Like it is: Hogs take steps in right direction despite defeat

WALLY HALL
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn won the game, but Arkansas may have won a major battle.
On a spectacular Saturday afternoon, on the road in front of more than 83,000 screaming Auburn faithful, the University of Arkansas Razorbacks played with pride and passion.
They went toe-to-toe and nose-to-nose for 60 minutes and there was no quit in them.
So the team that is supposed to be some sort of disaster on the road, came very close to winning.
After the game, in a dressing room that was thick with bloody and sweat-stained tape and uniforms, was a strong indication this team had finally chosen its direction.
Zak Clark, who practiced very little the last two weeks, stepped in after a shoulder injury chased Robby Hampton.
Clark threw two interceptions in the closing minutes.
"If anyone has a problem with Zak and what happened, they can come see me, or any of the offensive linemen," said 6-3, 316-pound Kenny Sandlin, leaving no doubt he would be short on patience.
That kind of cohesiveness and leadership is what has been missing from this young Razorbacks team.
Saturday, they appeared to come together as a team. A fighting unit.
When the defense came off the field, the offense was waiting with slaps on the helmet and vice versa.
"I couldn't have asked for any more than they gave," Houston Nutt said in the wake of the Hogs' 21-19 loss the 25th-ranked Tigers.
For the past two weeks, Nutt, and the Razorbacks, particularly the offensive line, have taken a beating from some fickle fans.
Nutt for what some armchair quarterbacks perceived to be poor play-calling, and the line for poor execution.
For those whiners, who will no doubt point a finger at the field goal Nutt took in the fourth quarter with 4:20 to play, here's a little cheese.
That gave the Hogs a surge of energy. The defense held, and the Hogs got the ball back.
No, they didn't punch it in to make it a storybook finish for Clark, but it put them in position to do that.
Arkansas' play-calling was excellent all afternoon. Auburn's was good until the final five minutes (and no, Tommy Tuberville doesn't call the plays), and then it almost destroyed the Tigers.
As for the Arkansas offensive line, it was simply the best it had played all season.
"Just say we are getting better," offensive line coach Mike Markuson said. "That maybe they are learning."
After a moment he added: "They really played with a lot of emotion. It helps to have a healthy guy like Fred [Talley] back there. He does some things and you feel good about what you are doing."
Markuson did not dodge the bullet, either.
South Carolina couldn't have collected more sacks at a 7-11 than it did against the Hogs two weeks ago.
Markuson admitted there had been a "little adversity" on the offensive line the past two weeks. One day, Josh Melton, who suffered a concussion against the Gamecocks, was on the sidelines and Sandlin was moving back to center and Scott Davenport would start at right guard.
The next day, Melton is back and Gary Hobbs gets demoted to the scout team and a one-game suspension.
"Hopefully, Gary has realized he has to do it our way," Markuson said.
The O-line shouldn't have to worry about being the negative talk of the town this week as it was the past two weeks.
"You can't help but hear it," Melton said. "You just can't let it affect the way you do your job, and this is a 24-hour-a-day job. It doesn't matter if you are at the movies or the grocery store, you are a Razorback."
Saturday, Melton, guards Sandlin and La'Zerius White and tackles Nathan Ball and Shannon Money fired off the ball.
They gave Talley holes and they gave the quarterbacks time to throw.
They fought from start to finish, and in the closing minutes when they had two final shots at the victory, they threw their exhausted, bruised and battered bodies at Auburn.
They came up short, but in doing so, they may have turned a corner.
Melton said it best, "We played today like we are supposed to play."
Auburn won the game, but if the Razorbacks won the battle it appeared they did, this season is not over.
Join Wally and Marcus Elliott live at 6 tonight, 374-9255, Comcast Cable channel 18.

This article was published on Sunday, October 29, 2000

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