By Harry King
LITTLE ROCK — Trying to identify a doable Southeastern Conference football double-header in the composite schedule grid is sort of like attempting to locate a unicorn in an “I Spy” book.
In the football puzzle, Arkansas must be a participant. In the search for the one-horned creature, begin with a background that is large and multi-colored.
This all started when one of the dozen members of the Razorback Roundtable forwarded an e-mail with the note: “Wow, guess what I just noticed??!!!!! An easier same-day SEC double-header than the legendary ‘06 one …”
That year, Rob Janes, Dumas Garrett and Robert James drove from Little Rock to Nashville where they celebrated Arkansas 21, Vanderbilt 19. Loaded with fuel for man and metal beast, plus clean shirts for all, the car was pointed East even before a gust short-circuited Brian Hahnfelt’s 48-yard field goal attempt at the gun. Jabbering about the potential of Mitch Mustain — they still recall his 56-yard rope to an in-stride Marcus Monk — the trio beat a path to Knoxville for the 7 p.m. kickoff of Florida 21, Tennessee 20.
During the 181-mile drive, they changed shirts and Janes’ pro-pig one elicited some stimulating comments from the orange-clad in Neyland Stadium. Garrett, the techno whiz, cranked up the wireless Internet in the car so they could digest the stats from the Vandy game. Along the way, they also received real-time scoring updates, including Notre Dame’s 26-point loss to Michigan.
That night, Janes was asleep before Knoxville was in the rear-view mirror and they were 3 a.m. getting back to the motel in Nashville. James claims it took him a week to recover.
First to spot the potential ‘09 trip wins $10, the e-mailer said.
Arkansas has four road games against SEC opponents, so Sept. 26, Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Nov. 28 are the only dates worth criss-crossing. One recipient of the e-mail ciphered out the Razorbacks vs. Ole Miss and Florida at Mississippi State on Oct. 24. By car, Oxford to Starkville is two hours or so.
There is an opportunity earlier in the season, the first detective said.
To find it, think outside state lines. It is Arkansas at Alabama and LSU at Mississippi State on Sept. 26. From Tuscaloosa to Starkville is only about 90 miles.
In August, members of the Roundtable will meet for their eighth annual preseason gathering, to make predictions for ‘09 and critique the head coaches in the league.
Some in the group prefer a Razorback football-golf double-header — Mississippi State home games get extra points because Old Waverly Golf Club is near Starkville — and only “real men” will consider the all-football twinbill. Necessarily, plans remain up in the air until 12 days prior to the game and CBS picks a game for the 2:30 p.m. slot. Ideally, the combo is 11:30 a.m. and something that evening.
They will travel by car and, if possible, they will stop in Greenwood, Miss., at an old grocery that houses a restaurant where the specialties are steak, pompano and ambiance.
To an outsider, the September offering is more attractive because Arkansas fans can check out two Western Division opponents that the Razorbacks will face down the line.
There is also a potential double-header for nostalgic Arkansans who plan to take in the Razorbacks vs. Texas A&M on Oct. 3. Just down the road from the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium, former Southwest Conference members TCU and SMU will square off.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
