Watching former Razorback assistant coach Jesse Branch beam with pride last Friday when his old Razorback pupil Ben Cowins was inducted into the University of Arkansas’ Sports Hall of Honor made one even more appreciative last Saturday while watching Darren McFadden and Felix Jones ply their trade.

Branch lamenting that even he didn’t fully appreciate the now of Ben Cowins’ rushing greatness during the running back’s three great Razorback years of 1976-78 should compel all to appreciate the now of great running backs McFadden and Jones.

After watching Arkansas’ 46-26 victory over Troy at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, it’s hard not to muse on how wonderful McFadden and Jones are to watch and to appreciate their play now rather than project how they stack up in the Heisman race and the NFL draft and whether Felix will stay or go NFL, too.

Let the awards and the future and what ESPN thinks take care of themselves for awhile.

Whether politics, injury or fate allows D-Mac and Felix to win more honors or not, it’s a privilege just watching them now.

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Enjoy it.

Branch, a former Razorback player and then a Razorback assistant for Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield from 1975-85, thought he appreciated Cowins but said he realized he hadn’t fully until watching highlight film of Arkansas’ leading career rusher during the Hall of Honor banquet last Friday night.

“ I don’t think you realize how good Ben was until you looked at the film, ” Branch said. “ Because watching him tonight in the highlight film, he was REALLY good ! Something special. ”

Now Arkansas has something special in an All-American tandem. And that’s really something special as old-timer Razorback fans who remember the 1940 s of Clyde Scott and Muscles Campbell can attest.

What makes McFadden and Jones so special isn’t just stats, although their stats certainly are special. They tallied a combined 529 yards of rushing, receiving, passing and kick returns versus Troy, but it’s the little things they do which lead to big ones.

Like McFadden, pulling up from what appeared would be a typical run to throw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Crosby Tuck, then later pump his arm to freeze a defender into thinking pass before Darren ran by him for a first down.

Or Jones, supposedly the shifty make you miss guy of the two, throwing a McFadden style stiff arm that leveled a Troy defender like he’d been hit by Mike Tyson in his prime.

Sure, it would be nice to see them rewarded, and Nutt has a plan towards that end, especially with McFadden Heisman primed as the 2006 Doak Walker Award winner / Heisman runnerup.

“ We are going to do everything we can to let him have the best chance ever to win the Heisman. We know the stats he has, ” Nutt said last Sunday. “ But we don’t get into the ballgame saying, ‘ We are going to win the Heisman today. ’ You say, ‘ How are we going to win this ballgame in 60 minutes ? ’ And then we let it play out. ”

It’s a play with no act guaranteed. So appreciate it now before the curtain falls.

Nate Allen covers the Razorbacks for the Northwest Arkansas Times.