Like it is: Razorbacks make no excuses for dismal showing

WALLY HALL
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- No excuses.
Not from a coach. Not from a player. Not from anyone.
Lots of hurt, disappointment and some confusion, but Being Cedless, without Money and unable to Talley, the team that came on a bus and could have left in an ambulance refused to make alibis.
Houston Nutt's biggest reference to Cedric Cobbs was that he was going to the hospital to see him as soon as he left the complex.
Cobbs had successful shoulder surgery Friday afternoon -- including repairing some cartilage but not the rotator cuff, which was bruised but not torn -- and was a huge hole in the offensive heart of the Razorbacks on Saturday.
Still, you have to give Georgia credit. All of it.
Arkansas is primarily a play-action team, and the Bulldogs took away the play and the action.
The Bulldogs were so good Saturday afternoon they solved the traffic problems.
It was an easy exit because the majority of the Razorbacks fans bailed out of Reynolds Razorback Stadium as if someone had yelled fire.
Or maybe they did, and it was Georgia that was on fire.
The Bulldogs will probably want their own Hog Eye after what they got to see.
Actually, the game turned on one play, Arkansas' first offensive play.
Robby Hampton never looked at cornerback Jamie Henderson, who stepped in front of Boo Williams for an interception and raced untouched 35 yards for a touchdown. With 9:25 to play in the first quarter, the Bulldogs led 10-0.
From that point on, the lights were on but the home team wasn't.
Hampton spent most of the remainder of the game playing to not make another mistake, and in the Razorbacks attack that just doesn't work.
He ended up completing 19 of 37 passes, but nine of those completions came on the Razorbacks' 98-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter against mostly Bulldogs subs.
That's certainly not to lay the blame for the loss on Hampton.
This was definitely a team loss. In fact, that drive accounted for all but 116 of the total yards. It would be hard to pick out one offensive player who had a really good game.
The Razorbacks had 13 possessions and nine times couldn't make a first down.
Defensively, the Hogs were better than the final score.
Despite great field position, Georgia was held to 343 total yards. Its longest drive of the game was 64 yards, and two of its touchdowns were because of interceptions.
Quinton Caver, who had 11 unofficial tackles, including two for losses, was the brightest star in what turned out to be a dull afternoon.
And there was absolutely no joy within the Razorbacks family.
Bill Johnson and Mike Markuson were almost despondent. James Shibest and John Thompson couldn't talk. Bobby Allen was near shock. Joe Ferguson dressed and left.
Fitz Hill finally said, "We're building a program, not a season."
Which was evident in the fact that only five seniors started for the Razorbacks against a veteran Georgia team and the majority of the errors were by underclassmen.
Still, it was almost as if no one expected the team to miss Cobbs quite as much as it obviously did.
Not to overstate it, but imagine Ricky without Lucy. Wal without Mart. Razor without back.
No one can say the Razorbacks would have beaten Georgia if Cobbs had played, but it was obvious Saturday they are a much different team without him.
It was just that no one would offer that up as an excuse.
They gave the Bulldogs credit for their game plan and aggressive play. They bragged on Quincy Carter, who passed for 168 yards but more importantly ran the Wishbone like he was being chased by Barry Switzer.
Nutt, who tries to finish everything on a positive note, did get some relief from the 98-yard drive, and it should be noted Hampton was very decisive in that possession.
The difference-maker Saturday may not have been spoken, but it was obvious.
The Hogs came into the game beat up, and they left it more beat up.
Georgia is good, but a week ago the Bulldogs wouldn't have been 38-7 better than Arkansas.
Join Wally and Marcus Elliott live at 6 p.m., 374-9255, Comcast Cable, channel 18.

This article was published on Sunday, October 1, 2000

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