It Will Be Interesting

[The NewEra]

to see what happens over the course of the next few weeks with this team.  This is the first time this year when our team didn't look better than the previous week.  Two weeks in a row we have a starter suspended.  The entire team showed up flat yesterday after Coach B said at the Catfish Hole that he was very pleased with the way they practiced this week.  Three games in a row there have been uncharacteristic mistake and silly penalties.  They've been their own worst enemy.  I'm a strong supporter of coach B, but I'm sensing an underlying current on the team that's starting to diminish their forward progress.  Heck, it's even affecting our O-line play now, the area we believed was our greatest strength. 

A program goes through times like this in the rebuilding process when the players are giving it their all and not seeing wins as a result.  It's a terrible time to have the toughest schedule in the country and play a top 10 team every week.  It's going to be interesting to see how Coach B gets these guys to regain their focus.  We may be seeing backups play more and more.  I don't envy the coach this time in the process.

[Hogfan1660]

I agree! I'm worried that the team is about to start giving up. You can only play so hard for so long before you say this isn't working.

[hogcard1964]

I agree! I'm worried that the team is about to start giving up. You can only play so hard for so long before you say this isn't working.

You doubt they didn't give up during the 2nd quarter yesterday?

[The NewEra]

I didn't see them giving up yesterday.  I saw them failing to show up both mentally and physically.

[Youngsta71701]

I didn't see them giving up yesterday.  I saw them failing to show up both mentally and physically.

More mentally. After that Tevin Mitchell penalty on 3rd down after we had gotten the stop it was like here we go again!

[sigpooie]

that was a really dumb penalty to get at that point of the game. why did he feel the need to punch a guy in the back of his helmet at that point? I hope the ref just missed part of the other guy, but the play was dead when he did it.. dumb

[HognotinMemphis]

to see what happens over the course of the next few weeks with this team.  This is the first time this year when our team didn't look better than the previous week.  Two weeks in a row we have a starter suspended.  The entire team showed up flat yesterday after Coach B said at the Catfish Hole that he was very pleased with the way they practiced this week.  Three games in a row there have been uncharacteristic mistake and silly penalties.  They've been their own worst enemy.  I'm a strong supporter of coach B, but I'm sensing an underlying current on the team that's starting to diminish their forward progress.  Heck, it's even affecting our O-line play now, the area we believed was our greatest strength. 

A program goes through times like this in the rebuilding process when the players are giving it their all and not seeing wins as a result.  It's a terrible time to have the toughest schedule in the country and play a top 10 team every week.  It's going to be interesting to see how Coach B gets these guys to regain their focus.  We may be seeing backups play more and more.  I don't envy the coach this time in the process.

I can tell you now what will happen the rest of the season. Currently 3-4 and on 3 game losing streak and 16 game conference losing streak, the remaining games will go like this:

vs UAB: Win. How it goes, why would anyone really care? It's UAB and is a meaningless non-conf game scheduled for a win in late Oct in the middle of a colossal conference losing streak.

at Miss St: Loss. This series has been lopsided in favor of the Hogs. Not this year. State will score early and often and the Hogs will do well to get into double digits. Great offense and good defense by State. Final will be something along the lines of 49-7 or 49-14. Allen will throw 3 INT's and Hogs will have 4 or 5 turnovers.

vs Bye week: Hopefully, not a loss. We'll see what players get suspended during the off week.

vs. LSU: Loss. Bye week makes no difference for the Hogs unless you can get new coaching staff and QB in the off week. LSU not playing as well as they have in recent years but they still have 3rd teamers who could start for the Hogs. Will probably not be a blowout, but will not be close in 2nd half either. LSU has wins over Wisc, Fla and Ky. Close loss to Miss St and blow out loss at Auburn, but that was followed by a road win at Fla. LSU will lose their next two games, both at home, to Ole Miss and to Alabama. Then they play the Hogs in RRS and will win 38-21. Home field rarely helps the Hogs...usually hurts them.

vs. Ole Miss: Loss. Hogs will probably not score in this game. A shame since it is last home game of the year. When is last time the Hogs were shut out at home? If they do score, won't be more than 7 pts. Hogs can't kick, so no FG's. Ole Miss will create 4 or 5 turnovers by the Hogs, maybe more. Will be a blowout that gets very bad in 4th Q. Final score: 56-0.

At this point, Hogs are on a 19 game conference losing streak...1 loss away from tying the U of A all-time conference losing streak set in the early 1940's.

@ Mizzou: Loss. Missouri has conference wins this season over Fla and SC, both on the road, which is more than the Hogs can say over the past 2 seasons. Like the Hogs, Missouri seems to play better away from the pressure of the home crowd. That is a sure sign of weakness, but I'm confident that Missouri fans will take the SEC road wins. Mizzou has bad home losses to Indiana and GA. But so do we: GA and Ole Miss to come. This is a battle of two of the worst teams in the SEC and will come down to who gives a damn more in the last game of the year. Missouri will go bowling, assuming they beat Vandy in Columbia this Sat. Hogs will not be bowling for 3rd consecutive year. Mizzou wins this but will probably be close unless the Hogs give up before they get off the plane.
Final score: Mizzery - 28 Hogs - 21.

Final Record: 4-8, 0-8. Lost 7 of last 8 games, the lone win thanks to scheduling UAB in late October. 20 game SEC losing streak, the longest conference losing streak in program history. Couldn't have done worse in last 3 years if Hogs had just come off the death penalty 3 years ago. Bielema cries after each loss but says they are getting better in practice but for some reason, it does not show up in the games. Oh well. To the beach y'all.

[XavierZane]

Mostly mental.  I didn't see them fail to show up, personally.  They came out and dominated their first drive, then they got a mental ding from the blocked extra point.  Even then they held on for most of the half, coming up with that big stop on third down.  That being erased by another stupid penalty, then a quick score, then an instantaneous turnover, then another score... that combo sends anyone reeling in my opinion. 

The aspect of the game that the team most needs to focus on is limiting mistakes.  Don't even preach about not making mistakes yet, but about making sure one doesn't turn into five.  If the team had locked down on their panic, if they hadn't started giving away free points, the game wouldn't have been lost in those last 8 minutes of the second quarter.  That's the first step, once we've started limiting mistakes, then you can start working on erasing them. 

On the plus side, the team regrouped and looked good in the second half.  They have the capability to limit mistakes in general, they just need to get past panicking in the moment. 

[bigred223]

I can tell you now what will happen the rest of the season. Currently 3-4 and on 3 game losing streak and 16 game conference losing streak, the remaining games will go like this:

vs UAB: Win. How it goes, why would anyone really care? It's UAB and is a meaningless non-conf game scheduled for a win in late Oct in the middle of a colossal conference losing streak.

at Miss St: Loss. This series has been lopsided in favor of the Hogs. Not this year. State will score early and often and the Hogs will do well to get into double digits. Great offense and good defense by State. Final will be something along the lines of 49-7 or 49-14. Allen will throw 3 INT's and Hogs will have 4 or 5 turnovers.

vs Bye week: Hopefully, not a loss. We'll see what players get suspended during the off week.

vs. LSU: Loss. Bye week makes no difference for the Hogs unless you can get new coaching staff and QB in the off week. LSU not playing as well as they have in recent years but they still have 3rd teamers who could start for the Hogs. Will probably not be a blowout, but will not be close in 2nd half either. LSU has wins over Wisc, Fla and Ky. Close loss to Miss St and blow out loss at Auburn, but that was followed by a road win at Fla. LSU will lose their next two games, both at home, to Ole Miss and to Alabama. Then they play the Hogs in RRS and will win 38-21. Home field rarely helps the Hogs...usually hurts them.

vs. Ole Miss: Loss. Hogs will probably not score in this game. A shame since it is last home game of the year. When is last time the Hogs were shut out at home? If they do score, won't be more than 7 pts. Hogs can't kick, so no FG's. Ole Miss will create 4 or 5 turnovers by the Hogs, maybe more. Will be a blowout that gets very bad in 4th Q. Final score: 56-0.

At this point, Hogs are on a 19 game conference losing streak...1 loss away from tying the U of A all-time conference losing streak set in the early 1940's.

@ Mizzou: Loss. Missouri has conference wins this season over Fla and SC, both on the road, which is more than the Hogs can say over the past 2 seasons. Like the Hogs, Missouri seems to play better away from the pressure of the home crowd. That is a sure sign of weakness, but I'm confident that Missouri fans will take the SEC road wins. Mizzou has bad home losses to Indiana and GA. But so do we: GA and Ole Miss to come. This is a battle of two of the worst teams in the SEC and will come down to who gives a damn more in the last game of the year. Missouri will go bowling, assuming they beat Vandy in Columbia this Sat. Hogs will not be bowling for 3rd consecutive year. Mizzou wins this but will probably be close unless the Hogs give up before they get off the plane.
Final score: Mizzery - 28 Hogs - 21.

Final Record: 4-8, 0-8. Lost 7 of last 8 games, the lone win thanks to scheduling UAB in late October. 20 game SEC losing streak, the longest conference losing streak in program history. Couldn't have done worse in last 3 years if Hogs had just come off the death penalty 3 years ago. Bielema cries after each loss but says they are getting better in practice but for some reason, it does not show up in the games. Oh well. To the beach y'all.

So we're just going to start getting blown out all the sudden? Give me a break.

[bigred223]

Mostly mental.  I didn't see them fail to show up, personally.  They came out and dominated their first drive, then they got a mental ding from the blocked extra point.  Even then they held on for most of the half, coming up with that big stop on third down.  That being erased by another stupid penalty, then a quick score, then an instantaneous turnover, then another score... that combo sends anyone reeling in my opinion. 

The aspect of the game that the team most needs to focus on is limiting mistakes.  Don't even preach about not making mistakes yet, but about making sure one doesn't turn into five.  If the team had locked down on their panic, if they hadn't started giving away free points, the game wouldn't have been lost in those last 8 minutes of the second quarter.  That's the first step, once we've started limiting mistakes, then you can start working on erasing them. 

On the plus side, the team regrouped and looked good in the second half.  They have the capability to limit mistakes in general, they just need to get past panicking in the moment.

Ya the team was mentally fragile and really just suffocated themselves with stupid mistakes. After the last two gutwrenching losses, it's not that surprising. I still think we will get at least one SEC win, maybe two.

[dfwhawg]

that was a really dumb penalty to get at that point of the game. why did he feel the need to punch a guy in the back of his helmet at that point? I hope the ref just missed part of the other guy, but the play was dead when he did it.. dumb

TM is a senior and pulled a bone head play after the 3 and out stop.  BB needs another year or so to get his players for the 2-deep.

[HognotinMemphis]

So we're just going to start getting blown out all the sudden? Give me a break.

We have not played a team as good as wither Ole Miss or Miss St yet. They will both blow out the Hogs.

[Lord of the Styes]

That depends on which hog team shows up.