Wild One In SEC
Last updated Saturday, September 22, 2007 11:27 PM CDT in Columns
By Harry King
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- In the bizarre world that was Kentucky 42, Arkansas 29, the deciding touchdown was a free play, precipitated by a defensive lineman who was a mile ahead of the snap count.
That is only the beginning of the weird.
A four-year bust and a 280-pound freshman defensive tackle who doubled as a short-yardage tailback in high school did a high-low number for a safety that gave Arkansas a 22-21 lead.
With a plethora of receivers and a running back on a roll, Kentucky coach called on Andre Woodson to run the quarterback draw on the two-point attempt when it was Arkansas 29-27. A high percentage passer with an excellent arm, Woodson has had 177 carries for minus 330 yards during his career. Even allowing for a large number of sacks, there is nothing that says run Woodson unless it's the fool 'em factor.
After Adrian Davis wandered across the line of scrimmage and Kentucky went in front 33-29 on Woodson to Keenan Burton, between Matterral Richardson and Kevin Woods, Arkansas inexplicably used a timeout. Whether the two-point conversion is good or not, Arkansas would have needed a touchdown and an extra point to win.
There is more.
Prior to the Burton touchdown, Woodson, who flirted with the NFL draft this year, overthrew Tony Dixon out of the backfield who was embarrassingly open inside the Arkansas 5. Kentucky was going to settle for a field goal, but the Razorbacks ran into the off-target kicker and the Wildcats managed to do the final 10 yards on their own.
Trailing 35-29, defensive end Jeremy Jarmon reached through a lock-up block to knock the ball out of Casey Dick's hands on third down. On fourth-and-11, Dick didn't come close with a pass.
The Arkansas offense never made a big play in the second half. After Jones' kickoff return following the safety, the Razorbacks totaled 33 yards during the final 11 minutes, 40 seconds.
Darren McFadden, who had 122 yards on 17 tries at intermission, left the field late in the first half. The word was that there was a virus going around and that he was feeling nauseous and needed fluids. In the second half, he produced 52 yards on a dozen carries.
"It always changes things when he goes out," said Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.
The timing of McFadden's return was surreal, almost as if he had shaken the effects of Kryptonite in the nick of time. Kentucky went in front 21-20, the double doors on the west side of the Broyles Complex opened and No. 5 trotted out. He entered the game on third down, lined up in the shotgun, and fumbled. Felix Jones saved that possession.
Not the sort to cite excuses, McFadden said he was fine when he returned to the game.
At one point in the third quarter, Dick was supposed to dump a pass to McFadden, but the running back was legally taken down by defensive end Dominic Lewis.
In fact, the Razorbacks did not have a single passing yard in the third quarter. That is not all on Dick.
A zinger went through the hands of Lucas Miller and was intercepted and Miller dropped a third-down pass that would have netted a first down on the Kentucky side of the field. Head down, he went to the sideline, consoled by Robert Johnson.
The safety by Fred Bledsoe and Patrick Jones occurred because Tony Dixon went to Woodson's left to take a handoff and Woodson turned right to hand him the ball. Those two points and Jones' 82-yard return of the ensuing kickoff were the only scores in the second half by a team that made 373 yards in the first half. During the first 30 minutes, Arkansas had a 242-yard advantage in total offense, and had the ball all but 10:01.
Mostly, the first-half defense was a combination of little things -- a pass rush by Malcolm Sheppard and Marcus Harrison, good coverage in the flat by Freddie Fairchild, a first down-saving tackle by Marcus Grant, a by-the-book defend by Richardson.
Kentucky trailed only 20-14 at the half because Trevard Lindley returned third-string tailback Michael Smith's fumble 66 yards for a touchdown with 26 seconds to play. Fittingly, two of the first four touchdowns were fumble recoveries.
Much maligned after giving up 450 yards at Alabama, the defense faded in the second half when Kentucky made more than 300 yards. Often in the final 30 minutes, the Wildcats whipped Arkansas up front. They made 8 yards rushing in the first half; 162 in the second half.
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. e-mail: hking@arkansasnews.com.
About this columnist
The dean of Arkansas sports writers, Harry King updates his column five days per week with the latest on the Razorbacks. A 35-year veteran of The Associated Press, King joined the Arkansas News Bureau in May of 2002. He's covered the Razorbacks since the Arkansas-Texas game dubbed the Big Shootout in 1969.
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