A sampling of comments collected this week from the message boards at WholeHogSports.com:
Do Arkansas fans have confidence in the direction of the program following last week’s 34-27 loss to Colorado State?
bush hog: I very much want to but it’s admittedly hard these past years and losing to a bad CSU team doesn’t help.
Swine Fusion: Bobby Petrino barely beat Western Illinois and ULM in his first two games at home, winning by a total of five points. Could have easily been 0-2. But that team would improve and beat two ranked teams plus LSU later in the season. Of course, it had an experienced quarterback in Casey Dick. We wish we had Casey right now. Chad Morris is playing the hand Bret Bielema dealt him right now. This year is likely going to be pretty painful, but he deserves the chance to recruit to his system on both sides of the ball.
GeneralHog: It’s way too early to say one way or the other. I’m confident we have a coaching staff and team that are doing their best to mold the best team they can at this time, but it’s going to take time. I know fans don’t like that, but it’s true.
rayzabackerII: I think there is some hard-headedness evident in the staff … I want to believe there is something coming to be optimistic about. Not yet.
Playamade76: (Morris is) gonna need some time. He doesn’t have a QB and the receivers aren’t what I thought they would be. He has to flip the roster especially offensively to his style.
youdaman: There is nobody more upset than I am about (the game) because I know know there were some coaching things we could have done. But right now we are trying to win the Kentucky Derby with a mule and that will never, ever equate to success. … I am willing to give (Morris) time to get those types of athletes but I think it will be year three before we have any type of chance (in the SEC West).
Hog Treat: Amen brutha, I love CCM’s recruiting and have confidence in him getting the talent.
eaglehog5: I am resigned to the fact that CCM will be our coach for at least four years. I will support the team and hope he gets it done. I have no idea if he will or not.
Hogdr: Ask me again in October of 2020. By then CCM will have his players in place.
Bokoshe: Defense is the problem. If I was coach I would concentrate on recruiting that.
Fans react to Arkansas choosing to punt on a key 4thand 1 late in the Colorado State game
Neastarkie: The fourth down call was bad given how well we’d been running the ball and how badly we needed to keep it at the time. However, I don’t believe for one minute that had we gone for it and failed many of the very same people bashing the coach for punting would be bashing him for going for it.
JacksonReid: Did Morris make some bad decisions that night and leading up to that night? Yep, and he’ll make more, but he’s been dealt a very bad hand. This is essentially the same roster than went 4-8 and needed a miracle to beat the worst team in the Sun Belt last season. Was Morris my first choice? No, but I’ll give him a fair chance … .
Jungle: I love the hire still. One bad game with bad decisions, especially his second game, isn’t going to deter me.
Buckhog: The Hogs probably could have picked up that first down, but if they failed it would have been a worse decision. Pinning the Rams at their own 4-yard-line down by 18 looked pretty good. The failure to stop them cost us the game.
Fans discuss the play of Arkansas quarterbacks Ty Storey and Cole Kelley
thewerners4: Both of our QBs have big flaws. Ty doesn’t have the accuracy needed and Cole just isn’t mobile enough. Do you stick with one and try to work on their weaknesses or is it time to add one of the freshmen into the mix? I don’t think you can have four guys duking it out in practice trying to become the man.
Jhawg: I thought Cole played much better than Ty (against Colorado State). This was just the opposite of game one. If these two games don’t prompt Coach Morris to do something different, I would be surprised.
Dudley Dawson: Somebody needs to win the job, not be handed it and get an extended tryout. My guess is Daulton Hyatt gets a few more snaps in practice this week and the one that practices the best starts and all three play — unless someone gets a hot hand.
Predictions for today’s game against North Texas
Elmo871e: I honestly do no know ….
JacksonReid: 41-27 …. North Texas.
Jimbeau77: We may have to score a gazillion points to win. 52-42, Hogs.
Rzbackangler: 45-42, Hogs.
dbhog: 51-38, UNT.
doghog72: Arkansas wins 50-13.
JacksonReid: I admire your optimism, but I expect they’ll be at 13 before the beginning of the second quarter.
bikehog23: Arkansas 45-31. We get two interceptions and at least one fumble.
gashog: 6-3, North Texas. Predetermined RPO executes like a machine. 600 rushing yards, dominate time of possession, defense is fresh as it plays six minutes. A real slobber-knocker. Defensive battle because the score is low.
BobgHawg: I will not venture a score, but hope of course we win but fear we will not.
LDHog: Hogs 55, N. Texas 24.
youdaman: Arkansas 38-28.
SDHog: Close, but I think we hold on to win at home. Hogs, 35-31.
bakedhog19741: UNT 42, Arkansas 33.
Hogbacker: Hogs 21, UNT 10 at halftime. No idea what happens in the second half.
Razorwill: They torch us, then blitz us, then we panic. North Texas 41, Us 35.
piggybacker: Arkansas 42, North Texas 41.
Superhawgfan: Hogs will win. I’m confident in that.
BatonRougeHog: Chad Morris’ plane has mechanical problems so cannot leave high school game venue. Not able to make alternate arrangements and misses game. Message board goes wild. Hogs win 41-28 anyway because of great preparation during the week. Not one negative post appears the day after the win.
Mossy Lake Hog: I’m going with Hogs 42-24, not that I am confident we can win but because I’m very confident wecan’t afford a loss to these guys.
Hogsrus: Anyone with “North” in their brand shouldn’t beat the Hogs under any circumstances.
eaglehog5: North Dallas 40, Hogs 31. Razorback-in-exile Cole Hedlund comes back to burn us, going four-for-four with a 50-yarder.
poochpunt: Hogs win 31-28 and I forget where my truck is parked.