Scout.com > College Football News Instant Analysis: Tulsa-Arkansas Story URL: http://cfn.scout.com/2/807242.html Matt Zemek CollegeFootballNews.com Nov 1, 2008 Arkansas fans might have preferred a former coordinator over their ex-head coach, but in the midst of a difficult season, no backer of the Razorbacks is in any mood to complain. After two months of sheer misery, Bobby Petrino’s team slapped some smiles on Fayetteville faces by knocking Tulsa from the ranks of the unbeaten, in a 30-23 decision that will give the Hogs some confidence when 2009 beckons. The victory is significant primarily because it gives Petrino, the first-year coach, an achievement to build on as he tries to re-establish a culture of excellence in the Ozarks. However, no one in the state of Arkansas can deny that this victory carried with it a distinctly personal flavor as well. One week ago, Houston Nutt won in his return to Razorback Stadium as the coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Saturday afternoon, Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn brought his high-flying aerial show into town, to see if the Golden Hurricane could remain unbeaten and cause a stir in the chase for a BCS bowl. While Arkansas—only 4-5, even after this win—is unlikely to go to a bowl game this season, back-to-back losses to Nutt and Malzahn would have made the upcoming offseason that much more unbearable. A large piece of pride was plucked by Petrino’s pupils on a day when the home team Hog-tied the Hurricane from Oklahoma. In looking at this game from a Tulsa perspective, the bottom line has to be that, midway through the third quarter, it became apparent that coach Todd Graham’s team could not separate itself from the Razorbacks, one of the lower-tier teams in the SEC. Even if Tulsa had found a way to prevail on this afternoon, the difference between victory and defeat would have been small. For a ballclub intent on making a strong case for a big-dollar bowl game, today’s performance proved that Graham’s guys—while clearly the best team in Conference USA—are just as evidently unfit to gain a date on one of college football’s biggest stages. If Arkansas proved to be a tough match, what about the elite teams in the SEC? If a 3-5 team could take down Tulsa, what about the dozens of decent teams that exist in other power conferences? Yes, Tulsa might have won if wide receiver A.J. Whitmore had not thrown a crucial interception deep in Arkansas territory in the third quarter, with the Golden Hurricane trailing by just a field goal. Yes, the ultimate outcome of this contest might have been different if Tulsa quarterback David Johnson had found a steadier hand, particularly in red zone situations that ultimately told the tale. And yes, Malzahn might have triumphed against his former team had he not taken the ball out of Johnson’s hands on Tulsa’s final foray inside the Arkansas 10 in the final minute of regulation, instead choosing two runs with Whitmore that were stuffed by the Hogs’ gallant defense. Tulsa missed many opportunities, while Arkansas—instead of quitting on its season—played with passion and purpose en route to a highly satisfying bounce-back breakthrough. In the bigger picture, however, a few points here or there wouldn’t have changed the most important headline to emerge from this game: Tulsa, an entertaining team and the master of its own little domain, is—just like its conference—simply not ready for prime time. Copyright © Scout.com and CollegeFootballNews.com