Just Lose Ten Straight, Who Cares?

Broken-down Arkansas football is on the verge of repeating history, and not in a good way. The Hogs enter the final game, against Missouri, on a nine-game losing streak. The last win, which seems like an entire season ago, was on September 6th, in a 56-14 thumping of Arkansas State. At the time of the win, we saw many Arkansas fans trashing the Red Wolves as “little brother”, yet they have a coach right now. We at Last Word have been covering this program extensively for a few seasons and always report honestly. This article will be no different, yet we may strike some nerves, just a forewarning. At this point, just be consistent and lose ten straight. Might as well make some history. 

Just Lose Ten Straight, Who Cares?

Starts At The Top 

The losses are not only on the field of play. This starts at the top, with Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek. We must not forget that he hired Sam Pittman and was praised for this following an Outback Bowl win over Penn State in 2021. Since then, Yurachek has made laughable statements, along with hiring a basketball coach, in John Calipari, who has a track record of demanding all attention and funds on campus. 

In addition, Yurachek has openly spoken about the lack of ability to compete for championships, which is absolutely absurd behavior. Name another AD in the nation that does this? There are not any, we assure you. Be glad Hunter isn’t in Louisiana right now. 

In the end, the job of Yurachek needs to be called to the table by Chancellor Charles Robinson and university president Jay Silveria. While others praise the other hirings he has made, these are not the bellwethers of the campus. The stadium has yet to find naming rights, which is money being left on the field daily. The other programs, such as these, do not create the revenue that the football program does. With his second coaching search in football, Yurachek needs to get a vote of confidence from the top brass. The university’s football program is at stake, and Yurachek has shown that he is not a capable leader. As a result, losses have accumulated. If Yurachek does not care, should anyone else? 

History Of This Exact Thing 

We have been down this road before. In fact, it was not all that long ago that the program had lost nine consecutive games. Fans will not want to relive these seasons, but they are, following the Texas loss where Arch Manning became Bo Jackson on Techmo Bowl. In the 2013 season, in the first season of  Bret Bielema, the Razorbacks dropped nine consecutive games. 

This was, at the time, the lowest the program had been. Coming off a literal wrecking of the program by Bobby Petrino, this is not what Bielema needed to start his tenure. The following season, Arkansas finished 7-6, which was capped with a Texas Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns. Oh, how times have changed since then, based on what we just saw in Austin last weekend. 

The most recent times make us want to visit ‘Club Dub”. We are only kidding, as Chad Morris is the proud winner of the most unsuccessful run in program history. Morris also created this “Club,” which was famously seen following the win against Colorado State, the final win of the 2019 season, and tenure of Morris in Fayetteville. That season, Arkansas finished win nine consecutive losses before hiring Pittman in the offseason.  

Fickle Fans

While the top is not pretty, neither are a portion of the fans. We do not shy away from this topic. These fans, whom we have described as fickle, need to understand what Arkansas football really is: mediocre. We are not saying to “Settle for mediocrity” when we say this; this is just a plain fact. Over the last 20 seasons of the Hogs, the average season is 7-6 overall. 

This stat means they expect nine to ten wins a season. Makes sense, right? This is the problem. The expectations from these fans, along with the team’s performance, combine in their eyes to create asinine posts, comments, and algorithms on social media. 

These fans need a reality check, and this season has been this, possibly. Some have compared Pittman to Morris, which is just reaching and talking wildly for clicks. Any sound-minded person can plainly see the massive difference in these two coaches’ tenures in Fayetteville. A loss, at home, to Missouri to cap off a historically bad season may be just what these fans need. They say they would not return until the team won, well, it may be an empty stadium, because there have not been wins in months. Because of this, do these fans really care, or do they want drama?

The Next Man Has To Be Given A Chance

No matter who the Board of Trustees and surely not Yurachek hires, those hires have to be supported. We are not referring to only fans, but more to the AD and brass on campus. Supposedly, there are now resources that will be given to the next head Hog on the Hill in Fayetteville. Where were these before? Never mind, Yurachek is still at the helm of the athletic department; we have our answer. 

We saw John Tyson lure Calipari to the hardwood. Could we see him and his checkbook used again? Possibly, but eventually, the voice speaking will become boring. This is quite possibly what has happened as Yurachek searches for the 34th head football coach. 

Many people brag about the number of millionaires in Arkansas, but are they opening their checkbooks like Tyson? This search will answer this question. At the end of the day, whoever the next coach is, he has to be given a fair chance. If not, this same situation will be here again with another search for the next man to fix the program. Again, we ask, who cares? 

Just Lose 

In closing, we want consistency, and Arkansas has done that perfectly this season. The team has consistently turned the ball over. Additionally, they have consistently had an offense that has stalled like a broken-down car in the majority of the second half of games. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, Arkansas has consistently lost games. Why stop now? Just lose and make some history at home.