The Razorbacks are a religion in Arkansas. Spend a few days here, talk to some locals and you'll quickly find out that as far as sports discussions go, it's pretty much Arkansas football, a little more Arkansas football and then everything else. There are no professional sports teams in the Natural State, so you have to drive about four hours to Dallas or five to Kansas City just to get a taste of that level of play. Not like it matters all that much though: with all of the history, tradition and local connections for the University of Arkansas, even if there was a pro sports club in Little Rock or Fort Smith or wherever, its following would absolutely still pale in comparison to that of the Hogs.
This year, the excitement and anticipation for the Arkansas football season is as high as its been in about seven or eight years, really since Houston Nutt first took over as head coach. With 19 of 22 starters returning, with eight out of twelve games at home, with skill players like Darren McFadden, Marcus Monk and Peyton Hillis and a big, strong line on offense, with a new vertically-oriented offensive coordinator in Gus Malzahn, with standout performers like tackle Keith Jackson, linebacker Sam Olajubutu and safety Materral Richardson on defense---the Hogs (or Haw-gs, as it's pronounced by the natives) look locked, loaded and ready for significant improvement.
And yet it all hinges on the single most important position on the field: the quarterback. Who's it going to be? Casey Dick? The sophomore has a decent arm but isn't known for making the best in-game decisions. . . . Robert Johnson? The junior has great feet, but struggles mightily with his accuracy. Which leaves in-state rock star Mitch Mustain, a true freshman, as the most talented and likely best choice of the bunch. One of the top three ranked high school quarterbacks in the country last year by most analysts, Mustain spurned a chance to play for Charlie Weis and Notre Dame to stay home and become a Razorback.
Sure he's inexperienced and making a big jump from Arkansas high school football to the SEC. But he ran the Malzahn offense to perfection the last couple of years at Springdale High School and one would think his familiarity with the system would translate well regardless of his competition. Are there going to be bumps on the road that will be his learning curve? Of course. Just wait till the first time Mustain takes a real big hit from an SEC linebacker. That'll be a nice wake-up call. It's his rare combination of mental tools and physical ability though that leads me to believe he can make the adjustment in a hurry. Will he start in game number one on September 2nd against USC? Probably not. Will he see the field by the end of that game? Strong chance.
If so, and if Mitch Mustain is all he's cracked up to be, the rabid Razorback fans should be in for not only an exciting 2006 season, but a tremendous future as well. Surely a team as talented on paper as this Arkansas club would take off if it had a playmaking quarterback leading it down the field and to the next level. At the least, with Mustain in tow and expectations spiraling ever higher, football services at the "church" that's known as Reynolds Stadium in Fayetteville will be held at a very high pitch for the foreseeable future.
Break out the pigskin, folks . . . Arkansas football is cool again.
-JAB
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