Like it is: Razorbacks' performance deserves some criticism

WALLY HALL
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Criticism is needed. Maybe even required.
But where do you start?
Whom do you point a finger at?
Make that fingers.
Houston Nutt will take all the blame. He knows it goes with the job.
"I feel like I've let the whole state down," Nutt said about dropping to 4-5 on the season.
Nutt knew the honeymoon was over a couple of weeks ago when he came home and one of his daughters, with tears in her eyes, asked if he was going to be fired.
For two years, if something could go right for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Nutt found a way to make it happen.
For 60 minutes Saturday, Merlin the Magician couldn't have found a way to turn all the wrongs into rights.
Tennessee scored nine touchdowns, and only four of them needed drives of more than 38 yards.
The Vols' first touchdown required 5 yards. A 48-yard punt return by Eric Parker ensured that, and the game was only 1:22 old.
That set the tone for what could be described as the ugliest first quarter in the history of Razorbacks football.
Tennessee scored five touchdowns in the opening period, including drives of 83 and 67 yards. But there also were drives of 12 yards following a Robby Hampton fumble and zero yards after DeAngelo Lloyd grabbed a Fred Talley fumble and raced 34 yards for another score.
Before the game would end, the Volunteers would have to go 38 yards after a short punt and 33 following an interception for scores.
The Razorbacks made Santa Claus look like Scrooge.
And it wasn't just turnovers. There were missed assignments, missed tackles and miscues.
The Razorbacks allowed Travis Henry to look like a Heisman Trophy candidate and freshman quarterback Casey Clausen to look like Peyton Manning.
For the most part -- but definitely not the whole, the Hogs didn't give up. They fought until the bitter end. But even without the mistakes, Tennessee was the better team.
Yet, something is missing. Maybe it's leadership. Maybe it's maturity or experience. Maybe it's simply teamwork.
Tennessee led 35-0 early in the second quarter when Henry was dropped for a 2-yard loss and one of the Razorbacks who had helped make the tackle jumped up and punched the air in celebration.
What in the world could he have been thinking? You're down five touchdowns, with 45 minutes to play, and you are acting like you just got your first birthday cake.
It was not an isolated incident and not limited to Saturday.
It is one thing to be undefeated Oklahoma and have a little showmanship, but when you are being skinned alive, it is definitely showboating.
Maybe the afternoon turned sour after the 48-yard punt return. There's some history there of specialty teams giving up a big play and then the bottom falling out.
"I sure don't blame people for questioning our special-team play," Nutt said. "I know I am."
The game definitely went Tennessee's way after that.
"It is like a prizefight," center Josh Melton said. "You take a good punch, then another one and then another one and it isn't long until you're in trouble."
Yeah, punch-drunk or eating canvas.
After the first quarter the Razorbacks did settle down and Hampton threw two touchdown passes to Boo Williams, but before you could think 35-21 at the half is possible, another fumble killed a drive and the Volunteers drove 38 yards to make it 42-14 at the half.
Jefferson-Pilot should have pulled the plug.
Now, Nutt faces the uphill battle of trying to get this team up for another road game against another opponent who is better, Mississippi State.
There will be distractions, too, as criticism of Nutt, his staff and the players will fill the airwaves.
"I'll never like it, but I accept it," Nutt said. "Please don't lay it on the players or the other coaches, put it all on me."
The honeymoon was over weeks ago and Saturday may have some fans upset enough for the first big blowup of the marriage.
Tennessee was easily the better team and deserved to win, but the lopsided score, 63-20, was because the Razorbacks fumbled, bumbled and stumbled when they should have been blocking, blitzing and executing.
The Razorbacks got beat like a homecoming team.
Some criticism is to be expected.

Join Wally and Marcus Elliott live at 6 tonight, 374-9255, Comcast Cable channel 18.

This article was published on Sunday, November 12, 2000

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