All Hogs

Razorbacks Exposed in Embarrassing Blowout by Go-Go Gators

Fans were mortified, players embarrassed but everyone needs a short memory as post-season nears
Bob Stephens|
Arkansas coach John Calipari had no answers against fantastic Florida at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek Arena in Gainesville on Saturday night.
Arkansas coach John Calipari had no answers against fantastic Florida at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek Arena in Gainesville on Saturday night. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE - Talk about false hope. When Darius Acuff Jr. netted one of his dependable mid-range jumpers to give Arkansas a 16-11 lead against No. 7 Florida, it seemed the Razorbacks were primed for a great game Saturday night.

The Hogs had quieted the Rowdy Reptiles who populate the student section in Florida's O-Dome with an 8-0 spurt.

Billy Richmond III was off to another explosive start with three buckets, all layups and two in heavy traffic.

Malique Ewin, the Hogs' best (let's say only) post scorer, had a three-point play against the Gators backup big man, giving hope he'd counter Florida's fabulous front line.

And, of course, Acuff would be Acuff. He'd key the Runnin' Razorbacks' fast break, score at the rim and behind the 3-point stripe, and win the game down the stretch.

Acuff had two buckets from mid-range and had gotten to the free-throw line, giving him five points and two assists when it was 16-11.

How did Hogs' good start become never-ending nightmare?

All seemed right as the Hogs had avoided the dreaded slow start on the road that had doomed them in double-digit road losses at Auburn and Georgia.

It appeared the fiesty Razorbacks were in this one for the duration and just might escape the raucous O-Dome with their most impressive win of the season.

Most importantly, Arkansas' defense appeared capable of occasionally stopping the Gators' high-powered offense.

Then it all changed faster than John Calipari could recite the names of his 43 first-round NBA draft picks.

The Go-Go Gators ripped off a 12-0 burst in the span of 3:18 for a 23-16 lead. It was 31-20 when Coach Cal called his first timeout.

But the onslaught had just begun. Florida's sensational and startling run expanded to 37-11, giving the home team an insurmountable 48-27 edge when Calipari called a second timeout.

If this was boxing match, ref would've stopped fight

Calipari could've simply waved the white flag, thrown in the towel, sent word to warm up the bus to the Gainesville airport. But that's not how sports works. The Hogs were forced to take their whipping for the full 40 minutes.

For die-hard Razorback fans, it was two hours of torture. But at least Cal's kids didn't give up. They certainly didn't play well but they played hard.

The biggest problem is Florida did whatever it wanted on offense and Arkansas' swiss-cheese defense was powerless to stop it. Containing the Gators' offense was a fantasy long before the first half mercifully ended.

Secondly, and perhaps more alarming, was that the Hogs were intimidated by Florida's big men. They were tentative inside 15 feet, shaky when attacking the rim, and unable to sustain anything after the early lead.

In a quick ESPN interview moments into the halftime break, Florida coach Todd Golden said, 'We're playing with a lot of freedom right now."

Kinda like the big kids schooling their little brothers and doing it any way they wanted. As a longtime sports writer who watches dispassionately, it was still hard to watch.

I've a feeling a majority of Arkansas fans abandoned ESPN and fled to Netflix at halftime.

One Hog who has to be aggressive, excel was MIA

Notably missing in action was Hogs senior Trevon Brazile, who had more fouls (4) than shots taken (3). Two of his shots were missed 3-pointers and his lack of post presence exposes the Hogs as an Elite Eight wannabe.

If Arkansas is to make noise in the post-season, Brazile has to step up. Same for Meleek Thomas, who did little that mattered against the Gators.

Calipari could rally his troops, get a good matchup in the Sweet 16 round -- if they even get there -- and reach the Elite Eight. But the Hogs looked wholly incapable of challening the nation's best last night.

Still, Florida is playing at least as well as anyone in the country. They've won 14 of 15, a dozen of those by 13 points or more.

Can Florida cut down nets for back-to-back titles?

Golden has his team playing better than last year, when he became the youngest mens hoops coach to win the national title since Jim Valvano in 1983. As Jay Bilas said, last year's title team was fueled by great guard play and this edition by a dominant frontcourt.

Florida had a lot of incentive to beat the Hogs, as the Gators clinched a share of the SEC regular-season championship. They'll cinch it by beating Mississippi State at home Wednesday.

March Madness is a crapshoot, even at the Final Four, but Florida is good enough to repeat, a feat accomplished by the great Gators teams of 2006-07 coached by Billy Donovan.

Golden's Gators even made a bit of history while embarrassing the Hogs. It was their sixth straight win against a ranked team. Only UNLV and Loyola-Marymount, both in the 1989-90 season, have done better.

Good news for Calipari is it's just one game. Beat Texas at home Wednesday, try to win at Missouri Saturday, and get ready for post-season.

As the Hogs proved last year, most things are possible, especially if players have a short memory of their nightmare in Gainesville.

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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