Arkansas vs 4Tennessee game thread

[jdcatty]

I thought the hog in the middle of the field looked faded and wasn't nearly bright enough.

[DrMongoose]

https://x.com/davidubben/status/1842949091283878005?s=61&t=yqgft3mqzhJjVNQN1flX9A

[buff2.0]

https://x.com/davidubben/status/1842949091283878005?s=61&t=yqgft3mqzhJjVNQN1flX9A

Tennessee's high-flying offense — and Playoff hopes — grounded in loss to Arkansas
David Ubben
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The fans spilled onto the field by the hundreds.

Tennessee did what it could to get off the field, burrowing through an avalanche of students to reach the locker room after getting upset 19-14 at Arkansas. Receiver Squirrel White was one of the last stone-faced Vols to escape the sidelines, his right arm hanging in a black sling after a late-game injury as police escorted him through celebrating fans.

A few minutes later, adding insult to injury, "Rocky Top" blared over the stadium speakers.

Tennessee's record? Blemished.

Its high-flying offense? Grounded.

Its College Football Playoff hopes? Bruised.

In the new world of college football and an expanded, 12-team Playoff, these are injuries that can heal, but the Vols still have Georgia and Alabama ahead, to say nothing of an improving Florida team next week that's beaten them 17 times in the last 19 meetings.

"(Coach Josh Heupel) said it: We've still got everything ahead of us. We've still got all our goals ahead of us," said quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who completed 17 of 29 passes for 158 yards.

It was a season-low for yards and the first time he'd completed less than 60 percent of his passes in a start. It was also the first time he was held without a touchdown pass.

Mathematically, it's true that the Volunteers' goals are still ahead of them. The College Football Playoff committee has consistently shown it cares far more about who teams beat than who beats them, so a loss to Georgia or Alabama could ultimately mean more than this loss to Arkansas — because either would be a missed opportunity at a win over a likely top 10 team.

But a loss to Arkansas and a points factory that suddenly ceased operation when it came face to face with a defense ranked 55th nationally in yards per play brings into question what early season wins over NC State (now 3-3 and 0-2 in the ACC) and Oklahoma mean in retrospect, and if Arkansas provided some answers to future opponents for how to slow down the Vols.

"I didn't think we did the ordinary things at a high level offensively," Heupel said. "Starting with me, it wasn't good enough tonight."

Tennessee managed just one completion longer than 20 yards on 29 attempts.

"We weren't going to let them get behind us if we could help it," Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said.

Saturday, Iamaleava looked like a first-year starter making his second career road start, missing on a handful of makeable throws and most frustratingly, scrambling for a short gain on the game's final play when Tennessee needed 20 yards and six points to win.

"You gotta get the ball up and give one of your guys an opportunity to go make a play. Nico, just like me and the rest of our football team, wishes we had played better," Heupel said. "That situation, you can't keep the ball in your hands."

Earlier in the day, Alabama lost at Vanderbilt a week after handing Georgia its first loss.

Texas, which sat idle on Saturday and prepared for a Red River Showdown against Oklahoma next week, is now the only undefeated SEC team.

GO DEEPER

Arkansas upsets No. 4 Tennessee: What it means for Vols' Playoff hopes

Tennessee, if it managed to win as a two-touchdown favorite, could have joined the Longhorns as the two teams with the inside track to the SEC Championship Game and a massive pathway to the 12-team Playoff.

Instead, it's left wondering what happened in a shocking loss after showcasing nothing but dominance through the season's first month and ascending from No. 15 to No. 4 in the AP poll.

Offensively, Arkansas controlled the first half with long, sustained drives, but also drives that ended with turnovers on downs. The Razorbacks got inside Tennessee's 25-yard line three times in the first half but went to halftime with just a 3-0 lead. After each team's first three drives, Arkansas had run 35 plays. Tennessee had run 14.

The Razorbacks rallied after falling behind 14-3 when Tennessee scored on its first two drives of the second half and threatened to reverse their early game fortunes. The Vols didn't score again.

Running back Dylan Sampson, who put Tennessee on the board on the opening drive of the second half and finished with 138 yards and two scores on 22 carries, suggested that the team wasn't focused enough during the bye week.

Heupel pointed to a 3-3-5 alignment from defensive coordinator Travis Williams that Arkansas hadn't shown on tape yet this season and caught Tennessee off guard. Williams brought his idea to Pittman on Sunday night as they prepped a game plan and began practicing it on Monday. It couldn't have worked better.

The offensive line gave up a season-high four sacks, had four false starts and the offense added an illegal snap and a delay of game.

Whatever the reason, it was evident for 60 minutes that a Tennessee team with a paved path to the Playoff wasn't good enough in a difficult road game in front of 75,573, the sixth-biggest crowd to ever watch a game in Fayetteville.

Tennessee became the fifth top-15 team to lose on Saturday and the first top-five team to go down at Arkansas since 1999. That team? Tennessee, fresh off its last national title.

"When it was over, I was thinking about how proud the state of Arkansas is for their football team," Pittman said. "That's the only damn reason, well, it's not the reason I took the job, but that's one of the top reasons I came here. I wanted to make the state proud of the team."

Pittman waited in Arkansas' tunnel as his team left the pandemonium on the field for a more exclusive party in the locker room. Williams caught Pittman's eye and smiled wide as the two shared a hug.

Almost 30 minutes later, Iamaleava emerged from Tennessee's locker room in a gray hoodie and Tennessee shorts and made his way onto the field to spend some time with his waiting family. His father gave him a long hug and for more than a minute, spoke quietly in his ear.

"When moments like this happen, the outside world is going to have a narrative for you," Heupel said. "We talk about it when it's going good. Tonight it didn't go good. You've gotta look your teammates in the eye. Those are the opinions that matter."

Technically, that's true.

But in the Playoff-dominated world of college football, the 13 committee members are actually the only opinions that matter.

And on Saturday, Tennessee's performance reshaped how those 13 committee members view the Vols.

[jdcatty]

https://x.com/901_sxvxge/status/1843028434211254496?


Somebody jumped his ass and told him to apologize.

[animal]

Pittman said they took what OU did and tweaked it. If true I'd expect a lot of teams will do it to Tenn.

[Show-Me Hog]

https://x.com/901_sxvxge/status/1843028434211254496?


Somebody jumped his ass and told him to apologize.

What did he do? I must have missed the first part of the story.

[vegashog]

Pittman said they took what OU did and tweaked it. If true I'd expect a lot of teams will do it to Tenn.

he said they didn't blitz at all. noticed that their qb lowered his eyes when he thought there was pressure.

since he wasn't looking downfield that allowed our db to keep up with their receivers.

[buff2.0]

What did he do? I must have missed the first part of the story.

https://x.com/aaronleicht/status/1842953709481066714

[Pighair]

Looks like one of their coaches shoved them first

[Lurk]

https://x.com/aaronleicht/status/1842953709481066714

Obviously the women are on top of it. My wife said he pushed a male cheerleader and he knocked down a chick cheerleader.

[jdcatty]

Obviously the women are on top of it. My wife said he pushed a male cheerleader and he knocked down a chick cheerleader.

I don't do Instagram.  But my daughter tells me it was a hot topic for a while there today, and of course, I pulled it off X. 

Hate to say it, but I would like to know what our guy said to him.  I suspect he was talking shit.

[DRYANKNPULL]

Storming the field after a big win against a top 5 team looks like fun. If you get close to an opposing player trying to leave the field, you get what you get.

[The Reverend SnoopHogg]

Storming the field after a big win against a top 5 team looks like fun. If you get close to an opposing player trying to leave the field, you get what you get.

Troof.

I hate to say it, but emotions are ridiculously high at a time like that and this is why there a rule against storming a field.

[jdcatty]

Troof.

I hate to say it, but emotions are ridiculously high at a time like that and this is why there a rule against storming a field.

I agree.  But those players better watch out.  That guy is probably making good money right now, which makes him a good target for a lawsuit. 

[The Reverend SnoopHogg]

I agree.  But those players better watch out.  That guy is probably making good money right now, which makes him a good target for a lawsuit. 

I never even considered this...

[jdcatty]

I never even considered this...

Could certainly be considered an assault, if not just plain negligence.  If the kid pushed got hurt, no reason not to sue that I can think of.

[AporkalypseNow]

https://x.com/davidubben/status/1842949091283878005?s=61&t=yqgft3mqzhJjVNQN1flX9A

Get the feeling we are about to pay up to keep this guy.

Thus far, I'd support it.

[Hognrock]

Troof.

I hate to say it, but emotions are ridiculously high at a time like that and this is why there a rule against storming a field.

Adrenaline is a helluva drug and they're (players) still pumping it. And they are trained athletes of elite size and athleticism. I have no problem with that. FAFO

[Doc Hogaday]

I just rewatched it, assuming the whole time we were Shirley going to find a way to lose it this time. But I'll be damned...we won again.

God bless this defense. But Tennessee did so many dumb things that we typically do to lose it, too. I empathize with their fans.

I tried to enjoy it last night but the fact that we're not 6-0 makes it bittersweet.

[Doc Hogaday]

Lots of Orange in the WCDC from Friday night to this morning.


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