HOG BLOG: A BAND OF WILD RAZORBACKS, COMING TO A STADIUM NEAR YOU
TURN THAT DAMN JUKEBOX UP! The Hogs dominate Texas to give a state hope again.
By: Wild Hog
Hogs run wild in huge win over Texas. (Photo: Razorback Football)
Two weeks ago I wrote the above preview and let me tell you, vindication is SWEET. I mean just incredible #FreezingColdTakes material right here. The crowd was ELECTRIC, the team was fired up, and the Hogs came to play.
I noted this game as an opportunity for Sam Pittman to stamp his name in Arkansas history and prove that what he’s doing on the Hill is working, and the PitBoss did not disappoint.
I can’t resist the opportunity to do a little dunking here, so I decided to peruse the ole pre-game Reddit thread on the Longhorns’ subreddit, and wow, the difference between the pre-game and post-game comments is just…*chef’s kiss*
It was so satisfying to watch the absolute meltdown of Horns on the world wide web. (Photo: Disney)
Pre-Game Horn thread comments:
Hot take. We f**k them up
From what I've heard, review of last game and preview of this one, I wouldn't be surprised if we roll’em. 21+
Fry‘em like bacon
I just feel like Texas is gonna win by 3 touchdowns. What am I missing here? I don’t think Arkansas is good at all they have an elite DC that’s it and their best defensive player broke his leg
I know the Hogs are getting some points for being the home team but I have a hard time believing this is a one-touchdown game. I’ll take Texas against the spread here
Now I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to a couple of folks who seemed to have any sense:
Their house in a rivalry game gives them a great chance to put it together, so we need to come in and play smart ball to take the wind out of their sails and not let the crowd get to us or make mistakes. An undisciplined team loses this game nine times out of ten. Let’s see where Sark has us at this point
We need to treat this like a rivalry game otherwise we're in trouble
You’re damn right you do. In typical Texas fashion, the Horns and their fans were expecting to walk in and take an easy win, make their statement to the SEC, and head back to Austin to worry about opponents that “matter” in the Big XII (which they’re leaving because they’re too good??).
What they were not expecting was the band of wild Razorbacks waiting for them in Donald W. Reynolds Stadium on Saturday night. From first kick to 0s on the clock, the Razorbacks dominated Texas in body and spirit, absolutely pummeling UT’s front line and sending QBs Hudson Card and Casey Thompson running all game. At one point I heard a Longhorn fan exhale woefully, “We’re getting beat by a kid named Bumper?” REMEMBER HIS NAME, BABY, BUMPER POOL IS TAKING US TO THE ‘SHIP.
Now before I get to my real point, I do have to share some truly classy post-game comments that really highlight the maturity and respect the Longhorns are bringing to our conference. From the Reddit thread:
“I got the tail end of SWC and the early 2000s matchups, all the hate from their side is legit. They hate TX the most….They have nothing, they live off food stamps and meth, their women are shapeless blobs, of course they f**king hate us.”
“We were up against the hillbilly super bowl, I hope the younger fans understand now. Reminds me of ‘03 when that coked-up QB that couldn't throw ran all over us.”
“Yeah a lot of Texas people may attend Arkansas, but they sure as shit aren’t staying there after they graduate haha they’re moving right back to Plano/Highland Park/River Oaks or wherever else. The only reason they go there in the first place is because they were too brain dead to actually get into any school in-state.”
“There’s no tradition for y’all other than celebrating with some sister lovin’. Like I said, congrats on the hillbilly Super Bowl win! Biggest win for y’all since you beat us in 2015. And THAT was the biggest win for y’all since you beat us in 2003. We’ve had a few NY6 bowls, a national championship appearance, and national championship win in that time (and like I said that’s including the worst 10 year stretch in our program’s history).”
Ouch. I guess everything really is bigger in Texas, including the egos?
Now I could take those comments and fire back, or let them get me riled up, but I won’t, because this win was so much more than “Tuck Fexas.” If I were to spend this whole blog dunking on Texas, this would be a blog about Texas, and that ain’t it chief. Sure, Horns Down were flying everywhere and there’s a renewed rivalry that runs deep, but the real takeaway here is too important to cheapen by letting Texas be the focus of OUR win.
The focus is a Razorbacks squad that walked into a packed stadium and took care of business. The focus is an offensive unit that hung 470+ yards of offense on Bevo’s horns. The focus is a defensive juggernaut that forced 10 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, and kept the Longhorns scrambling all night. The focus is FOUR rushers with 50+ yards.
The focus is not a single star or play or moment, but, for the first time in a long time, a TEAM that showed up, executed a game plan, and showed out for the fans, truly earning the love and respect the whole state so desperately wants to give them. Sam Pittman and crew recognized the importance of this game, and his postgame speech shows every Razorback why this man was the right hire, and why this is a team we can believe in again:
“What you did is you made the people in Arkansas who believe in your ass, you made em come back. And on Sunday morning when they get up to go to church or get up to go to Waffle House or whatever they wanna do, you have given them an opportunity to be proud of the damn Arkansas Razorbacks.”
I mean if that is not enough to make a grown man CRY. Sheesh. I would run through a brick wall for that man.
Now I can’t tell you what the rest of the season holds - we still play in the toughest division in college football, and we face four current top 25 teams in our next five games. Make no mistake, this was a big win, but we have serious challenges ahead of us, and we can’t let our success this weekend get in the way of showing up next week ready to work. But now that this group of Hogs has tasted meaningful victory, felt the unconditional admiration of the fans, and seen the results of hard work, I can guarantee they’ll be hungry for more.
At least for a few days, I will be basking in this feeling, appreciating what this win means to this team, our school, and the whole state, and looking forward to loving football again.
Woo Pig, and turn that damn jukebox up.