Welcome to the Sh*tshow
This story will be updated after the conclusion of the Arkansas-Arkansas State game.
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LITTLE ROCK – If this was the last University of Arkansas football game at War Memorial Stadium, it was a fitting end to a historic run by the Hogs.
In more ways than one.
On the good side, Arkansas, facing Arkansas State for the first-time ever, is just absolutely demolishing the Red Wolves, 35-14, at halftime on a breezy and cool Saturday afternoon in front of what looks to be full stands.
Key to the Arkansas effort has been quarterback Taylen Green, who has passed for 144 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 134 yards and one touchdown as the ASU defense seems perplexed by Green’s combination of arm strength and mobility.
As for the crowd, official attendance hasn’t been released at halftime, but whatever that number, the attendance won’t reflect the thousands gathered at the stadium tailgating on the former golf course. Nor does it reflect the hundreds – thousands? – stuck in traffic in and around the stadium as parking had been deemed “closed” by the Little Rock Police Department.
Which gets us to the bad. Despite having a media parking pass issued by the University of Arkansas, I was denied entry into stadium parking as the cop working the corner in front of the stadium declared what I had wasn’t media parking and told me to keep driving.
Because a 55-year old man, wearing a buttondown, traveling solo with a backpack loaded down with electronics is often faking it? I don’t know what they thought. But it doesn’t seem like thinking, or taking in context clues, is a prerequisite for police work.
To be clear this is entirely on LRPD. Attempts to contact them and also Arkansas State Parks, that manages the stadium, after the fact were not yet successful.
If any responses are received, they will be included in the post-game report.
Back to the game, photographer Jaison Sterling is taking pictures for Arkansas Newsroom and below are a selection from the first half.
