FAYETTEVILLE — Can't say it wasn't exciting.
Ninety-three points and 1,015 yards of offense.
Single-game records where crushed.
But, any way a Hog fan looks at it, Arkansas' 52-41 loss to Georgia had to be ultimately unfulfilling.
Unfulfilling both in the fact that the Razorbacks lost Saturday night, and for what the loss portends for the immediate future.
Unfortunately, the way things stand at the moment, the Razorbacks and their fans are in for several more nights like last Saturday the rest of the season.
At the moment, the Hogs are all flash and fireworks with their passing game, but the Razorbacks lack a running game to give their offense substance.
With sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett's laser arm and his receivers gifted legs and hands, the Hogs lit up the scoreboard and combined for more big plays than most could have imagined against a loose Bulldog defense.
That is until the Razorbacks needed it most. When the pressure crept up and Georgia tightened the screws ever so slightly on defense, the Hogs' offense bogged down enough for the Bulldogs to win the shootout that many pundits predicted.
Until the Razorbacks can complement their splendid passing game with some semblance of a running game, this Hog squad and its fans are going to weather a lot of heartbreak this season.
Certainly, Mallett and Co. are talented enough to score on just about any opponent through the air, and as long as the lanky signal-caller and his targets are healthy, they will give opponents fits.
But offensive balance remains a necessity in the Southeastern Conference, and as tilted as the program was once toward the run, last Saturday it was even more off balance toward the pass.
Arkansas' offense has very little room for error this season because its defense appears to be as porous as it was a year ago.
Overall, the Razorbacks may have been a bit better against the run than they were a year ago, giving up a somewhat respectable 155 yards on the ground, particularly considering 80 of it came on one TD run by Bulldog Richard Samuel.
But the Bulldogs took just about whatever they wanted in the passing game against the Hogs.
Georgia quarterback Joe Cox was having a good night anyway, but when Arkansas linebacker Jerry Franklin was ejected from the game and Razorback cornerback Rudell Crim missed some time because of cramps, Cox victimized the Hogs down the middle and on the outside. Backups Terrell Williams and Greg Gatson's heads were on a swivel.
The Hogs gave special attention to Georgia star receiver A.J. Green and he was still good enough to make 7 catches for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns. And with the UA defense shifted toward Green, it made it even easier for Michael Moore to make 6 catches for 91 yards and Tavarres King and Orson Charles to get loose for 2 catches apiece for 64 and 62 yards, respectively.
Granted, the Bulldogs were the Hogs' first quality opponent of the season, and many corrections can and will be made following this game.
But, until the Hogs can establish a consistent running game and play some defense, they will be in for more long nights with uneasy outcomes.
Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.