FAYETTEVILLE -- Going strictly on numbers, 61,800, it wasn't a great crowd for the University of Arkansas' homecoming game Saturday, but Alabama-Birmingham was the perfect opponent on a spectacular day for football.
It was obvious earlier in the week that attendance was going to be off when someone in the marketing department decided to offer fans a Four Pack (four tickets for $100 with no donation to the scholarship fund).
That came on the heels of the UA requiring a $35 donation on top of a $65 ticket to watch Georgia play Arkansas at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, which may hurt the feelings of some fans in eastern, southern and even central Arkansas.
All things being equal, that doesn't appear equal. But it was a rowdy crowd Saturday that provided plenty of noise.
No one was complaining about UAB, which appeared to be a mild threat after playing to within 47-34 of Mississippi State, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. Still, odds makers made the Razorbacks a 27-point favorite and they ended up winning 45-17.
The Razorbacks scored on all five possessions in the first 30 minutes -- a field goal on their first second-half possession made it 6 of 6 -- while rushing for 168 yards and passing for 178. Arkansas led 35-0 after maintaining a time-of-possession advantage of 19:36 to 10:24.
The only thing missing was the final buzzer, because it was over at intermission.
One touchdown play had even gone viral on the internet by halftime. That was the 6-yard touchdown pass from 6-5, 350-pound guard Sebastian Tretola to senior snapper Alan D'Appollonio out of a Swinging Gate formation that made it 28-0 and fooled a lot more people than just UAB.
Tretola broke from his spot on the offensive line, took the snap from D'Appollonio and started backpedaling as every Blazer and most of the crowd had the same thought: What the heck?
The Blazers rushed, but just before they got to Tretola he lofted a soft but perfect spiral to D'Appollonio in the end zone.
It was on Internet sites from YouTube to Deadspin within 10 minutes.
Everyone but UAB thought it was hilarious. Then again, the Blazers had little fun on their trip to Fayetteville.
Before you go comparing Saturday's score to UAB's loss to Mississippi State, it should be noted that UAB's starting quarterback, Cody Clements, didn't play Saturday.
Jeremiah Briscoe completed five passes against the Bulldogs, but two of those were touchdowns of 88 and 75 yards. He was pressed by the Razorbacks from start to finish Saturday, and Arkansas even came up with an interception.
UAB was exactly what the Hogs needed before they start the final third of the season --all against SEC opponents, three of whom are ranked.
They lined up, ran the ball and moved the chains.
Brandon Allen was very efficient passing, and in the first half, at least, the Razorbacks had no turnovers and no dumb penalties.
Special-teams play wasn't special. Giving up a touchdown on a kick return, fumbling away punts and giving up a line-drive punt return to the Arkansas 10 are never good.
The defense met the punt-return challenge though, and after Jared Collins' tackle for a loss of 18, the Blazers had to make a 47-yard field goal instead of a chip shot to break up the possibility of a Razorbacks shutout.
In other words, it was a chance to work on some basics and get a little confidence going into killers' or murderers' row. (And, no, Tretola probably won't be a regular at quarterback.)
All in all it wasn't as close as the final score, homecoming day was beautiful, and the opponent was perfect for a team that is now looking for ways to win two of its final four games and get to a bowl.
Any bowl will do.
Sports on 10/26/2014