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T.J. Hammonds is big time for Arkansas: Go figure

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Arkansas football rules the world of Razorbacks sports. So, with your bacon, have some Hogs for Breakfast and get caught up. It’s SEC Country’s weekday column and roundup on all things Arkansas … especially Arkansas football. Opinion, numbers, inane babble and more! And now with ironic exclamation points! There is no place like it on the web.

No one on the Arkansas roster did fans desire to get some run more than T.J. Hammonds.

The Little Rock native and sophomore has been touted by the coaching staff since arriving. Most of that tout dated back to last year, 2016, and most of that season it came early. Folks remembered, though. Every week the questions came: “Why don’t we get the ball to Hammonds? Why isn’t Hammonds getting more touches?”

Against Ole Miss, your wish was Bret Bielema’s command.

Hammonds was named offensive MVP of the game against the Rebels. He had 84 yards on just 11 carries. It was the biggest game of his career so far.

Hammonds had been in a no-man’s land most of the last season and a half. He started at running back, moved to wide receiver, played a dual-threat role between the two and finally ended up back in the backfield. It took a season-ending injury to Chase Hayden to make it happen, which is unfortunate, but it’s clear that was the right move.

Expect Hammonds, arguably the best home-run threat on the offense, to get more and more touches now that he’s proven himself.

Coach to coach, Nolan Richardson supports Bret Bielema

One of the two most beloved coaches in Arkansas sports history has the back of the current most despised coach.

Bielema won’t go down in history as most despised, nor should he. But, right now, his star is falling with the Razorbacks faithful. Not even a win against Ole Miss over the weekend turned too many into believers.

But Nolan Richardson knows what it’s like to be persona non grata. The former basketball coach was on the outs for several years with Arkansas, drawing distaste from the administration and a certain segment of the fan base. Now, Richardson is trying to help Bielema through some toughness.

And he isn’t the only one. Former Arkansas football coach Ken Hatfield, maybe the last consistently successful football coach at Arkansas, supports Bielema, too.

Good read here.

Literally have some Hogs for Breakfast

The kickoff time for Arkansas’ Week 11 game against LSU was announced on Monday. Didn’t come as much of a surprise.

The Battle for the Golden Boot will take place at 11 a.m. down in Baton Rouge in two weeks. It’ll be Arkansas’ second straight morning kickoff in SEC play.

The good news for Arkansas fans is Death Valley probably won’t be as raucous as usual. In this series, that might make the difference. The Razorbacks have beaten better LSU teams than this with worse teams than the Hogs currently have.

Stranger things have happened.

ICYMI

  • Cole Kelley had the best game of his short career against Ole Miss. He is almost certainly going to receive his fourth straight start this weekend against Coastal Carolina, too, Bielema said.
  • Arkansas’ best two basketball players pulled their name out of the NBA draft for a reason. Jimmy Carter over at WholeHogSports wrote about why.
  • The Arkansas football team had two freshmen honored by the SEC following their performances against Ole Miss. Kelley and De’Vion Warren picked up the accolades.
  • It’s a big football weekend recruiting-wise for the Razorbacks this Saturday, even if the game is rather uninspiring.
  • Our resident Arkansas fan is our podcaster, John Nabors. He said it’s time Arkansas build something off its Ole Miss win. If not, it’s just a waste.

Tweets and the like

• The best anyone can tell, the 11 a.m. kick is the earliest LSU and Arkansas have played in the “Boot” era. This here is a man I trust to know the particulars.

 

• I like this idea from the Arkansas football media folks, but By the Numbers, I feel like, should have more than two numbers.

• Put your faith and hope in Arkansas baseball this season, folks. The Diamond Hogs are going to be rocking good.

Skip Breakfast? C’mon. It’s too important. Catch up with previous versions here.

The post T.J. Hammonds is big time for Arkansas: Go figure appeared first on SEC Country.

T.J. Hammonds is big time for Arkansas: Go figure T.J. Hammonds is big time for Arkansas: Go figure Reviewed by Unknown on October 31, 2017 Rating: 5

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