By now, everyone understands last Saturday was the perfect storm for Toledo.
The Arkansas Razorbacks were not playing their best football.
Penalties were extremely costly.
The Rockets' run blitz hurt the Hogs.
There was just an assortment of things that led to the Razorbacks getting beat by Toledo, but something that is glaring in this week's NCAA statistics is the Hogs rank 23rd in total defense having allowed an average of 261 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2 games.
The offense is ranked No. 25 with an average of 502.5 yards a game and seven touchdowns.
Those are winning numbers.
Ranking 117th in red zone offense isn't.
The Razorbacks have been inside the 20-yard line 10 times and have scored only 3 touchdowns, 2 by passing, to go with 3 field goals.
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No doubt it was costly to lose leading receiver Keon Hatcher for six games, but sometimes situations can turn into opportunities.
Redshirt freshman Jojo Robinson and junior college transfer Dominique Reed are reportedly the two fastest receivers on the team.
If they can get to every meeting on time -- and getting there early is highly recommended -- between now and Saturday night, they will have a chance to start making a difference.
Neither has a reception this season.
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As University of Texas athletic director, Steve Patterson must have made everyone mad but his postman, who still delivered on a daily basis.
To get canned after 22 months means Patterson had zero support.
Word was he was very consistent, yet he was aloof and indifferent to everyone, including head football coach Charlie Strong and head basketball coach Shaka Smart, both of whom he hired.
Immediate speculation about his replacement, who will handle college football's biggest budget, included former football coach Mack Brown, but he has said he isn't interested.
Apparently Brown is making a very nice living as a TV analyst and national speaker.
CBSsports.com published a list of eight likely candidates, and Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long was on the list. If Texas wants to interview Long, who also is chairman of the College Football Playoff committee, it would be a compliment.
Oliver Luck, who is now with the NCAA, is on the list and is believed to have finished runner-up to Patterson.
Scott Stricklin, the athletic director at Mississippi State, also made the list. If anyone from UT wants to know how capable he is, all they have to do is visit the campus. He's done remarkable things for his alma mater.
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Razorback track legend Niall O'Shaughnessy has died.
O'Shaughnessy, 59, was one of the first runners John McDonnell brought from Ireland to help establish the University of Arkansas as a national track power.
O'Shaughnessy competed in the 1976 Olympics and finished fourth in the 800 meters and fifth in the 1,600 meters.
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It happens every year. Some player mouths off about his next opponent, and the bulletin board material fires up the other team.
The first to do so this season is Auburn defensive back Rudy Ford, who was asked how difficult of a challenge it will be to stop LSU running back Leonard Fournette.
"That shouldn't be difficult. Not that much of a challenge," Ford said.
Fournette is considered a strong Heisman Trophy candidate who opened the season last Saturday by rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State.
As a freshman he rushed for 1,034 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He also caught 7 passes for 127 yards and returned 25 kicks for 625 yards.
All Ford has to do now is stop one of the best running backs in the game.
Sports on 09/17/2015