Blaming and finger pointing

[maknbacn]

Did the coaches make mistakes, yes, did the players, yes...its easy to make mistakes from both parties when your talent level overall is not equal. I was born in 66, for that 50 years the hogs have never been a consistent national threat, they have had there moments but not won a national championship or really ever been a threat to get there. We have had many coaches...the game itself has changed since lou and hatfield, even then we were never a national championship contender. Bobby Petrino got us to the sugar bowl..we lost, didn't have the defense to stop ohio state. I don't think we would be much better over all with Petrino..maybe more exciting. He could recruit QBs, but could he really recruit stud defense prospect over the other power schools?  I don't think the hogs will ever be a national contender, never have in my lifetime...so blame coaches all you want but the facts and history are there saying we wont.

[eric_mullins34]

I couldn't disagree more. Texas A&M didn't beat us, we beat ourselves. Coaching and mistakes lost us this game.

[5HOG5]

Did the coaches make mistakes, yes, did the players, yes...its easy to make mistakes from both parties when your talent level overall is not equal. I was born in 66, for that 50 years the hogs have never been a consistent national threat, they have had there moments but not won a national championship or really ever been a threat to get there. We have had many coaches...the game itself has changed since lou and hatfield, even then we were never a national championship contender. Bobby Petrino got us to the sugar bowl..we lost, didn't have the defense to stop ohio state. I don't think we would be much better over all with Petrino..maybe more exciting. He could recruit QBs, but could he really recruit stud defense prospect over the other power schools?  I don't think the hogs will ever be a national contender, never have in my lifetime...so blame coaches all you want but the facts and history are there saying we wont.

Would have been lesser mistakes if the hogs passed the ball more.. Better pass blocking, A&M couldn't cover Hatcher or Sprinkle, AA was a beast in the passing game, would have had a better goalline scoring rate,A&M was playing the run all game, would have changed the outcome in the game. The play-calling was a disaster they should rate that on youtube as the top 5 bonehead  play-callings of all time, i blame the play-calling as the main reason the game went downhill. I can only imagine how angry the players got when they had to keep on doing the same lost-cause running plays against a run stopping wall over and over again, you cannot expect the OL to just push the DL all the way back every play like they did against TCU at the end of the game, it dont work that way! No wonder the team quit on both sides! Hogs beat the Hogs, A&m didnt have to do much!

[razorbacker3]

I couldn't disagree more. Texas A&M didn't beat us, we beat ourselves. Coaching and mistakes lost us this game.

Yeah, that's right. TA&M didn't have a thing to do with it.
I love how so many people think that if we lose it's bad coaches, recruiting, or play calling. Give A&M credit. They made the plays. That's college football.

[hogginbama]

Pass more and you run down a thin offense even quicker.

[hobhog]

Complete BS. Proven wrong in so many instances across country it's not worth listing. Man up....

[5HOG5]

How they heck can A&M get credit when the hogs blew the game themselves? Anyone can stack a DL line with 11 guys and hit a RB coming at them. I dont buy the A&M love fest we expected better out of our coaching staff we didnt get it! They are to blame, A&M didnt call the plays! You all can love and respect the A&M players all you want to, if the coaches played there brains right last night we would have had worlds of a chance to pull it off

[Carl Lazlo]

Did the coaches make mistakes, yes, did the players, yes...its easy to make mistakes from both parties when your talent level overall is not equal. I was born in 66, for that 50 years the hogs have never been a consistent national threat, they have had there moments but not won a national championship or really ever been a threat to get there. We have had many coaches...the game itself has changed since lou and hatfield, even then we were never a national championship contender. Bobby Petrino got us to the sugar bowl..we lost, didn't have the defense to stop ohio state. I don't think we would be much better over all with Petrino..maybe more exciting. He could recruit QBs, but could he really recruit stud defense prospect over the other power schools?  I don't think the hogs will ever be a national contender, never have in my lifetime...so blame coaches all you want but the facts and history are there saying we wont.

Watch the sugar bowl again.  Hogs were in that game and arguably could have won. 

He recruited and signed a player that Georgia Tech offered thats seeing significant playing time at DE for the New England Patriots. 

Having said that there's no reason to make a thread about an ex coach.  Its in the past. 

What I can't figure out is why they refuse to use the talent that's actually on the team?  Ramsey, Capps, Merrick, Malone, Ramirez, J. Jones, D. Harris. 

While history does seem to repeat itself, you have the Baylor's, Houston's,  Louisville's of college football that defy your logic.

[eric_mullins34]

Yeah, that's right. TA&M didn't have a thing to do with it.
I love how so many people think that if we lose it's bad coaches, recruiting, or play calling. Give A&M credit. They made the plays. That's college football.

Did you even watch the game? We left, at minimum, three touchdowns on the field. That was us, not A&M. Knight had his long scramble runs because of poor defensive scheme. Horrible playing calling, penalties, and mistakes are the sole reasons why we lost. We literally gave them the game in every way, shape, and form.

[Hoggish1]

I couldn't disagree more. Texas A&M didn't beat us, we beat ourselves. Coaching and mistakes lost us this game.

Makin bacon, read ^

[ricepig]

Did you even watch the game? We left, at minimum, three touchdowns on the field. That was us, not A&M. Knight had his long scramble runs because of poor defensive scheme. Horrible playing calling, penalties, and mistakes are the sole reasons why we lost. We literally gave them the game in every way, shape, and form.

Maybe it was good scheming by aTm? And poor execution by our interior rushers? They had gaps to plug, our plan was to make Knight beat us with his arm, not his feet. I do think we should have shaded our safeties more towards the middle, but that's hindsight.

[Hardcore Hoggy]

I blame TAMU for having more talent and a solid game plan.

[jmg018]

Did the coaches make mistakes, yes, did the players, yes...its easy to make mistakes from both parties when your talent level overall is not equal. I was born in 66, for that 50 years the hogs have never been a consistent national threat, they have had there moments but not won a national championship or really ever been a threat to get there. We have had many coaches...the game itself has changed since lou and hatfield, even then we were never a national championship contender. Bobby Petrino got us to the sugar bowl..we lost, didn't have the defense to stop ohio state. I don't think we would be much better over all with Petrino..maybe more exciting. He could recruit QBs, but could he really recruit stud defense prospect over the other power schools?  I don't think the hogs will ever be a national contender, never have in my lifetime...so blame coaches all you want but the facts and history are there saying we wont.

This is what I fear most.  I love the Hogs, I would watch 22 nuns play football if they had on Razorback jerseys.  Every time we lose a big game, OP's thoughts whisper in the back of my mind.  I am disappointed at the loss and at the mistakes which in many ways cost us the game.  I am still hopeful that we can have a great year.  I am already vested in watching every game the Razorbacks play for the rest of my life.  I love them unconditionally.  I fear that they never will be truly "great."  By great I mean a perennial contender on par with LSU or Bama.  I don't expect us to win it all every year, but I'd like to be in the hunt, to have the expectation that we could be great.  I never want to settle for the idea that I love them but they won't ever amount to anything.  However as long as we systematically lose the big games, that fear will always reside within me.  It doesn't change that I love them or that I will always follow them, but I'd like to expect great things from them and be proven right at some point in my life.  WPS

[maknbacn]

How they heck can A&M get credit when the hogs blew the game themselves? Anyone can stack a DL line with 11 guys and hit a RB coming at them. I dont buy the A&M love fest we expected better out of our coaching staff we didnt get it! They are to blame, A&M didnt call the plays! You all can love and respect the A&M players all you want to, if the coaches played there brains right last night we would have had worlds of a chance to pull it off

They were slicing through our D lime melted butter in the second half...we got beat by a better team, much better? Maybe not but better...that's why they got the W...this post was meant to say we can can excuse stuff all we want but how many championships we have? I think coach B has done about as good as anyone can...Saban is good but don't kid yourself...he wouldnt be as good without the recruiting base.

[maknbacn]

Watch the sugar bowl again.  Hogs were in that game and arguably could have won. 

He recruited and signed a player that Georgia Tech offered thats seeing significant playing time at DE for the New England Patriots. 

Having said that there's no reason to make a thread about an ex coach.  Its in the past. 

What I can't figure out is why they refuse to use the talent that's actually on the team?  Ramsey, Capps, Merrick, Malone, Ramirez, J. Jones, D. Harris. 

While history does seem to repeat itself, you have the Baylor's, Houston's,  Louisville's of college football that defy your logic.

My logic is how many championships do we have...as far as I know the teams you mention don't compete for national titles that often either

[GuvHog]

Maybe it was good scheming by aTm? And poor execution by our interior rushers? They had gaps to plug, our plan was to make Knight beat us with his arm, not his feet. I do think we should have shaded our safeties more towards the middle, but that's hindsight.

No, it was just plain poor coaching by Bielema's staff. If an offensive scheme is working all the way down the field, it's silly to abandon it when the offense gets the ball inside the 10 yard line. There were 4 TD's that were left on the field. They did get a field goal on one of those 4 tries though.

[camden5r]

Plain and simple the aggies won the game in the second half, and it started at the end of the first when there qb gashed us again on another long td run. It was a team loss, and we will adjust. Its college football. Most people predicted this team to win 6 to 7 games anyway. I am disappointed like everybody else, but we will adjust. GHG

[31to6]

Bobby Petrino...

...is having a career season because Charlie Strong loaded him up with defensive talent and he finally has his once-in-a-lifetime QB.

Nobody ever said he wasn't one of the best game-day coaches in the business.

Doesn't keep him from being a dirtbag and it doesn't keep his accomplishments from being tainted....

Louisville is welcome to him.

[hawginbigd1]

No, it was just plain poor coaching by Bielema's staff. If an offensive scheme is working all the way down the field, it's silly to abandon it when the offense gets the ball inside the 10 yard line. There were 4 TD's that were left on the field. They did get a field goal on one of those 4 tries though.

Guv I was at the game and we didn't leave 4 TDs on the field, maybe 11 points when the game mattered, but logically you have to say A&M left 7 on the field when they just gave us the ball when they were going in to score to open the 3rd. so that is almost a wash in a 21 point loss.

If you want to blame somebody for this loss it would be our continued G5 level of play at LB and safety, which has not changed since last year. Coley's bonehead freaking play gave them 7 and cost us anywhere from 3 to 7 as we most likely would have had plus field position inside 3 minutes of the half! May have cost us more because in the 4th quarter Ramirez looked gassed with nobody to spell him. Now if you want to blame the coaches for not having or developing enough depth there ok I can buy that.

Bottom line the players we put on the field at LB and safety the last 2 years are not good enough to play at Top 20 level of play.

Our OL has some issues, but when you lose what we lost there it is going to have some, especially early on. Offense put us in a position to win, defense did not! The offense also did it's part in playing defense by keeping A&M on the bench for 2/3 of the game!

[Hogs-n-Roses]

Its not really blame. The problem here is how the press, UofA staffs, lots of old posters on here as well as many others just blindly talk of how good we are and how stupid some of us are for questioning what kind of team we have this year. OH our linemen who've moved up are just as good or better. Oh losing a AA tight end and drafted RB, no prob. Having the same secondary, lack of line backers and depth everywhere, no big deal.

After one game I mentioned about our D looking like the same old D and the scheme looked the same and was blasted for my football ignorance. Well I m here to tell said respected oldtimers that you are the blind ones. I've forgotten more football than you'll ever know.

I gave you your space when we had bad issues with the above mentioned areas to the Dynamic La. Tech. TCU,we showed some improvement but against a team losing 6-8 starters on O and several on D.

I can't see why all the bashing of folks who just come on here and vent after a pathetic showing. Oh how great our recruiting has been, Oh how its not about stars but the coaching up of them. Well which is it? Are our guys that much slower?Or are we being outcoached that much. Looks to me like we're outcoached every week.

Now certain few of you come on here and throw out "he's just a Petrino  lover" (without addressing any of the issues). That's your propaganda right. The best n all you got. Keep it. Joe Q fan out here ain';t blind this week like we weren't several weeks ago.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

I couldn't disagree more. Texas A&M didn't beat us, we beat ourselves. Coaching and mistakes lost us this game.

Garbage.  A$M beat themselves multiple time too.  The fumble on the punt return.  The fumble on the goal line.  I love when fans live in a vacuum.  As if the other team had nothing to do with us losing.  A$M was better.  For as good as we played for 3 quarters, we still couldn't muster more than 17 points and a tie game.  They just turned on the gas when it mattered, and left us in their dust.  Talent matters.  It can, more than anything, overcome previous mistakes.  A$M has boatloads of talent.  We do not. 

[JOKERHOG]

I blame big 10 football.  Have never liked it and last night shows why

[NorCalRazorback]

I couldn't disagree more. Texas A&M didn't beat us, we beat ourselves. Coaching and mistakes lost us this game.

I think A&M is a team with better athletes, and now with Chavis there, they finally have a strong defense.  They beat us.  We did not help ourselves but simply put they have more team speed, a really fast quarterback and very, very fast skill players.

[hoglady]

A&M earned that win with their goal line stands.
They gave us points and shot themselves in the foot with turnovers and penalties as much as we did.

The only thing I question much is why our Oline play is so bad in year 4 - that really shouldn't be happening.

[Hardcore Hoggy]

No, it was just plain poor coaching by Bielema's staff. If an offensive scheme is working all the way down the field, it's silly to abandon it when the offense gets the ball inside the 10 yard line. There were 4 TD's that were left on the field. They did get a field goal on one of those 4 tries though.

You don't know much about football do you. Because of the shrinking of the field, your available plays necessary shrink once you get into the red zone. For example, a receiver can't run a slant 15 yards deep when the LOS is the 8 yard line.

That's not to say that the play calling didn't get stupid in the redzone last night it did, but it's silly to say "don't change your play calling inside the 20" because you HAVE to.

[hog19911]

Did the coaches make mistakes, yes, did the players, yes...its easy to make mistakes from both parties when your talent level overall is not equal. I was born in 66, for that 50 years the hogs have never been a consistent national threat, they have had there moments but not won a national championship or really ever been a threat to get there. We have had many coaches...the game itself has changed since lou and hatfield, even then we were never a national championship contender. Bobby Petrino got us to the sugar bowl..we lost, didn't have the defense to stop ohio state. I don't think we would be much better over all with Petrino..maybe more exciting. He could recruit QBs, but could he really recruit stud defense prospect over the other power schools?  I don't think the hogs will ever be a national contender, never have in my lifetime...so blame coaches all you want but the facts and history are there saying we wont.

The best defense Bielema has had was full of Petrino defensive recruits and, in fairness, Spaight.

[Vantage 8 dude]

Both the Hogs and TA+M beat us last night. We obviously made some critical mistakes-getting down in the red zone on several occasions and not being able to punch it in certainly doesn't help. There were also the usual list of missed tackles/blocks, stupid penalties, long passes allowed etc. However, and this really pains me to say this, the Aggies may have their best overall team since they joined the conference. They have very good speed at key positions and a defense that is generally much better than what they've shown over the past several years. Will they be able to successfully challenge 'Bama this year? At this point THAT question has yet to be answered. However, when these two teams do meet I think it very well may be for supremacy in the SECW this year. BTW the Aggie/Ole Miss game ought to be a very interesting match up as well.

[007 License To Squeal]

I couldn't disagree more. Texas A&M didn't beat us, we beat ourselves. Coaching and mistakes lost us this game.

Take another look at the stats......rewatch the A&M goal line stands......I think you are way off base.

[rhames]

Yeah, that's right. TA&M didn't have a thing to do with it.
I love how so many people think that if we lose it's bad coaches, recruiting, or play calling. Give A&M credit. They made the plays. That's college football.

A&M is really really good.


We made mistakes no doubt but that is a damn good football team


I didn't think we would win this game. I still think this team can win 8 games though.

[GuvHog]

You don't know much about football do you. Because of the shrinking of the field, your available plays necessary shrink once you get into the red zone. For example, a receiver can't run a slant 15 yards deep when the LOS is the 8 yard line.

That's not to say that the play calling didn't get stupid in the redzone last night it did, but it's silly to say "don't change your play calling inside the 20" because you HAVE to.

Yes' I do know something about football. Pulling everyone in tight and trying to ram the ball down the throats of one of the best (if not THE best) front 7's in the SEC is just plain stupid.

[GuvHog]

Guv I was at the game and we didn't leave 4 TDs on the field, maybe 11 points when the game mattered, but logically you have to say A&M left 7 on the field when they just gave us the ball when they were going in to score to open the 3rd. so that is almost a wash in a 21 point loss.

If you want to blame somebody for this loss it would be our continued G5 level of play at LB and safety, which has not changed since last year. Coley's bonehead freaking play gave them 7 and cost us anywhere from 3 to 7 as we most likely would have had plus field position inside 3 minutes of the half! May have cost us more because in the 4th quarter Ramirez looked gassed with nobody to spell him. Now if you want to blame the coaches for not having or developing enough depth there ok I can buy that.

Bottom line the players we put on the field at LB and safety the last 2 years are not good enough to play at Top 20 level of play.

Our OL has some issues, but when you lose what we lost there it is going to have some, especially early on. Offense put us in a position to win, defense did not! The offense also did it's part in playing defense by keeping A&M on the bench for 2/3 of the game!

BS. TWO times in the first half the Hogs got inside A&M's 10 yard line and came away with nothing. One time in the first half the Hogs got inside the 10 yard line and came away with a field goal. In the 3rd quarter the Hogs took up most of the quarter and drove almost the length of the field to get inside the 10 yard line and yet again, came away with nothing. That is absolutely inexcusable.

[LRHawg]

Maybe it was good scheming by aTm? And poor execution by our interior rushers? They had gaps to plug, our plan was to make Knight beat us with his arm, not his feet. I do think we should have shaded our safeties more towards the middle, but that's hindsight.

Exactly. The fact is, a quarterback that can run that well means you have an extra threat in the backfire to account for. On the second Knight rushing TD, Brooks bit on the motion man and cleared out, leaving the center of the field to the safety, who did not have the right angle to catch him. Great play call by A&M, bad execution by our defense. Brooks did not have a good game, because he is too slow for A&M's team speed.

[GoHogs1091]

He recruited and signed a player that Georgia Tech offered thats seeing significant playing time at DE for the New England Patriots. 

Trey Flowers was recruited by and landed by Steve Caldwell.  Robert Petrino, even though he was the Head Coach, did not do the work to recruit and land Flowers.

Bielema perplexingly did not retain Steve Caldwell.  I have maintained and I still maintain that has been one of the biggest mistakes Bielema has made since he has been here.  That huge mistake may end up meaning Bielema is not here past the end of next season (end of 2017 season).

Caldwell recruited and landed both Flowers and Philon.  It would be nice to have a Coach on Staff who has the prior SEC recruiting territory connections that Caldwell had.  Flowers and Philon were the SEC type of talent that is needed for a Defense in the SEC.   

[Pig Worshipper]

I blame TAMU for having more talent and a solid game plan.

This.

What this post is pointing to is the age-old Hogville debate: Should Arkansas, with it's inferior recruiting geography and demographics relative to most other SEC teams, play smash mouth football with a Bielema or play finesse football with a high-octane spread offense with a Briles or Petrino-type of coach. It appears to be the latter although I am a big Bielema fan and love smash mouth football.

[Hogs-n-Roses]

Maybe its that we didn't give them anything. They're the better team. Easy to see. Faster, stronger and better prepared. You guys find whatever way you have to to look at it but that's what we got. Blame it on who ever you want I guess to cover your agenda. Or the mess you been spewin. This was commin and will happen lots more Saturdays this fall. We don't have the athletes to stay wit a well recruited spread team. Just the facts. Our coaches are to arrogant to take what the defense gives you in the red zone. Reminded me of Nutt.

[Carl Lazlo]

They were slicing through our D lime melted butter in the second half...we got beat by a better team, much better? Maybe not but better...that's why they got the W...this post was meant to say we can can excuse stuff all we want but how many championships we have? I think coach B has done about as good as anyone can...Saban is good but don't kid yourself...he wouldnt be as good without the recruiting base.

How many titles does A&M hold?

[hoghearted]

Trey Flowers was recruited by and landed by Steve Caldwell.  Robert Petrino, even though he was the Head Coach, did not do the work to recruit and land Flowers.

Bielema perplexingly did not retain Steve Caldwell.  I have maintained and I still maintain that has been one of the biggest mistakes Bielema has made since he has been here.  That huge mistake may end up meaning Bielema is not here past the end of next season (end of 2017 season).

Caldwell recruited and landed both Flowers and Philon.  It would be nice to have a Coach on Staff who has the prior SEC recruiting territory connections that Caldwell had.  Flowers and Philon were the SEC type of talent that is needed for a Defense in the SEC.   

I wish Caldwell had been the interim instead of Johnelle. Maybe things would have turned out marginally better.

[razorsharptusk]

Our first red zone TD was pass to wide open Hatcher. Seems we abandoned that awful quickly.

[Whataboar™]

My wife and I were both yelling for a play-action pass on the goal line. They simply sat on the run at that juncture and we gave them no reason not to ... over and over again.
Those young men deserved better play calling than that, folks.