“Arkansas” by Chris Stapleton on Repeat: A Razorback Roundup from Wild Hog
The Hogs showed marked improvement this season despite a less than optimal overall record. Time to call the Hogs one more time on the 2020 season.
By: Wild Hog
“The difference between hope and despair is a different way of telling stories from the same facts.”
Some British dude said that, and even though he probably watches a different type of football, I still think it’s pretty relevant to the 2020 campaign for the Hogs. Some people would look at the Razorbacks’ 3-7 record and express disappointment, but this Wild Hog looks and sees a lot to be hopeful for.
First, that 3-7 should unquestionably be a 4-6 record if not for the borderline malignant incompetence of SEC referees. I’m not sure if the refs were all personally attacked by a wild hog at some point like Ashley Holt was for 2020 state champion Coffeetown, but for some reason, they’ve taken officiating errors to a new level against the Hogs. Not only did officials hand Auburn a win, but they also bungled multiple calls throughout the season, including a truly “WTF were you thinking” targeting call against rising star safety Jalen Catalon that left him ejected for the remainder of the LSU game and forced him to miss the first half of the Mizzou game.
BUT, instead of spending this article ranting and raving and praying to the sweet baby Jesus that the SEC fires Marc Curles, instead, let’s avoid the despair and focus on some incredible positives from this season.
Maybe it’s low hanging fruit, but when you’ve been starving in the L column for years, you take what you can get; for the Hogs this year, that low-hanging fruit is three beautiful, glorious, life-giving SEC wins. Conference wins have been scarce for the Hogs over the past three years, and snagging three wins in a 10-game all-SEC schedule is a pretty solid start to Coach Pittman’s tenure.
Beyond the W-L columns, there’s a lot to be happy about for this season. On offense, we’ll be losing Feleipe Franks but man was it fun watching a half-decent QB under center for the Hogs this season. Franks logged a very respectable 2,100-yd passing season and 17 TDs, enough for 5th in the SEC. While the QB situation is a bit murky with Jack Lindsay transferring to Arkansas Tech, Pittman and Briles were able to secure two decent QB prospects in the 2021 class - Landon Rogers and Lucas Coley. QB continues to be an area in need of improvement for the Razorbacks, but Pittman has shown the ability to recruit good players and attract transfer talent.
As for weapons, the Hogs showed some signs of life absent in the Morris era. Despite hopes that Pittman’s renewed offense would elevate Rakeem Boyd past his already stellar 1,100-yd 2019 campaign, the third-year RB logged 100 fewer attempts and barely cracked 300 yards on the season. In the hole left behind, Trelon Smith stepped up and performed admirably, clearing 700 yards on 130 carries for the season. This was enough for top-10 in the SEC, and bodes well for a productive senior year as the lead rusher for the Hogs. As for receivers, Arkansas fielded two of the SEC’s top 15 receivers, Treylon Burks (5) and Mike Woods (13), who both performed well above expectations. Burks in particular used his Shaq-sized hands to haul in 51 receptions and 7 TDs on track to 820 yards. Despite playing second fiddle to Burks, Mike Woods was a long threat all season, averaging a little over 19 yards a catch which ranked third in the SEC. The uncertainty at QB leaves some questions about the efficiency of the offense heading into 2021, but if 2020 is any indication, these two receivers will be names to watch next season.
In terms of bright spots, nothing shines more than the turnaround for the Hogs on defense. Barry Odom (who is staying in town despite some vicious thieves attempting to steal him) really made a difference, and we can all agree it was the stalwart defense that kept the Razorbacks in a lot of games they shouldn’t have been hanging around in. After sitting at the bottom of virtually every defensive category last season, the Hogs were a force to be reckoned with in 2020. Third in the SEC in tackles, second in interceptions and second in interceptions returned for a TD, the defense was a key part of every win this season. Led by senior LB Grant Morgan, junior LB Bumper Pool, and freshman DB Jalen Catalon, the defense showed up week in and week out ready to play their hearts out, and boy did they. An all-SEC season for Morgan included 111 tackles which was second in the SEC and third in the country. Pool and Catalon also logged huge tackle numbers, pushing all three into the top five in the SEC for tackles and top 12 for the country.
While the Hogs might not have racked up tackles in the solo column, their team efforts really shined - a very strong 448 assisted tackles for the team, with 222 of those coming from Morgan, Pool, Catalon and junior DB Joe Foucha. The Hogs still have some work to do, sitting in the bottom half for points allowed and bottom three for sacks; the future’s bright, but an emphasis on pressuring the QB next season will be key to competing at the next level.
On a final note, again I’ll say the future is bright. Heading into 2021, we’ve got a top-25 recruiting class, a top-20 2022 class, and a coach at the helm who’s got a little fire in his belly.
2020 was a year that felt like the punches never stopped - but a silver lining was that there were notably less sad Sooies and more happy Hog calls. There’s a lot of positives to look forward to in 2021 so I’ll sign off by saying stay safe, stay humble and Woo MF-in Pig. Now somebody turn that damn jukebox up.
Bonus: Some of Wild Hogs’ favorite plays from the 2020 season