John Clay's Sidelines

Thursday’s column about SEC football provoked a few e-mails, several from Arkansas. Samples:

E-Mail: While I doubt that Arkansas will contend for the National Championship or
anything, but you don’t seem to have much faith in the Hogs or know anything
about this team. Kenny Irons is a good back, but Darren McFadden will run
circles around him.
You didn’t include the Hogs in the discussion of contenders in the West? We
get 2 of those 3 teams mentioned (Alabama and LSU) at home and we are better
than Bama. Period. Road games at Vandy, Auburn, South Carolina and Miss. St
are manageable and Bama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU at home are advantage
Arkansas.
Lastly, Mitch Mustain was the consensus Top QB in the US last year. Ahead of
Tebow and Stafford. Mustain racked up some impressive numbers (always in
just one half of play). He has run a variation of the the new Arkansas
offense since he was in 8th grade and he has a veteran O-line and skilled
position players flanking him and in the backfield.
Arkansas will be much better than you believe in 2006. Look at it this way,
about the time UK football becomes bowl ineligible, Tubby’s boys will be
taking the court and the Kentucky press can focus on the sport they know
most about. D.E. Fayetteville, Ark.

Response: Would that sport be baseball?

You should know that the pass happy offense you said he played actually had more running plays than pass plays in 2005.

The kid also only played in two quarters in the majority of his games.  You really should do some actual research before you start typing. D.W.

Response: Research came from people I know who follow Razorbacks program who say Mustain must prove a few doubters wrong.

E-Mail: I would agree that this is a player’s biggest fear…living up to the hype.
But just so you will be more informed. Springdale was hardly a "pass-happy offense."  We rushed a total of 340 times for 2390 yds (7 yards per rush) and attempted to pass 280 times (13.8
per attempt completing 194 for 3873 yards. We mercy-ruled 13 of 14 teams (35
pt lead, clock runs non-stop in the second half), and our coach pulled Mitch
when we were up by 35+ points.  That meant that Mitch played in the second
half in only 4 or 5 games, and only played about 60% of the time his senior
year. If anything, his numbers were seriously deflated due to this.
Regardless, he completed 70%+ of his passes this past season. B.C.

Response: Thanks for the numbers.

E-mail: A buddy of mine forwarded me your column,
which I enjoyed reading.

Wasn’t Alabama was up 28-3 or something like that
when Tyrone Prothro got hurt on an attempted touchdown pass?  He had no
business being in that game and it probably cost ‘Bama a shot at the SEC
title because they basically played LSU to a tie and would have given Auburn a better game.
Big mistake by Mike Shula.  I’m not saying he’s a bad coach, but he
blew that one. M.S. Melbourne, Fla.

Response: Many Bama fans say the same thing.