The boycott is over. In fact, we’re begging you to watch the local news on KTHV, Channel 11. We had long bashed KTHV for refusing on most Saturday nights to give the scores of all the Arkansas teams.
During the 10 p.m. newscast this past Saturday, Channel 11 did an about-face. After its two reporters in Oxford, Miss., gave their report on the Razorback loss, the station switched to Mark Edwards in the Little Rock studio. He gave the ASU score. He gave the UAPB score. He gave the UCA score and even showed highlights. And he gave all of the Gulf South Conference scores.
All of that was accomplished even before the other SEC scores were given.
Thank you, Channel 11. There are a lot of us out here interested in all of the Arkansas teams, not just the Razorbacks.
We went 5-3 last week, leaving us 38-21 for the year. We had foolishly climbed aboard the Razorback bandwagon with everyone else in the state following the near miss at Florida. Let’s face it. Ole Miss has more talent right now. And on this day, Houston Nutt did a better job preparing his team than Bobby Petrino.
We missed the Ouachita pick for a sixth consecutive week (do you detect a pattern here?). We knew the UAM-Harding game could go either way, and it went to UAM in a big way.
Let’s get to the picks for this week:
Arkansas 52, Eastern Michigan 14 — If you have been wanting to see the inside of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, this might be a good week. It should be an easy ticket to obtain. This is the game when the sports information department announces an attendance about 18,000 higher than the actual attendance. Eastern Michigan from the MAC is 0-7 with losses to Army, Northwestern, Michigan, Temple, Central Michigan, Kent State and Ball State. We’re sorry. No one should lose to Temple and Army in the same season.
Louisville 28, Arkansas State 24 — This is not a vintage Louisville team. The Cardinals are 2-5 with wins over Indiana State and Southern Mississippi and losses to Kentucky, Utah, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Cincinnati. Of course, those losses have come to some good teams. The Red Wolves broke a four-game losing streak Saturday night in Jonesboro with a needed conference victory over Florida International. We expect the 2-4 Red Wolves to play well on the road.
Southern University 35, UAPB 31 — It’s good to see the Golden Lions off to a 4-2 start. UAPB had an easy homecoming victory last weekend over a winless team from Florida. Things get tougher this week. This should be an exciting SWAC game Saturday afternoon at Pine Bluff. Southern comes in at 4-3. The wins have come over Central State of Ohio, Tennessee State, Alcorn State and Fort Valley State. The losses have been to Louisiana-Lafayette, Jackson State and Prairie View.
UCA 41, Southeastern Louisiana 36 — The Bears routed Nicholls State in Conway on Saturday. Now a 5-2 UCA squad must go on the road for a Saturday afternoon game at Southeastern Louisiana. Southeastern is 4-3 with wins over Texas A&AM-Commerce, Union College, Texas State in overtime and Sam Houston State. The losses have been to Ole Miss, South Dakota and McNeese State. The loss to McNeese was by one point in Saturday night’s Southland Conference television game of the week. This is a crucial game for the Bears. Stephen F. Austin leads the conference at 3-0. UCA, McNeese State, Texas State and Southeastern Louisiana are all 2-1 in the Southland Conference.
North Alabama 49, UAM 21 — North Alabama is ranked first nationally in NCAA Division II and looks to be on its way to a national championship in the school’s first season with Terry Bowden as coach. We can’t see the Boll Weevils slowing down the Lions on Saturday night in Monticello.
Arkansas Tech 39, Delta State 30 — The 6-2 Wonder Boys get better each week with quarterback Nick Graziano, the transfer from Nevada, leading the offense. Tech routed Henderson in Arkadelphia last Saturday to spoil the Reddies’ homecoming. If the Wonder Boys finish 8-2 with wins over Delta State and Harding, they will be in the national playoffs.
Henderson 32, Harding 28 — This is one of those tough GSC games to figure since both teams are up and down. Henderson is 3-5. Harding is 4-5. Henderson was destroyed by Tech last Saturday, and Harding was routed by UAM. Frankly, your guess is as good as mine as to how things will go in Searcy on Saturday afternoon.
West Alabama 21, Ouachita 20 — As mentioned, we have missed our Ouachita picks for six consecutive weeks. The Tigers won the three times we picked them to lose. They lost the three times we picked them to win. So we will pick them to lose while hoping they win. Got it? Ouachita is 5-3 and coming off a victory. West Alabama is 5-4 and coming off a devastating loss to a West Georgia team that had not won a game in two years. This is another tough game to figure.
Southern Arkansas 24, Incarnate Word 17 — The 2-5 Muleriders only lost by a touchdown at Delta State. They get better each week. They play a non-conference game this weekend against a first-year program on the road.
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