Razorbacks aren’t interested in revenge

FAYETTEVILLE - Like most in this economy, the Arkansas Razorbacks don’t talk about cashing payback all at once.

Coach Bret Bielema and his almost brand new Arkansas staff don’t talk payback at all. Admirably, they divert conversation from the debacle of last year, when the Razorbacks were picked among the Top 10 in the preseason but ultimately crashed to 4-8 under interim Coach John L. Smith.

They haven’t used inheriting the remnants of the misbegotten 2012 as an excuse to write off 2013 as a rebuilding season. Nor are they taking the revenge route, starting with Saturday’s game against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., The Razorbacks (3-0) play their final nonconference game Saturday against a Rutgers outfit that defeated them 35-26 last year in Fayetteville. The game marks the first time Arkansas will face an opponent it played last season.

Getting revenge on Rutgers seems a natural motive, but revenge overemphasized drains the adrenaline dry. Given Arkansas went 1-7 last year against teams it will face again this year, that’s too many Alamos for these Razorbacks to remember from a season they prefer to forget.

So, no, says cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson, the lone assistant on Bielema’s staff who returned from 2012, the revenge card doesn’t get much play. Nor does the 2012 film of Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova passing for 397 yards and five touchdowns at Arkansas’ expense.

“It’s a new season,” Johnson said Monday. “We have to move on.

There really is no reason to watch last year’s game. Totally different scheme and things like that. Our guys understand what happened last year to a lot of teams we are going to play. So the thing we have to do is take it one game at a time and have a great week of practice and preparation.”

Because of injuries last Saturday to Nova (concussion) and Arkansas starting quarterback Brandon Allen (shoulder), neither defense knows for certain which quarterback they will face.

Both teams feature stellar running backs who should help take pressure off Rutgers backup quarterback Chas Dodd and Arkansas backup quarterback AJ Derby.

Tailback Paul James stars for the 2-1 Scarlet Knights. James has netted 493 yards and 6 touchdowns on 61 carries even though Savon Huggins (31 carries ,117 yards, 1 touchdown) started the season opener.

“Those two guys are bruisers,” Johnson said. “They do a good job.”

Arkansas’ starting secondary knows firsthand that a healthy Nova can do a great job.

“He is able to get the ball to his receivers quickly,” Johnson said.

“By the time the receiver breaks, the ball is already in the air. He understands what’s going on and he is very elusive in the backfield. So even guys that get a chance to get to him, he can make a guy miss and still get the throw down the field.”

Johnson deems Rutgers offensively improved since 2012.

So is Arkansas’ secondary, he said.

“We have done some good things obviously to help us win these last three weeks, but we can definitely get better and our guys understand that,” Johnson said. “Lots of room for improvement.”