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Texas flood : No. 7 Longhorns dismantle Razorbacks in Austin Published: Sunday, September 28, 2008 PRINT E-MAIL ![]() STATON BREIDENTHAL Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Texas quarterback Colt McCoy leaps into the end zone to score a touchdown in the second quarter of Arkansas ’ 52-10 loss Saturday at Darrell Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. A certain four-letter word most accurately describes the Razorbacks’ feelings about Saturday’s Texas game, but Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s four words best describes the actual outcome. “ That was a beating, ” Petrino said. Yes, it was. A 52-10 beating to be exact. Even worse for these Hogs, now 2-2, than last week’s 49-14 loss to Alabama in Fayetteville. The final seven of Arkansas’ 10 points Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium didn’t occur until the game’s final 2: 20 after Texas led, 52-3. And that seven was scored by the defense as defensive end Antwain Robinson romped 80 yards with a fumble caused by freshman defensive tackle Lavunce Askew dislodging the ball from reserve quarterback John Chiles. So Arkansas’ defense outscored its offense 7-3. Backup kicker Shay Haddock, now THE kicker, Petrino said after Alex Tejada missed again, this time from 44 with the Hogs down, 3-0, provided the 3 with a second-quarter 30-yard field goal and also kicked a partially deflected PAT after the Robinson TD. For the second straight week, Arkansas went into the locker room down 28 at half. 31-3 this time compared to last week’s 35-7.
“ We just had a better day than they did, ” Texas coach Mack Brown, customarily classy, said charitably. A way, way, way better day in Petrino’s view. “ Texas beat us in every way, ” Petrino said. “ They outexecuted us. ” Outscoring Arkansas’ offense was about the Razorbacks’ defense lone claim to fame this Saturday. The seventh-ranked Longhorns, bound to rise in the polls with top-ranked Southern California and fourth-ranked Florida both losing, improved to 4-0 and probably announced quarterback Colt McCoy as a Heisman Trophy candidate if Heisman voters haven’t deemed him one already. The junior picked Arkansas apart with his arm, 17 of 19 for 185 yards 3 touchdowns without a turnover. And he dazzled them with his feet with two touchdowns, one a 35-yard romp down the sideline, and a game-leading 84 yards on 9 carries. Steamrolled last week by Alabama’s running game, the Hogs this time between McCoy and Chiles were burned for 213 yards passing as Texas completed 21 of 23 passes. And while not matching Alabama’s 328 rushings, the Longhorns ran just fine, thank you, with 208 net on 50 carries. Arkansas middle linebacker Jerry Franklin of Marion summed the contrasting offensive lines. “ They weren’t Alabama or anything, I know that. But they were pretty good. They did good enough to get the job done. ” And good enough to keep McCoy sack-free, especially with the junior third-year starter recognizing blitzes about as fast as the Razorback blitzers themselves. “ He saw things well, ” Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “ And we didn’t do a good job of disguising some things and he saw it right away and took advantage of it. ” Meanwhile, Texas’s defense littered the field with more sacks than a grocery store. Six times, the Texas D had Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick down for the count, one time about literally as he briefly left the game with “ the breath knocked out of me. ” His replacement, freshman Tyler Wilson, got sacked once and threw an interception returned 81 yards by cornerback Aaron Williams for Texas’ final touchdown with 9: 31 left in the game. The sacks left Arkansas with 11 net yards rushing. Texas didn’t punt until its second-to-last possession of the first half. Even that didn’t work out for the Razorbacks. Two plays after John Gold’s 54-yard punt was fair caught, Henry Melton’s sack of Arkansas’ senior quarterback dislodged the ball which was recovered by Texas linebacker Ben Alexander at the Arkansas 20. Five plays later, Texas McCoy ran a 5-yard draw for a touchdown 44 seconds before intermission. Hunter Lawrence kicked the PAT, and Arkansas stared at 28-point halftime deficit again. Until forcing the punt, Arkansas’ best defense was on Texas’ first possession, a 5-play 23-yard scoring drive. Freshman defensive tackle Zac Stadther dropping running Texas running back Vondrell McGee for a loss on third and 2, compelled Texas coach Mack Brown to summon Hunter Lawrence for a 34-yard field goal at 11: 20. After that Hunter seven times spelled all his kicks PAT. Buoyed by the 33-yard kick return by Razorback freshman Dennis Johnson of Texarkana’s Arkansas High, the Hogs responded with Dick’s 18-yard pass to freshman Joe Adams followed by Texas called for pass interference to the Texas 30. Texas thwarted the drive harassing Dick on a thirddown incompletion. Alex Tejada was summoned for a 44-yard field goal. He missed wide just like he had on field goals against Louisiana-Monroe two games. So like that ULM game, Petrino skipped him for Shay Haddock. Haddock, whose PAT proved the 28-27 difference over ULM, kicked a 30-yard field goal in Saturday’s second quarter. By then Texas had scored 17. The Hogs in the first half only once threatened to score once thereafter, moving from their 20 to the Texas 28 before Dick threw incomplete on fourth and 3. The Hogs didn’t cross midfield again until the fourth quarter when Texas roughly interfered with Jerell Norton trying to field a punt. That ultimately didn’t work out for Arkansas, either. Wilson threw a pass that defensive back Aaron Williams picked and returned for an 81-yard touchdown. That made it 52-3. Added to two Dick passes returned by Alabama for TD’s last week, the Hog offense now has accounted for three opposition two touchdowns in two games. Wideout Jordan Shipley, 8 catches for 83 yards and 2 TDs, led the Texas receiving corps. Dick paid Texas’ defense an extraordinary “ ordinary ” More Stories From: NATE ALLEN · Petrino dismisses Battle after 2nd arrest · SEC, Arkansas looking to shake off sub-par seasons · UA linebacker Khiry Battle arrested on suspicion of DUI · Diamond Hogs' tough schedule paid off in the end · Ex-UA coach Richardson speaks at All-Star clinic Yesterday's Most Popular 2. Exceptions rule Fayetteville High alums well represented at FCC match-play championship Today's Most E-mailed 1. LIKE IT IS : Football prognosticators ready to fire up fans 2. FIRECRACKER FAST 5K : Former Hog Forrest too fast for competition |
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