Saturday was a frustrating day in what's turning out to be a frustrating season for Arkansas.
The Hogs lost 34-22 to Texas A&M, their third straight on the season. It was a tough day for the Arkansas offense -- KJ Jefferson was just 9-of-17 for 132 yards with a touchdown and a costly pick, and six Arkansas runners were credit with 42 yards on 39 carries.
After the game, a few Razorbacks fans vented their frustration into offensive coordinator Dan Enos's inbox, and Enos vented right back.
Hawg Beat confirmed through the Freedom of Information Act that Enos sent multiple emails to Arkansas fans, most of them centered around a 4th-and-1 call in the second quarter in which running back Raheim Sanders was stopped short. Arkansas trailed 10-6 at the time, and Texas A&M used the short field to punch in a touchdown for a 17-6 halftime lead. The loss dropped Arkansas to 1-11 against the Aggies since they joined the SEC in 2012.
"I just wanted you to know that I'm available to call 4th downs for y'all if you need it AND y'all don't have to pay me millions," self-described Arkansas student Rob Mason wrote at 3:50 p.m., approximately an hour and a half after the game ended.
"What would you u call??" Enos responded immediately.
"A QB sneak. This isn't hard Dan," the emailer shot back.
"With gaps defense," Enos answered, followed by four cry-laughing emojis. "What a joke." The second sentence was then followed by four cry-laughing emojis.
Enos then emailed a second time. "You're so innovative," he said, this time with just one cry-laughing emoji.
By this point, neither party was willing to back down.
"I don't know if you know this Dan, but a QB sneak with a 250 Pound QB is hard to stop even if you know it's coming. Also, but what you've been doing isn't working if you didn't notice."
"Thanks Robinson," Enos wrote back one minute later. "U should have been a coach!!!"
By this point, the conversation devolved to the point that so many online exchanges reach: where each party believes whoever gets the last word in wins, and neither side is willing to give the other the satisfaction.
"Maybe you should stop trying to be innovative and get a first down," Mason wrote, implying that Enos was somehow not trying to get a first down. "If I was a coach I would be just as effective as you are."
"U still have time," Enos answered. "Apply for some jobs, I'm sure you'll be great."
"I should have been a coach, you are right. I could get paid millions of dollars and still not have to be good at my job!"
By that point, Enos either stopped responding or he came back with a retort so devastating Mason was too ashamed to post it online. Hopefully, it was the former.
All in all, the dust up lasted five minutes, and it ended at an appropriate point: a fan deciding that calling plays is so easy a layman can do it. I mean, just look at this play call that didn't work, how hard can it be?!?!
While fans thinking they could call plays better than the OC is as common to the game of football as the forward pass, the exchange is indicative of where the Arkansas fan base is with its coaching staff, and vice versa.
Just last week Sam Pittman shut down his Twitter account, saying he was tired of the negativity sent to him and his players. "People say, 'Well you make a lot of money.' That ain't got nothing to do with people bashing you personally. You can talk about my coaching all you want. But attacking me, guys on the team, that's not right. I'll never feel like it's right," he said.
Saturday's loss was the Hogs' third straight, and dropped them to 2-7 in their last nine SEC games with road trips to No. 16 Ole Miss and No. 11 Alabama looming Saturday and next week.
Obviously, Plan A for Enos and the Razorbacks is to beat Ole Miss. But Plan B is to put his phone away on the bus to the airport.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.