WholeHogSports
Great minds... : Gragg predicts, finishes ‘Cowboy’ play on fourth down
Posted on Monday, September 8, 2008
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/68930/
Arkansas Cowboy’d up when it needed it most thanks to a true freshman receiver who had never caught a pass as a collegiate player.
Facing fourth-and-1 and an impending 27-21 loss to Louisiana-Monroe on the 60 th birthday of War Memorial Stadium, Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino called a timeout with 2: 03 remaining in the game.
Before the Razorbacks offense huddled up as the football was stationed at the 32-yard line, true freshman receiver Chris Gragg turned to his good friend and fellow receiver Jarius Wright.
He then opined: “ I’m telling you, we’re fixing to run Cowboy Get it Pass and we’re going to win the game, ” Gragg recalled after the game.
And that’s exactly what Petrino called, signaling his players to make a switch to Cowboy personnel, a formation meant for either a run or a pass.
Quarterback Casey Dick opted for the pass, play-faking tailback Michael Smith in the backfield before throwing deep for a streaking Gragg.
Gragg, battling with two Lousiana-Monroe defenders, reached to the sky and came down with a 25-yard reception.
Two plays later, Arkansas scored with an 8-yard pass from Casey Dick to D. J. Williams with 1: 22 remaining.
“ It did feel good, ” Gragg said. “ I mean, going in, the crowd, the game was on the line and that’s what I liked to do. At receiver, you have to like those moments like that.
“ I just wanted to go in there and help make a play and once I caught it, and I saw that I had got the first down, the crowd went crazy. It just made my hard work pay off even more than what I had put in during practice in the summer time. ”
Arkansas has worked on the fourth down play since the start of two-a-day practices last month, offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said.
Tight ends and true freshman receiver Greg Childs had been working in Gragg’s wing position, but that all changed Tuesday at practice, Gragg said. The tight ends were not speedy enough down field and Petrino felt Childs had enough already on his plate in the UA offense.
“ I guess [Bobby Petrino ] thought I could do a little something at that position, ” Gragg said.
Arkansas ran the exact play twice during preseason scrimmage, Paul Petrino said. The pass always went to a player leaking across the middle of the field and never to the receiver running down field, he said.
In fact, the doubleoptioned look prompted the Warhawks’ defensive front to focus on a run.
After the snap, Smith had to spin in the backfield to break a tackle attempt as Dick, ball still in hand, turned his back to the defense, pivoted forward and threw deep to Gragg.
“ We would have liked to had better protection, ” Bobby Petrino said. “ If we had better protection, it might have ended up being a touchdown.
“ Maybe that was a blessing that it wasn’t, because we worked a little more time off the clock. ”
Arkansas managed to run more than a minute off the clock after the first down and before Williams ’ touchdown reception two plays later. ULM got the ball with 1: 22 remaining and drove down the field, but missed a 45-yard field goal attempt to end the game.
“ I thought all our guys did a great job of never losing hope and never believing anything but that we were going to go win that game, ” said Paul Petrino, who is also the UA’s wide receivers coach. “... We always talk about being grinders and we definitely grounded out a win there. ”