Even someone looking through Razorback red rose-colored classes would not claim Arkansas' troubles over after Saturday's 23-0 shutout of Tulsa at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
But for now, it's a start. Arkansas (2-6, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) snapped a six-game losing skid with Morris' first victory over one of Arkansas' Football Bowl Subdivision peers. The team actually broke a nine-game skid against FBS teams.
Bret Bielema's team lost its three November FBS/SEC games in 2017 after closing October with a one-point comeback victory against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.
Tulsa (1-6, 0-3 American Athletic Conference) obviously isn't SEC, but the Golden Hurricane is FBS rather hailing from the lower Football Championship Subdivision. Bielema's last win was against FCS Coastal Carolina and Morris' tenure began with a 55-20 victory in the season opener against another FCS team, Eastern Illinois (2-6, 2-3 Ohio Valley Conference).
The defense pitched a shutout as all three elements of the team rallied around emergency debut starting true freshman quarterback Connor Noland. Morris always praises the support the Razorbacks receive.
On Saturday, he delighted in adding winning to the usual kudos.
"Thank you to all those that showed up and showed out today," Morris said. "I want to thank and commend our players. Our players, as we know, have battled all year long. The outcomes have not gone our way, but these guys continue to fight.
"It says a lot about who we are, it says a lot about our program, it says a lot about our staff and it says a lot our state and it says a lot about what we're trying to build here. We knew that something was going to happen our way if we continue to get back up. These guys did."
Tulsa quarterback Seth Boomer was just 8 of 25 passing and was sacked six times. He has now completed 27 of 77 pass attempts this season.
The Golden Hurricane still only lost the previous week to No. 20 South Florida (7-0, 3-0), 25-24, the previous week on a late field goal. They also fought No. 7 Texas (6-1, 4-0 Big 12) in a 28-21 defeat in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 8.
So, the shutout was significant for an Arkansas defense bedeviled the preceding two weeks by two of the nation's best quarterbacks in Alabama Heisman Trophy candidate Tua Tagovailoa and Ole Miss' Jordan Ta'amu. How much it meant was manifest in the Razorbacks' reaction to defensive lineman Sosa Agim's sack of Boomer on Tulsa's final offensive play.
"When you see those guys over on the sideline on that last play, you'd have thought that the guy's fixing to kick a game-winning field goal," Morris said. "They were wanting that shutout bad, so you celebrate for those guys."
Morris prominently mentioned Noland, the rookie from Greenwood who only had a brief sacks-engulfed mop-up appearance against North Texas (6-2, 2-2 Conference USA) before he was told this week he would start in place of junior starter Ty Storey, of Charleston. Storey was on concussion protocol track to start after his exit from a head injury in the fourth quarter the previous week.
"When you start talking offensively, what a special moment for Connor, a young man from right down the road," Morris said. "He's probably dreamed of this moment his entire life, to be able to come out and lead the Hogs to a win. I'm very proud of him."
Noland was never sacked by Tulsa, even with his blind side protected by another debut starter in redshirt freshman Dalton Wagner at left tackle. Junior starter Colton Jackson awoke Saturday morning afflicted by severe back spasms.
"We did not know that until the bus ride over here," Morris said. "I thought Dalton played well."
While gratified by how Noland and Wagner performed, Morris said he would welcome Storey and Jackson back healthy for Saturday's 11 a.m. home SEC game against the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-5, 0-4) in Fayetteville.
Vanderbilt will head to Arkansas as a tough out. The Commodores fought to the wire in 22-17, 37-27 and 14-7 losses this season against No. 3 Notre Dame (7-0), No. 11 Florida (6-1, 4-1) and No. 14 Kentucky (6-1, 4-1), respectively.
Sports on 10/22/2018