Tusk to Tail: Last game of the season on the Hill – the last for Morris?

The Hogs are in the home stretch now. There’s just one game left in Fayetteville this Saturday (Nov. 9), a week off to prepare for Death Valley, and then back to Little Rock for Missouri the Friday after Thanksgiving.

You really can’t escape the football talk these days. Everyone has an opinion on these last few games. Whether it is at work, in a restaurant, or at church, one is quickly asked what is going to be the fate of head coach Chad Morris.

I think a lot of our coach’s fate may depend upon this week’s opponent. Ty Storey and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are loaded with a truckload of speculation. This is the same Ty Storey who played his heart out for the Hogs last year, but could see the writing on the wall when two graduate transfer quarterbacks were brought to campus. Storey transferred, and is having a nice year for WKU. Despite all the new talent on campus, the Hogs are still stuck at 2-7 with very little hope of improving down the stretch.

I’m really not sure what to expect this Saturday. The Vegas line now favors Arkansas by 1.5 points, so it is pretty much a toss-up. The Hogs defense continues to find innovative ways to give up points, so I would not be shocked to see the Hogs lose this game. That for me would be the Rubicon Moment with this staff and direction they have set this program on.

But I digress.

After the nice surprise of a 3 p.m. game last weekend, we have a breakfast game of 11 a.m. to close it out. The weather promises to be a carbon copy of last Saturday. You can’t ask for much better than that in early November. I do not have high hopes of having a big crowd, but you never know. People may want to enjoy the pretty day and see how this all plays out on the field. If we have more than 20 guests, I would be pleasantly surprised.

If you have been a regular reader, you know we try to knock out the supplies that have built up over the season to keep expenses down for the last game. Even more so now that we could potentially have our smallest crowd of the season. I’ve been known to say that you can’t throw a proper tailgate for less than $500, and I still stand by that. Once we have a good headcount on this week, I can start making some plans and see what exactly will be needed.

I figure it will be a nice simple mix of breakfast casseroles and donuts, keeping the fuss to a minimum. In the bar area, we will keep the mimosas, Bloody Marys and bring back the Cinnamon Toast Crunch shots from last week. Equal parts Fireball and Rumchata – those were a big hit. I’d like to add some Bailey’s Irish Cream for the coffee, and perhaps a crock pot full of hot apple cider as well, since it will be a cold start.

We will not break out the space heaters, as the amount of time they are needed isn’t worth the effort or expense of collecting them, filling them, and loading them in and out.

Here are a few tips for these early, cool games.
• You should not need as much ice as you normally do. I find I can combine the soft drinks and water into one cooler, saving space and ice.
• You will need far less beer than what is normally required, unless you go with my next idea.
• Consider converting your tailgate to a post-game party destination. LSU and Bama are playing at 2:30 p.m. in a rare Top Two matchup. We will look into ordering some pizza for delivery and enjoy the nice afternoon and watch some good football.
• Don’t forget, traffic will be shut off at 7 a.m. sharp, and it’s going to get backed up early. Leave early, and enjoy the morning from your tailgate rather than sitting in traffic on MLK.

Go Hogs, Beat Hilltoppers!

Editor’s note: Now in its eighth year, Tusk to Tail is the sport of tailgating as organized, performed and perfected by a group of Hog fans who have been tailgating together sober and otherwise for more than a decade. The primary focus of Tusk to Tail will be to follow the Hogs through the fans’ perspective with their insightful, irreverent, smart-alecky and sometimes practical style. Tusk to Tail sponsors are the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship program and Turn Key Construction Management. The diehards may also be followed on their Facebook page. Or follow the crew on Twitter and Instagram, all @TuskToTail.