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Wow, a blistering article from the Arkansas Times...
Posted on 9/15/17 at 7:05 pm
Posted on 9/15/17 at 7:05 pm
LINK
Yes, yes... I know it is the Time.. and not well written, however???
no holds barred here. Thought it would be a bit longer than this. Thoughts?
Titled: Bumbling Bielema!
The numbing sense of complete disillusionment in the wake of a listless 28-7 loss to Texas Christian University on Saturday in the Arkansas Razorbacks' "true" home opener gives way to disgust when you see these statistical markers of failure:
*Arkansas trailed the Horned Frogs 14-7 at the break after a ragged first 30 minutes, then petered out more fully from there in the loss, running Bret Bielema's record to 0-15 when his Razorback teams trail at halftime.
I get it, when you're down 28-3 at Auburn (2016) or 28-0 to Alabama (2013), you probably don't come roaring back — you are just flat beat and that will happen from time to time. But being down by a touchdown or fewer in five of those losses? Where is that character-building second-half rally? Ironically, the Hogs furiously came back against Mississippi State in 2015 after trailing by 17 in the first half and stormed ahead by 11 on the strength of four straight Brandon Allen touchdown throws, but that was probably the last time the Hogs came blistering out of the gates after halftime. And yet they ended up losing even that one because ...
*Cole Hedlund, once hailed as the best placekicking recruit the university has seen, shanked two extra-point-level field goal tries, bringing his career tally at Arkansas to a rather hideous 14 of 24 over two-plus seasons. He's had potential winners blocked and he's never genuinely made a clutch kick to speak of so ... why was he still holding the job? This has been a known issue for two full years; ergo, it's no longer his fault for all the trust being misplaced in him.
Bielema bewilderingly characterized the second miss against TCU, a straight-on 20-yarder after Austin Cantrell stupidly lost track of where his feet were on a potential game-tying touchdown toss, as "juvenile." You know what is juvenile, coach? Trotting Hedlund out there time and time again to make kicks he has exhibited zero competency at making. The first whiff from 22 yards should've been the ultimate indicator that Hedlund was incapable of helping the Hogs on a Saturday where every point mattered, at least until the late stages.
*Austin Allen had yet another stupefying, horrifying day. Not because of his own performance, mind you — he is not responsible for once-dependable people like Jared Cornelius completely disappearing, his aforementioned tight end blowing an easy score on a bootleg, or his linemen continually showing poor balance in the face of a pass rush. But Allen, the league's most productive passer in 2016 despite inordinate challenges, now has 273 yards passing in the aggregate over two games, and he crossed that mark in a single game five times last year. The lack of trustworthy receivers is one issue, but he might well develop chemistry with some of these targets if Johnny Gibson could hold a block.
* Last and most damning: take away the gaudy numbers Dan Enos' offense put up against the two Mississippi schools in 2015-16, and this has really been an erratic and pedestrian mess on that side of the ball for the most part for quite some time. "Halftime adjustments" is an oxymoron in the embattled coordinator's world — after Allen put the Hogs on the board with a beautiful bootleg left and toss to Jonathan Nance for a 49-yard score, the ensuing drives were punchless. Some of it is playcalling, but personnel choices were baffling, too. David Williams showed burst and strength on three runs on the scoring drive, then was rarely used again until another semi-successful third quarter drive where the Hogs threatened to tie but didn't thanks to Cantrell's lack of spatial awareness and Hedlund mistaking the goal posts themselves as the target instead of the wideassed gulf between them.
s a result, Arkansas in its last three games against FBS teams, all losses, has scored a whopping zero points, coughed up seven turnovers, and missed three field goals in second halves of those debacles. Remember how that collapse at Missouri felt even worse than it looked? As Allen chucked picks into the end zone and the ground game got stifled, and as those hapless Tigers blazed through a sieve of a defense, you got the sense this was no sickening anomaly. After all, the 2016 Hogs were, sadly, possessed of a rather soft constitution: They could score and move the ball and unleash all kinds of weapons, but the minute adversity hit, they were crippled. It started at Arlington against A&M when a long drive died inside the 1, carried onto the Auburn and LSU routs, and then trailed them to Faurot Field and onto the infamous Belk Bowl.
That 2015 squad was resilient. Brandon Allen had simply been through too damn much over four years to possibly let a silly loss to Toledo or Texas Tech crush him or his mates for weeks. His little brother was celebrated for his greater exuberance and passion but that necessarily won't translate directly to leadership. And regrettably, it will fall on Austin to be that cagey, smart, durable senior leader, because this coaching staff sure as hell seems uninterested in putting that kind of fire in any of their charges.
Bielema is coaching the rest of the year for his job, and that is now a fact. He has a large buyout and a clearly stellar relationship with his boss, but the old seeds of discontent that were sown when that interloper athletic director hired a Big Ten coach (not my words, mind you, but a rough amalgamation of the regional public's bristling in late 2012) have come home to roost again. Bielema had almost turned the corner and gotten this fan base fully behind him despite a somewhat rocky 2016 season.
But Missouri slammed on the brakes. Virginia Tech squealed the tires. On Saturday, TCU threw the party bus in full reverse and over the next week and a half in preparation for similarly unstable Texas A&M, somebody is going to need to get back behind the wheel and act like he can move the damn thing forward again.
Yes, yes... I know it is the Time.. and not well written, however???
no holds barred here. Thought it would be a bit longer than this. Thoughts? Titled: Bumbling Bielema!
The numbing sense of complete disillusionment in the wake of a listless 28-7 loss to Texas Christian University on Saturday in the Arkansas Razorbacks' "true" home opener gives way to disgust when you see these statistical markers of failure:
*Arkansas trailed the Horned Frogs 14-7 at the break after a ragged first 30 minutes, then petered out more fully from there in the loss, running Bret Bielema's record to 0-15 when his Razorback teams trail at halftime.
I get it, when you're down 28-3 at Auburn (2016) or 28-0 to Alabama (2013), you probably don't come roaring back — you are just flat beat and that will happen from time to time. But being down by a touchdown or fewer in five of those losses? Where is that character-building second-half rally? Ironically, the Hogs furiously came back against Mississippi State in 2015 after trailing by 17 in the first half and stormed ahead by 11 on the strength of four straight Brandon Allen touchdown throws, but that was probably the last time the Hogs came blistering out of the gates after halftime. And yet they ended up losing even that one because ...
*Cole Hedlund, once hailed as the best placekicking recruit the university has seen, shanked two extra-point-level field goal tries, bringing his career tally at Arkansas to a rather hideous 14 of 24 over two-plus seasons. He's had potential winners blocked and he's never genuinely made a clutch kick to speak of so ... why was he still holding the job? This has been a known issue for two full years; ergo, it's no longer his fault for all the trust being misplaced in him.
Bielema bewilderingly characterized the second miss against TCU, a straight-on 20-yarder after Austin Cantrell stupidly lost track of where his feet were on a potential game-tying touchdown toss, as "juvenile." You know what is juvenile, coach? Trotting Hedlund out there time and time again to make kicks he has exhibited zero competency at making. The first whiff from 22 yards should've been the ultimate indicator that Hedlund was incapable of helping the Hogs on a Saturday where every point mattered, at least until the late stages.
*Austin Allen had yet another stupefying, horrifying day. Not because of his own performance, mind you — he is not responsible for once-dependable people like Jared Cornelius completely disappearing, his aforementioned tight end blowing an easy score on a bootleg, or his linemen continually showing poor balance in the face of a pass rush. But Allen, the league's most productive passer in 2016 despite inordinate challenges, now has 273 yards passing in the aggregate over two games, and he crossed that mark in a single game five times last year. The lack of trustworthy receivers is one issue, but he might well develop chemistry with some of these targets if Johnny Gibson could hold a block.
* Last and most damning: take away the gaudy numbers Dan Enos' offense put up against the two Mississippi schools in 2015-16, and this has really been an erratic and pedestrian mess on that side of the ball for the most part for quite some time. "Halftime adjustments" is an oxymoron in the embattled coordinator's world — after Allen put the Hogs on the board with a beautiful bootleg left and toss to Jonathan Nance for a 49-yard score, the ensuing drives were punchless. Some of it is playcalling, but personnel choices were baffling, too. David Williams showed burst and strength on three runs on the scoring drive, then was rarely used again until another semi-successful third quarter drive where the Hogs threatened to tie but didn't thanks to Cantrell's lack of spatial awareness and Hedlund mistaking the goal posts themselves as the target instead of the wideassed gulf between them.
s a result, Arkansas in its last three games against FBS teams, all losses, has scored a whopping zero points, coughed up seven turnovers, and missed three field goals in second halves of those debacles. Remember how that collapse at Missouri felt even worse than it looked? As Allen chucked picks into the end zone and the ground game got stifled, and as those hapless Tigers blazed through a sieve of a defense, you got the sense this was no sickening anomaly. After all, the 2016 Hogs were, sadly, possessed of a rather soft constitution: They could score and move the ball and unleash all kinds of weapons, but the minute adversity hit, they were crippled. It started at Arlington against A&M when a long drive died inside the 1, carried onto the Auburn and LSU routs, and then trailed them to Faurot Field and onto the infamous Belk Bowl.
That 2015 squad was resilient. Brandon Allen had simply been through too damn much over four years to possibly let a silly loss to Toledo or Texas Tech crush him or his mates for weeks. His little brother was celebrated for his greater exuberance and passion but that necessarily won't translate directly to leadership. And regrettably, it will fall on Austin to be that cagey, smart, durable senior leader, because this coaching staff sure as hell seems uninterested in putting that kind of fire in any of their charges.
Bielema is coaching the rest of the year for his job, and that is now a fact. He has a large buyout and a clearly stellar relationship with his boss, but the old seeds of discontent that were sown when that interloper athletic director hired a Big Ten coach (not my words, mind you, but a rough amalgamation of the regional public's bristling in late 2012) have come home to roost again. Bielema had almost turned the corner and gotten this fan base fully behind him despite a somewhat rocky 2016 season.
But Missouri slammed on the brakes. Virginia Tech squealed the tires. On Saturday, TCU threw the party bus in full reverse and over the next week and a half in preparation for similarly unstable Texas A&M, somebody is going to need to get back behind the wheel and act like he can move the damn thing forward again.
This post was edited on 9/15/17 at 7:14 pm
2
Posted on 9/15/17 at 7:21 pm to Razorback Reverend
Double space brah.
Posted on 9/15/17 at 7:39 pm to pioneerbasketball
that article just made me realize something else to point towards Bert's personal life changes being the key reason why we suck.
The daughter was born mid july. Would have been conceived in October... probably some congrats lov e after the florida game and would have found out himiself personally sometime around the LSU game and before the Mizzouri game depending on when she went to the doctor or took the baby test.
we have not beat an p5 school since bert has found out he's goinig to be a father
The daughter was born mid july. Would have been conceived in October... probably some congrats lov e after the florida game and would have found out himiself personally sometime around the LSU game and before the Mizzouri game depending on when she went to the doctor or took the baby test.
we have not beat an p5 school since bert has found out he's goinig to be a father
Posted on 9/15/17 at 7:41 pm to vengeanceofrain
Florida game was November 5th.
I know because that's the day I met the 2 boys who in a month I'll be adopting as my own sons!!
I know because that's the day I met the 2 boys who in a month I'll be adopting as my own sons!!
Posted on 9/15/17 at 8:06 pm to hawgndodge
Still can fit the timeline
Posted on 9/15/17 at 8:17 pm to russellvillehog
The timeline for him sucking?
That's December of 2012.
That's December of 2012.
Posted on 9/15/17 at 9:19 pm to hawgndodge
who did we play in the beginning of october. oh that was ole miss. still the point stands just replace lsu with ole miss
Posted on 9/15/17 at 11:52 pm to vengeanceofrain
Honestly, the conception/fatherhood take is not that nuts. Dude was already coasting, then when kiddy comes along, it's "really don't give a shite" time. Just collect them checks and funnel every player into Recreation as a major to get them Apr points.
Say what you will about the Ark Times, yes, it is a left wing sometimes hate-filled rag, but they have no connection to the university nor need "access" like other writers in the state somehow believe they need to succeed (Bill Simmons disproved that theory on a massive scale 15 yrs ago), and it shows in this story.
A column like this would never even fathom getting written by a mainstream Arkansas publication. Kudos to them, this state and its sports journalism mentality REALLY needs to change and have more of an honest, edgy take.
Say what you will about the Ark Times, yes, it is a left wing sometimes hate-filled rag, but they have no connection to the university nor need "access" like other writers in the state somehow believe they need to succeed (Bill Simmons disproved that theory on a massive scale 15 yrs ago), and it shows in this story.
A column like this would never even fathom getting written by a mainstream Arkansas publication. Kudos to them, this state and its sports journalism mentality REALLY needs to change and have more of an honest, edgy take.
Posted on 9/16/17 at 12:35 am to Jack Ruby
I have a son that is 5 months old tomrorow. First child. And I mean, within a week from bringing him home I realized that not even about WANT to, there is just some shite i CANNOT do anymore.
I'm a workaholic. My m entality my entire life has been don't put off for tomorrow what can be done today. And shite if there isn't enougyh time in the day, let's work 2 days straight.
When you HAVE to be awoke becuase the mommma has been up trying to get your son to bed and he wont'p stop crying and she needs to sleep, you learn after 1-2 all nighters that shite isn't a viable option anymore. If that shite ain't done by 11 it can wait lol.
And you only get one first child, you want to be there for all the good stuff. When he says your name, when he learns to walk and bypassses your arms for the chicken you got sitting on the couch.
I mean i don't blame him.. but I mean I as a fan don't give a shite.
I'm a workaholic. My m entality my entire life has been don't put off for tomorrow what can be done today. And shite if there isn't enougyh time in the day, let's work 2 days straight.
When you HAVE to be awoke becuase the mommma has been up trying to get your son to bed and he wont'p stop crying and she needs to sleep, you learn after 1-2 all nighters that shite isn't a viable option anymore. If that shite ain't done by 11 it can wait lol.
And you only get one first child, you want to be there for all the good stuff. When he says your name, when he learns to walk and bypassses your arms for the chicken you got sitting on the couch.
I mean i don't blame him.. but I mean I as a fan don't give a shite.
Posted on 9/16/17 at 7:09 am to Razorback Reverend
Bert has won 10 SEC games in 4 years. He's 10-22 in SEC games. That should be all we need to know about him. Yet, he lost to Toledo. He likes to run his mouth about Gus Malzahn and then loses by over 7 TDs to Auburn last season. We have lost so many games under Bert where we dominated in the first half, or at least played even, only to look confused and overmatched in the 2nd half. He got a big contract extension for breaking a 17 game SEC losing streak and for beating a terrible Texas team.
I do see some similarities in the talent he has recruited to what Danny Ford had recruited. If Bert leaves after this season and Long can actually hire a good coach then we could see some real improvement for next season. Of course, until somebody fills the OL with men, the offense is going to continue to sputter.
I do see some similarities in the talent he has recruited to what Danny Ford had recruited. If Bert leaves after this season and Long can actually hire a good coach then we could see some real improvement for next season. Of course, until somebody fills the OL with men, the offense is going to continue to sputter.
Posted on 9/16/17 at 8:04 am to Maytheporkbewithyou
quote:
Bert has won 10 SEC games in 4 years. He's 10-22 in SEC games. That should be all we need to know about him. Yet, he lost to Toledo. He likes to run his mouth about Gus Malzahn and then loses by over 7 TDs to Auburn last season. We have lost so many games under Bert where we dominated in the first half, or at least played even, only to look confused and overmatched in the 2nd half. He got a big contract extension for breaking a 17 game SEC losing streak and for beating a terrible Texas team.
Bert is the epitome of an empty talk guy who can't back up shite and never learns.
Talks shite about Malzahn and the HUNH yet he's 1-3 against him including a 56-3 gangbang.
Brags about how he had more success in the Big Ten than Saban, goes 0-4 against him.
Tells Texas high school football coaches he'll kick anyone's arse if they don't have a fullback, goes 0-4 against Sumlin, 1-1 against Texas Tech including getting railed in Fayetteville in 2015, and 1-1 against TCU where they handed us the game last year and then pushed our shite in this year.
Acts like he doesn't ever use or listen to social media, yet spent his first 6 months here engaging in childish twitter wars with Wisconsin fans, and has spent the last 4.5 years resorting to bush league social media theatrics usually reserved for Single A minor league baseball teams. Seriously, stop it with the #1-0 bull shite, it makes no sense whatsoever.
Promotes himself as an OL guru, yet we've had some of the the worst offensive lines in the SEC the last two years.
Talks about being a man of character and and telling it like it is, yet didn't have the spine to talk to Alvarez before he left Wisconsin.
This post was edited on 9/16/17 at 8:10 am
Posted on 9/16/17 at 8:43 am to hawgndodge
quote:
I know because that's the day I met the 2 boys who in a month I'll be adopting as my own sons!!
That's wonderful, congrats.
Posted on 9/16/17 at 9:50 am to Feral
quote:
Talks about being a man of character and and telling it like it is, yet didn't have the spine to talk to Alvarez before he left Wisconsin.
Remember when he cited a kids' death to further his agenda against an offense that kicks his arse every time his team plays against it? He's an insecure, corpulent POS.
Posted on 9/16/17 at 10:37 am to Feral
quote:
4.5 years resorting to bush league social media theatrics usually reserved for Single A minor league baseball teams
Somebody's worked in minor league baseball or sports marketing before....
It's such a true statement... The stupid mottos, the illogical gimmicks like the "mic drop"... It all just wreaks of desperation and stupidity.
Posted on 9/16/17 at 2:43 pm to Feral
quote:
Acts like he doesn't ever use or listen to social media, yet spent his first 6 months here engaging in childish twitter wars with Wisconsin fans,
Not to mention he has spent the last 5 years blocking anyone critical of him on Twitter. Go try it out. Go say something bad about him and see if you do not get blocked. Because you will.
Posted on 9/16/17 at 3:53 pm to russellvillehog
quote:
Not to mention he has spent the last 5 years blocking anyone critical of him on Twitter. Go try it out. Go say something bad about him and see if you do not get blocked. Because you will.
Can you imagine a real coach responding to and blocking people who were meanie heads to him on Twitter? I sure can't.
This post was edited on 9/16/17 at 5:19 pm
Posted on 9/16/17 at 4:25 pm to russellvillehog
quote:
Not to mention he has spent the last 5 years blocking anyone critical of him on Twitter. Go try it out. Go say something bad about him and see if you do not get blocked. Because you will.
Member when DJ Williams made a completely benign comment about our defense in 2016 and Bert blocked him on Twitter?
Member when Chesh defended Bert for doing it?
I member.
This post was edited on 9/16/17 at 4:27 pm
Posted on 9/16/17 at 4:26 pm to Feral
I member as well. Time to get rid of this thin skinned whale. He is very reminiscent of a latex glove filled with lard.
Posted on 9/19/17 at 6:58 pm to Feral
quote:
Member when DJ Williams made a completely benign comment about our defense in 2016 and Bert blocked him on Twitter?
Really?
That is stupid, need the high class alums to hang around the program as much as possible.
Posted on 9/19/17 at 7:27 pm to gthog61
quote:
Really?
Yep.
SEC Country article on it
quote:
That is stupid, need the high class alums to hang around the program as much as possible.
Agreed. How classy of Bert to block a former All-American and Mackey Award winner over the most benign of comments. DJ Williams is a phenomenal person and a great ambassador for our program. Let's not stupidly run those guys off.
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