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Razorbacks Report: Hogs ready to get back into routineROB KEYSARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Coach Houston Nutt said he was pleased with what his team accomplished in its bye-week practices following Thursday's workout, the Razorbacks' last until they resume normal game-week preparations Sunday. Arkansas plays at Auburn on Oct. 28. Kickoff is 1 p.m. "I really think we've had a good off week ... now we've got to come back Sunday ready to go for another game week and the last half of the season," Nutt said. Despite a rash of injuries and inconsistent play, Nutt remains optimistic about Arkansas as it enters a five-game homestretch. The Razorbacks' key to success, he said, will start with solid fundamentals and avoiding silly mistakes. "With five games [left] in this wacky race, anything can happen," Nutt said. "But we've got to be concerned about ourselves. We're not good enough to give people gifts, make foolish penalties, give away the ball with turnovers." INJURY UPDATE Robby Hampton took the bulk of the snaps with the first-team offense again Thursday as Zak Clark participated only in noncontact drills. While Clark was still hampered by a sprained right ankle, Hampton looked much sharper than he did early in the week. Guard Kenny Sandlin left practice with what coaches believe is a bruised knee. Sandlin was to be further evaluated Thursday night. Sandlin's linemate, center Josh Melton, did not practice but did go through some conditioning runs. Reserve linebacker and special-teams regular Corey Warren missed practice after having two teeth pulled. CHASING CEDRIC Defenders won't be chasing Arkansas tailback Cedric Cobbs anymore this season because he's out with an injured shoulder. But Arkansas' other tailbacks are chasing Cobbs, at least in a statistical sense. Despite not playing in the past three games, Cobbs remains Arkansas' leading rusher for the season with 291 yards on 70 carries. Freshman Brandon Holmes is next with 223 yards on 46 carries, and Fred Talley has 160 yards on 30 carries. HISTORY LESSON Arkansas has played Auburn every year since joining the SEC before the 1992 season, but some Razorbacks fans might need a reminder as to why the Tigers faithful are often heard screaming, "War Eagle!" According to legend, a member of the 1892 Auburn faculty had at one time been a Confederate soldier. During the Battle of the Wilderness, the soldier was wounded and, upon regaining consciousness, spotted a wounded baby eagle. The soldier took the eagle home and nursed it back to health. When Auburn played its first football game 28 years later, the former soldier took the eagle to the game. When Auburn scored its first touchdown in a 10-0 victory over Georgia, the eagle broke away from its master and soared above the field. When Auburn fans looked up and saw the familiar bird, they began to shout "War Eagle!" The old eagle collapsed and died at the end of the game that day, presumably having given his all in pursuit of victory for Auburn. BROYLES ON PAY-PER-VIEW Skeptics might wonder how much interest Arkansas fans will have in buying the pay-per-view telecast of the Arkansas-Auburn game on Oct. 28, especially after the Razorbacks have dropped back-to-back SEC games by a combined score of 65-14. Athletic Director Frank Broyles, however, said any game not televised by a network will always receive pay-per-view consideration because there always will be some fans who want to watch the Razorbacks. "My thoughts are, those who want to see it can, and those who don't won't," Broyles said. "But why not put it on pay-per-view to give the fans the option? We're in this for the long haul. We want to get as much as exposure as we can and let our fans see as many games as possible. "We did some [pay-per-view games] back when Danny Ford was here, and we had a losing record. We've got a winning record now. We're 4-2 and we beat Alabama, which is maybe the best team in the league right now." ISOLATING ON: RANDY GARNER POSITION Defensive end HT-WT 6-4, 270 CLASS Senior HOMETOWN Atlanta, Texas BETWEEN THE HASH MARKS A one-game suspension and an ankle injury have cut into the playing time of Garner, who was touted as a preseason All-America candidate. Garner, however, recorded his first sack of the season in Saturday's loss at South Carolina and appears recovered from the high ankle sprain he suffered against Boise State. The Razorbacks should benefit from Garner's skills and leadership over their remaining five games. Garner led Arkansas' defensive linemen with 52 tackles last season and led all players with 13 tackles for lost yardage. Garner also had 52 tackles while becoming a full-time starter as a sophomore in 1998. A two-time all-state player in high school, Garner had a school-record 19 sacks as a senior. He also lettered in basketball, baseball and track. MAJOR Business education THURSDAY'S INJURY REPORT
This article was published on Friday, October 20, 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. |
