REVENGE IN STORE: Payback On Hogs’ Minds
ARKANSAS SEEKS TO IMPROVE ITS BOWL PROSPECTS WITH WIN
Saturday, November 21, 2009
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett didn’t go to Starkville, Miss., last season, so the sophomore wasn’t on the sideline to soak in the disappointment.
Mallett knew exactly what Arkansas’ 31-28 loss to the Bulldogs meant, though. It was the Razorbacks’ seventh of the season, eliminating them from bowl contention. And the frustration was obvious when his teammates returned to Fayetteville.
“They felt like we didn’t play our best,” Mallett said. “So we’ve got a little chip on our shoulder going into this one.”
Arkansas will be looking for a different outcome when it plays Mississippi State in War Memorial Stadium today. The Razorbacks (6-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) became bowl eligible last week, but are viewing this season’s meeting with the Bulldogs (4-6, 2-4) as a
chance to improve their status by capping the home schedule with one more win.
They’d also like to deal the fi nal blow to Mississippi State’s bowl hopes in its first season under coach Dan Mullen.
“This one is personal,” Arkansas safety Matt Harris admitted Wednesday. “Every game you like to go out there and win, but last year this kind of shot our dreams down. So now that we’re bowl eligible, we’d like to repay the gift.”
Arkansas’ loss to Mississippi State last season snapped the Razorbacks’ nine-game win streak in the series.
Arkansas actually led 14-0 before crumbling. Running back Anthony Dixon did most of the damage, running for 179 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two touchdown passes and the Bulldogs gained a season-best 445 yards in the win.
Mississippi State will lean on its run game again today, hoping it can lead the Bulldogs to an important upset.
“We still have the opportunity to win our last two games to become bowl eligible,” Mullen said.
The Razorbacks may not be facing a must-win game for their bowl eligibility anymore, but there is plenty to accomplish.
First, coach Bobby Petrino has stressed the importance of winning home games. The Razorbacks have responded much of the year. Arkansas is 5-1 in Fayetteville and Little Rock, losing only the SEC opener to Georgia in September.
The home finale comes against a team that has played its best on the road this season. MSU is 3-1 outside of Starkville.
“We want to keep that home fi eld going,” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “The thing that kind of goes unnoticed is that Mississippi State is a good road football team. ...
“We’ve got to do a great job of defending our home fi eld.”
A win also could help improve Arkansas’ bowl status, too.
For now, the Razorbacks’ postseason destination remains cloudy. Prognosticators have placed Arkansas anywhere from the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., the Liberty Bowl in Memphis and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
But the Hogs know a Cotton Bowl trip would require a strong close to the season.
“We feel like we’re riding high,” running back Ronnie Wingo said. “We’ve got two more games left. We’re on a three-game winning streak trying to make it fi ve, really just trying to build momentum for this year going into next year.”
Then there’s that whole revenge factor.
Petrino has heard several players mention it this week, but said the coaches didn’t approach the week as a chance to get back at the Bulldogs. Instead, Petrino is more concerned with the Razorbacks taking another step in all three phases of the game, trying to push their win streak to four games.
“As a coaching staff we’re trying to work on our preparation, really understand what we want to do, understanding what they want to do and doing things correctly,” Petrino said.
But he acknowledged that revenge has been on his players’ minds as they prepare to meet Mississippi State once again.
“I think that is something our vets talk about,” he said.
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