Sighs of relief from Arkansas’ DBs
Posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007
Kevin Woods talked of forgetting failed assignments and big plays past.
For the chunks of passing yards Mississippi State kept ringing up in Saturday’s 45-31 loss to the Razorbacks, safeties Woods and Matt Hewitt had to make their counterpunches connect when the Bulldogs were getting the best of them throughout.
“We had to keep fighting. They’re going to hit big plays, and we just had to make the next play,” Woods said. “We have to have a short memory.” It was a day to forget for the Razorbacks’ cornerbacks and safeties. Receiver Jamayel Smith, listed second on the depth chart with just 247 yards on 18 catches in the first 10 games this season, threatened those stats in a single game with 10 receptions for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not since Auburn’s Willie Gosha totaled 222 yards in 1995 had the Razorbacks allowed anyone to break the 200-yard receiving barrier.
Bulldogs freshman quarterback Wesley Carroll’s 421 passing yards marked the first time the Razorbacks allowed a 400-yard passer since Eli Manning went for 414 for Ole Miss at Arkansas in 2002.
Was this the same Razorbacks pass defense that ranked a respectable 31 st in the country ?
“We didn’t execute in the back end as well as we have,” Arkansas cornerbacks coach Bobby Allen said. “You can’t give up the big play.” But there were plenty for the Bulldogs, such as Smith’s 80-yard touchdown reception from Carroll, beating Arkansas cornerback Michael Grant, and a 35-yarder for a score from Carroll to Tony Burks. Carroll threw four touchdown passes.
It wasn’t what Woods envisioned in his last appearance at War Memorial Stadium. He was back on the field after missing the Tennessee game with a shoulder injury.
“I’m just glad we won the game,” he said.
While the Razorbacks were constantly chasing Smith in the open field, Woods did manage one of three interceptions by Arkansas defensive backs, with Hewitt snuffing out a thirdquarter drive in the red zone and Grant finishing it off with an interception in the waning seconds.
Hewitt, one of the Razorbacks ’ most emotional players, said frustration wasn’t the right word to describe the postgame reaction.
“When somebody makes a bad play, you have to shake it off and keep moving forward. It’s not the end of the day,” said Hewitt, who added he was glad to have Woods back in the lineup. “Of course, I feed off Kevin. He’s one of the veterans of this team.” Defensive coordinator Reggie Herring left the locker room rather quickly without talking about his secondary’s ups and downs. But he spoke plenty to his players during the game. Even as the clock was inside two minutes and the Razorbacks were ready to close out an important seventh victory, Herring implored the defense to “finish the game with some dignity.” Grant soon intercepted Carroll. The message was clear.
“Coach Herring has just one tone, and his tone is just yelling at everybody,” said defensive lineman Antwain Robinson, who assisted the defensive backs with an interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. “We always try to play as a unit.”
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