Nate Allen Arkansas picks up pieces from Starkville

At 2-9, you’ve usually lost in most ways imaginable, but first-year Arkansas head coach Chad Morris never imagined the way his team would flounder in a 52-6 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday in Starkville, Miss.

Morris told the Razorbacks Radio Network he was “totally disgusted with the effort that was put out on this field all day long” and called the performance “completely unacceptable in all areas, coaching playing.” The coach said he was blindsided by the surrender in Starkville after Arkansas

(2-9, 0-7 Southeastern Conference) scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns the week prior in a 24-17 home loss to LSU

(9-2, 5-2).

“We’ve had good workouts,” Morris said. “Our energy level has been high. Our attitude’s been great.”

Arkansas will end the season on Friday with a 1:30 p.m. game in Columbia, Mo., against the Tigers (7-4, 3-4). The game will be broadcast on CBS (Resort Channel 11).

“It’s going to take a special person to come back in here tomorrow and put their best foot forward,” Morris said Saturday. “And if you don’t have that, it’s okay - don’t show back up. From coaching to playing to equipment to training, it’s everything.”

It wasn’t like the Bulldogs

(7-4, 3-4) had nothing to do with Arkansas’ sorry showing. They rate as the SEC’s best defense.

Senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald is the SEC’s career leading rushing quarterback, but Arkansas yielded 475 yards and committed nine penalties. One penalty voided what would have been Arkansas’ lone touchdown and another voided a first down that led to a punt.

Fitzgerald finished with five touchdowns, four passing among his 9-for-14 performance for 127 yards without an interception. He ran for one touchdown among his 14 carries for 85 rushing yards.

“I think I said all week long he’s a quality football player, without a doubt,” Morris said. “But this is about the Arkansas Razorbacks and the unacceptable effort in all areas of this program. That’s what this is about. Yes, he’s a great football player, has a lot of records and won a lot of games. But this is about the Arkansas Razorbacks.”

Every Razorback, even those like fifth-year senior defensive tackle Armon Watts, a virtual non-factor in his four previous seasons under former Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema become one of the SEC sack leaders, knows their coach’s wrath.

“He was very disappointed in our actions and our body language,” said fifth-year senior defensive tackle Armon Watts. “He told us it would be a gut-check tomorrow and we’d see who would really be man enough to be able to come in tomorrow after this, move on and put our best foot forward.”

Anyone knowing Gerald Skinner laments the passing last weekend of the 1973-76 starting offensive tackle for Frank Broyles’ Razorbacks.

On the field, Skinner earned All-Southwest Conference honors for Broyles’ 10-2 SWC/ Cotton Bowl champion Razorbacks and opened holes for some of Arkansas’ greatest running backs, Dickey Morton in

1973, Ike Forte in 1974 and ’75, Jerry Eckwood in 1975 and ’76, and 1976 SWC rushing leader Ben Cowins.

Off the field, Malvern native Skinner was a kindly, mischievous gentle giant remembered well by all fortunate enough to intersect his life’s path.