* Malik Monk ... Trick or Treat is fitting on this day and with the recruitment of arguably the best Arkansas HS basketball player ever. Hang on, because this is a tight, tight race. I've felt for some time that MM already knows where he is going, problem is I've gotten almost equal positive and negative feedback regarding the Hogs' chances from folks really close to the situation and its been fluid for 2 years now. My latest info is encouraging for the Hogs, and the realist in me will only allow me to upgrade our chances to 50/50 -- I won't believe anything until the ink is dry.
The Monks have said the plan all along is that MM will sign in the spring, but he's already taken 4 of his OV's to his 4 leaders, and the Monk's have also indicated he could commit early and still sign late, or that he could even change his mind and sign early. Look, there are several scenarios that could play out, but as of today, I like Arkansas' chances. Questions is, what are we doing as a staff, student body, fan base, etc., to make this weekend his BEST visit? I hope we are PROVING to him that being a Hog is his best option for becoming a legend and endeared in this state, and that this is his best business decision.
* Alex Collins ... I'm not sure as a fan base that we appreciate AC's production as much as we should. This is one of the 4- or 5-star players who has more than lived up to the billing, IMO, and as good as he was in his first 2 seasons, he's taken it to another level in 2015 -- and just in time, because the loss of Johnathan Williams left the RB corps with a tall task in an offense centered around the run game.
AC's not too far away from standing next to DMAC in nearly all the significant RB statistical categories at Arkansas ...
-- Career rushing yards: With 2,913 career rushing yards, AC needs only 87 more to join the 3,000
career-rushing-yards club, moving him into 5th place for career rushing yards behind only DMAC
(4,590), Ben Cowins (3,570), Dickey Morton (3,317), and Cedric Cobbs (3,018). And just looking
at those numbers, AC needs only 658 more more rushing yards to move into 2nd-place all-time
behind DMAC (that's 109.7 yards per game through 5 more regular-season games plus a bowl game,
and he's currently averaging 112.1 ypg)
-- Single-season rushing yards: With 787 rushing yards on the season, AC needs just 213 more
to join DMAC as the only Razorbacks to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of 3 seasons.
And, with 601 more rushing yards this season (just 100.2 per game in 6 more games, and again
he's currently averaging 112.1 ypg) he'd finish with the 3rd best single-season rushing total in school
history with 1,388 yards, good for 3rd only behind DMAC's 1,830 yards in 2007 and 1,647 yards
in 2006.
-- Career rushing TDs: With 23 career rushing TDs, AC is already 10th in career rushing TDs as a Hog,
but with just 4 more, he'll jump all the way up to 5th all-time. And with 8 more, he'd move into 4th place.
He's got 7 rushing TDs through 7 games this year, and if he gets the chance to have a monster game
today against TN-Martin, he's got a great chance to get into that Top 5 by the end of the day.
-- Single-season and career 100-yard rushing games: With 5 100-yards-rushing games already
under his belt this season, AC needs just 3 more to move into 2nd place for single-season
100-yards-rushing games, again behind only DMAC (had 10 in 2007) ... and this is the one category
that if he stays hot he could tie or even surpass DMAC for No. 1. Also, with 12 career 100-yard rushing
games, he's 5th in career 100-yard rushing games needing just 5 more to move all the way up to 2nd
place behind only DMAC (22).
-- Career rush attempts: With 544 career carries, AC is currently 6th all-time in this category, and needs
just 16 carries to get to 5th all-time, and a total of 92 more carries (15.3 per game in the next 6 games)
will jump him to 2nd all-time behind DMAC (785 career carries).
Very impressive when you consider that AC is laying down that kind of all-time production in just 3 seasons while effectively splitting the workload with JWill 2/3s of his time here on teams that have been sub-.500 the majority of his time here.
* Running Back U report ... I've done it every season for years, but just have not made the time for it this year. However, after a recent thread that turned into some debate about Arkansas as RBU, it got me to thinking it is time to bring back that report. I will put one together after all the NFL games this weekend.
* Jared Cornelius, Austin Allen, and Rafe Peavey ... as good as Drew Morgan has been this season, especially in the YAC and bubble-screen aspects of his game, JC was on a bit of a tear himself in those aspects of his game before suffering the injury early in the season. I look for him, Drew, and Reed to get a lot of looks, and I'm hoping BA gets pulled as early as the end of the 1st Q if we are rolling so that AA and RP gets some series playing with some of these starting WRs and TEs and our starting OL to see what they can do with the full complement of weapons and beef up front.
* Kody Walker, Juan Day, and Denzell Evans ... I hope AC racks up some hefty stats in the 1st half, and then I want to see all 3 of these guys getting carries. I'm sure Walker will get a good share in the first half, but I'd like him to get more in the 3rd Q before handing the rest over to JD and DE.
* Get to 4-4 and ... the Hogs will have won 3 of their past 4 games (all in October which was unheard of in 2012, 13, and 14) with a real shot at winning out to get to 8-4 (and 6-2 SEC) and ranked heading into the postseason as winners of 7 of our last 8 games. I'm not predicting it, but it's not unrealistic to think we could pull that off. Worse-case, I see us going 6-6 (4-4 SEC) and getting back to another bowl game, and given the losses on defense before the start of the season, and the losses on O due to injury, that would be acceptable, IMO.
* Red-White basketball game rosters have been set for Sunday ... with 10 scholarship players
and 3 walk-ons participating, it breaks down like this:
-- Red team ... Jabril Durham, Manny Watkins, Dusty Hannahs, Lorenzo Jenkins, Moses Kingsley,
Willy Kouassi, and Jake Mosiman (walk-on guard).
-- White team ... Anthlon Bell, Jimmy Whitt, DaShaun Stark (walk-on G/SF), Tristan Simmons (walk-on
guard), Keaton Miles, and Trey Thompson
The Monks have said the plan all along is that MM will sign in the spring, but he's already taken 4 of his OV's to his 4 leaders, and the Monk's have also indicated he could commit early and still sign late, or that he could even change his mind and sign early. Look, there are several scenarios that could play out, but as of today, I like Arkansas' chances. Questions is, what are we doing as a staff, student body, fan base, etc., to make this weekend his BEST visit? I hope we are PROVING to him that being a Hog is his best option for becoming a legend and endeared in this state, and that this is his best business decision.
* Alex Collins ... I'm not sure as a fan base that we appreciate AC's production as much as we should. This is one of the 4- or 5-star players who has more than lived up to the billing, IMO, and as good as he was in his first 2 seasons, he's taken it to another level in 2015 -- and just in time, because the loss of Johnathan Williams left the RB corps with a tall task in an offense centered around the run game.
AC's not too far away from standing next to DMAC in nearly all the significant RB statistical categories at Arkansas ...
-- Career rushing yards: With 2,913 career rushing yards, AC needs only 87 more to join the 3,000
career-rushing-yards club, moving him into 5th place for career rushing yards behind only DMAC
(4,590), Ben Cowins (3,570), Dickey Morton (3,317), and Cedric Cobbs (3,018). And just looking
at those numbers, AC needs only 658 more more rushing yards to move into 2nd-place all-time
behind DMAC (that's 109.7 yards per game through 5 more regular-season games plus a bowl game,
and he's currently averaging 112.1 ypg)
-- Single-season rushing yards: With 787 rushing yards on the season, AC needs just 213 more
to join DMAC as the only Razorbacks to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of 3 seasons.
And, with 601 more rushing yards this season (just 100.2 per game in 6 more games, and again
he's currently averaging 112.1 ypg) he'd finish with the 3rd best single-season rushing total in school
history with 1,388 yards, good for 3rd only behind DMAC's 1,830 yards in 2007 and 1,647 yards
in 2006.
-- Career rushing TDs: With 23 career rushing TDs, AC is already 10th in career rushing TDs as a Hog,
but with just 4 more, he'll jump all the way up to 5th all-time. And with 8 more, he'd move into 4th place.
He's got 7 rushing TDs through 7 games this year, and if he gets the chance to have a monster game
today against TN-Martin, he's got a great chance to get into that Top 5 by the end of the day.
-- Single-season and career 100-yard rushing games: With 5 100-yards-rushing games already
under his belt this season, AC needs just 3 more to move into 2nd place for single-season
100-yards-rushing games, again behind only DMAC (had 10 in 2007) ... and this is the one category
that if he stays hot he could tie or even surpass DMAC for No. 1. Also, with 12 career 100-yard rushing
games, he's 5th in career 100-yard rushing games needing just 5 more to move all the way up to 2nd
place behind only DMAC (22).
-- Career rush attempts: With 544 career carries, AC is currently 6th all-time in this category, and needs
just 16 carries to get to 5th all-time, and a total of 92 more carries (15.3 per game in the next 6 games)
will jump him to 2nd all-time behind DMAC (785 career carries).
Very impressive when you consider that AC is laying down that kind of all-time production in just 3 seasons while effectively splitting the workload with JWill 2/3s of his time here on teams that have been sub-.500 the majority of his time here.
* Running Back U report ... I've done it every season for years, but just have not made the time for it this year. However, after a recent thread that turned into some debate about Arkansas as RBU, it got me to thinking it is time to bring back that report. I will put one together after all the NFL games this weekend.
* Jared Cornelius, Austin Allen, and Rafe Peavey ... as good as Drew Morgan has been this season, especially in the YAC and bubble-screen aspects of his game, JC was on a bit of a tear himself in those aspects of his game before suffering the injury early in the season. I look for him, Drew, and Reed to get a lot of looks, and I'm hoping BA gets pulled as early as the end of the 1st Q if we are rolling so that AA and RP gets some series playing with some of these starting WRs and TEs and our starting OL to see what they can do with the full complement of weapons and beef up front.
* Kody Walker, Juan Day, and Denzell Evans ... I hope AC racks up some hefty stats in the 1st half, and then I want to see all 3 of these guys getting carries. I'm sure Walker will get a good share in the first half, but I'd like him to get more in the 3rd Q before handing the rest over to JD and DE.
* Get to 4-4 and ... the Hogs will have won 3 of their past 4 games (all in October which was unheard of in 2012, 13, and 14) with a real shot at winning out to get to 8-4 (and 6-2 SEC) and ranked heading into the postseason as winners of 7 of our last 8 games. I'm not predicting it, but it's not unrealistic to think we could pull that off. Worse-case, I see us going 6-6 (4-4 SEC) and getting back to another bowl game, and given the losses on defense before the start of the season, and the losses on O due to injury, that would be acceptable, IMO.
* Red-White basketball game rosters have been set for Sunday ... with 10 scholarship players
and 3 walk-ons participating, it breaks down like this:
-- Red team ... Jabril Durham, Manny Watkins, Dusty Hannahs, Lorenzo Jenkins, Moses Kingsley,
Willy Kouassi, and Jake Mosiman (walk-on guard).
-- White team ... Anthlon Bell, Jimmy Whitt, DaShaun Stark (walk-on G/SF), Tristan Simmons (walk-on
guard), Keaton Miles, and Trey Thompson
