Arkansas Looking For Answers
Last updated Saturday, October 6, 2007 11:31 PM CDT in Columns
Harry King
THE MORNING NEWS
LITTLE ROCK -- The big picture was only a small part of Arkansas against Chattanooga.
The Razorbacks are searching at several positions, a point that was underlined during the struggle to put away the Mocs.
Handed out 40 minutes prior to kickoff, the flip card changes are usually inconsequential and merit only a cursory look. On Saturday, the material was newsworthy as a harbinger of the Arkansas defense that will be on the spot in the weeks to come.
From left to right, the starting defensive front was supposed to be Adrian Davis, Malcolm Sheppard, Ernest Mitchell, and Antwain Robinson. The update said Sheppard would move from tackle to end with Davis as his backup and that Marcus Harrison would start at tackle. That combination is much stouter than the undersized group that was supposed to start.
In fact, the announced lineup averages 268 pounds per man; the revised front is close to 285 per. Size is not an end-all, but Harrison and Mitchell are about 305 each -- more the norm in the Southeastern Conference -- and I thought about a Houston Nutt quote that was part of a release that freshman Damario Ambrose was SEC defensive lineman of the week for his play against North Texas.
Ambrose must be more consistent, Nutt said, "but you never have to worry about him going full speed."
Unintentional or not, that was a clear message for other Razorbacks.
It is worth noting that neither starting linebacker Elston Forte nor backup Ryan Powers was on the field at the start of the second half. Instead, Weston Dacus' backup Wendel Davis moved into Dacus' spot and Dacus played a position he had never practiced. It was the same on the second series.
Chattanooga made only 172 yards in the 34-15 loss, but it is disconcerting that the Mocs ran for 161. In fact, Chattanooga backup Bryan Fitzgerald ran through Arkansas for 65 yards and a third-quarter touchdown. Along the way, he left Jerell Norton and Kevin Woods tackling air. The pressbox P.A. provided perspective with the note that it was the junior college transfer's first touchdown and the first time he had cracked 100 yards in a game.
Mitchell's one-game suspension for illegal use of a helmet cost Arkansas dearly against Kentucky and Harrison's erratic play in the first half that night earned him a spot on the sideline for most of the second half. It was during the final 30 minutes that the Wildcats netted 162 of their 170 rushing yards.
Believe it, Auburn will try to run the ball. On Saturday, the Tigers used three tailbacks, including Brad Lester in his season debut, and averaged 6.1 yards per rushing try in a 35-7 victory over Vanderbilt.
Although Arkansas' 83 yards net rushing in the first half included a 15-yard loss by Darren McFadden the first time the Razorbacks were in the WildHog formation and a 20-yard team loss resulting from a bad snap, the Razorbacks failed to knock down the Mocs.
Freshman Wade Grayson started at left guard, although Mitch Petrus was listed as the starter. In the second half, Grayson was benched. An in-game injury to starting right tackle Nate Garner caused more shuffling.
The Razorbacks failed on third-and-short in the second quarter and on third-and-short and fourth-and-short in the third period.
Last week, The Citadel ran for 247 vs. Mocs; a week earlier, Georgia Southern ran for 324.
Bothered by bruised ribs, McFadden must wait another week to break the UA career rushing record. Needing 154 to pass Ben Cowins' 3,570 total, McFadden made 122 on 25 carries. His 2-yard TD run was reviewed because of a late fumble. He also lost a fumble after an 8-yard run to the Mocs' 15.
Halfway through his junior year, McFadden did set a school record by topping 100 yards for the 17th time.
He will get more attention nationally if he breaks the record vs. Auburn on TV, but it's not as if Arkansas has had a string of All-American running backs and his total will be almost 3,000 yards shy of the NCAA record set by Ron Dayne of Wisconsin.
Against Auburn, the big picture is first and foremost.
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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