Victory, injury and a new quarterback
It did not take long for Houston Nutt to insert Casey Dick into the line-up against South Carolina. It was on the third play, in fact, after Mitch Mustain’s first and only pass was intercepted.
Once the USC defender came down with the ball Mustain’s 7-0 start, the best ever for a freshman quarterback at Arkansas was quickly forgotten, and the second era of Casey Dick began in Columbia. That’s the real story of Saturday and we cannot ignore it. But before we dissect it further, it’s worth some words about the Gamecocks, generally.
What was with all the hype behind this game?
After all, South Carolina’s five victories have come against Mississippi State, Wofford, Florida Atlantic, Vanderbilt or Kentucky. Their losses were all against Top 25 teams when they played them (Georgia is no longer ranked), so there’s not much to suggest that the Gamecocks are a bad football team.
They’re just not any good against ranked teams.
But when you’re undefeated in conference play in November for the first time eight seasons and when you’re nationally relevant this late in the season for the first time in a long time, every game is perceived to be difficult game, particularly in the world of managed expectations.
Night games in the SEC are always difficult, we suppose. And in Columbia, the Gamecocks pack in more than 80,000 fans consistently. But these are the intangibles. In order for them to make a difference, South Carolina has to be competitive on the field. To listen to the radio or read the message boards, one might think that a 5-3 Carolina team was ripe to play for a national title. But to look at their players and their record, even despite of their coach, is to conclude that this team is mediocre – at best.
And that’s the caliber of team that showed up on Saturday night.
Our point is not to diminish the victory, but to state that it demonstrates nothing near the magic Arkansas’ fans argued that it would. It was a win; a good, comforting, wool cap on winter day kind of win that Arkansas fans should, by now, come to expect.
Now back to this quarterback issue. If you recall, we wrote that demoting Robert Johnson from first string quarterback to eighth string receiver was a poor decision by Nutt, regardless of the circumstances. The same is true with the Mustain demotion. One interception should not a season make. But as a result, Mustain, like Johnson, probably won’t see the field again except in mop up duty.
But we shall not get bogged down in futile debate. After all, this win, while resulting in perhaps a catastrophic decision for the program, came with its share of highlights. Darren McFadden looked strong with a 219 - yard, two-touchdown performance and Marcus Monk had a career day bringing in 8 catches for 192 yards and a touchdown. In addition to these performances, Arkansas received another big break on its road to the SEC West crown: LSU beat Tennessee.
The loss to the Tigers knocked the Volunteers out of the SEC East title hunt. That means that the Volunteers, who are without star quarterback Eric Ainge and Arian Foster (for the first half) are also without motivation. That’s not to say the Vols can’t or won’t step up.
But having to comeback from a gut wrenching loss at home and play a surging Razorback team on national television (with a Gameday crew in attendance) isn’t something we imagine appeals much to Fulmer. After all, a loss to the Hogs could put him right back on the hot seat.
While the Hogs have the momentum leading into the Tennessee, they face significant challenges of their own. Michael Grant appears to be done for the season after tearing his ACL. McFadden, Stephen Parker, and Peyton Hillis all suffered injuries that make their status against Volunteers questionable. That is bad, bad news for the Razorbacks, whose defense did nothing to merit Chris Houston’s constant taunting on the field.
Blake Mitchell torched the Hogs’ secondary and but for a late interception by Darius Vinnett was well on his way to leading South Carolina to a game-changing score. We pointed out that the Hogs secondary was picked apart against Ole Miss and but for Brent Schaffer’s inability to hit the open receiver, that game would have been closer.
So this week it’s a game-saving interception. Kudos to the defense for staying alive, but Tennessee, whether Compton or Ainge is taking the snaps, will be much better than either Ole Miss or South Carolina, particularly with their trio receivers.
The Tennessee game, after all, is the biggest game in Nutt’s tenure at Arkansas since . . . Tennessee in 1998. A win, more than likely, guarantees a SEC West championship and a spot in the title game against Florida. It also keeps Arkansas alive in the national title picture, which may, depending on what happens in the Big East, run right through Atlanta.
But that’s fodder for Thursday’s column.
Comments
Are you kidding me?? An ARKANSAS fan saying this?? You were 4-7 the past 2 years, now you are having a good team, and you think you can judge our program over 1 game agasint us?? We are the youngest team in the SEC, we have the best coach.. promise you this, we will not be mediocre next year.. Go ahead and schedule us for homecoming !!
Posted by: Christopher E. Patten | November 7, 2006 10:55 AM
I have agreed with you on past columns, but you are dead wrong on this one. Mustain has been uneven the last several games--including LA-Monroe and Ole Miss, two very bad teams. Nutt went with the hot hand and the guy that creates new problems for passing defenses for our next few opponents. Mustain will get his chances later on.
Posted by: NatureBoy | November 7, 2006 03:34 PM
I'm not sure where you got the idea that we think our team is National Championship material...nobody is saying that around here. Also, I believe that having a chance to score a winning touchdown late in the 4th Quarter is pretty competitive. In any case, we'll see you in Fayetteville next year (if you think we're worthy).
Posted by: Anonymous | November 7, 2006 07:01 PM
I'm not sure where you got the idea that we think our team is National Championship material...nobody is saying that around here. Also, I believe that having a chance to score a winning touchdown late in the 4th Quarter is pretty competitive as well. In any case, we'll see you in Fayetteville next year (if you think we're worthy).
Posted by: Anonymous | November 7, 2006 07:03 PM
Blake Mitchell played above his abilities, doubt if he was capable of making another touchdown drive. His luck was finished.
As for Tennessee, they will not be as motivated as before the LSU loss.
Go Hogs, beat the vols
Posted by: loonatikjenn | November 7, 2006 10:35 PM
Well, South Carolina is a young team and will be marginally better next year, within 5 years, if Spurier is still there, they will be a force. He is too big a name, too good a coach and too competitve a person not to put that program on the map, which adds yet another tough game to schedules across the SEC. That being said, this year's team was not good, they didn't have any big time wins and they lost as predicted, though they were in it to win it a little longer than I would have hoped. I give credit to a South Carolina team looking for an identity and to Steve Spurrier who will apparently be tormenting Hog fans from Columbia instead of Gainesville.
As for the quarterback controversy, I'm torn between Dick, who is apparently the man with the goods righ tnow and getting the phenom freshman reps since we broke his redshirt. Mustain has got to be the future and he has got to start performing if we are going to build a program around him and this new offense. Dick is a good quarterback, is he big time? I don't know, he seems to fit into the category of U of A QB's destined for arena leagues. Mustain has the tools for the next level and he has got to learn to use them. We are not going to play for the National Championship, anyone with delusions otherwise needs to smell the coffee. A BCS bowl and the SEC championship are the pinnacle of a dream right now. If we can end up 10-2, 9-3, I'd be happy, we've already beat Auburn which I would have never believed if I didn't witness it. We need to focus on the road ahead and incoroporating the many weapons on the team into one force.
Posted by: Mr. Ricky | November 8, 2006 10:03 AM
South Carolina was a hungry well coached team. What I seen was a smart move by Nutt by putting in Casey dick. It was over due. For those of you counting, it was not the one interception in the South Carolina game that got Mustain benched. It was the 8 previous that helped make that decision. I understand he is a Arkansas kid and has the tools to be great, but he is not ready. Confidence comes from being on the field with pressure but not the kind he has been under. Remember he is 8-0 as a starter but at the same time don't forget he only has the #2 rushing tandem in the nation behind him. He has got to work on his down the field passing. You can not float all you passes at this level.
To comment on South Carolina, they have the same problem getting talent that Arkansas does. Location. However they have Spurier now and we are at a disadvantage now because we still have Frank Broyles. That will keep us from ever having a top notch coach that makes his own decisions. My hat is off to Steve Spurier, talk about an answer for a man to man defense. Arkansas is and will contine to be to strong in the running game for the SEC to stop. Spurier is smart, He elected not to get caught up in that I am tougher than you little boy fight. He absolutly showed the country where his reputation comes from. Blake Mitchell did not do anything more than he was brought there to do. Throw the ball. He threw it into very good coverage and the recievers for SC would have been the heros in this came if it where pulled off. Spurier went with his stength and against Arkansas' weakness. His recievers against our secondary.
I am a huge Arkansas fan and I will tell you that if top ten is good enough. We have it great being one deminsional. If we are to be taken serious we have to be able to pass.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 8, 2006 04:51 PM
JR and Henry, I have to disagree with you about Mustain. It would be one thing if the team were 3-5, but at 8-1 the future is now. Why in the world would you not put the QB out there who gives you the best chance -- today, not next year -- of stretching defenses, consistently hitting medium and deep passes, and not turning the ball over? Why not do everything in your power to make *this* year one the team and state can long remember? Maybe a Southern Cal or a Michigan can start pointing to next year just because it is unlikely to go to a BCS bowl, but the University of Arkansas needs as many wins as it can get, the best bowl it can claim, and the most favorable impression on recruits it can make in the here and now.
As for Mitch, I doubt the kid would have come as far as he has if he were as fragile as some suggest. He'll get a zillion reps next sprng and fall and may even win back the starting slot.
Finally, I guess I'm glad I don't read message boards. I never heard South Carolina was supposed to be world-beaters. They are a good, well-coached team with some excellent skill position players who made some great plays last Saturday. What I heard, and what I believe, is that SC is a good team *capable* of beating anybody in the SEC on a given day, and the Gamecocks presented a good stout road test for the Hogs.
Anyway, I appreciate this forum for expressing opinions.
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November 10, 2006 01:37 PM