From the Desk of Hunter Yurachek: Feb. 2
Happy (Ground)Hog Day Razorback Fans!
As ice and snow blankets our state, I hope everyone stays safe and warm and takes some time to cheer on the Razorbacks this week!
Across the board, our teams are performing well, with winter sports getting nearer to the championship segments of their programs and spring sports preparing to start. We hope to carry on the momentum initiated by our fall sports, who captured a total of three SEC championships and left others in the SEC and around the country in our shadow.
Muss Bus is Cruising
After an 0-3 start in SEC play, Coach Eric Musselman and the Razorback men’s basketball team is on a roll. Six-straight victories, including a non-conference win in the SEC/Big 12 challenge over West Virginia, has the Hogs near the top of the SEC standings.
We are 16-5, 5-3 in the SEC, tied for third place in the league. Our next test is tonight on the road at Georgia, where last week the Bulldogs upset Alabama. Tonight’s game tips at 6 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU. We return home on Saturday to host Mississippi State at 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network).
MBK Ticket Transfer
Crowds at Bud Walton Arena have been fantastic this season! However, we know that in some instances Razorback fans that have tickets can’t make the game for various reasons. In an effort to help get more University
of Arkansas students in the arena to cheer us on, we have launched the MussTix Transfer where fans can return tickets that will be given to UA students.
If you are interested in donating tickets back to us, just transfer them from your ticket account to: musstix@uark.edu. Make sure we get the tickets more than 48 hours before the game so we can add to our student section.
Amber Leading the Way
Senior women’s basketball player Amber Ramirez decided to come back for the 2021-22 season and she has made the most of it. Ramirez is hitting on all cylinders for the Razorback women’s basketball team who has won three of their last four games in conference play.
Ramirez, the SEC Co-Player of the Week, scored 25 points in a 90-76 upset of No. 12 LSU in Bud Walton Arena and added 29 points in a narrow road overtime loss (86-83) at No. 7 Tennessee. Arkansas hits the road to play Texas A&M on Thursday (8 p.m. – SEC Network), before returning home the following Thursday to host Auburn on February 10.
Back At Home
Coach Jordyn Wieber and the No. 13 Razorback Gymnastics team will return to campus to host No. 31 West Virginia this Friday at Barnhill Arena. The GymBacks fell to high powered No. 4 Florida last weekend in Gainesville. However, the Razorbacks set a new school record on the beam, a record that had stood for a decade.
The meet will also serve as Equality Night, an evening championing equal treatment and inclusion of all. Advanced tickets for Friday’s meet against West Virginia are $5 for adults and $3 youth.
Heating Up the Track (And Field)
There is not a venue any busier in January and February than the Randal Tyson Track Center. Arkansas has hosted meets each of the past two weekends and will return to the Fastest Indoor Track in the World on February 11-12 for the Tyson Invitational.
The women’s track team, ranked No. 2 in the nation, had a solid weekend at the Razorback Invitational, setting a meet record in the 4×400 relay to cap the fruitful weekend.
In the same meet on the men’s side, the No. 8 Razorbacks were led by sophomore Ayden Owens. In his first heptathlon as a Razorback, Owens produced a school record and the second-best score in collegiate history with 6,272 points. Owens was named the USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week for his performance.
Coach Sam Pittman and the Razorback Football team will begin spring practice on March 13, with an open practice inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium set for Saturday, April 16 at 11 a.m.
HogFest presented by Pepsi will precede the open practice in Lot 44 north of the stadium beginning at 8 a.m. The free event will include a concert, pep rally, sponsor activations, inflatables and more.
The open practice and HogFest kickoff a big day on The Hill. The baseball team will wrap up a three-game series against LSU at 2 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium with the softball team squaring off with Kentucky later that night at Bogle Park.
Fans also want to make note of these special dates for the 2022 Razorback Football season:
- University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor Weekend (September 16-17, 2022) – vs. Missouri State
- Family Weekend (September 16-18, 2022) – vs. Missouri State
- Homecoming (November 5, 2022) – vs. Liberty
- Arkansas is a combined 10-3 in the early going of the spring tennis season. The men’s team is 6-1, after a win over Alabama last weekend at the ITA Kickoff. The women’s team is 4-1, after suffering its first defeat of the season against No. No. 16 Stanford at the ITA Kickoff.
- Congratulations to Fayetteville native and former Razorback quarterback Brandon Allen on advancing to the Super Bowl. Allen and his Cincinnati Bengals will play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, February 13 in Los Angeles in Super Bowl LVI. This year’s game will mark the 14th consecutive Super Bowl in which at least one Razorback player/coach has been on one of the competing teams!
Have a great rest of your week and, as always, Go Hogs!
Hunter
