Liberty Bowl: Kicking the habit
Tejada wins one for Hogs
Arkansas kicker Alex Tejada kicks the game winning fieldgoal in over time to beat East Carolina 20-17 in the Liberty Bowl.
By
Tom Murphy
Sunday, January 3, 2010
MEMPHIS — Arkansas survived two potential game-winning field goals from East Carolina in the final 63 seconds, plus another in overtime, then got its own winning kick from Alex Tejada to make Liberty Bowl history Saturday.
The Razorbacks won the first overtime game in the Liberty Bowl’s 51 years, earning a 20-17 victory on Tejada’s 37-yard field goal. Arkansas also captured its first postseason victory at the Liberty Bowl in four tries on a frigid evening before a crowd of 62,742, the second-largest in the bowl’s history.
Arkansas (8-5) struggled offensively and had trouble slowing the ball-control and short-passing game of East Carolina (9-5), which outgained the Hogs 393-283 in total offense. But the Razorbacks’ Jerry Franklin and Tramain Thomas intercepted two third-quarter passes to deliver 10 points, including Thomas’ 37-yard return for a touchdown, and Tejada made the first game-winning kick of his career.
“It was a hard, hard game, and we just kept battling,” Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino said. “I think the biggest turnaround was in the third quarter, when our defense got the two interceptions and basically gave us 10 points and put us right in the game.”
Oddly, Arkansas’ last loss in the Liberty Bowl was also a 20-17 decision on a field goal by Georgia’s John Kasay on the final play of the 1987 game. This time, East Carolina’s Ben Hartman missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt with 1:03 left, misfired from 39 yards out on the final play of regulation, then missed again from 35 yards in overtime.
Tejada, whose missed 36-yard field-goal attempt was the final play of Arkansas’ 33-30 overtime loss at LSU in its last regular-season game, gained a large measure of redemption. The junior out of Springdale sprinted 80 yards to the north end zone after his game-winning kick, chased all the way by jubilant teammates, and began hammering his chest with his fist.
“You know, it’s pretty sweet,” Tejada said. “LSU left a bitter taste in my mouth.”
Arkansas extended the SEC’s winning streak over Conference USA to four games in the Liberty Bowl and won its first bowl game under Petrino, who’s in his second season with the Razorbacks. The Hogs also won just their third bowl game since the 1985 Holiday Bowl and improved their postseason record to 12-22-3.
In another coincidence, Franklin and Thomas were starting at positions vacated by middle linebacker Wendel Davis and safety Matt Harris, who were suspended for curfew violations on Thursday.
Asked if he felt the Razorbacks outplayed East Carolina, Petrino bristled.
“We won the football game, and we beat them,” Petrino said. “That’s what it’s all about. I’m not sure who outplayed who, but we won the game.”
Hartman, who became East Carolina’s leading scorer in the game, clanked his first 39-yarder off the left upright, missed wide right on the last play of regulation, then went wide left in overtime.
“When you look at it, it comes down to a couple of turnovers there to start the third quarter and then ... three missed field goals,” East Carolina Coach Skip Holtz said. “It’s just unfortunate. It’s hard. It’s painful.”
Arkansas could not get its offense clicking in the first half or fourth quarter, and had an 0-for-13 performanceon third-down conversions.
“When we start the season next year, no one is going to really remember that we were 0 for 13 in third downs,” said Garrick McGee, who coordinated his first game on offense for the Razorbacks. “They’re going to know we finished the season with eight wins, and our seniors got out of here with a win, which was really important to us.”
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett completed 15 of 36 passes for 202 yards and 1 touchdown but was voted MVP by the media. Mallett was not sharp, and his receivers and backs dropped several passes to hurt his completion percentage even more.
Mallett, who is considering declaring early for the NFL Draft, said he’d celebrate this victory with his teammates and announce his decision later.
“We really didn’t get into a rhythm,” said Mallett, who praised Franklin and Thomas for sparking Arkansas’ comeback from a 10-0 deficit with third-quarter interceptions.
“The defense was able to get us some points, and it really turned the game around,” Mallett said.
Arkansas gave up 151 rushing yards to East Carolina’s Dominique Lindsay and was dominated in time of possession, 37:55 to 22:05, but the Razorbacks won the turnover battle 3-1 with the big defensive plays in the third quarter.
“They were huge,” Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “Talk about two perfect plays being executed. Jerry was exactly where he needed to be, and Tramain’s was well done. They had been throwing the bubble screen, so we kind of anticipated off the bubble what they were going to do with it.”
Franklin’s interception and 31-yard return set up Tejada’s 25-yard field goal at the 10:41 mark to draw the Razorbacks within 10-3. Then Thomas jumped a route and brought his interception back 37 yards to tie the game.
East Carolina drove 54 yards to retake the lead on Patrick Pinkney’s 13-yard slant-route touchdown pass to Dwayne Harris immediately after Thomas’ interception.
Then the Arkansas offense finally got going. Broderick Green, the Hogs’ leading rusher, broke off a 19-yard run to the East Carolina 41. On the next play, Mallett threw deep for Jarius Wright, who ran past safety Van Eskridge down a seam, and connected for the 41-yard game-tying score.
Tejada missed wide right on a 43-yard field-goal attempt with 10:17 remaining that would have broken the tie.
East Carolina dominated the end of the game behind Lindsay’s hard running. After Hartman banged the upright and missed with 1:03 left, the Razorbacks could not move the ball nor run much time off the clock. Punter Dylan Breeding’s 28-yard punt put East Carolina in operation at the 50, and Pinkney led the Pirates 28 yards to the 22, but Hartman missed again, allowing the Hogs to win itin overtime.
“They did a good job, almost running out the clock ... and we were fortunate [Hartman] didn’t make them,” Petrino said.
Sports, Pages 27 on 01/03/2010
Comments
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ROBERT_HENRY says...
Most inept played game that I 've seen in my 73 years.
Mallet will be here next season. The NFL is not that stupid.
January 3, 2010 at 6:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
johnfsmith says...
we have got to have a punter this one cant cut it
January 3, 2010 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hogfanwinorlose says...
game was only inept to you because you're a fan. the objective people out there think it was just a good football game in really cold conditions.
and...the punter is a true freshman and has done okay this year. let's give him a chance. he was kicking in front of a couple thousand a year ago.
i agree hogs should have lost, but let's enjoy and hope the players can grow from this.
January 3, 2010 at 7:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jamesrvp_yahoo.com says...
Yeah! We a got a victory!!! Let's focus on a having a better 2010-2011 season. Hogs played a very good team. ECU has been a good team for many years, sort of like a Troy. That game was not easy, because of the opponent. That was a very good win for our program and will defnitely give us momentum for next season. Cool thing is because the game was not well played, you can bet Petrino will use that game as a way to push those guys harder. He was not a happy camper!
January 3, 2010 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GeorgiaRazorback says...
Arkansas was completely outplayed and profoundly lucky to win. It was shocking that we were so utterly impotent on both sides of the ball. I hope it was a result of the frigid weather and not a statement on the talent of this team.
January 3, 2010 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kromekote4020 says...
The Hogs were extremely lucky to win but as they say a win is a win. This game should have ended emphatically the thought that Mallett is ready for the NFL. He chokes in every big game, every decent team we played this year he played poorly in. He needs to keep improving just to hang onto his starting job at Arkansas. His decision making and footwork need to improve dramatically for the Hogs to be SEC Championship contenders next season. I like Mallett and everyone sees the potential that he has. Let's hope we can see it come to fruition over the next several years.
January 3, 2010 at 11:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MSH says...
Forget the game. There are some serious grammatical issues in some of these posts that need to be addressed.
January 3, 2010 at 12:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pigsootx says...
Been a Razorback fan for many, many years. Every now and then you have to be lucky to win. Florida shouldn't have beat us this year and Alabama wouldn't be in the championship game if they hadn't had any LUCK in beating Tennessee - two blocked field goals? And Texas...no way they deserved to beat Nebraska. So, I guess it's about time the Hogs got lucky too. But, no one can seriously believe that we're anywhere close to be in the SEC championship game anytime soon. Come on, we'd have to be lucky in at least 4 games next year. Let's just hope we're lucky in two and make it to 9 wins and a better bowl.
January 3, 2010 at 12:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ua87 says...
Now that I have heard all the banter, its time for some REAL perspective from my vantage point in Sect. 119 of the Liberty Bowl on the 40 yard line last night:
On Arkansas overall play: Yes, the defense put us in the game in the second half with two interceptions. Petrino's fourth down decisions in the first half didn't seem to make sense. It was very frustrating to watch our receivers drop balls. But let me say this. Unless you were there, you have no idea what temperature conditions were like to attempt to catch "bullets" from Mallett.
On ECU's overall play: The Pirates are a VERY good football team. It became very obvious from the onset that their staff had watched A LOT of film. Their pass rush forced Mallett to step up in the pocket many times. Their offensive line knew exactly how to split our defensive front for runs up the middle. Not going back to this strategy after the two interceptions was their undoing. Otherwise, their defense was BIG and QUICK. They were completely prepared for this game on both sides of the ball.
On Mallett's play: Yes, I believe he needs another year at Arkansas. My vote for MVP would have gone to Alex Tejada or Tramain Thomas instead. Still, go out in your backyard and move around for a couple of hours when its 16 degrees and try to throw a football, not easy.
On the Razorbacks Offensive Line: This was our weakest link. There was complete disconnect between the line's shift (oftentimes going right) when a run play was called off tackle left. As a result, our backs were sitting ducks all alone in front of four or five purple shirts.
On the kicking game: You have no idea what the wind got like in the second half. Unless you were there and felt it (in my case through thermal underwear, thermal socks, handwarmers in thermal gloves, underarmour coldgear, two fleece sweatshirts and a fleece hoody and hat - all still not enough, shivering to the point I could not hold binoculars steady) you do not have perspective on what it must have been like to kick. When ECU won the coin flip at the beginning of the game, they had it figured out on how to have the wind at their backs in the final quarter. Dylan Breeding had to kick into that breeze. Try to take a deep snap in those wind and temperature conditions and get it done yourself before criticizing him.
Final thoughts: I don't remember ever sitting in a stadium to watch the Hogs under similar circumstances (Homecoming against Texas A&M in 1985 comes close). My body did not stop shivering nor did my truck's heat truly feel warming until I was out of greater Memphis around 9:30 last night. Don't get me wrong. Its great to watch football the way its meant to be played, outside.
I'm not excusing sloppy play. But unless you were there, you cannot begin to understand a big, contributing factor.
January 3, 2010 at 3:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jordan says...
Mallet is ready for the pros like Waashington is in BBall. Big arm dude will kill smaller teams but teams that are good you've got to be ALOT sharper. Dude needs to stop listening and reading and get smarter. SMARTER. To win and be voted MVP. 0-13 third downs. Are you kidding me?? The play where anybody on the planet could have pitched it for a first (critical part of the game) down ruined me on Mallett. PROS?? Mallett I love you man but we won in spite of you. Tough love, constructive criticism, whatever you need to be smarter. If your green you grow, ripe you die. Your green brotha.
January 3, 2010 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
marveb35 says...
This is a late comment but you armchair quarterbacks that want to complain about the punting and kicking get yourself out in 9 degree weather and kick a cement block into ridiculous winds. No kicker/punter can excel in these conditions.
You do not complain about quarterbacks or receivers with knumb hands who under/overthrow the ball or drop passes, but the special teams guys always get the bad cred. What about the defense not being able to keep a so so team out of field goal range. I do not care if ECU has the ball at the 50 they cannot attempt a field goal from there.
Get a freakin grip and support these kids. This was a young team that had a great season, let's revel in that!!!
August 14, 2010 at noon ( permalink | suggest removal )
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