Western Kentucky was paid $1+ million to be fodder for Arkansas on Saturday. One of the most interesting back stories was that the QB that Arkansas jettisoned after 2018, Ty Storey, was the starting QB for WKU. Storey started 9 games for the 2018 Razorbacks but was not deemed to be good enough for Razorback coach Chad Morris. He hustled in two grad transfers, Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel, to shore up the QB position in Fayetteville.
Storey saw the writing on the wall and also became a grad transfer. Bowling Green, there he went. However, he could not beat out Steven Duncan for the starting job. Very humbling times for one of the most heralded recruits coming out of Northwest Arkansas this decade. Storey had been offered by schools the ilk of Alabama and Auburn. Storey had led Charleston High School to consecutive state championships.
Exiled from his home state, Storey had to be humbled to be a backup QB for a Conference USA squad. Duncan got hurt and, thankfully, for the Hilltoppers, the experienced Storey came off the bench. Imagine his feelings as he took the field in Fayetteville on Saturday. How did he do? In 5 first half possessions, he led WKU to 5 TDs!! 35-7 blowout at halftime. Western coasted to a 45-19 laugher that sealed Chad Morris’ fate in Fayetteville. Storey’s stats: 22/32/319 plus 77 rushing yards. Storey’s 70% completion rate in 2019 is one of the best in the country. Sweet, sweet redemption!
A headline in Fayetteville yesterday: “Hill Floppers.” Arkansas is now paying $10 million for Morris to go away. This is on top of Bret Bielema’s $12 buyout two years ago. What is the ratio of Morris’ buyout divided by his number of SEC wins the past two years? ANSWER: Infinity.
In addition to becoming rich, perhaps Morris can take consolation from a previous in-season firing of a Hog coach, Jack Crowe. Crowe was summarily canned after Arkansas lost its 1992 opener, 10-3 to Citadel. Crowe went on to a distinguished coaching career at Jacksonville State, highlighted by an upset win at Ole Miss.