In case I missed the memo, why did they only play 12 minute quarters in the second half? Was it because of the lopsided score? Was it something the coaches agreed on?
The coaches agreed to it.
Thanks Matt!
Was it the coaches idea or did ESPN request a shorter game?
I thought the game went by awfully quickly, but I didn’t realize they shortened the 2nd half to 12 min quarters. I wasn’t aware they could do that. When was the agreed upon? At the halftime or before the game started?
No, it was the coaches’ choice. It’s no different than baseball coaches who agree to seven-inning games when the games are out of hand.
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Halftime. That’s happened before. I think when we crushed Nicholls State a few years back they shortened the second half.
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Those were regulation quarters in the Nicholls game. I can’t remember an Arkansas game when the quarters were shortened like this.
The Kentucky game in 2012 was called off in the third quarter because Arkansas was up 49-7 and there was a tornado warning not far from the stadium.
I had no idea that was allowed
Seems like I remember some Hog game that was shortened like this. But it may not have been Nicholls. I have seen that done before somewhere though, with 12 minute quarters.
I see it every Friday night. 
That was an ugly 24 minutes. Hornsby looked bad. I’m sure the second and third teamers had a lot to do with that. I hope we can get some decent portal players after the season.
And sometimes less than that with the Arkansas mercy rule (clock runs constantly once you have a 35 point lead in the second half). Although I watched a high school game last night that was 28-0 in the second quarter and wound up 33-27 so it turned into a close game. (Yes there was a safety involved).
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I’m convinced a lot of high school clock operators don’t understand the mercy rule in Arkansas. I see too many stoppages after a team gets ahead by 35 points.
I remember a playoff game between Shiloh Christian and Nashville about 10 years ago when Shiloh got behind by 35 in the first half, but scored once or twice just before halftime to keep from a running clock. Shiloh came back and won 51-49. It probably wouldn’t have had the chance had the clock been running.
Once the mercy rule kicks in, I don’t think it can be reversed and go back to normal timing. I’ve seen several mercy rule games where the team with the big lead puts in the ninth graders and it winds up 42-27 or something.
I think there are some refs who don’t understand it either, but then in 50+ years of watching Arkansas high school football the zebras have been frequently mystified about a lot of things.
This is from the NCAA rulebook:
Any time during the game, the playing time of any remaining period or periods may be shortened by mutual agreement of the opposing head coaches and the referee.
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While I know it wasn’t a big thing in the long run, the fact that they shortened the quarters really irritated me. There were quite a few fans who got up early, maybe before sunrise, and drove a long way to see a football game. An actual football game.
They did not get a full football game, yet they paid a full price for their tickets. It just seems to me to show a lack of respect for the integrity of the game when a decision like that is made without an obvious compelling reason. If there had been weather involved, or a bunch of major injuries, or some other factor beyond the normal, that would have been different.
I think we all aspire to have the success that teams like Alabama and Georgia are having. Does anyone truly believe either of those programs would have agreed to shorten the game?
Based on our performance, the second and third teamers could have used all the time on the field they could get. Did our coaches not see any value in that?
If the competition merits the need to shorten the game, then why are we playing them in the first place?
Sorry to make this a bit of a rant. I know it was only six minutes, and it irritates me that I was annoyed so much by it.
Maybe if our second and third teamers on offense would have looked halfway decent in the second half, I wouldn’t have been so irritated.
(Okay. I’m done.)
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Why the hell didn’t we instigate 12 minute quarters with some of the blowouts we have received in the last ten years? We are not in pee-wee football.
Shortening the game doesn’t bother me at all. The outcome had been decided it impressive fashion. Fans began pouring out. The additional plays only porvided more opportunities for needless injuries. Our second & third teams got enough of a workout during the 24 minutes. Six more wouldn’t have mattered any.
I remember Arkansas last game against Texas with Broyles and Royal was shortened and that was a tight game…