ARKANSAS VS. NO. 7 TEXAS : Emphasis on inspiration

BY BOB HOLT

Posted on Friday, September 26, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/238422/

FAYETTEVILLE — It took one football game for Will Muschamp to begin bleeding for the Texas Longhorns.

But Muschamp didn’t bleed burnt orange in his debut as the Longhorns’ defensive coordinator.

That was real blood dripping from Muschamp’s forehead early in Texas’ 52-10 victory over Florida Atlantic in this season’s opener.

Muschamp cut himself when he angrily ripped off his headset after the defense allowed Florida Atlantic to drive inside the Texas 20 on its first possession.

“He coaches with great passion,” Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo said. “He just kept coaching, even though there was blood all over his face.

“ That’s the kind of fiery coach he is.... We love it, and we feed off it.”

Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller said he wasn’t surprised by Muschamp’s reaction, because in practice earlier this fall, Muschamp head-butted a player — who was wearing a helmet.

“Coach Muschamp gets pretty wide open when it comes time for football,” Miller said. “You learn to have so much respect for him because he doesn’t play around.”

Miller noted that at many schools, a defensive coordinator will sit in the press box to better survey the field before making his calls.

“I don’t think [Muschamp ] could sit in the press box too long,” Miller said.

Muschamp’s sideline fire is also on display in a YouTube video clip that shows him praising his Auburn players, in a rant laced with expletives, after a good defensive series at Arkansas last season in the Tigers’ 9-7 victory.

Texas Coach Mack Brown hired Muschamp from Auburn, where he was defensive coordinator the previous two seasons, and the university is paying him $ 425, 000 per year.

Muschamp will face the Razorbacks again Saturday, when Arkansas plays No. 7 Texas in Austin.

This time, Muschamp will be matching wits with first-year Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino, who was hired Dec. 11 to replace Houston Nutt.

Muschamp’s name came up during the search that led to Petrino. During the original week of preparation for the Arkansas-Texas game two weeks ago, Muschamp said he talked briefly to Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, but didn’t formally interview for the Razorbacks job.

Petrino had a 41-9 record as a head coach at Louisville and was the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach for 13 games last season before making the decision to return to college football.

Muschamp, 37, has never been a head coach. Before going to Auburn, he was Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins.

“I think Jeff made a good choice in Bobby Petrino,” Muschamp said. “I think he’s an outstanding football coach. He’s got head coaching experience and he had a lot of success at Louisville. He’s got NFL experience, which helps.”

Brown hired Muschamp to shore up a Texas defense that in 2007 allowed the most passing yards (3, 611 ), most touchdown passes (23 ) and highest completion rate (61 percent ) in school history.

The defense has been solid this season while holding Florida Atlantic, Texas El-Paso and Rice to a combined 33 points, but the Longhorns’ defense might get a tougher challenge from the Razorbacks, who lead the SEC in passing, and certainly from the Big 12 schedule.

“We’ve got to start the game off better,” Muschamp said, singling out the first two games for that criticism. “The first game was more of an execution standpoint. The second game, we executed and they just made some plays.”

Texas had not allowed a point in the second half until Rice broke through with a third-quarter touchdown last week. The Longhorns have outscored opponents 66-7 in the second half.

“We adjust from series to series and, when we get in at halftime, I give them an overview of where we are and what we’re going to do and if there’s any major adjustment,” Muschamp said. “Then, we break up positionally to hit the finer points of what we need to do.”

Perhaps the finest moment for Muschamp’s unit this season was last week’s second-quarter goal-line stand. Rice, aided by two Texas pass interference penalties, gained a first-and-goal opportunity at the Texas 2.

The Owls couldn’t get in the end zone, eventually being turned away on a fourth-down pass from the Texas 3.

“That’s the type of thing that makes a mark on who you are,” Muschamp told reporters.

Brown said Muschamp “fits exactly what we needed across the board” with his intelligence, toughness and enthusiasm.

The players seem happy about Muschamp’s arrival, too.

“Coach Muschamp brings out a different type of personality in a defense that we didn’t have last year,” linebacker Sergio Kindle said. “We’re trying to play up to his standard. That way he can have fun.

“ If he isn’t having fun, we aren’t having fun.”

Muschamp has been known to tackle his players — or be tackled by them — as a way of celebrating with the Longhorns.

“He’s a young coach. He’s very energetic,” cornerback Ryan Palmer said. “I think it’s wearing off on our defense.”