OFFICIAL MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME THREAD - Final.....MSU 51. Arkansas 50

[razorbrass]

Lucky to be in that game due to Miss St. turnovers and Our offense.  No way we deserve to beat them with the defense and special teams effort we got.  Hope we don't draw another Big 12 team in a bowl or we may give up 70.

[PORKULATOR]

When they called a TO, with 58 on 2nd and 7, I said to the Mrs, "they played their hand, gotta go for one MORE 1st down, if not , the 6. I mean wow, I could feel the quit.

[moses_007]

Well, it wouldn't hurt to place the ball down two yards farther way to help prevent blocks like we just saw.

[mckinneyhog5]

Face it some so called hog fans are happy we lost, no matter how we lost, they are happy about it.

[Ex-Trumpet]

"Horrible blocking" would have required contact.

[TNRazorbacker]

Our secondary sucks beyond anything I have see in years.  The safety's do not want to make any contact unless they can just throw a shoulder into someone.  I would say we need to open us the jobs for tryouts but we apparently don't have anyone any better that what is on the field now.  If we can't start winning more games each year we never will have more talent so I guess we are destined to be a middle of the pack team.  I wish I could accept that, but just can't maybe I would not get so pissed off at each loss if I could only just take it as relaxed as our defense plays.  Does not seem to bother them so much..................   This just sucks.

Our secondary has pretty consistently sucked over the last several years. We had a flash of competence late last year but I think that was more likely the effect of 3 NFL players on the D front.

[russdog11]

too many idiots. Every college coach in america plays it out the exact same way

[onebadrubi]

Voelzke

[BassinHawg]

When they called a TO, with 58 on 2nd and 7, I said to the Mrs, "they played their hand, gotta go for one MORE 1st down, if not , the 6. I mean wow, I could feel the quit.

Same here, I also said they would block the kick too. TD or nothing should have been the call. Even if the FG was good they would have drove for a FG or TD with the time left.

[alohawg]

Voelzke

blew it.

[elksnort]

Kept a game close that we were overmatched in. Seems like a pretty good coaching job to me. Some of y'all act like this is the first time the defense sucked. They have been bad all year and get exposed by every decent qb. Even to be in that game was good adjustments by the staff at the half.

thank you I'm usually the attacker but I've got to be the defender here you are correct sir.

[ForeverHawg]

Sad part is we won't get any better if we can't finish these games.  Kids don't want to come play for a loser.

[Hawgphish]

it appeared if he did not get off the ball.  He was a step late getting into technique.  Almost like he was surprised the ball was snapped and then when it was he didn't bust a grape.

[billmontgomery10]

Pathetic.

[ifghog]

WE QUIT TRYING TO WIN... COWARD APPROACH
I'm ashamed of how we finished. Not the first 59 minutes. But the last minute. Put it BA's hands... Jeez-louise.

Couldn't disagree with you more.  Coach did exactly what Every other coach in America would have done. Volezke got destroyed...wasn't kickers fault. CBB made right call...

[hawgfan4life]

4th and 1 call was playing to win and fans complain bout it.  Running up the middle forcing them to burn every timeout they have leaving you a long PAT was playing to lose?

Some fans are never happy and others are idiots.  If you want to complain, gripe about FGblocking.  OL gave up inside which is as basic fundamental. No-no as there is in football.  29 us FG should be automatic.

[RzRbAcK18]

too many idiots. Every college coach in america plays it out the exact same way

Most incorrect statement of the night.

[gawntrail]

Play calling was above average 96% of the game.  Bad 4th down call and last series.  Considering everything, kids played lights out. 

[Sow Lancelot]

And what if allen was to have thrown it when we were in fg range and they picked it off?  Everyone would be mad we didn't keep running.

No win situation for the coaches.

THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS!

[smokeyB_blues]

Because of that lack of effort the whole game we fought for was lost what a freakin shame!!! #BeatMissou #WPS

[elksnort]

Goodness gracious folks, we do not have a very good defense in regards to playing spread type games so therefore there's very little margin for error

[cbhawg03]

Funny of some defend Bert regardless.  Guy values opposing teams timeouts more than touchdowns, always has and always will.  The guy should have blocked his man, but how many felt comfortable with the kicker regardless of whether that man was blocked? Nobody.  Should have played for the touchdown and went for 2 again rather than trying to burn State's timeouts.  We don't have a kicker much less a field goal unit that, was a idiotic decision to get so conservative and flat out cost us the game.  We get close and Bert cuts off CDE and just starts calling halfback dives.

[Kevin]

i would rather have the ball in allen's hands than our kickers foot. yes, the fg was not his fault, but our kicking has been shaky all year.

[cbhawg03]

Goodness gracious folks, we do not have a very good defense in regards to playing spread type games so therefore there's very little margin for error

Thus the reason you play for the touchdown and not a field goal with our crapoy kickers.

[Locutus_of_Boar]

Bad coaching decisions.  MSU was too good for us to overcome bad coaching.  Reminds me of the Nutt era.

Absolutely none of what's happened in the past 3 years bears even the faintest semblance to the Nutt Error of Arkansas football.  Indeed it's hard to compare Bielema's team to ant other era but give it just a little more time and you will start to seem similarities to another coach. 

While Arkansas couldn't hope to keep winning B12 type shootouts week after week this stretch has done wonders for the offense' confidence.  The defensive fix will have to wait on a little more recruiting and experience before they will be able to successfully defend the spread.

[TNRazorbacker]

Couldn't disagree with you more.  Coach did exactly what Every other coach in America would have done. Volezke got destroyed...wasn't kickers fault. CBB made right call...

No he didn't. Even if we make that State has plenty of time to get into FG range the way they were moving the ball. Our O was hot. They were clearly the best shot we had and they were castrated with half arse play calling at game end. They've kept you in the game. For godsake let them win it for you.

[elksnort]

See post 2627

[LRHawg]

Wish he would have given Brandon a chance to finish the drive. Poor decision.

[SouthFloridaHog]

Literally sick to my stomach. While I wish we would of tried for the first in the last series...I can't fault the call for the FG. I would image that 99% of coaches would of called it the same way and it is just our luck that something crazy happens at the end to cost the game. We should be 10-1 right now...I am beginning to think Lou Holtz put a curse on us when he left. 

Lou Holtz is a wizard

[bartok]

I have been an Arkansas fan for many years.  Every few years, the program will put a team on the field that will give the faithful hope of a conference championship or even a national championship. But hope is much different than reality and truth.  We surely can say, "wait until next year," but we should know by now what next year likely holds.  There is nothing wrong with being either a "hopeful" fan or "realistic" fan.  You just have to calibrate your expectations accordingly--and recognize that you may periodically switch between the two. For the past couple of years, I have been in the "realistic" fan mode, and just do not (and cannot) see the program getting to the next level in the near future.  Coaches change, players change, but the results remain fairly consistent. I am grateful that coaches and players are out there trying hard--even when the results are not what we want or expect.

[russdog11]

 For all of you that think we should have tried to score a touchdown because if we make the field goal we still loose. What makes you think a touchdown would have been any better? If they have time to get in fg range, they have time to score a td.

[Locutus_of_Boar]

Wish he would have given Brandon a chance to finish the drive. Poor decision.

I suspect Bielema thought he'd already pushed his luck enough even as well as BA is playing.  Hedland is reliable inside 30 yards and all his shot kicks tend to be dead center.  If they're going to be a championship team next or two year they need to get the kicking team executing under pressure.  If the team had been going for win #6 then I think CBB takes the chance with BA but with the post season secure it was an opportunity to work on the kicking game.

What got Arkansas beat tonight was too much pass rush trying to protect the secondary.  That was 48 that got beat on the FG, Deatrich Wise, and I suspect fatigue played a factor.

[Breems]

I just don't get it. Allen has proven 3 straight times he's fully capable of closing out games. He was hot yet again tonight. Our FG team has a history of blocked/low kicks. Let your senior win another game. Screw FGs forever.

[Kevin]

I just don't get it. Allen has proven 3 straight times he's fully capable of closing out games. He was hot yet again tonight. Our FG team has a history of blocked/low kicks. Let your senior win another game. Screw FGs forever.

for once we agree

[TCHog]

I got pissed at the coaches, pissed at the kicker and pissed at the ST blockers. The bottom line is you give up 500 yards passing and you don't deserve to win period. BA and Henry kept this from being a blowout. Did coaches make bad calls yes. Does FG team suck yes. Should we have gone for the TD at end yes. We gave up nearly 700 yards of offense. This one rides on that pansy ass 10 yard cushion pass D!

[Hoggish1]

I got pissed at the coaches, pissed at the kicker and pissed at the ST blockers. The bottom line is you give up 500 yards passing and you don't deserve to win period. BA and Henry kept this from being a blowout. Did coaches make bad calls yes. Does FG team suck yes. Should we have gone for the TD at end yes. We gave up nearly 700 yards of offense. This one rides on that pansy ass 10 yard cushion pass D!

I'm pissed at your post. 

[bphi11ips]

Most incorrect statement of the night.

Yep.  Every pro coach would have done the same thing, too.

[bphi11ips]

I just don't get it. Allen has proven 3 straight times he's fully capable of closing out games. He was hot yet again tonight. Our FG team has a history of blocked/low kicks. Let your senior win another game. Screw FGs forever.

Can you kick a ball through a player?

[hoglady]

That block was not on Hedlund it was on the missed block at the line.

That's a makeable distance for him.
I understand the reasoning of letting him kick - don't really see it as a coaching error.

The ire just seems to be misplaced - the 4th down play, the FG try.
The loss is on the defense and nothing else - give up 51 points you should expect to lose.

[Swineasaur]

What sucks is we should be just a 1 loss team and even at Alabama we could have possibly win. But it goes the other way also we could have possibly lost to auburn and ole miss.  This team has to be able to win early season games. We won't get ranked this year no matter if we win out

[pigture perfect]

I ask myself why I can't sleep. Bad defense always makes me mad. You have to make adjustments.

[jcarney12747]

defense at least produced takeaways. this is on coach B and the gutless playcalling.

[pigture perfect]

GUTLESS PLAYCALLING? What are you smoking. Half a hundred is enough playcalling to win any game, providing you can stop the other team from doing it also. At least Barry Switzer used to think so.

[longpig]

this game made me bipolar

[marty houston]

A little late tonight, still have post game pressers coming up ...

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

It was bound to happen.  Just saved us that ending by blocking the kick

Isn't that the truth.

[Tejano Jawg]

Need to work in some runs now, but I really don't want this coming down to a FG.

This is the first post...the dark premonition of what was to come. This was followed by comments like don't put it on our kicker, don't settle for a field goal, go for the end zone, we're playing too conservative.

Even though our FG% was okay, especially at this distance, why did most of us (including me) worry like hell when we were lining up to kick?

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

Keep it up culcake

[goneal]

That block was not on Hedlund it was on the missed block at the line.

That's a makeable distance for him.
I understand the reasoning of letting him kick - don't really see it as a coaching error.

The ire just seems to be misplaced - the 4th down play, the FG try.
The loss is on the defense and nothing else - give up 51 points you should expect to lose.

This is a very good post. Absolutely spot on. Isn't it ironic that a game that went 59 minutes and 30 seconds with ZERO defense was won by a defensive play. The calls were correct, although I would have never given Prescott 40 seconds to work with if we did make the kick.