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Hogs brace for long ball from BearsROB KEYSARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FAYETTEVILLE -- With a new quarterback calling the shots and with very little game tape to study, Arkansas doesn't really know what to expect from the Southwest Missouri State offense. Coach Houston Nutt has gone against Southwest Missouri State Coach Randy Ball in the past and believes he has a feel for schemes and certain tendencies. But former Ohio State quarterback Austin Moherman and three other Division I-A transfers give the Bears' offense an air of unpredictability. "Coach Ball's pretty much done the same things the last few years, so we feel like we have a feel," said Nutt, whose Murray State teams beat Ball's Western Illinois teams two out of three times from 1994-96. "The thing you don't know is, with as many transfers as he got in January, you just don't know personnel as much. You're just going to have to get that on the run." Arkansas co-defensive coordinator John Thompson said he expects the Bears to challenge the Hogs with the deep ball. "I'd expect to see at least six or seven," Thompson said. It would be hard to argue against that strategy, as Arkansas plans to start a freshman free safety, a cornerback with one career start and a rover -- another position that figures into pass coverages -- making his first college start. "They're going to complete some passes on us, and there are going to be some things that go against us," Thompson said. "It's going to be, 'Who lines up the next down and gets it done?' " Thompson's main concern, he said, is not allowing Moherman to develop a rhythm. "He [Moherman] is an impressive guy," Thompson said. "He's got a quick release, throws the deep ball well and has got some experience." Because Arkansas will own size and speed advantages along the line of scrimmage, Thompson said Southwest Missouri State might try to develop pace and rhythm by calling a lot of three-step drops and shorter receiving routes, then try to sucker up Arkansas' inexperienced defensive backs with hook-and-go type patterns. Ultimately, though, what Southwest Missouri State decides to do isn't as important as how the Razorbacks defenders react, Thompson said. "It wouldn't matter if we're playing Alabama, UCLA or Southwest Missouri," Thompson said.
This article was published on Friday, September 1, 2000RETURN to main pageCopyright and permissions Copyright © 2000, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. |
