FAYETTEVILLE — There were about five minutes left to play when I made my way from the TCU press box to the field.
By the time I made it to the Arkansas sideline the Razorbacks were trailing 28-20 and country music star Justin Moore was standing there like someone had run off with his voice.
“This is the life of a Razorbacks fan,” he said. “This would have been such a huge win for Bret (Bielema).”
Moore wasn’t conceding defeat as much as revealing that he’s been here before and it hasn’t ended well and he desperately wants it to change. If you didn’t already know, he is a die-hard Hog fan and has been his whole life. Nobody was more excited after the Hogs came back and won and I’ve got the video to prove it.
The celebration that unfolded on the sideline was about a lot more than the just TCU game. It felt like all these close but no cigar moments over the last couple years were now a thing of the past and a seed of optimism was planted.
If Arkansas could pull a game out on the road like that, getting clutch performances all over the roster, what else might be in store this season?
Seeing Hog fans almost expecting something bad to happen that day, combined with all the heartbreak I’ve seen them experience over the years, caused me to reflect on the life of Razorback fans.
You feel like your team never gets the respect it deserves. After beating TCU you probably expected to crack the top 20 in the polls. After all, in week one, Texas beat No. 13 Notre Dame in Austin and went from unranked to No. 11 in the AP poll.
But Arkansas barely got in after winning on the road against the No. 15 team. But hey, Texas has always gotten more respect, right?
Then there’s this feeling that Arkansas fans can’t have nice things. If you have nice things, something will eventually mess it up.
The best example of this might be Bobby Petrino. Arkansas was rolling with a 21-5 record over two seasons when he quite literally put Razorback football in the ditch. It’s a ditch they’re finally climbing out of while he has resurfaced at Louisville as a college football playoff contender after destroying No. 2 Florida State over the last weekend.
The life of a Razorback fan has been a tough road lately. Since Nolan Richardson had Arkansas at the pinnacle of college basketball, there’s been a lot of heartache for Hog fans.
Dave Van Horn has taken his team to the College World Series. Danny Ford and Houston Nutt have taken football teams to the SEC Championship game. Petrino took Arkansas to the Sugar Bowl, but in each instance the Hogs came up short.
Disappointing? I get it. But think about this, even with all the heartbreak over the last 20 years pause and relive some of the great memories. There have been a bunch of them. That’s the beauty of being a sports fan.
There’s always a chance that the next game could be the best one you’ve ever seen. I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah, that’s nice and you’re right, but I want more.” That is totally understandable and I happen to think it’s on the way.
Right before Dan Skipper blocked what would have been the game wining field goal in Fort Worth, Texas, I told Moore and others on the sideline, “Arkansas is due for something good to happen.” It wasn’t just about that moment - I meant in general.
In my opinion, Jeff Long is among the very best athletics directors in the country. But don’t take my word for it, just ask around the country. He has coaches who are going to win here in Dave Van Horn, Mike Anderson and Bret Bielema.
You know what all four of them have in common? They’ve all been successful and they are all a perfect fit for Arkansas.
Bielema wants to give something to Arkansas it has never had before – an SEC title. Anderson desperately wants to relive the glory days in his dream job. Van Horn could have taken many different jobs by now, but when he wins his national championship he wants it to be at Arkansas, his alma mater.
And Long has said repeatedly when programs like Texas have come calling that he would much rather build it at Arkansas. I think for all four of these guys it just means more to be a Razorback.
Arkansas’ athletics program has never been healthier and after beating TCU, Bielema had his team chanting in the locker room. They yelled, “Why not us? Why not us? Why not us?”
That is something I’m sure Hog fans are happy to get on board with.
This originally appeared in Hawgs Illustrated magazine