LIKE IT IS

Bielema not familiar with losing seasons

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema coaches his team against Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013.(AP Photo/John Raoux)
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema coaches his team against Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

In 2008, Bret Bielema’s third season at Wisconsin, the Badgers were 3-4 with five games to play in the regular season.

No one was really complaining at the time, because Wisconsin went 12-1, complete with a 17-14 victory over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl, and 9-4, in Bielema’s first two seasons.

Bielema and his staff didn’t panic, stuck to their knitting and won four out of the last five to finish the regular season 7-5.

That’s as close as Bielema came to a losing record in his seven seasons at Wisconsin.

Now, in his first season at Arkansas, Bielema’s Razorbacks are 3-3, have lost three in a row, and unless they can get back on track and win Saturday, Bielema might be ready to experience his first losing season as a head coach.

It might be his last, judging by the freshmen he and his staff have brought in, but it will be a bitter pill for him, more difficult for him to swallow than any fan can imagine.

With tough road games at Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU still to be played, the Hogs have to win every home game to be bowl eligible.

Bielema remains the right choice for the Razorbacks program, which was much more fractured than most realized.

Bobby Petrino was a great offensive coach, but he seemed to have about as much interest in recruiting as my grandmother and she passed away in 1962.

He trusted his assistants to recruit, and while they do the heavy lifting, the head coach and players close the deal, which was not a winning formula at Arkansas.

One former player from Petrino’s Louisville days once said if all you care about is winning some conference championship rings, he’s who you want to play for.

Bielema loves his players, and that trust, care and affection seems to be a two-way street.

That was evident after the loss to Florida on Saturday night in Gainesville when Bielema, walking off the field, suddenly stopped, turned and waited for quarterback Brandon Allen. When Allen caught up, Bielema patted him on the back and said a few words to him, and Allen’s walk suddenly became a little more confident.

Allen admitted afterward that he didn’t have a good night, but it certainly wasn’t all his fault.

He completed 17 of 41 passes for 164 yards and 1 touchdown, but at least five passes that would have resulted in first downs were dropped. His one interception was returned for a touchdown, and not to make excuses, but he was running for his life when he made the throw.

He was sacked twice and knocked down countless others, and his uniform after the game was a nightmare of grass stains and dirt.

The Razorbacks do seem to be improving a little each week, but it is not a good sign when coaches are still tinkering with the offensive line in the sixth game and it has nothing to do with injuries.

Bielema said the problems against Florida were varied, but he didn’t single out anyone or position.

The Razorbacks apparently got a bad break a week earlier when Jeff Driskel, Florida’s starting quarterback, was knocked out for the season.

He was adequate before breaking his leg in the first quarter of Florida’s SEC opener, against Tennessee, but had only two touchdown passes and suffered three interceptions.

Redshirt junior Tyler Murphy stepped in and was a difference-maker for the Gators, who under Coach Will Muschamp are usually a pound-the-ground offense.

Arkansas’ defense held running backs Matt Jones to 50 yards on 17 carries and Mack Brown to 39 on 11, while Murphy, a dual threat, burned the Hogs for completions of 51 yards (touchdown), 38 (touchdown) 22 and 19 twice.

He completed 16 of 22 passes for 240 yards, with the five big plays accounting for 149 yards. All three offensive touchdowns came through the air.

Now the Hogs have to prepare for South Carolina, a must-win game if they want to keep dreaming about a bowl, and it is the most important game on the schedule because it is next.

Sports, Pages 17 on 10/08/2013

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