Welcome to the SEC, Aggies

Long-time Hogs fans will remember this poster

As I mentioned a few days ago, circumstances prevented me giving my usual weekly preview of the Arkansas Razorbacks' game last Saturday against Alabama. Considering the outcome of the game, that was just as well.

But the Hogs take to the gridiron again this weekend against their once and future conference rival, the Aggies of Texas A&M. Arkansas played Texas A&M every year for decades when both were members of the old Southwest Conference. And since the Aggies were recently announced as the newest member of the Southeastern Conference (starting in 2012), it means the Hogs and the Aggies will once again be conference foes.

It's not as if Arkansas and Texas A&M haven't been able to take out their aggression on each other for the past few years, though. The two schools agreed to a longterm contract to play one another in the "Southwest Classic," a game that's been held since 2009 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Hogs have won that game each of the past two years, but the consensus opinion is that this year's Aggies team is the toughest they will have faced in the renewed series thus far. (And the spate of injuries to the Hogs on both sides of the ball won't help, either.)

Interesting statistic: Arkansas and Texas A&M have met 67 times dating back to 1903. In the all-time series by a record of 40-24-3. I think this is going to be a very tough football game. But I like Arkansas' chances. Texas A&M will be a worthy opponent, but I don't see the Aggies as being in the same league as Alabama.

Last week: Arkansas 14, Alabama 38

Arkansas' record: 3-1 (Me: 3-1)

This week: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Texas A&M Aggies

Location: Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, TX

Prediction: Arkansas 35, Texas A&M 27

Reason: I expect a high-scoring game on Saturday. Both teams' QBs can pile up yardage through the air, and I'm not confident in either team's ability to stop the opposing offense. (Arkansas' defensive line will be particularly vulnerable due to the absence of Tenarius Wright and Jake Bequette.) In the end, I think the Hogs will have an edge both in mindset and toughness. They've seen one of the best teams in the country (Alabama) and will have confidence after beating the Aggies in both 2009 and 2010. Look for the Hogs to win in a game that will have a lot of points on the board.

That ain't Wesley

Mary Jacobs at the United Methodist Reporter has written a story well-worth reading for anyone who likes to read quotes by John Wesley.

Her story -- "Wesley, mis-quoted" -- explores the tendency for Methodist folk to repeat "quotes" from Wesley that are actually misquotes that have become attached to the Methodist founding figure over time.

My doctoral advisor at Duke University, Richard P. Heitzenrater, is fascinated by this cultural tendency as well. (And Dr. Heitzenrater is one of the people Ms. Jacobs interviewed for her story.) I've seen him get animated talking about misquotes that get repeated time and again without anyone ever wondering where the saying in question came from. As he'll often point out, such sayings don't come from anything Wesley wrote or is recorded as having said. Dr. Heitzenrater is actually writing a book on the subject that I'll be interested to read when it appears.

I've got a misquote to add to the ones catalogued in Ms. Jacobs' article. You'll often read people make comments like, "Wesley spoke to us about personal and social holiness." (In fact, you can read a version of that phrase in this recent op/ed in the United Methodist Reporter from late August.) The only problem? Wesley never used the phrase, "personal and social holiness." And he never would have bifurcated the concept of holiness in the way that people do when they choose to employ the misquote today.

My example is more than a curious historical error as well. It points to a significant problem in the contemporary church's theology of holiness. In fact, I think it's a serious enough issue that I've written an article about it that is going to appear later this fall in Methodist Review. When it comes out, I'll point you to it. Until then, I think we should all agree not to quote Wesley (or anyone else) unless we know the source from which the quote is drawn.

That's just good practice, isn't' it?

[Note: My friend and fellow blogger Kevin Watson wrote about this topic sometime ago. For his first in a series of posts on Wesley misquotes, go to this link.]

What the hail?

Golf ball-sized hail from a storm in Marion, Arkansas

What an odd past few days it has been. I didn't manage to get a Razorbacks-related post up last Friday, which is just as well considering the 38-14 humiliation that the Alabama Crimson Tide handed to the Hogs football team two days ago. Most people thought Arkansas would get beat by the Tide, but I don't think many people who follow the Hogs thought they would get shut down as thoroughly as they did. Nick Saban's defense is for real this year, that's for sure.

Full disclosure: I was going to optimistically predict a 31-21 upset victory for the Hogs. (I know, I know, it's a little embarrassing to admit.) So I'll factor that losing prediction into my season record when I get back to the weekly game preview with this Saturday's contest against Texas A&M.

But the strangest thing that happened in my world wasn't the Razorback letdown on Saturday. It was the storm that hit eastern Arkansas on Sunday night. I plucked the hailstones in the photo above from my backyard. Now I've seen hail all my life. And I've always heard about "golf ball-sized hail." But other than the occasional big hailstone in the midst of a pedestrian shower of hail pebbles, I've never really encountered anything that could qualify as truly golf ball-sized.

The hail this past weekend was every bit as big as golf balls. In fact, looking out my back door while the storm was going on, it almost seemed as if there were a crowd of people standing on my roof throwing golf balls by the hundreds into my backyard.

The sky was crying that day, my friends. Maybe even crying for my Hogs. Crying big, frozen, golf ball-sized tears that maybe next year will be different. Alabama blech.

Does this make me official?

At the beginning of August I joined the faculty of Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. MTS is the seminary of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

My position here is as an instructor in historical theology and Wesleyan studies. That means that I teach mostly in the area of church history, with particular emphasis on courses in the Wesleyan / Methodist Tradition. MTS is an officially approved seminary by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. And that means that candidates for ordination in the UMC are allowed to pursue their Master of Divinity training here. (See our admissions page if you are interested in becoming a student!)

So a few days ago, the good folks in the IT department here at MTS gave me my own faculty webpage. You can find it at this link. I supposed that makes me 'official,' though I sometimes have a hard time thinking of myself on this particular side of the desk!

A veritable Trojan War

The Hogs will do battle with the men of Troy today in the final non-conference tune-up game before traveling to Tuscaloosa to take on the University of Alabama next Saturday.

Don't expect the Hogs to get caught looking ahead, though. Unlike Arkansas' first two opponents (Missouri State and New Mexico), Troy is a pretty strong football school. The Trojans were an 8-win team last year, and they've won the Sun Belt Conference as recently as 2009. While they shouldn't be able to hang with the Hogs for a full 4 quarters, they'll likely give Arkansas a tougher game than they've had up to this point.

Considering the quality of the schedule after today, a tougher game is exactly what the Hogs need.

So far, the season's gone pretty much according to script. We're getting great production out of our receivers and QB Tyler Wilson is spreading the ball around. The running backs are churning out good - though not great - stats in the running game. The loss of RB Knile Davis to a season-ending ankle injury will continue to be an issue, though for now the running back-by-committee approach (led by Ronnie Wingo) seems to be pulling its weight. All-purpose threat Joe Adams seems to be everywhere: running back kicks, catching passes, and even picking up a few rushing yards. He's a remarkable talent.

There's a lot of new blood on the offensive line, and these lighter games in the early going are hopefully giving the O-line a chance to develop some chemistry. The defense looks fine as a unit, though the paltry 10 points allowed over the first two games isn't really all that impressive given the opponents. It would be great to see the defense put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks and register a few sacks, but I think that will come.

Overall, I think the biggest worry in my mind has been Tyler Wilson's health. The starting QB took a shot to the head against New Mexico and sat out the second half. Brandon Mitchell did great in relief, but we need the stability of a full-time, healthy starter. Let's hope Wilson doesn't try for too many more rushing TDs this fall.

Now on to the prediction...

Last week: Arkansas 52, New Mexico 3 (My pick: Arkansas 49, New Mexico 3)

Saturday's Game: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Troy Trojans

Location: Razorback Stadium - Fayetteville, AR

Prediction: Arkansas 38, Troy 17

Reason: The University of Arkansas has taken on the Trojans three times in the past decade. Arkansas has won all three contests handily, although Troy has put some points on the board at times. Expect the Hogs to control this game from start to finish. I think Arkansas could make the final score as lopsided as it wants to do, but I also doubt Coach Petrino is going to keep his first string players in for the entire game and risk injuries unnecessarily. I'm thinking something like 28-3 as a halftime socre, with the game slowing down much more in the 3rd and 4th quarters. But then again, with Brandon Mitchell as our backup QB, who knows?

I'm spiritual, but not religious

Now here's one of the best things I've read in awhile.

It's a little essay called, "Spiritual but not Religious? Please stop boring me."

Lillian Daniel, the senior minister at First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, wrote the piece. It's been reprinted and reposted all over the Internet since it first appeared a few weeks ago. And there's a reason for that. The critique of mushy spiritualism it offers is spot on.

So check it out ... and enjoy!

Battle of the quadrupeds

The Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Lobos of New Mexico later today in a game that promises to be an absolute rout.

No offense intended to the Lobos, but the Mountain West Conference team lost at home last week to Colorado State. Today they are going to be tangling with the Hogs at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. 'Nuff said.

The game today is the second of Arkansas' three-game non-conference schedule that leads up to the big SEC opener against Alabama in Tuscaloosa on September 24th. Next week's game against Troy will be a bit better contest, as the Trojans have had some success in recent years. But all three of those teams (Missouri State, New Mexico, and Troy) are simply not in the same league as the Hogs. Expect Coach Petrino to use the game today to continue giving his team a chance to gel without showing too much of the offensive playbook.

Kickoff is at 6:00 p.m. in the Rock.

And now to the prediction...

Last week: Arkansas 51, Missouri State 7 (My pick - Arkansas: Whatever they feel like scoring, Mizzou State: 7)

Arkansas' Overall Record: 1-0 (Me: 1-0)

Saturday's Game: Arkansas Razorbacks Vs. New Mexico Lobos

Location: War Memorial Stadium - Little Rock, AR

Prediction: Arkansas 49, New Mexico 3

Reason:
New Mexico is not a very good football team. Arkansas is a good football team. The game is in Little Rock, where the stadium will be packed and loud. The Lobos are in for a long evening.

Dan Dick on the Mic

The Rev. Dan Dick serves as the director of connectional ministries for the Wisconsin Annual Conference. He's been contributing op/ed pieces to the United Methodist Reporter for sometime now, and I've written in this space before about how insightful his commentary tends to be.

Mr. Dick has got another good article in the Reporter that deserves a look. He's asking the question, "Has discipleship become far too easy in the UMC?" And a large part of the point he's making is that we tend to like the idea of discipleship without being willing to embrace the discipline that is actually required to be a real disciple.

The reason Mr. Dick's commentaries are so worth your time is because his critiques of the watered down faith of many in the church today is both relentless and accurate. He's shining a spotlight on aspects of the church that we might find uncomfortable at times. But he's not trying to shame us so much as get us to think seriously about the level of our commitment to the Christ we claim to follow.

His current column ends with this paragraph: "It is easy to be spiritualistic without being spiritual; it is easy to believe in Jesus Christ without being Christlike. But is is impossible to be a discipline without discipline, and the longer we deny this simple fact, the longer our church will lack relevancy and power."

Taking those words seriously can be a first step toward repentance and renewal amongst the people called Methodists.

A prayer for Labor Day

O God, you have bound us together in this life.
Give us grace to understand how our lives depend
   on the courage, the industry, the honesty,
   and the integrity of all who labor.
May we be mindful of their needs,
   grateful for their faithfulness,
   and faithful in our responsibilities to them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-- UM Book of Worship, p. 443

Instant Reaction: Hogs vs. Bears

The Hogs just got finished dismantling the Missouri State Bears by a score of 51 to 7.

Football season has officially arrived! It was great to watch the Hogs in action again. Sure, every opening game has its share of miscues. And the Hogs' opponent tonight was admittedly weak. The team looked good overall, though. And of course, the Hogs have got a few weeks before their first real test against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on September 24th.

Here are a few thoughts on the game tonight:

1) Starting QB Tyler Wilson looked good. Coach Bobby Petrino's game plan was conservative, and Wilson didn't play much of the second half at all. He looked fairly comfortable running the offense and clearly had an outstanding stable of wide receivers to use as targets for his passes. Final stats: 18/24 for 260 yards and 2 TDs.

2) The Arkansas defense seems to have taken another step forward. It's hard to say that with 100% certainty due to the quality of the opponent tonight, but Coach Willy Robinson's unit did seem to be firing on all cylinders. The team speed is good. Poor tackling fundamentals seems to be the football epidemic of our era, and the Hogs are no exception to this problem. But I have no doubt this will improve over the first few games. And maybe the best news is that our defensive secondary looks like it is fast and able to read assignments well.

3) The two Arkansas QBs completed passes to 11 different receivers. No joke. The depth at wideout is just silly, and every one of them looks like he runs a 4.5 or better. TE Chris Gragg looks like he has hands as good as D.J. Williams' were, and he's a considerably bigger target. Tyler Wilson ought to be able to put up big numbers all year long. And speaking of Wilson...

4) On a 29-yard TD pass to Jarius Wright in the 3rd quarter, starting QB Wilson showed that he has the combination of power and accuracy on his deep throws that the Hogs are going to need this year at the field general position. I've got a lot of confidence in what he's going to be able to do. And hey, speaking of Wright...

5) WR Jarius Wright showed just how good he is with 6 catches for 108 yards and 2 TDs. He's got great hands and explosive speed. The only thing that might keep him from breaking the 1000 yard mark this year is the depth the Hogs field at receiver. My guess is that we'll see each of the big receivers for the Hogs have games like this on somewhat of a rotating basis: Greg Childs, Joe Adams, Cobi Hamilton, and Wright.

6) All-purpose WR Joe Adams has proved early that he will be at least as dangerous a kick returner as he was last year. He ran two punts back for TDs and had over 180 return yards. He's going to give opposing special teams coaches absolute fits. He's one of those guys with "another gear" as they say, as well as the ability to cut laterally and make tacklers fall over their own feet.

7) New starting RB Ronnie Wingo, Jr., is the #1 tailback due to the season-ending injury to Knile Davis. And tonight, he put on a show during the time he was in the game, rushing for 43 yards and catching for another 51 more. He could have easily rushed for 100 yards had he played the entire game (and the Hogs did run for 130+ as a team). But with RBs Knile Davis and Broderick Green out for the season, it only makes sense that Coach Petrino limited his time. Wingo is a big, strong back with speed who ran north-south with his shoulders down in a way I’ve never seen him do in the past. This shift could help him have a breakthrough year. He did more pass catching out of the backfield than running last year, and that experience could help him be a serious dual threat this fall. Can't wait to see how his role develops this year.

8) Freshman RB Kody Walker actually ended up as the game’s leading rusher with 69 yards on 9 carries for 2 TDs – and he was the third string Hog tailback! He’ll have to learn not to run with such a straight-up posture. But that will come, and the injuries Arkansas has at the position means Walker is likely to get a lot of carries as a freshman.

9) My game prediction was that the Hogs would win by a score of: However Much They Wanted To Score to 7. Actual final score: 51 to 7. I'd say I pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Here we go, Hogs...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2011 college football season is upon us. SEC fans, get ready for some fantastic Saturday clashes in the best football conference in the country.

Regular readers of this site know I am an Arkansas Razorbacks fan. Oh, I've so much as attended a class at the U of A. But as a native Arkansan I have - like most of my Arkansawyer brethren - been rooting for the Hogs all my life. I've also gotten in the habit of blogging through the football season, which is something I am going to attempt again this fall. So without further adieu, here we go...

Season Preview: As my friend Chuck West once said when trying to corral a bunch of rowdy high school students at Governor's School by convincing them that the less they trashed their dorm, the easier check-out would be: "Less work ... better." Less work better indeed, Mr. West. And in that vein, I am going to punt on the task of actually writing a season preview by pointing you to a better one than I could ever do myself. Check out the hardworking folks over at Blog Hawgs, who have done a nice job of previewing the entire Southeastern Conference - both the SEC East and the SEC West. With the Razorbacks in particular, they've got a preview of the offense as well as a preview of the defense.

Season Prediction: Hogs go 14-0 and win the national championship. I secretly make that prediction to myself every year. Every year I end up heartbroken. This year is different. We're gonna win it all.

This week: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Missouri State Bears.

Location: Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR.

Prediction: Arkansas - As many points as they want to score; Missou State - 7.

Season's Results: 0-0

Consider the season underway. It ought to be a fun one.