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LIKE IT IS : All is well in Fayetteville, for one night at least Published: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 PRINT E-MAIL Saturday was a feel-good night. No drama, no debates and mainly just a Reynolds Razorback high on the Hogs. Crisp temperatures and passionately hot fans gave the reddrenched stadium an incredible atmosphere, especially in the first half. More than 70, 000 fans were on hand for the record-setting night.
It was a win-win. The Razorbacks won, and so did the fans — the loyal, caring fans who stick with their program through thick or thin. Razorbacks football games are about the kids and competition, never the coach. It was a night that would be almost as exciting as it was emotional. It was a night to pay tribute to J. Frank Broyles for 50 years of service. It was a night when Darren McFadden set records and thrilled the masses. A night that will never be forgotten, and years from now, many who were not there will say they were. Fans from Georgia and Auburn will argue, but the fact is, McFadden is the best running back in SEC history. He’s a triple threat every time he steps on the field. It was a night that put McFadden back in the middle of the Heisman Trophy watch. It was a night when Felix Jones saw his NFL stock soar. The 1-2 punch of McFadden and Jones knocked out a worthy opponent, South Carolina, in the second half. Yet, much of that was because the Gamecocks first couldn’t stop Jones in the first half, and when they came out of the locker room at the half with him in their sights, McFadden went wild, rushing for 214 second-half yards. It was a night when the Wildcat offense finally became the WildHog offense, and while it looked more like last year’s Single-Wing attack than at any time this season, it didn’t matter who designed it, it worked. The first time McFadden took a quarterback snap from the Shotgun formation, reserve running back Michael Smith ran for 15 yards. The second time, McFadden kept for 14. It was not a secret the Razorbacks spent more time working on the WildHog last week than they had previously, and it paid huge dividends. McFadden and Casey Dick threw for touchdowns out of the WildHog, and Dick’s was a razzle-dazzle extravaganza that should have made Steve Spurrier envious. It was a night, though, when the Razorbacks were wondimensional. Led by McFadden’s schoolrecord 321 yards and Jones’ 166 on just 12 carries (13. 8 yards per carry ), the home team streaked to 541 yards against a defense that just had no answers. It was a night when the Razorbacks suffered zero turnovers, only four penalties and made themselves bowl-eligible. That doesn’t assure them of playing in a bowl game since the SEC could have as many as 11 teams vying for eight bowls (not including any at-large berths that might come open ), but one bowl official said he thought 8-4 would put Arkansas in the Chick-Fil-A in Atlanta. That’s the best lower-tiered bowl available. It was a night that left many believing victories in two of the final three is not only possible but probable. And that if McFadden and Jones can duplicate their performance in the final game of the season, LSU could go down. It was a night when the offense was the defense. The defense had its problems, but when it had to, it stepped up, like in closing the third and opening the fourth quarter with a goal line stand to keep the score 42-27. The offense was clicking like a bullet train on jet fuel. The Razorbacks converted 10 of 13 third downs, and it is almost impossible to lose when you do that. It was a night when the Razorbacks punted the sum total of one time and Alex Tejada attempted only one field goal, a 50-yarder than was almost as impressive as a miss as it would have been if he had made it. It was a feel-good night for the Razorbacks program. More Stories From: WALLY HALL · LIKE IT IS : Pops, Pepsi's pop flies great way to forget heat · LIKE IT IS : Stephens helped Jackson plot his own course · LIKE IT IS : Griffin No. 1 choice, then it's anybody's guess · LIKE IT IS : Hogs' NCAA run provides food for thought · LIKE IT IS : Hill, Ripley keep adding to, improving school Yesterday's Most Popular 1. HOG FUTURES JERRY MITCHELL : Hurricane brings Mitchell to Hogs 2. THE RECRUITING GUY : Purifoy's size fits into UA's plans 3. Iowa prep standout Kelly joins UA track 4. Former Diamond Hog Richards inks contract with Marlins Today's Most E-mailed |
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