Struggles with Success Continue for Razorbacks

Even getting a win over Kansas in AutoZone Liberty Bowl, it wasn't big enough for some

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Dec 29, 2022 9:47 PM EST
Original:
Dec 29, 2022

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas fans still haven't figured out how to take a win and move on with life.

All of the talk Thursday after a 55-53 win in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis has revolved around bad officials' calls.

It doesn't matter in any case. When you won the game, it's a head-scratcher what everybody is up in the air about.

"I saw it," Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman about one of the calls and was immediately asked about another one. "I saw that, too."

Sam Pittman-Kansas — Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman looks on prior to facing the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2022 Liberty Bowl at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. (Nelson Chenault / USA TODAY Sports)

This game had a number of questionable calls on both sides. Kansas fans were complaining about things, too.

The Hogs' side had a better claim with seven for 61 yards compared to four for 34 yards against the Jayhawks.

And the Hogs won the game.

The question remains the same: Why does it matter now?

Maybe if they had ended up losing that game, which might have lasted until midnight in that event.

There were things in there that also contributed to the game being close. A lot of it had to do with the Razorbacks appearing to relax. By the fourth quarter, flashbacks of the Belk Bowl collapse in 2016 came to mind.

This one could have gone the other way.

Kansas coach Lance Leipold started chasing points in the second quarter and that usually turns out to be a dumb move. You don't do that until the fourth quarter and that one blown extra point ended up putting the game into overtime.

After out-scoring Kansas in a flurry of points in the opening period, the Hogs only scored 14 the rest of regulation. The Jayhawks' flurry of points in the fourth quarter did get the benefit of some reviewed calls that went their way.

Which is precisely why Arkansas fans are so bent sideways about today.

There are far more important questions hanging out there, particularly about that comeback.

It probably shouldn't be surprising.

That's becoming fairly common at all levels of football. In the NFL, look at the number of games each week that come down to a team making a big comeback and having at least a chance (sometimes razor-thin) to win at the end.

But to get a win and worry about how close the game was? Maybe if you're 10-2 in the game it's still splitting hairs, but maybe a little understandable.

Not for a 6-6 team.

Much like Pittman was after the game, fans can be relieved to get a win because a couple of years from now only those who want to complain about stuff will even remember the calls.

It's still a .500 season for a variety of reasons made better by a bowl game win so everybody can say they had a winning season.

If you want something that REALLY mattered to complain about, watch the ending of the basketball game Wednesday night at LSU.

That is something to complain about.