Even in Arkansas' darkest hour, fan base shows what can be possible

To most rational people, there really wasn't a good reason to spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Razorback Stadium to watch Arkansas finish a lost season on a whimper.

But that's exactly what happened, Missouri picked up 322 of its 347 yards on the ground and trounced the Razorbacks 31-17 in the season finale.

Missouri was 4.5 point favorites coming into the game. Arkansas' bowl hopes left a month ago, the chances at a good season long before that. The weather sat in the high 40s at kickoff with wind gusting over 15 miles an hour. By nightfall the weather was even worse.

Even with all the disasterous circumstances and a football team that hadn't won in 84 days, 61,508 tickets were sold. There was plenty of black and gold mixed in with the red.

Mizzou fans definitely played their part in inflating the numbers, but for the ultimate Razorback faithful that still showed up when Arkansas had nothing to play for, the 30 seniors couldn't be more grateful.

"For the fans to come out in that weather, especially for the season that we've had, that's how you know," senior defensive tackle Cam Ball said. "This whole state of Arkansas, they just came together.

“It was so surreal to just see how many people actually came out and to support us through it all and us not winning games, it just gets me tingling inside. Just to see how much love that we have to be football players here."

The love wasn't reciprocated on the scoreboard. Arkansas went into halftime tied or leading for the eighth time this season after kicker Scott Starzyk hit a field goal with 11 seconds left in the half to put the Razorbacks up 17-14 at intermission.

The Hogs were shut out in the second half as Missouri out-gained the Hogs 201-73.

Even the opposing coach remarked on the opportunity lost for a place that does hold potential.

"The SEC is better when Arkansas is good,” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “As a guy who's from Arkansas, I hope they can find the right coach and get this thing going again, because this is a special stadium when it's sold out and the fans are rocking. I know Arkansas fans believe in the Hogs, and so I wish them the best.”

The Ozark weather for the final three games is a fitting metaphor for the season. Arkansas did not get a home game that kicked off later that 4:30 p.m. and even that was due to lightning in the area. The rain symbolized a kind of darkness that Razorbacks are far too familiar with after another 2-10 season.

"We haven't had the sun out very much," coach Bobby Petrino said. "We've had a lot of rain, had a lot of weather. Somebody pissed the guy upstairs off. I hope it wasn't me. Come on, that’s a little bit of piling on."

Senior day is usually a celebration of the leaders of the program, allowing them to bask in what they've contributed to the program, Arkansas did that the best they could given the circumstances.

"I'm forever grateful because there's some fan bases where people won't show up," senior offensive lineman Fernando Carmona said. "It just shows how special this place can be. I'm forever grateful to be a Hog."

How special the place can be... Arkansas lost its magic, now its up to the people who let the cold wash over the stadium bring back the magic that the place can have.