It was just what the University of Arkansas needed, and definitely not just the athletic department.
Saturday's 31-10 victory over No. 11 Florida was a lot like Auburn's victory over the Razorbacks in that the visitors traveled a long way to get their behind spanked.
For the moment it changed the subject.
Up until kickoff, people were still talking about the six Arkansas women's basketball players who took a knee during the national anthem before their exhibition game last Thursday night at Walton Arena.
No one is questioning their right to freedom of speech, which equally extends to those who thought their protest in a Arkansas uniform before an athletic event on state property was the wrong time and place.
The young ladies explained that they were protesting police shootings of African Americans.
While it seems they are getting to the party a little late -- this protest began more than two months ago when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat, then took a knee, during the national anthem before an exhibition game -- they said they didn't have anything against the American flag.
But it is the national anthem, not the police anthem.
The national anthem is about the American flag and all of those who have given their lives, or part of their lives, so we continue to be a nation that has many freedoms, including freedom of speech for all.
In contrast to Thursday's event, the men's basketball team came out Friday night and stood in unity, and the UA's official stance now, according to news releases by Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Jeff Long and Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz, is everyone has the right at the UA to choose whether to stand or kneel. Long and Steinmetz, like the men's basketball team, choose to stand.
Two seasons ago, when Arkansas played at Missouri not long after the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., Jonathan Williams did the raise-your-hands-don't-shoot and leaned backward.
Afterward, Coach Bret Bielema asked Williams to think about the fact he wasn't just representing himself, but in uniform he was representing the University of Arkansas.
Again, no one disputes the young ladies' freedom of speech, but you can't condemn those who disagree with the time and place either.
Still, the immediate edginess of the event was calmed some by the football team's performance, which showed that Arkansas was the best team on the field last Saturday.
The Arkansas defense, with true freshman McTelvin Agim starting at defensive end, didn't allow the Gators to get comfortable, limiting them to 51 plays in 20:39. They had 12 yards on the ground on 14 attempts.
The Razorbacks ran 75 plays using 39:21 and scored all three times they reached the red zone. The Gators made it inside the Arkansas 20 once, very late in the game, and their best shot of scoring an offensive touchdown ran out of downs.
Arkansas' offensive balance was impressive: 49 carries netted 223 yards, 148 of that by Rawleigh Williams on 26 carries and 66 yards on 14 carries by Devwah Whaley. Quarterback Austin Allen completed 15 of 26 passes for 243 yards. Drew Morgan had seven catches, but Allen threw completions to five players.
The turning point came in the second quarter, when the Hogs drove 87 yards on 10 plays and ended on a 7-yard pass from Allen to Morgan to make it 21-7. That would be more than enough to win the game, although the Hogs added 10 points in the final quarter.
It was a glorious afternoon for the Razorbacks Nation. The weather was great, the fans greater and the atmosphere for college football couldn't have been better.
Sports on 11/08/2016