Maybe it’s the stark reality that while the University of Arkansas is in the same conference, the Razorbacks are not in the same league as Auburn.
A lot of fans have gone from disappointed to angry to apathetic, and that’s not where the UA wants or needs its supporters.
It’s not all the fans, maybe less than half, but that’s too many for a program that hasn’t won a conference game in almost two years.
The announced total of tickets sold for Saturday was 54,619. That’s more than 20,000 unsold tickets.
The actual attendance was closer to 40,000. That’s little more than half full.
Granted, some of the empty seats were the result of someone at the UA deciding to schedule fall break on the same weekend as a home conference game. A lot of the students were gone, and probably none of their parents showed up.
Arkansas athletics may not be in financial trouble, but at this rate it’s heading in that direction.
Social media and personal emails are full of “Fire Chad Morris now” takes.
That seems drastic.
Although the average person did not see progress in the loss to Auburn — Morris said he did — and was stunned by the failed fake punt, Morris does have a plan.
It starts with getting better players, which is the best place to begin.
He needs a team that does exactly what Auburn did on Saturday. The Tigers started fast and ended fast.
In the first quarter, they scored 17 points and had 157 yards of offense.
In the fourth quarter, they scored 20 points and had 167 yards of offense.
Totals for the second and third quarter combined were 14 points and 167 yards of offense.
The Razorbacks totaled 234 yards of offense against the best front four in football.
Auburn jammed up the middle and cut off the edges, which works against the run every time. Arkansas had 52 yards rushing.
What seems to puzzle many is Chad Morris’ handling of quarterbacks.
Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel each seem to have their strengths and weaknesses. Despite both having better statistics off the bench, Hicks played the entire game Saturday.
Morris almost always mentions John Stephen Jones in the same breath when talking about quarterbacks, yet he’s not seen the field.
And true freshman KJ Jefferson hasn’t played a minute either, and he gets four games while still keeping his redshirt.
Morris hasn’t quit on this team or season, but he is quietly preparing for the future.
Against Auburn, he played 57 players, including 14 freshmen and 11 sophomores. He started five freshmen and five sophomores. Some of the younger players are getting SEC game experience.
Still, the bleakness of possibly not winning another game — Western Kentucky has won four in a row since Ty Storey became the starter, completing 78 of 116 passes for 5 touchdowns — has fans unhappy.
No doubt Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek is meeting regularly with Morris, which is an AD’s job.
There is possibly more to Morris’ plan than recruiting, and Yurachek has signaled confidence in his head coach.
It’s likely Morris is learning to be a CEO on the SEC level, and hard evaluations of his staff will be made at the end of the season.
Perhaps change is in the wind.
For certain, this will be the last season Morris spends Friday nights away from the Hogs while watching his son play for Highland Park in Texas. His son is a senior quarterback who has committed to Arkansas.
On Saturday the Razorbacks face one of the best teams in the nation, Alabama, on the road. It is a golden opportunity to grow.