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Blanket coverage turns Boo invisibleSCOTT CAINARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Now Arkansas has to be more creative to get the ball to Williams, who is literally and figuratively the team's biggest receiving threat. "We might have to move him to fullback and hand it off to him," receivers coach Fitz Hill said tongue-in-cheek. Sounds like a good idea to Williams. "I don't care," Williams said. "Let me go block one of those linebackers." Not that the 6-4, 230-pound bullwhip of a receiver isn't capable of knocking over a linebacker, but Arkansas needs his services in the end zone, preferably while he's holding the ball. After making 9 receptions for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first two games, Williams was held to four catches for 37 yards and no touchdowns against Alabama and Georgia. He caught three for 48 yards and a touchdown last week against Louisiana-Monroe, but the challenge will be tougher when Arkansas returns to SEC play Saturday against 24th-ranked South Carolina. The Gamecocks (5-1, 3-1 SEC) rank 11th nationally in pass efficiency defense. They've made a conference-high 12 interceptions and have allowed a conference-low one touchdown pass. "I've expected teams to double cover me and there's still a couple of plays I should have made," Williams said. "But we have other receivers who are playmakers, too, who take the pressure off of me." An ideal situation for Williams is to line up at split end and see 1-on-1 coverage because he usually can outmuscle and outjump any defensive back on a deep route. Quarterback Robby Hampton has the authority to change the play at the line if he sees single coverage on Williams, as he did against Southwest Missouri State and Boise State. Not much single coverage has come his way since. "We need him," Coach Houston Nutt said. "He keeps us going, he really does. He gets the rest of our team into it when he scores." To try to keep defenses from putting their best cornerback on Williams exclusively, coaches have used him at flanker besides split end. Teams still find ways to blanket him. Opponents that have been successful in limiting Williams have used a lot of bracket coverage. One defender covers him if he breaks outside and another is waiting inside if he breaks that way, or they combine to play him deep and shallow if its a vertical route. Essentially, the one who ends up defending Williams has to cover only half the ground that Williams does. The defensive back usually is in good position to break up a pass or to cause Hampton to throw to somebody else. Finding other receivers consistently is the best way to take heat off Williams. When teams ganged up on Anthony Lucas after fast starts the past two last seasons, it took Michael Williams burning the coverage to divert attention from Lucas. That's why Hill said he was encouraged to see Michael Snowden score on a 44-yard reception against Louisiana-Monroe and to see Richard Smith lead the team in receptions. Hill predicted that sophomore Gerald Howard, who has made a catch in four consecutive games, will contribute more in the near future and that Sparky Hamilton displayed some clutch-catch potential against Georgia. "We're not going to do harm to the team and throw the ball when there are three guys on [Williams]," Hill said. Where Williams falls in the progression order that Hampton reads depends on the play. He could be the first or last option. Hampton did a better job of seeing all the receivers against Louisiana-Monroe, the touchdown pass to Snowden serving as an example. Williams was the first read on a comeback route and would have been the easier target. But Hampton noticed Snowden breaking open across the middle and threw to him instead. Like so many things in football, one area has to work for the other area to work. The line provided much better protection Saturday than the week before when Georgia chased Hampton out of the pocket sometimes before he could see his first receiver. With time, Hampton has a better chance of finding Williams. During the bye next week, coaches will train Williams on how to work in motion before the snap. It should be another way to free him up. Linebackers are safe for now.
This article was published on Wednesday, October 11, 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. |
