Razorbacks never fail to entertain
Swinging for the Fences
Matt Watson
Issue date: 11/10/08 Section: Sports
And just like that, the Hogs have their backs against the wall once again.
Just when they get you excited, they let you down, and whenever you're down they always seem to surprise you again, only to bring you down to earth later, and on and on and you get the point.
Ah, the life of a sports fan.
It's the ups and the downs that you live for.
If the football team could have just said, "Look, we're going to finish 4-8 or 5-7 this season. We're not doing the bowl thing this year. Maybe later," everyone could have taken a deep breath, accepted the 'rebuilding year,' and focused on other things this fall. Instead of spending four hours worrying about football every Saturday, you could have spent that time writing papers, doing laundry or mastering the violin.
The Razorbacks just couldn't throw this season away. They had to make it interesting.
It's great seeing Michael Smith, the little engine that could, still leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards per game, a yard per contest more than pre-season Heisman candidate Knowshon Mereno of Georgia.
He's not Darren McFadden and Felix Jones by any means, but it's fun to watch him stop and go, giving defenses a headache even when he gets stuffed for two or three yards.
It's crazy how Casey Dick, the senior quarterback who has to be exhausted after four years of roller coaster up and downs, can throw for 385 yards against the No. 19 team in the country and the next week, outside of a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, throw for 147 yards and three interceptions.
It's painful to watch Dick get knocked down, play after play, and then watch him dive after defenders going for a pick-six every week.
Yet he still goes out there every Saturday and throws a 70-yard touchdown pass, or catches a touchdown pass, or runs for a pair of touchdowns, or does something else that makes you appreciate a guy who's given everything he has to a program without much in return.
Just when they get you excited, they let you down, and whenever you're down they always seem to surprise you again, only to bring you down to earth later, and on and on and you get the point.
Ah, the life of a sports fan.
It's the ups and the downs that you live for.
If the football team could have just said, "Look, we're going to finish 4-8 or 5-7 this season. We're not doing the bowl thing this year. Maybe later," everyone could have taken a deep breath, accepted the 'rebuilding year,' and focused on other things this fall. Instead of spending four hours worrying about football every Saturday, you could have spent that time writing papers, doing laundry or mastering the violin.
The Razorbacks just couldn't throw this season away. They had to make it interesting.
It's great seeing Michael Smith, the little engine that could, still leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards per game, a yard per contest more than pre-season Heisman candidate Knowshon Mereno of Georgia.
He's not Darren McFadden and Felix Jones by any means, but it's fun to watch him stop and go, giving defenses a headache even when he gets stuffed for two or three yards.
It's crazy how Casey Dick, the senior quarterback who has to be exhausted after four years of roller coaster up and downs, can throw for 385 yards against the No. 19 team in the country and the next week, outside of a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, throw for 147 yards and three interceptions.
It's painful to watch Dick get knocked down, play after play, and then watch him dive after defenders going for a pick-six every week.
Yet he still goes out there every Saturday and throws a 70-yard touchdown pass, or catches a touchdown pass, or runs for a pair of touchdowns, or does something else that makes you appreciate a guy who's given everything he has to a program without much in return.
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