FAYETTEVILLE -- Last season's Razorbacks managed to go 8-5 without Keon Hatcher.
This year's Razorbacks would be 0-1 without him. Subtract 4 of Hatcher's 6 catches for 86 yards and Arkansas loses to underdog Louisiana Tech rather than escaping the Bulldogs 21-20 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
A fifth-year hardship senior upon missing the final 11 games of 2015 with a broken foot, Hatcher caught a 16-yard pass from quarterback Austin Allen during Arkansas' first-quarter touchdown drive, tying Louisiana Tech 7-7.
On the second-quarter drive putting Arkansas up 14-7, Hatcher caught a fourth-and-7 pass from Allen for 18 yards to the Tech 17.
And on Arkansas' crucial fourth-quarter touchdown drive, Hatcher caught an 18-yard pass on second-and-13 and a 13-yard pass to the Tech 7 on second-and-goal from the 20 while defying two tacklers trying to drag him down by the dreadlocks.
"Huge," Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said of Hatcher's impact. "The play that he made on second and 14 that Austin got him the ball, that's a huge play in the game. And then the shallow cross he was tackled by his hair twice on the same play which got it down to the 7 and we're third and goal on the 7 rather than being on the 14 or 15. Those are obstacles not easy to overcome. Keon had a huge part."
And a physical one, too.
"He came down on those defensive ends a couple of times as hard as they'll get hit all day," Bielema said of his 6-2, 207-pound senior from Owasso, Okla.
Hatcher's performance Saturday underscored the superb job returning senior receivers Drew Morgan and Dominique Reed and returning junior Jared Cornelius did last year in Hatcher's absence.
Especially after Hatcher contributed 13 catches for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 1½ games he played last year.
Morgan contributed 5 receptions for 47 yards against Tech while Cornelius caught a 13-yard touchdown.
Reed runs the fastest of them all.
In this great receiving group that Arkansas has augmented by senior tight end Jeremy Sprinkle, expect all to take their big-game turns.
Keon Hatcher took his turn when Arkansas needed him most.
PHILANTHROPIST PASSES AWAY
The Razorbacks, the University of Arkansas, indeed the entire state of Arkansas just lost the epitome of philanthropy.
Pat Walker died at 97 after donating with her late husband, Willard Walker, an estimated $125 million to the UA and a variety of civic projects and charities.
Some Razorbacks fans likely know the Walkers most for the Walker Family Training Center, the football program's indoor practice facility. But that's just frosting on the cake compared to the truly essential Walker family contributions that are indelible to the state and university.
Sports on 09/07/2016