FAYETTEVILLE — If longtime Arkansas fans think their Razorbacks are repeating a long ago nightmare despite heroics it is because they are.
Just change the names from Quinn Grovey and Derek Russell to Tyler Wilson and Cobi Hamilton and it’s Arkansas 1990.
In last Saturday night’s nonconference game against Rutgers at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Wilson completed 20 of 39 passes for 419 yards and 3 touchdowns. Senior receiver Hamilton snagged the three touchdowns among 10 catches and a spectacular Razorbacks’ record 303 receiving yards.
Yet the Hogs wallow 1-3 off a 35-26 defeat to the Big East team they were favored to beat. They lost in the style of those 1990 Razorbacks, who floundered to 3-8 despite quarterback Grovey and wide receiver Russell also achieving mind-boggling numbers, often in big comebacks that fell short.
Arkansas’ 1990 defense couldn’t defend against the pass and its offense couldn’t complement its passing game on the run.
All of the above applies to Arkansas 2012.
Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova, normally just a complementary arm to rugged running back Jawan Jamison’s ground game, shredded Arkansas’ secondary for 395 yards completing 25 of 35 with 5 touchdowns.
Add Rutgers’ 128 rushing yards and the Scarlet Knights became the third consecutive opponent to surpass 400 yards total offense on Arkansas with a season high 525.
These Razorbacks, favored three games out of four so far, the exception of course before top-ranked reigning national champion Alabama administered a 52-0 whipping, could well be underdogs all their remaining eight that include seven SEC games starting Saturday at Texas A&M.
Certainly there seems no evidence to perceive otherwise, post Rutgers, aside from Wilson and Hamilton.
As Grovey and Russell, Southwest Conference champions in 1988 and ‘89 can vouch from 1990, two stars don’t shine victoriously if the rest in the galaxy orbit off course.
The 1990 Hogs started orbiting off course when Coach Ken Hatfield seized the suddenly available Clemson job.
Offensive coordinator turned head coach Jack Crowe inherited a situation ultimately not as good as it seemed coming off a 10-2 season.
Ditto, John L. Smith replacing Bobby Petrino who was fired last April.
Petrino’s consecutive 10-3 and 11-2 seasons were achieved despite suspect defenses now minus in 2012 most who made the key defensive plays of 2010 and 2011.
No Jerry Franklin, Jake Bequette or Jerico Nelson was so evident when the Razorbacks, punting Rutgers back to its 1, surrounded but couldn’t corral Jamison. The Rutgers bowling ball spun away in his end zone from the would-be safety that would have brought Arkansas to down just 35-28 and Rutgers kicking from its 20 with six minutes left.
“It looked like we had him three or four yards deep in the end zone,” Arkansas senior safety Ross Rasner said. “We had four guys on him. I thought it was a safety and then he popped around the corner and it was a 20-yard gain. That is where the game fell apart for us.”
Another 1990 Arkansas post game epitaph echoing through an Arkansas post game 2012.
Sports, Pages 16 on 09/24/2012