Someone tell me why I shouldn't play...
- Thread starter SHSUHorn
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S
SoonerBS
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I'll be on this at -7 or less.
Razor
Pretty much a regular
First off, all you need to know is Robert Johnson is starting....I feel like I'm 13 and about to call the Jr. High prom queen....I'm that nervous.
I agree that I think Felix is a comparable replacement. But he was a better compliment to Darren. McFadden was a damn workhorse that could handle the load. There's no secret why he ended up carrying the mail. He was durable, fast, explosive......and durable again.
Felix had a game high of about 14 carries. Nutt likes the smashmouth style and Peyton Hillis will get sometouches as a North-South rugged back. My concern is.....with USC's defensive speed, Jones will have to carry maybe 20-25 times. He was a situational guy. I'm not sure he can step in that QUICK in the first game......and for the first time tote it 20-25 times effectively as that feature back.
I'll be there and I'll be loud as hell. But that's a concern. I've already addressed the other one and that's Nutt vs. Carroll. Home field advantage will be huge, and I expect some things to go well early, people get all fired up and thinking upset. Then the second half comes. Nutt will be at a disadvantage to begin with......then the 2H it may become more evident.
I agree that I think Felix is a comparable replacement. But he was a better compliment to Darren. McFadden was a damn workhorse that could handle the load. There's no secret why he ended up carrying the mail. He was durable, fast, explosive......and durable again.
Felix had a game high of about 14 carries. Nutt likes the smashmouth style and Peyton Hillis will get sometouches as a North-South rugged back. My concern is.....with USC's defensive speed, Jones will have to carry maybe 20-25 times. He was a situational guy. I'm not sure he can step in that QUICK in the first game......and for the first time tote it 20-25 times effectively as that feature back.
I'll be there and I'll be loud as hell. But that's a concern. I've already addressed the other one and that's Nutt vs. Carroll. Home field advantage will be huge, and I expect some things to go well early, people get all fired up and thinking upset. Then the second half comes. Nutt will be at a disadvantage to begin with......then the 2H it may become more evident.
RJ Esq
Prick Since 1974
Razor said:
Razor--Thanks for chipping in. I know Fayetteville will be loudest 45K person stadium anyone has ever heard.
I was on the fence about playing this but I think Horn, and now you, have convinced me to play it at -7 for the extra juice. I was looking at Arky's past history in openers and against ranked opponents early at home. Not much to go by except Texas in 2004 and Tennessee in 2000 (I think that was the game). Meanwhile USC hasn't really played a big road game this early since VaTech in 2004 when they were 17 point favs. That was my first game I ever bet and USC won SU but failed to cover (winning by 12 I think).
I think this game will probably be very similar. Yeah, VaTech was in DC for the opener but there were alot of Hokie fans there and it was kinda true road environment. Close game 1st half, USC pulls away in 2H. But that was against a solid VaTech team with an experienced QB and solid D that finished in the top 10 at the end of the year. I don't think Arky is as good as that VaTech team but factor in a greater homefield advantage.
In short, at -7 the play is USC; no play between 9 and 12, and Arky at +12' or greater.
I'll lock it in before the end of the night.
money;
S
SoonerBS
Guest
Joe Schad's BLOG from ESPN Insider:
Arkansas is under pressure
posted: Thursday, August 17, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
Walking around downtown Fayetteville, Ark. the other night, I asked one of my producers if I could say this on the air: "Trojans Break Under Pressure."
Of course, he said. He thought it was a pretty creative T-shirt, actually, and was impressed that even though the USC-Arkansas game is more than two weeks away and most students aren't yet back on campus, that almost everyone seemed to be wearing a bold red shirt mocking the USC boys.
A little over a year ago, Arkansas was routed by Leinart and Co. to the tune of 70-17, leading Hogs' receiver Marcus Monk to say, "At the end, we just wanted to get out of there. Fast."
I was one of those who said that Arkansas' returning starters would be able to keep up with this restructured USC team well into the fourth quarter. Now, with Darren McFadden (Arkansas' version of Reggie Bush) kicking a curb and breaking a toe and quarterback Casey Dick experiencing back problems that will render him a non-factor on Sept. 2, I'm not so sure.
This much I am sure of: Houston Nutt is feeling pressure. And after two consecutive losing seasons, why wouldn't he be?
This is what you need to know about the injuries to McFadden and Dick: During a videotape change while interviewing Nutt for an ESPN story this week, the coach asked if he could quickly return a phone call from Darius Vinnett, a senior vying for a starting corner position (Can you say, "Cover Dwayne Jarrett?").
Vinnett informed Nutt, through tears, that doctors had recommended knee surgery on the knee opposite the one that held him out last season. "It's OK," Nutt told Vinnett. "I know about your character. I know you'll come back. Go get that on the schedule and you'll get back when you can."
Nutt hung up the phone and shook his head.
The coach said he was disappointed by McFadden's involvement outside a night club and hopes he would use it as a learning experience. "Worst part about coaching," Nutt said. "Absolute worst. Getting that call."
Nutt told me he wouldn't make his team watch the entire USC game from last season, only bits of it as a learning experience.
And he said in no uncertain terms that the hiring of Springdale High coach Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator, though "unheard of" was not exclusively related to their ability to land four of Malzahn's seniors, including quarterback phenom Mitch Mustain. The offense did need a jump start.
Notable, however, is that nobody -- including Nutt, Malzahn, Mustain or former Springdale receiver Damian Williams (a stud, from what I saw in practice, by the way) -- was going to deny that Malzahn had a positive influence on his last recruiting class.
No matter. Mustain, though he likely will play a few series in that USC game (don't believe for a second that he might redshirt), will not start. And Williams might be the one Springdale kid ready to make an immediate impact.
That quarterback assignment falls to junior Robert Johnson, a frequent target on sports talk radio shows and message boards throughout the state. The last thing most Razorbacks' fans wanted was Johnson to hold off Dick and Mustain (especially Mustain), but he has.
Johnson was too good in practice, throughout the spring and into the first few weeks of the fall, not to be named starter. And I will say that in my post-practice conversation with Johnson, I was impressed.
He convinced me he is different than last season. Johnson noted that he doesn't have the hype of Mustain or the reps in Malzahn's offense, but that he's "been through the fire" and emerged as not only a better player physically, but also mentally.
Johnson conceded there were times last season he would be hurt by something he overheard someone saying about him around town. He credits a new "psychological approach" with enabling him to block out everything but the next play.
Make no mistake. USC's defense is loaded. The biggest question new coordinator Nick Holt has is how to get all that talent on the field at once. And it will take some time for Malzahn's shotgun, fast-break, no-huddle, spread offense to take full effect.
A new offense. An injured McFadden. A killer defense. National television audience. Under the lights. How will Malzahn do in his first game as play-caller? How will Johnson do in his attempt to disprove skeptics who say he's a brilliant practice player without the resolve to deliver in the clutch? Pressure? Yeah. There's pressure. Which is what makes USC's trip to Fayetteville (Sept. 2, ESPN, 8:45 p.m. ET) one of the most attractive season-opening games of the year.
Arkansas is under pressure
posted: Thursday, August 17, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry
Walking around downtown Fayetteville, Ark. the other night, I asked one of my producers if I could say this on the air: "Trojans Break Under Pressure."
Of course, he said. He thought it was a pretty creative T-shirt, actually, and was impressed that even though the USC-Arkansas game is more than two weeks away and most students aren't yet back on campus, that almost everyone seemed to be wearing a bold red shirt mocking the USC boys.
A little over a year ago, Arkansas was routed by Leinart and Co. to the tune of 70-17, leading Hogs' receiver Marcus Monk to say, "At the end, we just wanted to get out of there. Fast."
I was one of those who said that Arkansas' returning starters would be able to keep up with this restructured USC team well into the fourth quarter. Now, with Darren McFadden (Arkansas' version of Reggie Bush) kicking a curb and breaking a toe and quarterback Casey Dick experiencing back problems that will render him a non-factor on Sept. 2, I'm not so sure.
This much I am sure of: Houston Nutt is feeling pressure. And after two consecutive losing seasons, why wouldn't he be?
This is what you need to know about the injuries to McFadden and Dick: During a videotape change while interviewing Nutt for an ESPN story this week, the coach asked if he could quickly return a phone call from Darius Vinnett, a senior vying for a starting corner position (Can you say, "Cover Dwayne Jarrett?").
Vinnett informed Nutt, through tears, that doctors had recommended knee surgery on the knee opposite the one that held him out last season. "It's OK," Nutt told Vinnett. "I know about your character. I know you'll come back. Go get that on the schedule and you'll get back when you can."
Nutt hung up the phone and shook his head.
The coach said he was disappointed by McFadden's involvement outside a night club and hopes he would use it as a learning experience. "Worst part about coaching," Nutt said. "Absolute worst. Getting that call."
Nutt told me he wouldn't make his team watch the entire USC game from last season, only bits of it as a learning experience.
And he said in no uncertain terms that the hiring of Springdale High coach Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator, though "unheard of" was not exclusively related to their ability to land four of Malzahn's seniors, including quarterback phenom Mitch Mustain. The offense did need a jump start.
Notable, however, is that nobody -- including Nutt, Malzahn, Mustain or former Springdale receiver Damian Williams (a stud, from what I saw in practice, by the way) -- was going to deny that Malzahn had a positive influence on his last recruiting class.
No matter. Mustain, though he likely will play a few series in that USC game (don't believe for a second that he might redshirt), will not start. And Williams might be the one Springdale kid ready to make an immediate impact.
That quarterback assignment falls to junior Robert Johnson, a frequent target on sports talk radio shows and message boards throughout the state. The last thing most Razorbacks' fans wanted was Johnson to hold off Dick and Mustain (especially Mustain), but he has.
Johnson was too good in practice, throughout the spring and into the first few weeks of the fall, not to be named starter. And I will say that in my post-practice conversation with Johnson, I was impressed.
He convinced me he is different than last season. Johnson noted that he doesn't have the hype of Mustain or the reps in Malzahn's offense, but that he's "been through the fire" and emerged as not only a better player physically, but also mentally.
Johnson conceded there were times last season he would be hurt by something he overheard someone saying about him around town. He credits a new "psychological approach" with enabling him to block out everything but the next play.
Make no mistake. USC's defense is loaded. The biggest question new coordinator Nick Holt has is how to get all that talent on the field at once. And it will take some time for Malzahn's shotgun, fast-break, no-huddle, spread offense to take full effect.
A new offense. An injured McFadden. A killer defense. National television audience. Under the lights. How will Malzahn do in his first game as play-caller? How will Johnson do in his attempt to disprove skeptics who say he's a brilliant practice player without the resolve to deliver in the clutch? Pressure? Yeah. There's pressure. Which is what makes USC's trip to Fayetteville (Sept. 2, ESPN, 8:45 p.m. ET) one of the most attractive season-opening games of the year.
