LITTLE ROCK — It was almost as if the second lightning delay Saturday was exactly what the Arkansas defense needed.
Ole Miss had scored its second fourth-quarter touchdown to pull within 31-24 and the Rebels seemed to have the momentum.
The Razorbacks’ defense had been on the field 35:06 and played 66 snaps.
Arkansas’ offense had been on the field only 18:34.
When play resumed 31 minutes later, the Razorbacks immediately put together their most time-consuming touchdown drive of the day, 1:49.
Yes, all four touchdown drives took less than two minutes each, they were 5 plays, 65 yards, 1:42; 3-80, 1:02; 2-71, 28 seconds, and 5-60, 1:49.
The field goal drive that took 3:44 was the most time consuming of the day for the Hogs.
It would be impossible to think that Greg Childs wouldn’t make the incredibly acrobatic catch - he had to do a somersault because he caught the ball so low - for a touchdown just to burn time.
Or that D.J. Williams wouldn’t turn a pass in the flats into a 46-yard gain on the first touchdown drive.
Arkansas’ offense is fairly high octane. Knile Davis’ 176 yards on 22 carries might indicate otherwise, but he scored on runs of 71 and 22 yards.
Whatever ... it will soon be forgotten that Ole Miss’ offense was really productive everywhere but the scoreboard and that Tenarius Wright’s fumble recovery at the 4 might have been the play of the game.
It is called progress.
At this point in Bobby Petrino’s first season as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Hogs were 3-4 and had been outscored 233-132.
Last season at this time, they were again 3-4, but had outscored opponents 224-192.
Right now, they are 5-2 and have outscored opponents 231-164.
More progress: The Razorbacks didn’t get bowl eligible two years ago.
Last year, they got the magic number of six Nov. 14 and this year, could make it Oct. 30, Saturday, against Vanderbilt.
In Petrino’s first two seasons, the Razorbacks never got ranked, but they have been ranked every week this season, going as high as No. 10 after beating Georgia. They are No. 19 in the BCS rankings, and Iowa, No. 18, is the only team ahead of the Hogs with two losses.
Speaking of bowl eligibility, four teams in the SEC Western Division are bowl eligible with at least six victories.
In the Eastern Division,no one is bowl eligible. South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky need two victories.
Vanderbilt and Tennessee would need to win four of the final five games.
Ole Miss needs to win three.
The SEC is affiliated with nine bowls, and maybe 10 if a team makes it to the BCS championship game.
There are 35 bowl games this season, meaning 70 of 120 Division I teams could play in a postseason game.
The bowls start Dec. 18 and finish Jan. 10.
There is one bowl game on Fox and one on CBS; the rest are on ESPN or ABC.
Tonight is a big night for Little Rock Ducks Unlimited at Chenal Country Club, when it honors the sixth winner of the Jerry Jones Sportsmanship Award.
Most people who go duck hunting and get within 25 miles of Stuttgart will stop at Mack’s Prairie Wings, one of the finest stores for hunters and fishermen.
Marion “Mack” McCullom will receive the Jerry Jones award at a banquet that is open to the public and Ducks Unlimited sponsors tonight.
Former winners are Jones, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sheffield Nelson, Sen. Mark Pryor and George Dunklin.
Sports, Pages 17 on 10/26/2010