Arkansas Searches for New Head Coach, But Turnaround is a Story Worth Following

Oct 13, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Tyler Wilson (8) rushes as offensive tackle Jason Peacock (71) and Kentucky Wildcats defensive tackle Donte Rumph (99) look on at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE

Arkansas’s search for a permanent head coaching replacement for Bobby Petrino has a targeted due date of December, but it’s not quite time to focus solely on the 2013 Razorbacks.

The first BCS rankings are out, conference and national title contenders are beginning to emerge and Heisman talk is heating up. Yet, one of the second half stories worthy of your attention is the 3-4 Razorbacks playing for bowl eligibility.

Arkansas won its second straight in conference Saturday, smashing Kentucky 49-7 before inclement weather called off the Hogs.
Kentucky is hardly an opponent that routing translates to a season-defining moment. UK is in disarray with a likely lame duck head coach and sharing with Arkansas the dubious distinction of a Sun Belt loss. Still, there’s much from Saturday on which the Hogs can build.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson, once among the contenders for the Heisman Trophy, played with the resolve that had him on pundits’ radars before the disastrous 2012 campaign began scoring five touchdown passes on 372 yards and no interceptions. It was a performance worthy of the game ball, but the senior leader opted to turn that in a different direction.

Wilson told reporters giving the game ball to interim head coach John L. Smith was a symbolic gesture of all he’s endured this half-season.

"“‘Here, let’s give it to the guy that needs this a little bit. So I gave it to him and well-deserved. I’m glad we could go out and represent a little bit today.”When a reporter asked him what he meant by saying Smith needed the gesture, Wilson said, “I think he deserved it. I think he deserved the ball.”"

Wilson’s post-game response to an embarassing, shut-out loss vs. Alabama was a representation of the heartache and frustration the program endured in its first month on-field, and the half-year since Petrino’s exit.

Perhaps the awarding of his game ball to Smith will be the iconic representation of the Razorbacks’ redemption. Their dreams of winning the SEC have long since been dashed, but while a new coach is settling in for the next season, this year’s team could be preparing for one, final game. That would be a tremendous victory for both the program and Smith, given the tribulations of both.

Smith was known for animated outbursts prior to taking over in the wake of Petrino’s Arkansas dismissal. Observers got a laugh from Smith slapping himself at a press conference while coaching Michigan State, but it was difficult to take his advice to smile earlier this year.

Initially viewed as typically odd Smith behavior, we learned Smith’s brother died. News of Smith being $25 million in debt also surfaced, and that figure has since escalated to over $40 million. Suddenly, losses to UL-Monroe and Alabama seemed rather trivial.

Earning three more wins to spend the holiday season in Shreveport or Memphis might seem equally trivial. However, with all the negative that’s been heaped both on Smith and his players, that dash of positive could mean a lot.

The Razorbacks must finish 3-2 to achieve what a few weeks ago looked impossible. Rival LSU closes out the regular season. Though strange things happen in rivalry contests, a Razorback win would be monumental, so a loss can reasonably be penciled in. An interdivisional trip to South Carolina also looks bleak for the Hogs. But Arkansas has other home contests remaining with Ole Miss and Tulsa, favorable match-ups.

Arkansas’s bowl aspirations could rely on a Nov. 17 trip to Starkville to face currently unbeaten Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 20 of every poll, but because of the level of its current competition, gauging how good these Bulldogs truly are is difficult. Likewise, we don’t know how well this Arkansas team is capable of playing. Perhaps this final stretch will demonstrate why the Hogs were once considered contenders to Alabama and LSU for SEC West supremacy.

Reaching the Independence, BBVA or Liberty Bowls may not seem like much on the surface, but for Smith and Arkansas, that would be a performance truly worth of a game ball.