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UA TodaySCOTT CAINARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE LOOKING BACK SATURDAY REWIND Given that half the Louisiana-Monroe team consisted of true or redshirt freshmen and it was reduced to its third-team quarterback, Arkansas was expected to win with a gaudy score. That advantage aside, the Razorbacks cleaned up their play Saturday in a 52-6 victory one week after being trampled by Georgia. "We're getting better, we're getting better," Coach Houston Nutt said Sunday. "I thought we made good improvement. I know we didn't play a very good team. No disrespect to [Louisiana-Monroe], but it's very tough when you have that many freshmen to play with the level that they're playing against. "I was proud of the way our team bounced back." The defense forced three turnovers after totaling five in the first four games and provided the offense with excellent field position. Linebacker J.J. Jones returned an interception 14 yards for a touchdown, rover Corey Harris intercepted a pass and linebacker Quinton Caver recovered a fumble. The defensive line held its ground, combining with the linebackers and safeties to allow 46 yards rushing through three quarters. The Indians rushed for 39 yards in the fourth quarter after Arkansas cleared its bench. Quarterback Robby Hampton threw four touchdown passes. One area that remained a concern was the running game. Arkansas managed just 54 yards on 20 attempts in the first half with junior Alvin Ray carrying 14 times for 34 yards. When Brandon Holmes received more time in the third quarter, he scored on runs of 39 and 13 yards and finished with 5 rushes for 63 yards. Attribute the first-half running struggle to a combination of the line not firing on all cylinders and Ray not always hitting the holes quickly. Injuries have forced the offensive line to shuffle. Tight end Nathan Ball started in place of left tackle Shannon Money (ankle) and redshirt freshman Scott Davenport replaced Kenny Sandlin (shoulder) after 18 plays. Even though Ball, right tackle Gary Hobbs and left guard La'Zerius White played their best games of the season, Nutt said, the line wasn't consistently in sync. "The thing that's tough is, since the first game, we have not had the same group in there," Nutt said. "That's what makes it extremely tough as far as chemistry." THROWING CAUTION TO WIN An unapologetic Houston Nutt pointed to the fumbled exchange between quarterback Robby Hampton and tailback Brandon Holmes as an example of why he left Hampton in the game well after the outcome was secure. Hampton is a first-year starter who needs experience, Nutt said. The fumble appeared to be Holmes' fault. "He's got to hand off to Brandon Holmes a thousand times, he's got to hand off to Radale Pearson a thousand times," Nutt said. "He's not had enough snaps. If I really had it my way and I really thought that there was no way [Hampton] would get hurt, he would have played the whole game. Giving McBride a quarter was good enough." Nutt did not replace Hampton with backup Jared McBride until the end of the third quarter when Arkansas led 45-6. It was against Louisiana-Monroe last year that former UA quarterback Clint Stoerner separated his shoulder while playing late in a blowout. TURNAROUND The special teams ended their sloppy four-game run and turned in a big play. Jimmy Beasley blocked a punt, the first in Coach Houston Nutt's three seasons. It was the fifth block against Louisiana-Monroe this season. "I know how poor their teams are, but you can build off this, look at the positive," Nutt said. Also, Richie Butler averaged 43.3 yards per punt and placed three of his five inside the 20-yard line. He ranks second in the SEC and 12th nationally with a 43.5 average. SIDELINES One reason rover Corey Harris made so many plays was because coaches took some responsibility off of him and told him to either blitz or drop into a pass coverage zone each play. One of the team's best athletes, Harris played much faster Saturday than he has been playing. ... True freshman Brennan O'Donohoe kicked his first field goal, a 22-yarder. ... The 28 third-quarter points were the most since Arkansas scored 28 in the second quarter of a 54-24 victory over Houston on Oct. 26, 1985. ... Arkansas used 64 players -- 22 who started and 42 who came off the bench. LOOKING AHEAD UP NEXT Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) makes its first road trip when it plays Saturday at 24th-ranked South Carolina (5-1, 3-1). The Gamecocks are coming off a 20-17 victory at Kentucky, their first road victory since Oct. 18, 1997, at Arkansas. Tailback Derek Watson scored the eventual winning touchdown in the third quarter on a 58-yard run, and the defense turned back four Wildcats comeback attempts in the fourth quarter. All four series ended on downs. TRANSLATION: YES Lou Holtz didn't say anything after last year's game against Arkansas and he isn't saying much before it this year. Holtz, South Carolina's coach, snubbed Arkansas coaches Houston Nutt and Keith Burns after his team lost 48-14 in Little Rock. Nutt and Burns played for Holtz in college. The 34-point margin of defeat was the largest by a Holtz-coached team since Nov. 16, 1985, when Michigan beat Minnesota 48-7. Notre Dame's largest losing margin during his 11 years there was 25 points to Texas A&M in the 1988 Cotton Bowl. Holtz didn't complain Sunday when asked if he thought Arkansas ran up the score. "Bobby Bowden taught me a lesson," Holtz said of the Florida State legend. "If you think the score is too much, then that's your fault. You can only coach one team, that's ours. If Arkansas scored too many points, that's our fault." OUT OF THE BOX Co-defensive coordinator John Thompson moved from the coaches' box onto the field Saturday and will stay there for the rest of the games, Coach Houston Nutt said. The move was made to improve the communication between Thompson and the secondary and between Thompson and co-coordinator Bobby Allen. Thompson has coached from the sidelines in his previous jobs. "We were going to do it earlier and he said, 'Hey, let me start out up here in the box and let's just have a feel for it,' " Nutt said. "This was much better. We had a much better handle on things." Outside linebackers coach Chris Vaughn, quarterbacks coach Joe Ferguson and tight ends coach James Shibest will continue to work in the box. They will help read offenses and send down the information. HOLMES TO START True freshman Brandon Holmes will start Saturday against South Carolina, running backs coach Danny Nutt said Sunday. Holmes replaces junior Alvin Ray. In the two games since starter Cedric Cobbs and backup Fred Talley were injured, Holmes has averaged 8.6 yards per carry and Ray has averaged 1.9. Ray started the last two games. "I think Alvin Ray has played better off the bench," Nutt said. "Since we've been here, he came off the bench in the Memphis game two years ago and we won. Alabama he came in and we won. So we're going to let him come off the bench." TALLEY RETURNS Sophomore tailback Fred Talley practiced Sunday for the first time since breaking his hand Sept. 23 in the Alabama game. Coach Houston Nutt said he thinks Talley can play Saturday. Talley was the team's second-leading rusher when he and leader Cedric Cobbs went down with injuries in the same game. Talley will be outfitted with a smaller cast on his left hand when he plays, and his conditioning probably has not dropped off much because he has been running, Nutt said. INJURY REPORT
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