Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

FAYETTEVILLE -- To think Western Illinois was being tagged as the surest "W" of the 12 foes on Arkansas Razorbacks' mostly difficult schedule. And it came down to a dramatic two-touchdown comeback in the fourth quarter, led by passer-turned-runner Casey Dick. Who saw that coming?

It will be a long season, folks. There are a lot of games left. We mean that in a good way for the Hogs. There's plenty of time for all the talented freshmen that are playing to grow up. Joe Adams and Greg Childs at receiver, De'Anthony Curtis at running back, Jelani Smith at linebacker and Elton Ford at safety all had moments of brilliance. They also looked not ready at other times.

Saturday night wasn't the last time that will happen. These guys barely know where their UA classes are.

But, all good and bad aside, Arkansas still ended up an opening-game winner, 28-24.

We suppose what's so shocking for most folks today, many who sat mostly silent in Razorback Stadium for the better part of three quarters, is that we bought into the hype that any problems with a certain-to-be porous defense would be moot -- at least against the lesser talented teams on the slate -- with this unstoppable Bobby Petrino offense.

Fact is, the plays look nicely designed. There were yards to be gained, most certainly. They're just so inconsistently executed, even by a senior quarterback. Granted, he's under his fourth coordinator in four years, and now it's all in his hands. But more blame goes toward some more experienced of the receivers. Until the last two possessions of the fourth quarter, the Hogs were best at stopping their own offense.

This all will take some getting used to over the next 13 weeks, and we don't just mean the all-red look of the Arkansas Razorbacks home uniforms. At least the pants match this time, unlike that disastrous fashion and physical faux pas at the Cotton Bowl nine months ago.

Saturday night at Razorback Stadium, the problems were all physical.

Naturally, it only took until halftime, when Western held a 10-7 lead, until a well-respected media member who backed Houston Nutt during all the Malzahn-Mustain drama of 2006-07 said to us, "I guess Houston Nutt wasn't such a bad coach." No, he was able with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to outmatch two-third of the team's oponents last year. Let's not forget that Joe Adams would have been at Charlottesville, Va., with the rest of the Southern Cal Trojans this weekend had Nutt remained as Arkansas' coach.

Of course, about the same time as that comment, the press box was starting to buzz about news from Ole Miss, Nutt's new home, and the 200 or so yards the Rebels supposedly had passed for in running away from Memphis in Oxford (our research showed quarterback Jevan Sneed had 136 by intermission).

Another writer quickly calculated during the second quarter, when the Hogs had 98 yards, that Petrino was earning $28,000 a yard.

We bet today that those fans of not just the Razorbacks but more of Houston Nutt the past five years are no doubt having a hearty laugh, or at least an "I told you so" moment, that Petrino and his Hogs were lucky to escape a Football Championship Subdivision team. They used to call that D-IAA, and the only time the Hogs lost to one, the head coach was fired the next day.