Live Game Blog: Florida vs. Arkansas
FINAL
Florida 38, Arkansas 7
Florida’s Jeffrey Demps scored the last touchdown of the game — his second —on a 48-yard scamper with 2:29 remaining.
This one was a lot closer than what the score shows and the Hogs did show some improvement… but they also had a lot of hiccups that have been a consistent factor in these lopsided losses.
Postgame stories are coming up on WholeHogSports.com. Keep your eyes peeled, pick up a copy of the Northwest Arkansas Times tomorrow and leave your comments on the Razorbacks below.
FOURTH QUARTER
Florida 31 Arkansas 7
2:26 p.m.: About to head down to the field. The Hogs drove down to the UF 12, but Shay Haddock’s 29-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Florida’s Ahmad Black. The Gators have the ball now on their own 30 with 6:01 remaining.
I take that back… Chris Rainey just had a 75-yard touchdown run. It’s 31-7 Gators with 5:07 remaining and this one is all but over.
Check out WholeHogSports.com later this afternoon for a complete wrap up.
——
Florida 24, Arkansas 7
2:11 p.m.: Tim Tebow may have just put this one out of reach for the Razorbacks. Tebow completed four passes of 16 yards or more on a six-play, 83-yard touchdown drive. The drive, which had zero third down, was capped by a 21-yard Tebow pass to Percy Harvin to give the Gators a 24-7 advantage with 11:58 remaining in the game.
Arkansas needs a big play on offense and a three-and-out on defense to get back in this one.
THIRD QUARTER
Florida 17, Arkansas 7
1:58 p.m.: Jerry Franklin dropped an interception earlier in this game, but he more than made up for it with a 13-yard interception return of a Tim Tebow pass meant for Percy Harvin.
We’re starting the fourth quarter now. It’s third-and-5 for the Hogs at their own 44-yard line.
Tebow hadn’t thrown an interception in his last 203 pass attempts, the third longest streak in SEC history.
——
Florida 17, Arkansas 7
1:45 p.m.: Michael Smith just cruised in for a 6-yard touchdown with 5:50 remaining. The Hogs are within striking distance of the Gators, 17-7.
Smith is approaching the 100-yard mark on the ground. Freshman running back Dennis Johnson got this all going for the Hogs. He returned a kick to the UA 47, and Casey Dick took over from there completing 14-, 6-, 16- and 5-yard passes while Smith chewed up some yards on the ground.
——
Florida 17, Arkansas 0
1:37 p.m.: Tim Tebow picked up a first down on a fourth-and-1, but defensive tackle Malcom Sheppard lit up the Heisman winner for a sack on the ensuing first down. The 7-yard loss, coupled with a pass incompletion and 10-yard pass to Aaron Hernandez set the Gators up for a 37-yard field goal conversion by kicker Jonathan Phillips.
The Gators are up 17-0, but the UA defense is showing some life.
The scoring drive to open the third quarter went 46 yards on 12 plays.
——
HALFTIME
Florida 14, Arkansas 0
Here are some stats.
Total offense
Florida - 181 Arkansas - 238
Rushing leaders
Florida: Jeffrey Demps (1 for 36 yards, 1 TD). Arkansas: Michael Smith (12 for 80 yards).
Passing leaders
Florida: Tim Tebow (9-of-15 102 yards, 1 TD). Arkansas: Casey Dick (12-of-21 148 yards, 1 INT).
Smith is also Arkansas’ leading receiver right now with 53 yards on five receptions. Joe Adams has three receptions for 46 yards.
SECOND QUARTER
Florida 14, Arkansas 0
1:08 p.m.: Arkansas got the ball back, punted and then forced a three-and-out. The Hogs then drove down the field with 54 seconds remaining with 18-, 37- and 31-yard pass completions to get them to the UF 25-yard line. But Dick was intercepted by UF’s Joe Haden in the end zone, and the Gators burned the clock and went into the locker room up 14-0.
Halftime stats coming. I’ll tell you this, though, Arkansas has 238 yards of total offense compared to the Gators’ 181. The Razorbacks are moving the ball, but they just keep shooting themselves in the foot once they get on the Florida side of the field.
——
Florida 14, Arkansas 0
12:40 p.m.: So, the Gators commit four penalties during a drive, which forced a second-and-35 and an eventual punt. The Hogs seemed to be building momentum… and then Michael Smith fumbled the ensuing punt and Florida recovered on the 16-yard line.
The Gators’ Jason Watkins, an offensive lineman, then committed an illegal hands to the face penalty and a false start on back-to-back plays to back them up to the UA 36. But, that didn’t matter, Jeffrey Demps rushed in from 36 yards out on the drive’s first play with 7:19 remaining. It’s the first big play given up by the Razorbacks defense.
More of the same for the Hogs, folks. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes.
Arkansas, by the way, has crossed the Florida 40 on every possession in the first half. No points scored, however.
FIRST QUARTER
Florida 7, Arkansas 0
12:14 p.m.: Arkansas forced its first three-and-out of the game. The Hogs got the ball back at their own 19 with 23 seconds remaining. Michael Smith carried nine yards to the 28-yard line and we’re about to enter the second quarter.
It’s 7-0, Florida. If Arkansas can get in the end zone here, momentum will be on its side for the first time in nearly a month.
——
12:09 p.m.: Pending a defensive stop, turnover or miracle, the Hogs will go scoreless in the first quarter for the fifth straight game. But the Hogs were driving down the field again. Once they got across the Florida 40-yard line, the players began to hiccup.
First it was a dropped pass by Greg Childs, then a false start by tackle Grant Freeman. After that it was two passes (an 8-yarder to Michael Smith and a 6-yarder to D.J. Williams) that ended the drive 1-yard short of a first down at the UF 22.
The Gators have the ball now on their own 22-yard line with 1:59 remaining.
——
11:56 p.m.: Arkansas moved the ball pretty well on its first possession, but failed to convert a fourth-and-4 on the Gators’ 33-yard line as Casey Dick suffered his first sack of the game.
Florida, as it likes to do, drove 64 yards on 10 plays for the game’s first touchdown at the 6:54 mark, but the Arkansas defense did show some promise.
Jamar Love broke up a pass to the end zone on third-and-1 from the 6-yard line but Tim Tebow rushed 2 yards in a play very similar to the one Ole Miss stuffed last week to pick up the first down. The Gators then scored on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line on a nice option shovel pass from Tebow to Brandon James.
The east upperdeck is more than half Florida fans, by the way. The Gator faithful are in full force here today.
PRE-GAME
11:22 a.m.: I just know that you’re reading this blog this morning, because you’re most likely not here at Razorback Stadium. This place is as empty as I’ve seen it for ANY game since the renovation of the stadium in 2001.
It’s maybe as full as it was for the spring game, maybe a bit higher. Then again, I’m like Mr. Magoo’s eyesight when it comes to guess-timations.
11:30 a.m.: Well, it’s filling in a bit more, but I still think it’s one of the worst attended games of the new RRS era. The student section is about 70 percent full.
And grammy and granpappy’s fireworks off the Broyles Center signals 3 minutes until kickoff. See you back here in a bit.
– Brandon Marcello
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19 Responses to “Live Game Blog: Florida vs. Arkansas”
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Can someone PLEASE tell me why we still continue to stick with our idiot quarterback DICK???? It has been totally obvious for the last few years that he is way out of his league playing Division 1 football! He might have a chance in Junior college football. I really hope he did not teach his little brother what he knows/doesn’t know about being a quarterback. If we will truly start rebuilding let’s start molding and giving experience to our future QBs. So I ask again why is DICK still our QB??? Also can someone tell me how a change in coaching system changes the fact that you still need to catch a punted ball? or that you need to catch an interception when the ball hits you in the hands? or that when it is 3rd and 30 something the defense allows a TD? or when you are in FG range don’t throw an interception!!! THIS IS WHY FANS ARE MAD! THESE ARE FUNDAMENTALS and have nothing to do with being patient with a new coach. Pathetic!
Well said afrazrback. That is the point that I have been trying to make. With that said, we hung in there much better this week.
It seems to me that all of our problems revolve around special teams. I know the defense is awful as well, but special teams set the tone, and ours has not been that special. It puts us in positions where we have to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking a field goal (happened on the first two possessions). We cannot kick the ball off past the 15 yard line, which leads to excellent field position for our opponents consistently. We cannot catch punts, which leads to extra possessions for the other team and points, plus it puts our defense on the field more times, which is not good for us.
And I am with you: Casey Dick is just not a good quarterback. Receivers were running open much of the day and he could not find them cosistently.
Again, though, we looked much better this week. It gives a reason to be hopeful for the future. We had a chance to cut it to three with a quarter left, even after leaving 9 to 13 points on the table (two field goals if we had a competent kicker and a possible touchdown if Dick does not throw it into triple coverage). At least we fought them hard and made them earn a victory, which we did not two for the previous two opponents.
It sure was great to be back in Fayetteville today. I always enjoy meeting with friends, family, alumni and colleagues while remembering our fun at the university. As usual, Arkansas hospitality was great! I wish we could get Arkansas catfish to Florida.
Anyway, congratulations to the Hogs for showing a lot more heart in this game than I have seen all year. We have got to find more leadership, discipline and heart for this team to accomplish anything significantly the rest of the season, but this was clearly the best effort of the year! Yea, they still made many dumb mistakes that cost them, but in my mind improvement is improvement. At least they did not give up in this game. They fought hard and refused to quit. The defense just got tired, plain and simple. And when you get tired on Florida, their speed will kill you.
The Gators certainly did not play with the intensity that they promised during the first three quarters. They did not deliver because we decided to challenge them instead of just rolling over for a beat down. I applaud that type of effort. One thing for sure, the Gators lacked the discipline of a true championship team. The flags were falling like raindrops due to their lack of discipline and cost them points. The Gators had to use every play in the book just to keep a distance between them and the hogs until the forth quarter.
Michael Smith reminds me of Percy Harvin. I was very impressed with him. He might be the most talented player the Hogs have, he just can’t be expected to do it all by himself. The more Petrino tailors plays for him the better the results will be. He is a small glimmer of light in the darkness.
The score was not nearly as close as the game was for three quarters. But it still ends as another game where we give up 40 and can’t score more than 10. That won’t win any games in the SEC.
Better luck next week,
P.S. Congratulations to foukehog on your prediction. Looks like I have competition for next weeks award.
ok well lets start by saying WOOOOOO PIG SOOIE! Love them hogs, second gatorjag stay off the razorback blogs and go where people actually care what you say.
for the third thing spacecowboy98 and afrazrback, don’t you think that Petrino Knew coming into this season that it would be almost imposable to actually be able to compete. regardless of freshman or senior QB? why do you burn a year of eligibility for a freshman? ESPECIALLY when you have Ryan Mallet on the self due to a transfer. so who do you start in place of Casey? now im not a Dick lover, but he gives us the best chance at winning THIS year. NEXT year it will be Ryan Mallet..
4th thing your crying about 17-18-19 year old kids losing to 20-21-22 year old men. i remember something like this happening last year with a different team. Anyone remember the final record of Notre Dame last year? Probably not! I guarantee a year makes a hug difference.
5th and last thing, Please stop complaining. If you think you could have done better then you should have become a coach and got hired at OUR beloved U of A.
GO HOGS GO!
brighter times are on the way and Petrino will have us competing for a title in just a few short years.
Better things will come. The Razorbacks will rise, again. Give Petrino 2 or 3 years… pay backs can be hell. Go Hogs!
I am confounded by the people who want to hang Casey Dick. He just past Joe Ferguson on the all time Razorback passing list…Joe Ferguson, my favorite Razorback QB. Unless I need a lesson in statistics, that’s nothing short of remarkable considering that the position of QB in HDN’s offense was an absolute joke. Oh yeah, gatorjag, your savior in Oxford LOST today. One thing’s for sure, Ole Miss fans are getting the taste of inconsistency in game preparation and highs and lows of game coaching that we endured for 10 seasons.
I am astounded at you, gatorjag for your positive words although peppered with stupid comments like “dumb mistakes” for an inexperienced team, as if you were a seasoned collegiant coach.
Slimhog, you’re right. We have a jem waiting in the wings in Ryan Mallet. I think he has the potential of making gatorjag’s beloved Tebow a “passing” memory in SEC QB greatness. SEC opponents, enjoy while you can. Your days are coming in upcoming seasons.
Meanwhile, lets not lower ourselves to the level of Theresa Prewitt and bash a Hog QB. Look where Mustain ended up as a result.
Signs of the apocalypse… Vanderbilt just beat Auburn and is 5-0. Add that to South Carolina and oh yes, Houston’s OLE MISS Rebels.
I have never felt so good after losing a game then I did today. Guys it is simple….the HOGS have finally turned the corner. The score was not indicative of how well we played as a team. Face it…the defense was gassed in the 4th due to Dick’s inability to move the ball against a quality opponent. And with the leaks recently regarding Nutt and his staff’s early knowledge of their departure there is no doubt in my mind he was going to leave the cupboard bare. Today we showed glimpses of what is yet to come; Mallett, Smith, Joe Adams, and the addition of Neal Barlow…WOW we are going to be good.
ua87,
I am not trying to bash the kid or even suggesting that he should be benched. I am just saying he is not that good. It is nothing personal. Robert Johnson, good guy, but he wasn’t that good. He just makes critical mistakes at inopportune times. Sometimes, he shows flashes of being good and dependable, but he makes a boneheaded decision that hurts our chances of scoring by killing a drive. With him as our quarterback, we are limited. That is just a fact.
I think now that our team has four (now five) games of experience, we can begin to hold them to a higher standard instead of treating them with kid gloves. We did make some pretty bad decisions today, but we competed, and that is what is important to me. Contrary to the idea that slimhog seems to have, I was pleased with today’s effort, but we have to get better. Now, I have reason to believe we will. With that said, I will also say that Joe Adams looked VERY good today, as did London Crawford. I thought our defense was tremendous until the end, when the game was virtually decided, so I do not put much stock in those last two touchdowns.
I’m on my flight back to Florida and have time to read some more posts. I need someone to help me understand something that I just have to get off my chest.
It seems clear to me that many posters on this blog find great ease and pleasure in accusing me of not being “a real fan”. I have had many friends who I graduated with from the University who continue to thank me for what they call being a “realist” as well as many posts on this site. So even though I realize I am opening up an opportunity for you to continue to pile on this graduate from UA who is not a “real fan”, I need to know why you have no tolerance for a “realist”.
Does a “real fan” always say that the Razorbacks will win the SEC and a National title every year? Does a “real fan” always agree with every decision that an AD or coach makes? Does a “real fan” always turn a blind eye to an offense that can’t score and a defense that gives up 40 points a game? Does a “real fan” never say that the Hogs will loose a game? Does a “real fan” demand a new coach because of his outdated style, then rejoice at his departure and sing “Handel’s Messiah” when the new coach rides into town speaking of “Championships” and now just say that “these kids will grow up” and all will be better if we all just continually sit patiently by until “next year”? Is that a “real fan”?
Why do you have no acceptance of a guy who was born in Little Rock, raised in Little Rock, went to High School in Little Rock, played football in High School, was offered scholarships to play football for the Razorbacks, graduated from the University of Arkansas, has financially supported the athletic department on a very high level, has traveled and represented the Razorbacks all across the country as a “real fan”?
How is it that I used to play football in the parking lot of my Mom and Dad’s drive-in located just down from War Memorial as a small kid and listen to Bud Campbell call the games with Ferguson, Barnett, Dicus, Montgomery, etc. and yet I am not a “real fan”? Are you hearing me?
If I can’t be a “realist” and look at this team and say that we are a bad football team without being a “real fan”, then so be it. If I can’t be disappointed in how the past year has turned out after such high expectations without being a “real fan”, then maybe I’m not. If I can’t look at this team who has beaten two teams on the scale of UCA and UAPB both in the final minutes of the game, according to Wally Hall, and question if this team will win another game this year without being accused of not being a ”real fan”, then I guess I will just settle for being a “realist” who is a lifetime fan.
If I wanted to go to “fantasyland” I would take a short trip to Orlando and visit Disney World, but I don’t want to live in a place where people can’t see and accept the truth about things. I prefer to live in the state of reality and deal with the truths. I prefer to learn and not return from my mistakes and not simply deny that I have never made mistakes.
As a psychiatrist, my job revolves around listening to people who refuse to look in the mirror of life and see who they have become. I have dedicated myself to helping people face truths and accept them. Go ahead and make your jokes about psychiatrists, but I am blessed to be able to help thousands of people and effect their lives positively.
I am a “real fan” and there are masses of other “real fans” just like me. I just wish that each of you lived where I do and would have to deal with the Bulldogs, Crimson Tide, FSU, Gators, Tigers and Gamecock fans who I have to listen to each day. You might see things differently than you do about this “real fan”.
There are some things to build on after this game, that’s true. But we can’t keep giving up 30-, 40-, and 70-yard plays and expect to win any games! The defense played much better for most of the game than it has in any game this season, really. But the mental lapses that keep giving up big plays have got to stop. Casey isn’t a great QB, but he has a lot of game experience that the others don’t have, and that makes him the best QB we have this year. Mallett will most likely be the starter next year, if he is healthy, so that should be a major upgrade to that position. I was glad to see us emphasize the run more today. The O-Line was built for run-blocking, so it should be something we can hang our hat on when we need some positive yardage. The running game is always important, no matter how much you want to throw the ball, and it kept us in the game until the 4th quarter. If we continue to show improvement next week, I think we can beat Auburn; their offense is not very good.
You may think Casey Dick is a good quarterback…but this Razorback fan thinks you should be looking at someone who can give us hope for next year. He may be physically acceptable, but his judgment certainly sucks. How many years has it been since Arkansaas got blown out by this much in three straight games? Please inform me. Maybe need to recruit some defense linemen too.
Well boys, we played better Saturday than all year. Florida didn’t look to be the same team I expected, i’m sure injuries played a role & penalties for sure cost them drives. I must say though, we played with more heart & I actually think the players thought they could win the game up in the early minutes of the 4th. I do think Wilson should’ve gotten some time in as Dick became ineffective & killed drives. I thought the defense played great till the 4th qtr as well, they ran to the ball & showed passion until they flat out ran out of gas. Special teams was horrible, Smith’s punt return fumble, Franklin’s dropped INT, Blocked FG, No KO return avg (DJ is a stud though) & we still can’t KO to the endzone. 40 recruits got to see a good game for 3 qtrs & I hope they sway the uncommited’s. It was also good to see Cook & Freeman play & get game experience. We are truly building for nxt year fellas but I feel like the team turned a corner this week. Aub has been ineffecient & beatable but we’re on the road. Kentucky will be tough but Ole Siss & Tulsa are beatable, along with Miss St. S Car could go either way & LSU will probably for sure be a loss (reserve the right to change my pick before kockoff lol)…It’s coming fellas, we’re still gonna have some pains for a couple of years but we have a good group to build from. Keep recruiting hard & get the players YOU need & good things are going to happen. GO HOGS!!!
I’m crying big elephant tears for how you think you’re wronged on this blog, gatorjag. Somehow between your childhood in Little Rock and now, you’ve fallen off the reservation.
Real fans don’t affectionately call out the names of players on the opposing team as you did when you were applauded for your efforts in predicting the Texas score while looking ahead to the Florida game. Better yet, real fans don’t beg for another Razorback touchdown when its a blow out just so you can selfishly cover your “prediction.” You bash us all who are glad HDN is gone while loathing and poking fun at the staff who embarks on building on what scraps were left.
You feel wronged that others call you out for what you truly have expressed yourself as being. You are some piece of work, gatorjag. Some name, too. Gator and jag (I can only guess that you’re a Jaguar fan, well at least they have Matt Jones on their team). If that’s a blog name in support as a fan of the Hogs, then I’m Petrino’s next recruit at free safety.
well we all have to be real about all this,casey dick for the last 3 years only had to look for 1 or 2 player when we pass so this is all new to him,wilson need more time and hope he get to play more ,the ol is new to the passing games,look at the bowl game last year ,the new coach knew it would be hard year with all the teams we play this year .when we run the wishbone and the coach left we had a lot of loseing years now that nutt is gone let pull togather for the new coach and give him time to win;thx gatorjag for being a fan we need all the fans we can get now
Better things are to come, Hog fans. Ryan Mallett has a bazooka arm and the kids will grow up. I have also read where the recruiting class is beginning to take shape and looks solid. Give Petrino some time and his own players.
In three years [after Jevan Snead has departed] I would bet that Ole Miss has a predictable, pop warner league offense and Arkansas is playing BCS ball. The Razorbacks will rise again. Patience.
ummm slimhog,
Newsflash for you, Wilson has already played in a game so why not play him since he won’t be redshirting this year (but you already know that because you know what you are talking about). Why not play Wilson the rest of the year? Afraid we are going to get whooped ?? Are you kidding me?
The team played with heart and desire, but nothing deflates that more than a mediocre play by a mediocre QB and veterans making mental mistakes.
I don’t claim to be a coach, but this is a blog and I am asking the obvious so if you don’t like it you know what you can do with yourself. Let’s hold them to a little higher standard. I don’t care about losing during the next few years, but we need to cut down on the major mistakes and maybe the scores will reflect a rebuilding team versus a team that can’t score more than 1 TD a game.
Petrino is terrible y’all should of hired Kiffin and its not too late to get him he is a much better coach. He also will respect the players. Petrino= no sec wins for next 3 years.
Petrino stays and like many I say he will become more of a nightmare to his SEC peers and bowl opponents than … well, you know. We have Dick because Mustain, Burns, and Mallet to name a few, were not sold on the Razorback promise land. In this league the position is critical to success along with Dline, recievers, running backs, and SPEED. Many may not like Petrino but they will like his results. Want hope? Look at LSU in the 80’s and 90’s before they got someone who could recruit AND coach!