Jim Harris: Razorbacks vs Aggies Live Blog

11 years ago

The Razorbacks vs Aggies Live Blog powered by Jim Harris. The stage is set. It is Razorback game day. Texas A&M at Arkansas – here we go.

Join us today as Jim Harris tracks the action on the field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. The Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Here is the pre-game chatter from throughout the week on the game. And Jim’s pre-game column is here. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. Sept. 28, 2013, and is televised on ESPN 2. Bookmark this page and plan to come back often. No one live blogs a game like Jim Harris. Want proof? Here is Jim’s work from the season opener against the UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. And here is his live game blog from Little Rock against Samford. The live blog from last week – Arkansas vs. Southern Miss – is here for your review. Jim’s blog of last week’s game at Rutgers is here. You will learn more about Razorback football during one Jim Harris Live Blog than you thought possible. Guaranteed. Also, don’t forget to tag us in pictures your take and post to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. On Twitter, we’re @sportinglifeark; click here to get us on Facebook and here to get us on Instagram. Whether you’re at the game in Fayetteville, at a party or hanging with friends at the sports pub, we want to see all the fun you’re having.

It’s game day, people. Let’s have a blast!

5:47 p.m. — Honorary captain Loyd Phillips, an Outland Trophy winner from 1966, is on the field being saluted.

5:43 p.m. — The outside PA announcer is saying something. It’s just a reverberating echo. Something is being announced about the Horton Cup, and former UA player, coach and administrator Harold Horton is on the field holding the cup up. Lots of little kids in Hog jerseys and adults with them. I’m sure there’s a story here. I plan to find out. I will not get it from listening to the PA, however. I will again BEG the UA to consider looking at how Auburn, and Mississippi State and other similar stadiums with large scoreboards at one end set up their PA system: The sound blasts from the large scoreboard area, not from speakers set up around the stadium than only send out sound that bounces off metal stands in an echo.

5:37 p.m. — If the warm-ups are an indication, we’ll see freshmen Dan Skipper and Denver Kirkland will start at the offensive guard spots — Skipper at left guard, Kirkland at right guard. They will replace previous starters Mitch Smothers and Brey Cook. (Please refer to my Friday column here, if you have a minute, https://www.sportinglifearkansas.com/best-razorback-players-must-be-on-the-field/) And the scoreboard just had Brandon Allen as the starter at quarterback. So there you go.

5:24 p.m. — Welcome to the live blog. Lots has happened since we last visited, none more surprising that Bret Bielema tweeting on Friday evening that injured quarterback Brandon Allen would play despite word all week that he could barely take snaps much less throw a light football. Sure enough, Allen is throwing the football well in warmups, though these are the same lobs that all four quarterbacks (including A.J. Derby, Austin Allen and Duwop Mitchell) are throwing well. Texas A&M, of course, has Johnny Football, quarterback Johnny Manziel, and plenty of offensive weapons to put points on the board. If Arkansas can answer them, then it should be a good four-quarter game. A&M is dressed in maroon helmets and pants and white jerseys. That’s pretty much how they looked 23 years ago, the last time a heavily favored A&M team came to Fayetteville. That R.C. Slocum-coached Aggie team outlasted a struggling Hog squad coached by Jack Crowe 20-16. More in a bit. Remember, though, we encourage feedback from the readers. Follow me on Twitter @jimharris360 or comment on this blog in the comment section, or you can email me at jim.harris@sportinglifearkansas.com and I’ll be checking there periodically. It’s 36 minutes until kickoff.