UA FOOTBALL PRACTICE:Hogs hoping to start fast against favored Gators

BY NATE ALLEN Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Friday, October 3, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/69726/

For Saturday’s 11: 30 a. m. game against 12 thranked SEC rival Florida, first-year Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s first wish is making a secondquarter speech he’s never had cause to deliver to the Razorbacks.

“ What we’re looking for ward to, ” Petrino said after Thursday’s practice, “ is the day we come out and say, ‘ You did a good job in the first quarter, the way you’re supposed to open a game. ’ We haven’t done that yet. ”

Arkansas trailed 3-0 and was tied 0-0 after the first quarter of its seasonopening 28-24 and 28-27 victories over underdogs Western Illinois and ULM (Louisiana at Monroe ).

In 49-14 and 52-10 losses to No. 2 Alabama and No. 5 Texas the last two weeks, the Hogs, 2-2, 0-1 in the SEC West, were outscored 21-0 and 10-0 in the first quarter and down 28 both games at half.

“ It is getting to be a broken record and we’ve got to get it fixed, ” Petrino said. “ We’ve got to execute early in the game. You get confidence to say, ‘ Hey, we can play with these guys and let’s go get in it !’”

Instilling that “ We can play, ” attitude going into Saturday’s Raycom-televised game at Frank Broyles Field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium has been Priority One since the Razorbacks ’ first meeting Sunday after returning last Saturday from Austin, Texas.

“ We wanted to make sure starting Sunday that we didn’t sit around and feel sorry for ourselves, that we were going to come back and work hard and be positive, ” Petrino said. “ We have to put everything into what it is we do. I think our older players have shown leadership. I think we have had better leadership throughout the practices this week than we’ve seen all year long. That’s a good sign. ”

Petrino cited senior running back Michael Smith, senior center Jonathan Luigs and junior receiver London Crawford as exhibiting leadership on offense this week and that junior linebacker Wendel Davis and senior linebacker Elston Forte have been rallying the defense.

The defense lost one of its few senior starters, tackle Ernest Mitchell, for an indefinite period, including Saturday’s game because of arthroscopic knee surgery performed Wednesday.

Freshman Zach Stadther starts in Mitchell’s place.

“ Ernest certainly is a concern, ” Petrino said. “ Everything went well in his scope. So hopefully he’ll be back sooner than we think. ”

While leadership would help these young, underdog Hogs, following, or more accurately shadowing, could be the key to this game. Their slim upset chances appear to hinge on blanketing Percy Harvin, the Florida speedster who not only is Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow’s favorite target but also a running threat not only on reverses but as a running back who even takes some direct snaps.

Arkansas is used to that after two-time Doak Walker Award-winning Razorback running back Darren McFadden ran out of the Wild-Hog before moving on this year to the Oakland Raiders.

“ We do need to know where that No. 1 [Har vin ] is on ever y play, ” Petrino said. “ Where he aligns, what they do when he goes in motion, what their tendencies are, because he’s certainly the key to the start of their offense. ”

Backup defensive end Damario Ambrose, looking iffy after a knee injury at Texas, practiced Wednesday and Thursday and should be available, Petrino said, to back up starting end Adrian Davis.

With Mitchell out, freshman Lavunce Askew of Camden Fairview and senior Cord Gray of Wynne become the backup defensive tackles behind Stadther and junior Malcolm Sheppard.

Urban Meyer’s Gators not only are licking wounds from a shocking 31-30 loss to Ole Miss last Saturday in Gainesville, Fla., but licking wounds from injuries.

Meyer told the Gainesville Sun that starting offensive guard Jim Tartt, guard Marcus Gilbert, tailback Emmanuel Moody and starting outside linebacker Dustin Doe will miss the Arkansas game with injuries.

“ Out, out, out, out, ” Meyer was quoted.

Outside linebacker Ryan Stamper is deemed “ questionable, ” Meyer said.