a bright spot in an up and down season thus far. SEC/Texas Recruiting Battle Updates DE Ben Clemons Committed to Maryland OLB Stanley Crawford Committed to Texas Tech QB Bo Higgins Committed to Ohio State CB Hunter Reed -Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Illinois, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin Reed's waffling and appears struck by indecision, as he has yet to visit a single school. How long will teams be patient with a player rumored to have attitude problems before they start pulling offers? RB Ralph Rose -Alabama, Arkansas, UCLA, Penn State, Purdue, Virgina, Washington (Walk-On Offer) More schools are calling for Rose, but we still see him in Crimson Tide red when he signs. WR Jared Chin -Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, LSU, Nebraska (Walk-On Offer), Penn State, Purdue, Texas With 3 Big Ten schools his only visits, Chin appears bound for the Midwest's powerhouse conference, despite frantic efforts by the Razorbacks to lure him south. Recruits Visiting Campus ILB Sammy McPherson New Recruits QB D.J. Springer OLB Lincoln Clauss DE Bernie Pearson WR Bryant Thompson CB Mercury Austin K Cedric Goff Other SEC Scores #17 LSU 28 #16 Florida 38 (CBS) #7 Tennessee 51 #15 Georgia 28 (ESPN) Mississippi 17 South Carolina 22 (Fox Regional Broadcast) #20 Alabama 41 Kentucky 13 (Raycom) Rutgers 21 Vanderbilt 24 UAB 30 Mississippi State 7 How lowly the Mississippi State Bulldogs look in losing to a mid-tier mid-major team in the Blazers. The Gators officially served notice that their 7-3 loss to the Volunteers was a fluke, while Tennessee is looking like an ardent national title contender after blowing up the Georgia version of the Bulldogs. I'm surprised Vandy almost lost to Rutgers, but bull out the win they did. Ole Miss continues to give better teams scares, which worries me for when we play them. The Tide are now 2-0 since losing to us. Guess we were a good motivation SEC Vs. Other Conferences Week: 1-1 SEC Vs. Other Conferences Year: 23-4 Offensive Player of the Week QB Josh Sellers - Oklahoma - 24 of 36 - 461 yards - 5 TDs - 1 INT Defensive Player of the Week DE Kevin Corbett - Notre Dame - 5 tackles, 1 assist - 4 sacks Week 8 2 recruit decision e-mails this week. T Cedric Lowe really wanted an academic school, so he's headed to Stanford and C Andy Goodwin, a devout Mormon, is trekking clear across the country for BYU. While neither one is a fantastic prospect, our offensive line is one of our weakest areas, so losing them hurts from that perspective. Just an ugly recruiting year thus far. Razorbacks Face Pivotal Test Against Tigers Arkansas's entire season could hinge when they travel to Alabama this week to take on the surprisingly struggling Auburn Tigers, who are 2-3 (1-2). Picked by most pundits in the preseason to finish second in the SEC South, Auburn's lost three straight games and find themselves ahead of only cellar-dweller Mississippi State in the division. Much of the blame can be placed on senior QB Willie Nichols. Expected to be one of the conference's top signal-callers, he's been mired in mediocrity, completing 53.3% of his passes for 862 yards, 8 TDs and a surprising 6 INTs. Senior ILB Wally Mast has been one of Auburn's few bright spots on the year, 3rd in the SEC in tackles with 41 solo and 11 assists, 6 of them TFL. He also has a sack, a block, 2 pass hurries, 2 pass defenses and an interception on the year. The other Tigers star has been S Alvin Mayes (RS So), who has 3 interceptions and 3 pass defenses in a showing as unexpected as Nichols's difficulties. The Hogs appear to have the advantage on the reeling Tigers, but Auburn's at home and far too talented to a squad to have the record they do. That spells trouble for the Razorbacks, who are favored by a single point. SEC/Texas Recruit Battles Update CB Hunter Reed -Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado State, Virginia Tech Reed's racking up the frequent flier miles this week, hopping all around the country in a blitzkrieg of all five official visits. It's anybody's guess where he'll go, but we'll predict another Hogs recruiting loss and Reed to the Hokies. RB Ralph Rose -Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Purdue, Virginia Rose is another one making a number of visits this week and once again, three SEC South schools are fighting it out with a Virginia school and one other program for a recruit's services. We've been predicting Rose for the Tide for weeks now and we'll stick to that. WR Jared Chin -Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue The Eagles and Razorbacks win Chin's other two official visits, but the call here is a coin flip between the Fighting Illini and the Boilermakers, with the in-state state school holding the edge for the Illinois All-State WR. WR Bryant Thompson, the #13 WR nationally and an Arizona All-State WR, is being heavily pursued and visiting Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Virginia and Virginia Tech and it's too difficult to call where he'll end up. DT Adam Curtis, a Rhode Island All-State member and the state's top DT, now has another SEC South school pursuing him in Ole Miss. Razorbacks head coach Izulde Jestor is said to be outraged at the Rebels' late-season entry and vows to bring Curtis to Fayetteville. They just couldn't let the Razorbacks alone in the pursuit of Illinois's top WRs. Now WR Tyrone Riley, the #2 ranked player at his position in Illinois, and the #11 WR nationally, has offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Iowa State, Kansas State, Northern Illinois, Utah and Wisconsin. As the Badgers are his only visit, he seems Madison-bound. K Cedric Goff, the #3 K in the US and a Texas All-State team member, has gone from being lightly recruited to a deluge of offers, including Arkansas, Bowling Green, Clemson, Georgia, Mississippi (Walk-On), North Texas, Ohio State, USC, Tennessee and TCU. The Bulldogs appear to have the inside track, but the Mean Green and the Horned Frogs can't be counted out either. Recruits Visiting Campus QB D.J. Springer RB Ralph Rose WR Jared Chin WR Bryant Thompson T Mark Richard DE Bernie Pearson DT Adam Curtis OLB Lincoln Clauss CB Mercury Austin CB Hunter Reed A record 10 recruits on the year coming to Fayetteville this week, many of whom are high priority on the Razorbacks' list. Hogs Edge Tigers In 27-20 Thriller Arkansas junior reserve WR Adam Giles* hauls in a crucial 17 yard catch on third down in the fourth quarter of the Razorbacks' 27-20 win. RB Darryl Winchester (So)* came out roaring. On the Razorbacks' first drive of the game, he had 3 straight runs for 10+ yards, including a 13 yard dart through the middle of the Auburn D for the TD, pulling a slippery move remarkably reminiscient of his highlight 75 yard TD run two weeks ago against Florida. That score drew first blood and put Arkansas up 7-0. Auburn fought back with a sustained drive that put them into Arkansas's half of the field, showing gutsy play-calling by going for it twice on fourth down. The first time they succeeded, but pressure from the Hogs defensive line forced Auburn QB Willie Nichols (Sr) to dump off a screen pass that was quickly wrapped up on 4th and 21. QB Kent Wallace (Jr) completed two straight passes after the turnovers and the Tigers, plagued by penalties all game long, drew two straight defensive holding flags that put the Razorbacks in the red zone. Winchester eventually ran it in for his second rushing TD of the day, but a missed XP made it 13-0. The Tigers responded with a TD drive that cut Arkansas's lead to 13-7 with 6:50 left in the first half. A fired up Auburn defense then forced a 3 and out and S Ricardo Phillip (So) returned the punt 38 yards to the Razorback 25 yard line. But then the Hogs defense stiffened and Auburn settled for the FG to make it 13-10 and that scoreline stayed at the end of the half. Auburn tied the game at 13 with a FG on their first possession in the third quarter and it looked like the Hogs were letting their fast start vanish in the autumn sun, just like they did two weeks ago in Gainesville. That impression grew when senior starting TE Lincoln Welshans dropped two passes on the Razorbacks' next drive, including a third down throw that would've given Arkansas the first down. K Tom Bullock (Sr) was just short on a 45 yard FG try on the Hogs' next possession and television sets everywhere in the Natural State were in danger of being smashed. Doom seemed all but certain after Nichols connected with senior WR Doug Rucci for 15 yards and the go ahead score to make it a 20-13 game on the first play of the fourth quarter. But then Wallace showed why he won the starting QB job in spring training, making huge throws with his major-league arm, including a 15 yarder on 3rd and 10 to junior WR Adam Giles, a 32 yard pass to senior WR Josh Kelly and the game-tying 12 yard TD checkdown to Winchester. The teams traded 3 and outs and seemed headed for overtime when the Hogs special teams came up with a huge play, partially blocking a punt deep in Auburn territory to start the offense out on the Tiger 33. Auburn committed an offsides penalty the very next play and the Razorbacks marched down the short field for the go-ahead and game-winning TD with just 1:13 left in the game, getting the score on a 7 yard trick reverse by senior WR Earl Linquist. CB Rick Graveson (RS So) then sealed the Hogs' victory with an interception at the Auburn 37. Game MVP: RB Darryl Winchester Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 17 of 26 - 212 yards - 1 TD Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 29 carries - 111 yards - 2 TDs Receiving RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 5 catches - 42 yards - 1 TD WR Earl Linquist (Sr) - 4 catches - 49 yards WR Johnnie Kelly (Sr) - 2 catches - 49 yards Defense RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 1 tackle, 1 forced fumble DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 10 tackles - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 2 hurries CB Rick Graveson (So) - 4 tackles - 1 pass defense - 1 interception OLB Aaron Lynn (Sr) 6 tackles, 5 assists - 2 TFL - 1 hurry Offensive Line/Special Teams CB Rick Graveson (So) - 2 punt returns - 29 yards - 14.5 average C Gerald Hall (RS So) - 3 key run blocks - 0 sacks allowed *End Webpage* Coach Notes Darryl Winchester had a record 13 stokes in that game. The kid did it all. He ran, he received, hell he even had a forced fumble and a tackle on special teams. I love having him on the team and I'm going to be pissed if he doesn't play on Sundays. Ours was also one of 3 SEC games on Raycom this week and thus far, we're 2-2 in televised games this season, our biggest victory the 19-14 upset of then #12 Alabama on ESPN naturally. That handed the Crimson Tide their first loss of the year and really motivated them. Other SEC Scores Southern Mississippi 7 #17 Alabama 41 Vanderbilt 17 Georgia 45 (Raycom) #24 South Carolina 38 Kentucky 7 (Raycom) #6 Tennessee 27 Mississippi 10 (ESPN) 'Bama abuses a shoddy Golden Eagles team and Georgia is back on form after getting whipped by the Volunteers last week. I don't know how Ole Miss is doing it, but the Rebels are constantly finding ways to play better than they should. Nice to see the Gamecocks get back on track by beating up the Kitties. Since we're a little over halfway through the season now, I'll update the SEC standings. Code: SEC North #6 Tennessee 6-0 4-0 #21 South Carolina 6-1 4-1 #13 Florida 5-1 3-1 #19 Georgia 4-2 2-2 Vanderbilt 3-3 1-3 Kentucky 2-4 0-3 SEC South #14 Alabama 6-1 3-1 Arkansas 4-2 2-1 LSU 4-2 2-2 Mississippi 4-3 1-3 Auburn 2-4 1-3 Mississippi State 1-4 0-3 The North is just as nasty as I figured it'd be at the start of the season. What amazes me is that the Crimson Tide are 6-1, with their only loss thus far to us. Mississippi is probably the best 1-3 conference record team in the country given how well they've played relative to expectations. I still can't get over Auburn, though. They've now lost four straight, a mark of shame matched only by Mississippi State in the SEC. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

01-01-2009, 09:33 PM	#23
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Our first big injury news of the season hits and it's a bad one. Starting LT Jack McKenna (Fr), who's been having an awesome year and handling the spot better than we'd hoped, separates his shoulder and is out an estimated 4 weeks. After a lot of thought and debate, we choose to insert walk-on T George Heath (RS Jr) as the starting LT, as he's the most balanced and developed of the remaining tackles and we can't afford to go with inexperience in the middle of a good season like we're having. Another five recruits e-mail us their decisions this week, but I'm going to look through some other news first. Offensive Player of the Week RB Desmond Snedeker - Notre Dame - 22 carries - 168 yards - 1 TD Defensive Player of the Week DE Maurice Gomez - Northern Illinois - 3 tackles, 2 assists - 3.5 sacks Oddly weak choice for OPOTW in my opinion, but what do I know? The Fighting Irish are a pedestrian 4-3, but they're still getting votes for the Top 25. Arkansas Razorback POTW Nominations RB Darryl Winchester (5th time) DE Damon Weidner (1st time) QB Kent Wallace (3rd time) Finally we get some defensive recognition. Wallace wasn't exactly worthy of a nomination in my opinion, but we'll take it. Speaking of the Top 25, now that we're at the halfway point of the season, time to update. Midseason Top 25 1. Michigan 2. Oklahoma 3. Ohio State (+2) 4. Nebraska (+3) 5. USC (+4) 6. Tennessee (+5) 7. UCLA (+7) 8. Virginia Tech (+10) 9. Florida State (-5) 10. Texas A&M (+11) 11. Miami (FL) (-8) 12. Texas (-4) 13. Florida (-3) 14. Alabama (+1) 15. Penn State (-2) 16. Boise State* 17. Oregon (+5) 18. Purdue* 19. Georgia (-13) 20. Michigan State* 21. South Carolina* 22. Maryland* 23. Hawaii* 24. LSU (-12) 25. Pittsburgh* Dropped Out: Notre Dame (#16), Wisconsin (#17), Clemson (#19), Kansas State (#20), Auburn (#23) The Wolverines and Sooners are hanging on to the #1 and #2 spots in the polls and it's all changed up from then on out. Judging from this list, the power conferences this year are the Big Ten, the SEC and possibly the Big 12. But of course, it'll all be different at the end of the season, I'm sure and you can never tell how the bowl games will play out. Now on to the recruits. CB Mercury Austin wanted a top-level academic school so badly, he's willing to go literally all the way across the United States from his hometown in Oregon to go to school in Virginia, suiting up for the Cavaliers. I hate to lose another CB, but it is what it is. Razorbacks Land Four More Recruits - Three Arkansas All-State Players The Hogs hit paydirt in the Natural State this week, receiving commitments from Arkansas All-State players T Mark Richard from Hot Springs High in Hot Springs, DE Randall Abraham from McGehee High in McGehee and the biggest coup, S Cris Worlow from Searcy High in Searcy. RB Ralph Rose from tiny powerhouse Dover High in Dover was the other commit, a surprise, given that he seemed destined for Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Asked why he chose the Hogs over the Tide, Rose replied, "All my friends were dogging me about going to Alabama and when I came to the campus to check it out, Darryl (Winchester) pulled me aside and said that this program is dedicated to the running game and that if I stayed in-state, the coaches would do everything they could to get me to the NFL. That really sold me, because the coaches are always going to try and make a program look good, but when a player gives that kind of good review, it makes you want to play there." The crop is a distinctive one, with Rose (#181) and Worlow (#147) Rivals.com Top 250 players, Richard just outside that range at #263 and Abraham #545. Rose is rated the #17 RB in the country, Worlow head coach Izulde Jestor's first Top 10 position recruit as the #9 ranked safety in the US. Worlow, Richard and Abraham are all possible immediate contributors, while Rose, blocked by Darryl Winchester and Sammie Hirsch, is almost certain to redshirt. End Article Thus far, all in-state recruits except DT Bruce Freestone, who's only an hour away so he's essentially a local recruit as well. I realize it's important to snatch up the in-state talent, but it's frustrating as I'm trying to build pipelines elsewhere, too. I'm still shocked we got Rose. I think Darryl Winchester deserves some kind of medal for bringing the kid in. While Ralph looks to be extremely overrated, Dover's one of the best schools in the state despite having only about 450 students (78 Athl. Prep/97 Acad. Prep according to National High School Rating Services {NHSRS}), so getting a foot in the door there is going to be a major plus. By the way, with Rose's commitment, we win our first ever SEC recruiting battle. Arkansas: 1-0 Alabama: 0-1 Auburn: 0-1 The Crimson Tide lose their two best RBs to graduation, but Terrell Bullock will be okay next year and true freshman Preston Wharry and redshirting sophomore Hardy Ziemak have potential and 3 years of eligibility remaining. Auburn will return starter Xavier Sullivan but they better hope some of their raw, young guys start filling out their alleged NFL-level talent or they're in trouble. Neither the Tigers nor 'Bama have landed a RB yet and the Tide are particularly irked about it. Razorbacks Host #19 Bulldogs Saturday Afternoon Georgia Bulldogs senior S Leroy Serrano is angry. "Who have the Razorbacks beat this year worth mentioning?" Serrano irately inquired last week after hearing Arkansas's in second place in the SEC South. "They beat 'Bama at home, which was a fluke and then they had to come from behind to beat Auburn, who hasn't done jack this season. And they're in second place in the division? (Expletive) that. If we were in the South, we'd be winning the whole thing." Serrano has been Georgia's best player this season, the rangy safety accumulating 30 tackles, 12 assists, 9 TFL, 2 interceptions, and an SEC lead-tying 10 pass defenses. On offense, the Bulldogs are led by a deep, talented RB corps spearheaded by senior Winston Jacobs, who has 617 yards and 6 TDs with no fumbles in six games and a 102.8 yard per game average, an average good for third in the SEC. Senior WR Andy Porter is 7th in the SEC in receiving yards with 387 and is tied for the conference lead in TD receptions with 7. Georgia has an excellent roster overall and on paper, should destroy the Hogs by much more than the 5 points oddsmakers spot the Bulldogs. SEC/Texas Recruiting Battles CB Hunter Reed -Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado State, Virginia Tech No change. RB Ralph Rose -Committed to Arkansas WR Jared Chin -Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, Penn State, Purdue No change. WR Bryant Thompson -Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Virginia, Virginia Tech Put a gun to our heads and we'll say Thompson's off to Alabama, though it's still anybody's ballgame. DT Adam Curtis -Arkansas, Mississippi, Washington State With the Cougars entry, it looks like Curtis is going off to Pullman. WR Tyrone Riley -Arkansas, Georgia, Northern Illinois, Texas A&M, Wisconsin We've been calling Riley for the Badgers ever since last week and even with his five visits finalized this week, nothing's here that changes our minds. K Cedric Goff -Georgia, Michigan, North Texas, Tennessee, TCU For the first time this season, a Razorback target refuses to even make Fayetteville one of his five official visits. That has to be a kick in the teeth for head coach Izulde Jestor and his staff. New Recruits ILB Pat Thompson C Clifton Lyon Recruits Visiting Campus WR Tyrone Riley CB Rex Yellope Rescinded Offer G Arnie Pettus #24 Bulldogs Best Razorbacks 27-12 Andy Porter, the Georgia Bulldogs' star senior wide receiver, hauls in the first of his two TD receptions on the day In a season full of omens, two of the darkest yet struck the Razorbacks just two and a half minutes into Saturday's game against the University of Georgia Bulldogs. First, RB Darryl Winchester (So) fumbled the ball and Georgia recovered. Then, ILB Norm Starks, the heart of the Hogs defense, went down with a devastating head injury that not only ends his collegiate career, it puts his NFL prospects under an ominious cloud. A few plays later, WR Andy Porter (Sr) made a beautiful in-stride catch in the endzone for a 24 yard TD to put Georgia up 7-0 and the Bulldogs lead stretched to 10-0 on the first play of the second quarter, a 29 yard FG. Arkansas's offense, like it has so many times against marquee opponents this season, just couldn't get it going and redshirt freshman Bulldogs QB Dale Rich kept making his throws when it counted, including a 12 yard TD strike to Porter with six and a half minutes left in the first half to make it 17-0 Georgia. The Bulldogs drove again for another TD on the first drive of the second half, making it 24-0 Georgia and seemingly putting the game out of reach. But then QB Kent Wallace (Jr), completed two straight passes, including a breathtaking 44 yard catch and run to Winchester, who atoned for his early game fumble with a 12 yard TD run following the two completions. At 24-6 after a failed 2 point conversion, the Hogs were finally on the board, just under six minutes left in the third. Time was running out, however, and not even CB Rick Graveson (RS So)'s Hogs-spirits lifting 64 yard punt return for a TD to make it 24-12 after yet another failed 2 point try could forestall the inevitable. And adding insult to an already injurious day, senior ILB Chuck McKenzie, Starks's replacement, received a punishing blow to the head just as severe as his teammate's. His college days too, are done and now the Hogs have to look high and low for a new starting ILB and hope that their once promising season hasn't just gone up in smoke. Game MVP: WR Andy Porter Razorback Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 9 of 29 - 149 yards - 3 INTs - 2 fumbles Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 18 carries - 45 yards - 1 TD - 1 fumble Receiving RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 4 catches - 67 yards WR Adam Giles (Jr) - 2 catches - 42 yards Defense OLB Spencer Daft (Sr) - 12 tackles, 2 assists - 5 TFL - 1 fumble recovery DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 9 tackles, 3 assists - 3 TFL - 1.5 sacks, 1 hurry - 1 forced fumble DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 4 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 1 pass block - 2 hurries CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 2 pass defenses ILB Chuck McKenzie (Sr) - 7 tackles, 3 assists - 3 pass defenses Offensive Line/Special Teams CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 5 punt returns - 92 yards - 18.4 average - 1 TD End Webpage ...Great. Just fucking great. The football gods just wiped out any semblance of a decent ILB corps in one game. I guess that means we're going to get a sneak preview of how our defense is going to look next season. We're now forced to start Nathan Phillips (RS Fr), who could be decent someday, but who's extremely raw right now and go with true freshman Neil Connell, who not only sucks now, he'll always suck, as his top backup. Why oh why didn't I put more emphasis on inside linebacker in recruiting? So much for the temporary flirtation with the 3-4. We won't have enough decent players to even field a stout 4-3. Well, now I'd call a bowl appearance a successful season and the same probably holds true for next year as well, given all the senior defensive talent we're losing. Other SEC Scores Troy 0 #24 LSU 50 #13 Florida 44 Mississippi State 0 Kentucky 38 Auburn 42 Louisiana-Monroe 13 Vanderbilt 17 #14 Alabama 6 #6 Tennessee 41 (CBS - National Game of the Week!) The same ULM team whose asses we kicked 73-18 nearly knocks off Vandy, but the Commodores grit it out. After seeing the Volunteers spank the tar out of the Tide on national television, I don't think there's anybody left in the country who doesn't think Tennessee's a bona fide national title contender. In fact, they move up two places to #4 on the strength of that win. Heh. Auburn is underachieving like mad this year. That close a win against the Kitties? Talk about failing to live up to preseason hype. SEC Vs. Other Conferences Week: 2-0 (1-0 last week) SEC Vs. Other Conferences Year: 26-4 __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)**

01-01-2009, 10:41 PM	#24
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	How are you planning to incorporate FOF into this Dynasty? __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

01-03-2009, 03:36 AM	#26
kingfc22 Head Coach Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Morgan Hill, CA	NOOOOOO!!! I put the hex on Starks... How does ILB Pat Thompson rank amongst the recruits across the nation? __________________ Fan of SF Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Arsenal

01-03-2009, 08:50 PM	#28
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Offensive Player of the Week QB Wesley Pitcher - UCLA - 22/38 - 339 yards - 4 TDs Defensive Player of the Week ILB K.C. Becker - Tennessee - 10 tackles, 4 assists - 2 sacks - 1 INT This is Pitcher's second National Player of the Week award and the senior Bruin signalcaller is no doubt a Heisman Trophy candidate, though who knows what his NFL prospects are. His #7 UCLA team is 7-0 (4-0), Oregon the only other undefeated school in Pac-10 play. With no less than 8 recruits sending in their decisions this week, it's pretty much make or break for this year's class. WR Tyrone Riley pulls a stunner by committing to Northern Illinois and I still can't believe he'd go to the Huskies when the Badgers were hot on him. It would've been fun to watch the Big Ten rivalry between him and WR Jared Chin, who chooses Purdue over the Illini, much to the pain of Illinois football fans. We lose our second recruit of the year to Ohio State when DE Bernie Pearson commits to the Buckeyes. I'm really starting to hate tOSU right about now. Five Recruits Run For Razorbacks In their most successful week of the recruiting season, the Arkansas Razorbacks football team acquired five new members, scoring a number of steals in the process. Despite losing Illinois WRs Tyrone Riley and Jared Chin to Northern Illinois and Purdue respectively, the Hogs landed a nice consolation prize in Arizona All-State WR Bryant Thompson from Round Valley High in Springerville, AZ. Thompson, rated #165 nationally, #13 by position, is known for fighting for extra yardage after the catch and had an amazing 77 receptions for 1,855 yards and 10 TDs in his senior season. Connecticut All-State ILB Pat Thompson, from Ridgefield High in Ridgefield, CT, ranked #647 and 28th among ILBs, also signed on the dotted line, along with OLB Lincoln Clauss, who hails from West High in Torrance, CA (#579/30th OLB). Those two players will greatly bolster a linebacking corps losing many of its top players to graduation. Another New Englander, Rhode Island All-State DT Adam Curtis from North Kingstown High in North Kingstown, RI (#620/43rd among DTs) made the surprise decision to join the Razorbacks as did Illinois All-State CB Hunter Reed from Coal City High in Coal City, IL (#307/22nd among CBs). With all 11 commits thus far in the Top 1000 and 7 All-State players in the mix, the Razorbacks are putting together a solid, if not necessarily flashy class. *End Article* Solid, but not flashy. Good assessment of how our class is looking so far. I'm most excited about Reed in terms of the pipeline, as Coal City High does a great job of prepping players for playing the college level (95 Athletic Prep). In terms of most likely to play as a true freshman, my current hunch says Bryant Thompson could be a starter as a true frosh, with the rest up in the air. SEC/Texas Recruit Battle Rankings Arkansas: 4-0 Alabama: 0-3 Auburn: 0-2 Mississippi: 0-1 Note: I'm only going to update those rankings for recruits listing both us and the other SEC school/Texas among our official visits. I'm sure the Crimson Tide have to hate us by now. Not only did we spoil Alabama's perfect season, but we've stolen 3 recruits from them this year: RB Ralph Rose, CB Hunter Reed and WR Bryant Thompson. New Recruits WR Graham Manning It's a bye week, so we'll just watch the SEC games. Other SEC Games Auburn 17 Mississippi 45 Kentucky 3 Mississippi State 38 Vanderbilt 0 #22 LSU 63 (Raycom) #12 Florida 45 #17 Georgia 10 (Fox Regional Network) #4 Tennessee 23 #21 South Carolina 34 (CBS) And just like that, the Gamecocks claw the Volunteers' national title hopes to shreds. Auburn's season is officially gone to hell and back and Ole Miss is somehow just one win away from bowl eligibility. I'm not all that surprised to see Florida whip Georgia so badly, either. Week 11 Offensive Player of the Week QB Barry Wagoner - Mississippi - 32/42 - 413 yards - 5 TDs Defensive Player of the Week DE Lee Gardner - Indiana - 9 tackles, 2 assists - 4 sacks Three recruits make their choices this week. CB Rex Yellope chooses Illinois over us and WR Graham Manning jumps ship to the Navy Midshipmen, but we land C Clifton Lyon from Somerset HS in Somerset, MA (#874/#50 C). Not a great pickup by any means, but we needed to bring in someone to try and give us more quality at C. New Recruits TE Jumbo Phillips G Tyrone Galliard Razorbacks Face Fired-Up Gamecocks The Razorbacks are on the road this week to visit the #16 South Carolina Gamecocks, who are riding high after upsetting the undefeated, #4 Tennessee Volunteers last week. RS junior Gamecocks QB Richard Bridges has been a surprise this season, completing 67.2% of his passes for 1,770 yards, 17 TDs and 5 INTs. Of course, he's helped by senior RB Blaine Hill, who leads the SEC and ranks 5th in the country with 1,045 yards rushing on 250 carries, with 8 TDs, an impressive 130.6 yards per game. Junior WR Edgar Bierce and senior WR Bobby Horner rank 4th and 5th in receiving yardage in the SEC, with 550 and 542 yards respectively and each with 6 receiving TDs. Redshirt junior K Sherman Fisk is one of the best in the conference, converting 12/14 FGs with a long of 45 yards. RS junior DE Grant Mergen is in the Top 10 in the US and the SEC leader in sacks with 11.5, along with 15 hurries, 5 pass blocks and 15 TFL out of his 19 on the season. He's the only defensive star for the Gamecocks, though, which opens up a silver of opportunity for the Hogs, who are 13 point underdogs. South Carolina Stunner! Hogs Upset #16 Gamecocks 24-21 An upset Gamecocks fan leaves the stadium after South Carolina's 24-21 loss to Arkansas. University of South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Herman Simmons was still staring at the scoreboard half an hour after the game ended. Just gazing in disbelief at the 24-21 line. "It wasn't suppose to be like this. We're in the middle of a dream season, going up against a team that doesn't have its starting left tackle, missing both the starting and backup middle linebackers... Not much of a defense outside of their line... and they come in and beat us on our home turf, maybe even ruin our chances at an SEC championship." That teams was the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, playing without freshman LT Jack McKenna, who was still out with a shoulder strain and defensive star ILB Norman Starks, the studly senior whose season ended against Georgia with a concussion, as did his backup's, senior ILB Chuck McKenzie. And yet, the Hogs found a way to win. Arkansas struck first after senior S Derrick Fisk drilled Gamecocks star senior RB Blaine Hill to force a fumble and junior CB Marlon Fields recovered on the South Carolina 6. The Razorbacks weren't able to score a touchdown, but they came away with a FG to be up 3-0 with 4:48 left in the first quarter. South Carolina answered with insurance two minutes into the second quarter when RS junior QB Richard Bridges flared a long bomb down the field that junior WR Edgar Bierce pulled in the 41 yard TD to make it 7-3. The Gamecocks got the ball back early in the next drive, following a fumble by Razorback sophomore FB Ricky Warren on the Arkansas 26, and appeared set to score when walk-on freshman S Graham Womer came up with a clutch endzone interception. The Razorback defense came up with a key fourth down stop with 3:35 left in the half on redshirt junior DT Rich Sowell's sack of Bridges and junior QB Kent Wallace responded by marching the Hogs down the field on three long passes, the last a 10 yard TD throw to freshman WR Colin Jeffries to make it 10-7 with just under two minutes to go. A long, sustained drive opened up the second half, a 9 minute grind capped off by a 11 yard RB Darryl Winchester (So) TD run to put Arkansas up 17-7. The teams then traded interceptions and the Gamecocks engineered a clock-chewing TD drive of their own to make it 17-14 early in the fourth. Four plays later, Winchester showed why he's one of the most exciting players in the country, zipping down the sideline for a 67 yard TD run to give the Hogs 24-14 insurance. From then on, it was a battle of stiffened defenses until Bridges connected with Bierce for their second big TD of the game, this one good for 54 yards, making it 24-21 with just over two minutes left on the game clock. The Gamecocks got two tries at a tie or a go ahead, but were forced to punt on the first drive and on the second drive, Razorbacks redshirt junior DE Oliver Linstrom sacked Bridges and forced a fumble picked up by Sowell to clinch the upset. Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders Passing QB Kent Wallace (Jr) - 18 of 32 - 215 yards - 1 TD - 2 INTs Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 30 carries - 155 yards - 2 TDs Receiving TE Lincoln Welshans (Sr) - 3 catches - 70 yards RB Darryl Winchester (So) - 5 catches - 40 yards WR Colin Jeffries (Fr) - 4 catches - 53 yards - 1 TD Defense DE Oliver Linstrom (RS Jr) - 6 tackles, 1 assist - 4 TFL - 2 sacks - 1 pass defense DE Damon Weidner (Sr) - 6 tackles - 2 TFL - 2 sacks - 2 hurries OLB Aaron Lynn (RS Jr) - 5 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 2 sacks CB Rick Graveson (RS So) - 1 tackle, 2 assists - 1 pass defense - 1 interception S Derrick Fisk (Sr) - 5 tackles, 2 assists - 2 TFL - 2 forced fumbles *End Webpage* What an amazing victory, one that makes us 2-3 against Top 25 teams this season. To do it on the road makes it even sweeter and we're now one win away from bowl eligibility. Other SEC Scores UW-Green Bay 10 Auburn 20 Notre Dame 38 #11 Tennessee 41 Georgia 28 Kentucky 0 #9 Florida 41 Vanderbilt 20 Mississippi State 7 #22 Alabama 44 (Raycom) It's a sign of just how far Auburn's fallen that they have a tough time of it against a Sol-8 school, one that just started football up this season. The Fighting Irish threw a hell of a scare into the Volunteers, who suddenly look vulnerable. SEC Standings Code: SEC North #7 Florida 8-1 6-1 #9 Tennessee 8-1 5-1 #25 South Carolina 7-2 5-2 #24 Georgia 6-3 4-3 Vanderbilt 4-5 1-5 Kentucky 2-7 0-6 SEC South #20 Alabama 7-2 4-2 #19 LSU 6-2 3-2 Arkansas 5-3 3-2 Mississippi 5-3 2-3 Auburn 4-5 2-4 Mississippi State 2-6 1-5 Tight races in both divisions. Florida's looked invincible since their narrow loss to Tennessee, but the Volunteers looked the same before losing last week to South Carolina and so did Alabama in the weeks after losing to us. Way too close to call either division and I give the Gators serious props for not allowing their early season loss to derail their year. They probably won't make the national title game, but the SEC championship is in their seat at the moment. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 01-03-2009 at 08:51 PM.

01-12-2009, 09:32 PM	#35
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	To: [email protected] Oliver Linstrom has failed his Sports Management class and will be ineligible for the upcoming football season. @$%!%!%!$%!%$!%$!%!$%^#^%^!$%!! YOU FUCKING DUMBASS LINSTROM! There went our entire season down the drain. Ugh. 2004 Coach of the Year Wendell Rose - Michigan Deserving of the award, but I'm so pissed off about Linstrom I can't even see straight. Luckily, there's staff hiring to take my mind off of things and we quickly institute sweeping reforms. Offensive Coordinator Kenny Jones (60 years old) Play Call: Excellent Injury Avoid: Terrific Rehab: Terrible Congeniality: VG QB: Terrific RB: Pretty Good WR: Decent OL: Excellent K: Terrific Experience: None He may be a rookie hire and an old one at that, but he's the perfect fit for us and a breath of fresh air after last year's disaster. I also like that he isn't wedded to a particular offense, as we may be changing it up this year. DC Conrad Fredrickson's play calling improved to Lousy, but he took hits in Congeniality and Secondary development. He keep his job solely because there's nobody out there that's better and he did do a good job with the unit last year all in all. Syndicate Coordinator Steven Buckley (38) Academic Eligibility: Terrific Syndicate Investigation: Lousy Donations: Very Good A massive upgrade from our previous POS SC. Maybe he can keep our star players from becoming academically ineligible. I'm feeling terribly lazy, so for the scouts, I only concern myself with our home region, and punt out the useless 71 year old duffer for a bright young fellow (36) whose only areas of weakness are K and DL. Ticket prices we leave alone. Scheduling Those bastards in Austin refuse to schedule another Battle for the Bloody Orange, so we're stuck with home games against Georgia Tech and Duke this year. Oh, that reminds me, I forgot to check the final adjusted class rankings, so I only have the end-season recruiting rankings, which are as follows: Code: Top 25 Recruiting Classes 1. Texas 2. USC 3. Maryland 4. Wisconsin 5. Texas A&M 6. Notre Dame 7. UCLA 8. Virginia Tech 9. Michigan 10. Iowa 11. Colorado 12. Illinois 13. Florida (SEC) 14. Pittsburgh 15. Northwestern 16. Tennessee (SEC) 17. Penn State 18. Ohio State 19. Kansas State 20. Missouri 21. Purdue 22. Virginia 23. Georgia Tech 24. Toledo 25. Syracuse Other SEC Recruiting Class Rankings 28. Arkansas 36. Vanderbilt 43. Kentucky 46. Auburn 71. Alabama 82. Georgia 95. Mississippi State 108. South Carolina 109. Mississippi 125. LSU (Ranked dead last in the country!) I'm sure there was some adjustment, but even if we dropped some, #28 is an impressive accomplishment. Nice work by everyone at the University. And now it's time for a roster review! Code: Guzowski, Clyde 5 QB Sr 57 77 Bradford, Danny 2 QB Jr* 17 99 Wallace, Kent 3 QB Sr 47 64 Norton, Derrick 18 QB Sr 40 54 Springer, D.J. 16 QB Fr 17 62 Guzowski busted his ass over the summer and made huge strides in his game. He'll take over as the starting QB, with Bradford the likely #2, as Wallace has really regressed. Springer gets a redshirt and is our QB of the future, though I'll probably bring someone else in as competition, given we're losing 3 seniors here. Code: Winchester, Darryl 23 RB Jr 90 96 Godinez, Mitchell 30 RB Jr* 21 49 Sandstrom, Jorge 24 RB Sr 47 59 Hirsch, Sammie 25 RB So* 56 82 Rose, Ralph 39 RB Fr 33 76 Winchester is pissed about last year's snubs in the awards and he comes in as one of the top RBs in the country. Needless to say, he'll start. Hirsch's redshirt year was a huge disappointment, but he'll still be the #2 RB, with true freshman Rose slotting as the #3 back. I don't see Rose as worthy of a redshirt. Code: Garrison, Renaldo 40 FB So* 38 81 Warren, Ricky 26 FB Jr 58 58 Fisher, Britt 48 FB So 34 77 Richmond, Andy 42 FB Fr 18 36 Taylor, Ike 34 FB* So* 24 49 Warren, then Garrison. Richmond doesn't have the upside to deserve a redshirt, though I'm really hyped about Garrison's potential. Code: Alexander, Ike 89 TE Sr 40 49 Reed, Rufus 86 TE So* 33 99 Phillips, Jumbo 84 TE Fr 16 63 Kuebrich, Luke 99 TE* So* 27 50 Big decline from last year's group. Reed's ridiculous upside will earn him the start and I'll probably make Alexander the backup. Phillips dons a red shirt. Code: Giles, Adam 85 WR Sr 54 55 Jeffries, Colin 88 WR So 28 42 Woodson, Shane 7 WR Sr 50 70 Gilmore, Sean 83 WR Fr 23 37 Thompson, Bryant 4 WR Fr 26 78 Garcia, Rufus 81 WR* So 27 37 Chandler, Joseph 80 WR* So 15 26 Last year's weakest group doesn't look much better. Jeffries and Woodson start, Giles figures in as the #3 WR, with Thompson occupying the #4 spot. I think Gilmore has more upside than what the numbers suggest, so he'll redshirt. I'd call this a major need area in recruiting still. Code: Hall, Gerald 50 C Sr* 41 50 Lyon, Clifton 54 C Fr 7 57 Hickman, Mack 55 C* Sr* 20 61 Lee, Jamie 56 C* So* 15 63 Hall starts, Lee's #2 and Lyon gets a freed redshirt. Code: Hastings, Luke 64 G Jr* 19 47 Thompson, Mel 60 G Sr 62 62 Lewis, Mercury 76 G Sr 37 45 Stensrud, Emmitt 62 G* So 15 42 Thompson and Lewis will hold down the fort another year, Hastings the backup. Desparately need new players here. Code: McKenna, Jack 74 T So 24 86 McDonald, Oliver 67 T Sr 32 47 Blouir, Travis 78 T So 21 77 Richard, Mark 63 T Fr 19 86 Heath, George 65 T* Sr 16 16 Zahavi, Anthony 68 T* So 20 62 McDonald at LT, McKenna at RT, as their current skills require a position switch. Richard will be the main backup, though he probably deserves a red shirt. We need more skilled and developed players here. Code: Burkhammer, Ralph 6 P Sr 60 78 Samuels, Junior 1 P Jr* 45 83 Quintana, Morris 14 P Fr 21 92 Dunlap, Everett 19 P* Jr* 27 51 Johnston, Warren 10 K Sr* 58 67 Dwight, William 8 K* So* 44 68 Burkhammer will do for another year. Quintana's yet another red shirt. Johnston takes over kicking duties, but I'll keep an eye out in recruiting for a K. Code: Beltran, Aaron 90 DE Sr* 45 47 Hruby, Richard 98 DE Jr 42 53 Linstrom, Oliver (IE) 77 DE Sr 84 100 Abraham, Randall 91 DE Fr 23 70 McGregor, Mitch 94 DE* So* 36 41 Abreu, Donny 92 DE* Jr* 20 80 Sigh. Imagine the unit we'd have if Linstrom hadn't gotten his butt suspended. It's not Weidner/Linstrom, let me tell you. It'll have to be Beltran and Hruby, with the other two scrubs as reserves. Abraham is redshirted and we'll be looking hard here, too. Code: Middleton, Lincoln 72 DT Sr 63 78 Sowell, Rich 71 DT Sr 42 42 Lowe, Joey 70 DT Sr 42 59 Curtis, Adam 93 DT Fr 13 48 Freestone, Bruce 96 DT Fr 11 55 Moss, Lincoln 79 DT* So* 7 61 Becht, Kurt 75 DT* Jr* 15 64 If we have -any- kind of ILB corps at all, I'm switching to a 3-4. Otherwise it'll be Middleton and Lowe, with the two freshmen picking up red shirts. Very disappointingly raw class so far. Code: Phillips, Nathan 95 ILB Jr* 32 61 Thompson, Pat 53 ILB Fr 13 48 Bensen, Tommy 59 ILB* Sr 3 19 Connell, Neil 57 ILB* So 18 63 ....Ummm...Yeah. 4-3 it is, with Phillips sliding in the middle and Thompson as his main backup. Another need area in recruiting. Code: Flowers, Thurman 97 OLB Sr 46 55 Lynn, Aaron 58 OLB Sr 74 96 Clauss, Lincoln 45 OLB Fr 15 59 Jacques, John 51 OLB* Jr* 15 44 We'll go with Lynn and Flowers as the starters, Clauss as the backup. Holy hell we're thin this year in depth. I should just make the whole defense a priority in recruiting and be done with it. Code: Fields, Marlon 37 CB Sr 53 53 Goodlink, Kenyon 44 CB Jr* 33 55 Gowin, Greg 29 CB Sr* 47 67 Graveson, Rick 46 CB Sr* 77 97 Reed, Hunter 21 CB Fr 35 50 Wolfe, Roderick 20 CB* So 17 72 Finally, a group with depth. Fields, last year's nickel back and the awesome beyond compare Graveson are the starters, with some combination of Goodlink and Gowin as the backups. Reed doesn't impress me at all, so it's Wolfe who gets an extra year here. Code: Simmons, Junior 33 S Sr 43 60 Worlow, Cris 43 S Fr 42 68 Weber, Walter 31 S* So 15 51 Womer, Graham 28 S* So 22 68 Think we'll miss Derrick Fisk? Not so much. I'm very excited about Worlow, the lone freshman I can say that about. He and Simmons will start, while Weber and Womer reprise their reserve roles. So... what to do about our offense? After putting a lot of thought into it, I decide to go with the Flexbone. As much as I think Jumbo Phillips has the potential to develop into a good TE and as weak as our WR corps is, I think that's the best offense for our current roster. Preseason Notes Ranking: 41 Prestige: 77 (-2) (8th in SEC, 4th in SEC South) A slight drop thanks to no bowl games. Initial Recruits FB Dean Brennan ILB Jerry Brewer OLB Ralph Handwerker G Cedric Berardi C Bryan Lynn RB Kenneth Sutton (With our switch to the Flexbone, you can never have enough of these) QB Broderick Moya DE Rod West __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

01-20-2009, 01:43 PM	#36
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	Ready for next season! __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

01-20-2009, 02:41 PM	#37
kingfc22 Head Coach Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Morgan Hill, CA	Man, rough way to end the year and how does the #3 DE in the draft fall to the 3rd round. WOW! __________________ Fan of SF Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Arsenal

01-20-2009, 05:40 PM	#38
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	MJ4H: I'm thinking of reverting to first person format. The journalistic style and picture hunting gets exhausting. kingfc22: No kidding on both counts! Although I hate he went to the Bills, I still think Weidner's going to end up an NFL starter someday. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

01-21-2009, 01:47 AM	#39
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Week 1 SEC Results UW-Parkside 6 Kentucky 45 (Raycom) UCF 0 #18 Alabama 54 (ESPN) #11 LSU 0 #3 Ohio State 31 (National Game of The Week) So much for the Tigers looking like one of the top teams in the country after getting absolutely skunked by the Buckeyes. The Crimson Tide gets off to a rolling start while the Wildcats beat a school that didn't even have football until this universe and is primarily a soccer school. SEC OOC Record YTD: 2-1 Recruit Visits FB Dean Brennan He idolizes us, so I'm going to go ahead and profile him now. From Wagoner High in Wagoner, OK, he's #636 overall nationall, 19th by position. Smart as hell and from one of the powerhouse schools in Oklahoma (83 Athl/75 Academic). You can be damned sure we're going to pump that pipeline as much as we can over the next four years. Unfortunately, in terms of our pipeline quest, none of the freshmen we got last year has any lead-ins anywhere, except WR Sean Gilmore's alma mater in South Bend, IN, which yielded a scrubby TE we have no use or need for. New Recruits QB Calvin Lunderville CB Charlie Vaughn G Vinny Palmer Week 1 NFL Results QB Wesley Pitcher - Arizona Cardinals (S) Up and down outing for the rookie QB, who rode the incomparable tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald to a 27/54 for 338 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs first-ever NFL regular season game. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, one of those TDs came in garbage time, making their 24-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers look closer than it actually was. DE Damon Weidner - Buffalo Bills The apprentice outduels the teacher as Tom Brady's Patriots wallop Drew Bledsoe's Bills 42-26. Though to be fair, New England's got Corey Dillon running the ball and he outranks Willis McGahee by a considerable margin. Weidner got on the field for 10 plays (6 running, 4 passing) and picked up a tackle and half a sack in the limited playing time. Way to make the most of your opportunities, Damon! MLB Norm Starks - Baltimore Ravens The good news: Baltimore beat Pittsburgh 31-23 in a game that, like Arizona's matchup with the 49ers, wasn't anywhere near as close as the final score indicates. Big Ben throws 3 interceptions and the Ravens coast on a 21-3 second quarter mauling. The bad news: Starks was on the field for a measly 2 plays, both on special teams and didn't distinguish himself at all. MLB Chuck McKenzie - Jacksonville Jaguars Practice squad, so who cares how his team did. SLB Spencer Daft - Seattle Seahawks Practice squad, so who cares how his team did. WR Johnny Kelly - New York Giants The Giants roll the Redskins 31-10 on Kurt Warner's briskly efficient passing and Tiki Barber's nice running. Kelly had 11 special teams plays, but didn't record any statistics and he batted .000 for his 4 pass plays as well. Free Agents RB Allen Gaylor RB Dave McIntye OLB Ernest Kleklamp TE Lincoln Welshans TE Leonard Wojciechowicz S Derrick Fisk WR Earl Linquist K Tom Bullock Yeah... None of these guys are going to get picked up and nor should they be. Red and White Hog Ball of the Week DE Damon Weidner as the only one to record any meaningful stats or see the field much at all. Opening Day: Vs. Georgia Tech @ Fayetteville It's the season kickoff for both teams and the Yellow Jackets have a really good player in QB Jamie Sikkenga (Sr). We catch a huge break because their top RB is out for the year on academic suspension, one of three players on the offensive side of the ball to be so sanctioned. Senior WR Darryl Beaudry is their only offensive weapon really, but they're stacked on the offensive line, particularly at guard and tackle. The best player, is, of course T Wally Gaines (Sr), a returning All-ACC 1st Team T. They also return All-ACC 2nd Team P Donny Henson (Sr). Tech's defensive line doesn't concern me in the slightest, outside of seniors DE R.J. Lunney and DT Keith Stennett. Lunney is a returning 2nd Team All-American DE. No ILBs worth mentioning, but their OLB corps goes 3 deep and has 4 players with Excellent Future Potential, only one of whom is a senior. Scary stuff. The Yellow Jackets have a pair of very good starting CBs in Grant Scott (Sr) and Don Parker (Jr) and true freshman Kris Solent looks like an impact gamechanger as the nickel corner. As for the safeties.. not really a concern. All in all, I think we match up well against them. Our primary emphasis is going to be on our filthy run game, which they don't have the tools to defend against, even though their secondary is pretty good. I also think they'll have a hard time trying to beat us through the air, Sikkenga and Beaudry aside, especially with their #1 RB gone for the season. Line: Arkansas by 2 I think we'll top that pretty easily. So Much For A Good Start: Yellow Jackets Sting Hogs 44-0. ....Yeah. I don't even know what to say about this one. It was over in a hurry, I can tell you that much. We were down 28-0 by the early part of the second quarter and our offense laid a complete egg as the final score indicates. Our defense went nowhere too. Senior Tech QB Jaime Sikkenga raped us for 257 yards and 2 TDs on 17 of 23 passing, but the real killer was RB Lamar Horan (RS So) bending us over and violating us for 117 yards and a TD on just 15 carries. Senior WR Harry Wagener equalled 1/3rd of his entire 2004 season in this one start with 5 catches for 100 yards and a TD. 2nd Team All-American DE R.J. Lunney picked up right where he left off last season with 5 tackles, all TFL, 2 assists, 4.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 forced fumbles. Senior CB Grant Scott picked up 3 pass defenses and an INT and we threw the ball way too damn much in the early going. As for what we did, I'll let the stats stand on their own. Arkansas Razorbacks "Leaders" Passing QB Clyde Guzowski (Sr) - 5/15 - 56 yards QB Danny Bradford (RS So) - 2/7 - 24 yards - 2 INTs Rushing RB Darryl Winchester (Jr) - 10 carries - 17 yards RB Sammie Hirsch (RS Fr) - 8 carries - 21 yards Receiving WR Bryant Thompson (Fr) - 3 catches - 49 yards - 1 fumble Defense S Cris Worlow (Fr) - 9 tackles, 1 assist - 1 pass defense DT Lincoln Middleton (Sr) - 7 tackles, 1 assist - 2 TFL - 1 sack OLB Thurman Flowers (Sr) - 4 tackles, 3 assists - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 1 hurry A couple promising performances from our true freshmen, but that's about it. And just because that wasn't bad enough, G Luke Hastings (RS So), our top backup, tears his elbow ligaments, will require surgery and is lost for the season. It's going to be a -very- long year in Fayetteville. SEC Scores Mississippi 34 Arkansas State 14 Vanderbilt 17 North Texas 34 Miami (OH) 0 South Carolina 47 TCU 10 Georgia 55 (Raycom) Northern Illinois 14 Florida 70 (Fox Regional Network) Mississippi State 3 #8 Virginia 34 (Fox Regional Network) #1 Ohio State 45 #25 Tennessee 17 (ESPN) #10 Louisville 28 #16 Kentucky 35 (National Game of the Week) SEC OOC Week: 5-3 SEC YTD: 7-4 Stunning upset by the Wildcats over their hated archrivals. Could this be Kentucky's year? They've certainly looked damn sexy in their first two games. Ohio State kicks the shit out of another SEC team this week, which simultaneously makes the Buckeyes look like prohibitive early-season national title favorites and puts a black eye on the conference. Mississippi State looks headed for another year of suckitude, while the Gators and Georgia indicate they still plan on being top teams in the conference. Judging from early returns, the SEC could be a very tight race this year. Disappointing to see Vandy start off the wrong note. NFL Week 2 QB Wesley Pitcher (S) - Arizona Cardinals Fantastic week for the Cards and Pitcher in Week 2 as they destroy the Colts 40-16 and Pitcher wins his first Player of the Game award. 25/36 for 342 yard and 3 TDs, his second straight 300+ yard game in as many starts. Makes you wonder how good this Arizona team would be with an actual defense. Think a rookie QB throwing for 680 yards and 5 TDs in his first two starts is sick? Peep Anquan Boldin of the 322 yards and 3 TDs in those two starts. Man, this Cardinals team is -fun- to watch. DE Damon Weidner - Buffalo Bills Heartbreak in Buffalo as they lose 20-14 to the Panthers. But really, when Drew Bledsoe throws 3 picks and Willis McGahee seems stuck at the 50 yard rushing mark, there's not much the Bills can do offensively. Weidner gets in on 11 plays (7 rushing, 4 passing), but can only manage an assist. MLB Norm Starks - Baltimore Ravens Doug Brien kicks a 38 yard FG with 7 seconds left on the clock to lift the Bears over the Ravens 30-27, ruining a hell of a rally by Baltimore. Starks continues to get his miniscule amount of ST plays, with yet to record a stat of any kind or show up on the defensive side of the ball. MLB Chuck McKenzie - Jacksonville Jaguars Practice Squad. SLB Spencer Daft - Seattle Seahawks Practice Squad. WR Johnny Kelly - New York Giants Kelly's first NFL catch was as memorable as they come. He hauled in the 50 yard game-winner, a 44 yard bomb from Kurt Warner that he then sprinted the remaining 6 yards for the TD as the Giants hang on to beat the Chiefs 21-16 and stay unbeaten in the young season. The stadium exploded when Kelly crossed the goal line and even if he never does anything else in his NFL career, he'll alway have that beautiful, shining moment he can point to. Red and White Hog Ball of the Week This one's just as obvious as it was last week - WR Johnny Kelly for his sensational, game-defining TD grab. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 01-21-2009 at 01:50 AM.

01-21-2009, 11:43 AM	#40
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	what the __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

01-21-2009, 12:06 PM	#41
kingfc22 Head Coach Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Morgan Hill, CA	Ouch. Hope the change from the I isn't what caused that poor effort from Winchester. __________________ Fan of SF Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Arsenal

01-21-2009, 03:59 PM	#42
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	MJ4H: Yeah. My thoughts exactly. kingfc22: Me too! Because it's too late to switch back. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

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