Mighty Trojans loom large on Hogs’ horizon
Posted on Tuesday, August 8, 2006
The clock is ticking and the urgency grows greater as each day passes. Twenty-five days and counting before the No. 3 Southern California Trojans invade Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
It's the red-circle game on everyone in the state's calendars, and the contest has been one of the prime motivating factors for the Hogs as they made their way through off-season conditioning this summer.
Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said he is glad the game is the first on the Hogs' slate.
"Some might rather start with a cupcake, but I think it's better that USC is first," Nutt said. "This game is going to be talked about. If you had another game you'd probably try to look through it."
One could argue that the Southeastern Conference games that come later in the season are more important, but come on.
Pete Carroll's Trojans have won or played for the last three national titles and, like it or not, USC's program is the current standard bearer for college football.
A victory over them would vault the Razorbacks to instant national notoriety, but more importantly restore a measure of respectability to the program.
Counting heavily on firstyear starters and freshmen, the Razorbacks were not at all ready for the buzzsaw they walked into last year in Los Angeles at the Coliseum.
The Trojans were jacked sky high for their home opener after winning their second-consecutive national title the previous January.
They were ready to put on a show that would put La La Land's biggest production to shame.
And that they did.
The game was almost over before it started with Reggie Bush running rings around Arkansas' tacklers, Dwayne Jarrett running past them and LenDale White running over them.
The Razorbacks were shell-shocked before the end of the first quarter.
It's a wonder Nutt and his staff were able to coax the Hogs out of the halftime locker room.
All of that should provide motivation through what appears will be a long, hot preseason.
In speaking of the loss Monday during Arkansas' media day, Nutt used the words embarrassing and humiliating to describe the 70-17 loss.
The one good thing about youth on a football team is that is that it does bring resiliency.
Though the Hogs only won four games a year ago, they never again threw in the towel like they did at USC.
In fact, the defense became quite salty by the end of the season, giving up an average of just 16. 6 ppg in the Hogs' final five contests.
Nutt and Herring have both said the team is light years ahead of where it started a year ago.
The Razorbacks' defense stands to be improved from where they left off last season, and one hopes they will fight back this year after taking a punch. Likewise, Arkansas' offense should be more potent.
But, make no mistake, the Hogs have a lot ground to make up on the Trojans. Probably more than a program can overcome in a single season.
The hype and expectations for this Razorback season reminds me a bit of the bravado I used to endure about Memphis State football as a kid growing up in West Memphis.
Tiger fans would be bouncing off the walls of the Bluff City in the summer, but after losing their opener to Ole Miss or Mississippi State, all that blue and gray bluster deflated as quickly as a slashed tire.
While there is no bigger game on the Hogs' schedule (which includes teams that have won a combined 28 national titles ) than USC, neither the Razorbacks nor their fans can lose sight of the fact that the season is bigger than just one game.
Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.
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