Like it is: Razorbacks defense leaves Bulldogs out in cold

WALLY HALL
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Breath was sent in heavy, steamy gasps into the shivering temperatures.
Sleet and snow had changed to an aggravating, bone-chilling rain.
It was fourth-and-goal, mere inches, in overtime and the Hogs led 17-10.
Everything rested on this play, for both teams.
John Thompson grabbed a timeout and called the defense to the sideline.
Blood had spider-webbed in the soaked jerseys, and long-sleeve T-shirts were ripped and shredded where they had been grabbed.
A glimmer of bowl hope rested on the next few seconds. An Arkansas victory Saturday and Friday might be good enough.
If Mississippi State won, all it needed was a victory next week against Ole Miss to advance to the SEC Championship Game with Florida, a team the Bulldogs had racked up 517 yards against in a 47-35 victory.
All the Bulldogs needed Saturday was inches, but at that point they had been all out for 207 yards of offense, their lowest total in SEC play.
The offense had not scored a touchdown all day, and at that moment, to them, it must have seemed their future happiness lay in those inches, those few seconds.
Dontae Walker averages 5.2 yards per carry, or at least he did before Saturday, and he got the call.
Walker started wide right, then started to cut back but was hit full force by linebacker J.J. Jones, who wrapped him up and held on.
"I wasn't letting go for anything," Jones said. "It was like my life depended on making that play. The edge [of the defense] made him turn up and I just grabbed hold."
Less than two heartbeats later, linebacker Quinton Caver and bandit Tony Bua bulled in to help.
No gain. No SEC Championship Game. No more overtime.
The team that had averaged 496 yards the past four games had been shut down and shut out of the end zone by the team that wanted it the most.
The only Mississippi State touchdown was on an interception that made it 10-0 with six seconds to play in the first quarter.
The Razorbacks' defense could have broken camp and started making Christmas plans.
This was not the same defense that lost to Tennessee 63-20.
"They couldn't figure us out," said end Carlos Hall, who had his best game as a Razorback, making 10 tackles and using his 41-inch vertical jump to block a fourth-quarter field goal.
It is no secret that this was Thompson's debut as primary play-caller for the defense. He's defensive co-coordinator with Bobby Allen, who moved to the coaching box upstairs for this game.
Thompson refused to take credit, saying, "It was the players in place, not the play-calling."
But even MSU folks knew Tuesday that Thompson was in charge, and it was to no avail.
On a perfect day for an Eskimo, Thompson was hotter than a Vegas bookmaker who made the Hogs a 17-point underdog.
After Brandon Holmes scored his second touchdown, the winning score in overtime, Thompson wanted -- no, needed -- the Razorbacks to make one more statement.
"He drew up a play right there in the mud on the sideline," said Bill Johnson, defensive line coach.
All afternoon the Razorbacks' defense had kept Mississippi State off balance with new, different looks, such as lining up defensive ends as linebackers and moving linebackers to the defensive line.
Such as, in certain situations, allowing Hall, ends Randy Garner and Raymond House, Caver and Jones to totally freelance.
Caver responded with two sacks, doubling the Hogs' SEC season total, and Bua and Hall had career days.
"It put Caver in a place to make the play, then John added a little cover to keep it hid," Johnson said.
One of Caver's sacks resulted in a loss of 11 yards on the Bulldogs' last overtime possession, and while the Bulldogs would rally to the 5 and a first down, it was indicative of what happened to MSU all afternoon.
"The multilooks we lined up in confused them all afternoon," Jones said.
Understand, it is not a new defensive scheme. No one can do that in a week, but there were enough different looks that MSU could never take anything for granted. Could never get in a groove. Could manage only nine first downs and nine possessions that were three and punt.
It also had a decided effect on the Razorbacks.
This 17-10 overtime victory was decided in the trenches, and time after time the defense was put in position to throw in the towel.
Four times the Bulldogs started in Arkansas territory and four times they were shut down.
On the road, against a ranked team, the Razorbacks answered the question, "Who let the 'Dawgs out?"
The Razorbacks' defense did, and they refused to let them back in.

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

This article was published on Sunday, November 19, 2000

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