It’s funny how the losses are sometimes recalled more vividly than the victories. The phone call to former Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones was to discuss the seven-overtime triumph over Kentucky in 2003.
The idea for the visit centered around Kentucky’s plans to honor its great quarterback, the late Jared Lorenzen. The two teams renew their brief SEC rivalry at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky.
Lorenzen died July 3. He was Kentucky’s all-time leader in passing yards (10,354) and touchdowns (78). He was as beloved for his outgoing personality as for his great quarterback play.
The UK communications release gets right to the point. Here’s the second paragraph in the 63-page document:
“The night also represents an homage to former UK quarterback Jared Lorenzen, who passed away over the summer. The beloved Bluegrass native played one of his most memorable games against Arkansas in 2003, a seven-overtime thriller deep into the night during which Lorenzen famously yelled at fans leaving early that they were going to ‘miss one hell of a game’ before proceeding to lead the Cats back from a deficit and send the game into OT.”
Jones was the “other” quarterback in that thriller. He outdueled Lorenzen, then remembers the huge Kentucky man meeting him at midfield for a handshake and a hug.
“We did talk, but it was the typical post-game stuff,” Jones said. “What I think he said was something like, ‘Helluva game, man. Good luck.’ I was telling him the same thing, just a mutual respect deal. We just went out there and battled.”
It was one of the great all-time matchups of bigger-than-life quarterbacks. Of course, Lorenzen was listed at 285 pounds during parts of his career. Jones was measured at 6-6 and 242 at the NFL combine when he ran 4.37.
Jones probably played in more overtime periods than any college quarterback. As a freshman in 2001, he quarterbacked the Hogs to victory over Ole Miss’ Eli Manning in a seven-overtime game. There was also a double-overtime victory over Alabama in 2003 and a six-OT loss at Tennessee in 2002.
But when I asked him about the Kentucky thriller, it wasn’t that game he mentioned first. He said the buildup to the victory centered on the 29-17 loss to Kentucky and Lorenzen the previous season in Fayetteville.
“He had beat our butts the year before,” Jones said. “That’s what I remember and I didn’t play very good. That was my focus that day, to play a lot better and win.”
Yes, you remember the losses. Kentucky does recall that seven-overtime loss, but more because it was a defining moment for Lorenzen. His message to Kentucky fans not to leave was captured on national TV.
It was one hell of a game.
I recall it for what it did to my workflow that night. There was a Stephens Media plane waiting at the airfield. There were phone calls from the pilot warning that fog was rolling in and the window for a return home that night — with no plans to stay — was closing.
The three reporters and two photographers needed to leave as soon as the final whistle. But Jones and Lorenzen wouldn’t settle it until one minute past midnight in Kentucky. Ultimately, the fog lifted and there were no problems.
It made for a nervous conclusion when the Hogs did end it by stopping Lorenzen on a fourth-down scramble. Vickiel Vaughn knocked the ball loose and Tony Bua recovered at the UA 4-yard line.
I recall hitting the send button for my story when referee Thomas Ritter ran off the field. That’s always been my indication that a game is over.
There were brief post-game interviews, then a dash for a running van already moved into position by the stadium gate.
“It was a helluva game,” Jones said. “The stats from that game were incredible. I think George Wilson had 172 receiving yards. Didn’t DeCori Birmingham run for 196?
“I don’t remember exactly how many tackles they had, but I think our linebackers, Caleb Miller and Tony Bua, made a lot of plays that night.”
Yes, Miller had 19. Arrion Dixon and Bua were next with 15. Dixon, who played defensive tackle, had three tackles for losses.
“But the thing about that game in my mind was that we had to get them back from the previous year,” Jones said. “We were upset about that game.”
The Hogs led at halftime 21-7 in 2003 and UK fans were heading to the exits. Football wasn’t doing well there at the time, not like it is now with Mark Stoops as coach.
The highlight each week was watching Lorenzen – dubbed the “Hefty Lefty” – battle against long odds against stronger SEC teams. He did battle.
“Oh, yeah, I remember the way he competed,” Jones said. “He was so big that three defensive players would have him and he’d just shake them off. He wouldn’t go down. He’d extend plays and make them. He was fun to watch.”
Did Jones watch Lorenzen in the overtime periods?
“I did some,” Jones said. “What you do in overtime games when you are in between possessions, you go over the next two-point play. That’s what winning an overtime game is all about, the two-point plays.
“You have just so many going into a game that you’ve worked on. You don’t have six or seven like what we needed in some of those games. So you’d huddle up with the offensive coaches and think of two-point plays.
“But you’d look over your shoulder to see if the defense was going to get that stop that ended it. I remember watching that last one when we stopped them. All right, the defense got them.”
Then, there would be fun flights home. Incredibly, all four of those overtime games were on the road.
“They were all chaotic,” Jones said. “That’s just the way overtime games are and that’s what you remember. The trip home, you are exhausted, but it was fun, just so intense.”
Jones will be watching it all from home in Fort Smith on Saturday night. There will probably be clips of his duel with Lorenzen on the telecast. That’s not what he’ll be watching for, though.
He’s going to be dialed in in hopes of seeing an end to the 13-game SEC losing streak. That burns in his competitive soul, but he understands when he sees the lack of talent on the field.
“Difference-makers, that’s what is needed,” Jones said. “I like Coach (Chad) Morris and think he’s doing the right things. He’s recruiting hard. That’s what is needed.
“The last staff didn’t recruit. Look at what Coach Morris was left, a bare cupboard. They recruited the wrong players before him. It’s not his fault and not the fault of the players.
“I like Rakeem Boyd. He’s a good running back and has speed. But they need a lot more speed. I like what they are doing with the receiving group.
“But you have to have more and more speed. I have one question when you look at this team: Who scares you? I don’t see a George Wilson or a DeCori Birmingham. And, you need to sprinkle in some guys like Richard Smith, a real speed guy.
“We need to win a conference game. I hope it’s this one.”
It’s a good place to begin with the keys to victory.
Effort I
The Hogs have had an open date to recharge after an impressive effort in the loss to Texas A&M. Morris emphasizes that there are no moral victories, but the fight was there for 60 minutes after producing solid effort in only spots of the San Jose State loss, an embarrassment.
Morris was clear after the A&M loss that there were too many critical mistakes. He didn’t mention penalties, but there were five in the fourth quarter that negated effort and reduced the scoring chances to one field goal.
“We have a great opportunity to build on the way we played against Texas A&M, but we have to clean up some mistakes,” Morris said Wednesday night on his weekly radio show. “And we have to keep pushing this program forward.”
As far as effort, Morris said the A&M game was the new standard for what is expected.
“We’ve challenged the team that they’ve proven they can play (hard) against a top level SEC team, a top 25 team,” Morris said. “We’ve set the bar. Now nothing less than that is acceptable.”
Cornerback Jarques McClellion said the open week has given the team a chance to charge its batteries. He said they are ready to fight for a victory.
“My mind is focused on winning,” McClellion said. “I’ll come in with my mouthpiece in and I know they better have their mouth piece in because I’m going to be trying to knock their teeth out.”
Effort II
The Hogs should expect the Wildcats to return the fight. They have had an off week, too.
The top feature of a Mark Stoops-coached team is that it will fight. Stoops was SEC coach of the year in 2018 when the Wildcats went 10-3, the best record at the school since 1977.
The centerpiece of the UK system is line play. Toughness is the No. 1 quality. In reading the bio of offensive line coach John Schlarman, that’s the word that jumps out. Schlarman was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in July of 2018 and has battled through countless chemotherapy treatments.
The way his O-line plays mirrors their coach. With three starters back, the Wildcats are tough up front.
They play with great effort on defense, a unit that was rebuilt this year after losing seven starters. Defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc coached with John Chavis at LSU and has a deep rotation for the second straight season.
The UK Middle
The key matchup might be in the middle of the field when the Hogs have the ball. Can they match up with the UK nose tackles with a trio of undersized blockers?
Left guard Austin Capps (304 pounds) is the big man for the Hogs. Center Ty Clary, trying to return from a concussion, is next at 285. Right guard Ricky Stromberg, a true freshman, is listed at 266, but is reportedly above 275 now.
The Wildcats play a 3-4 defense featuring end/tackle Calvin Taylor, a 6-9, 300-pound senior. But the nose tackles are the concern. The Wildcats rotate Quinton Bohanon (361) and Marquan McCall (371).
Few teams have gotten much push inside against Kentucky for obvious reasons. It’s going to be a challenge for Capps, Clary and Stromberg.
Quarterbacks
It’s always high on my list. It’s an interesting matchup because both teams have an unsettled look.
Arkansas opened the season with Ben Hicks, then turned the reins over to Nick Starkel ahead of the loss to San Jose State. Hicks relieved Starkel because of an injury to his left arm against Texas A&M.
Both have shown flashes of good play of late, when given time by the rebuilt offensive line. Morris said Starkel is the starter, but he’s thrown seven interceptions in what amounts to less than three full games.
Kentucky lost returning starter Terry Wilson in the second game. Sawyer Smith, his replacement, is battling an assortment of arm, shoulder and leg injuries, but is expected to be more ready to play than two weeks ago when he struggled in a loss to South Carolina.
The wild card in the quarterback situation is the amazing Kentucky athlete Lynn Bowden, tutored at wide receiver by former Arkansas assistant Michael Smith. Most suspect that the Wildcats have gotten Bowden, a junior, ready to play in during the open date. He played quarterback in high school and is considered a rare talent.
Defensive Pressure Matchup
That’s what I think the Arkansas defense faces, pressure to match what has been a traditionally good UK defense under Stoops.
Can the Hogs win a low-scoring game with a series of defensive stops? The Wildcats have held the opposition to 24 points or less in 16 of their last 19 games. They expect a low-scoring game.
Last year the Wildcats ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 16.8 points per game.
But gone are some of the key players that made that such a great defense, including outside linebacker Josh Allen, the national defensive player of the year.
Can the Hogs handle the speed of Bowden, whether he’s at quarterback or wide receiver?
Emotion
This might be akin to the first key, effort. But it’s a look from the UK side.
Both teams have struggled. UK is 0-3 in SEC games this year, including an emotional 29-21 loss to Florida when it had a chance at a go-ahead field goal late in the game.
After an open date and with the thoughts of honoring Lorenzen, what kind of emotion will be flowing from the Wildcats? Interestingly, they have a totally different mindset under Stoops. One of the storylines is that they need this victory to set up a strong finish and a bowl trip.
I don’t recall reading those types of storylines from the UK camp in football season in the brief history of the Arkansas-Kentucky football series.
The Series
It’s miniscule. Kentucky leads, 4-3. The Hogs won in Little Rock in 1998, besting Tim Couch, the other UK quarterback legend in the first meeting between the programs.
Kentucky has wins in Lexington in 1999 and 2008. Arkansas won the seven-overtime game there in 2003.
They played twice in Fayetteville. The Hogs lost the first Jones-Lorenzen matchup in 2002, then rolled to a 49-7 victory in 2012 when the game was called in the third quarter because of severe weather.
That they have played only seven times since the Hogs came into the league in 1992 speaks to the problems of an eight-game schedule in a 14-game league. About the only way to change that is to make the league schedule nine games, but no one seems ready to pull the trigger on that except for TV executives.
Life on the Road
It’s the third trip for the youthful Razorbacks, now with 15 freshmen listed in the depth chart. Can they keep improving?
There wasn’t much fight in the second half when they faltered at Ole Miss last month. There was considerable fight in the last game, the near miss against Texas A&M.
Can these freshmen and first-time sophomore starters like Dalton Wagner, Montaric Brown and Joe Foucha maintain solid play for four quarters?
It’s not easy on the road with young players and more seem likely to play this week. Defensive end Eric Gregory and tight end Hudson Henry are not listed on the depth chart, but have been getting more time with the regulars in practice.
Defensive backs LaDarrius Bishop, Malik Chavis and Jalen Catalon are also getting closer to providing adequate depth.
The Future
The open date provided opportunities to get a closer look to some other likely redshirt candidates. No doubt, some of these probably thought they might get in some games with the new rule that allows for four appearances without burning a redshirt.
The best of those might be quarterback K.J. Jefferson, a 6-3, 228-pounder with quick feet and good arm strength. He’s a tailback with quarterback skills.
Quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock was asked about Jefferson on Monday. It was clear that Jefferson made a jump with additional scrimmage work.
“I thought he took a big step last week, honestly, getting some reps in (skeleton), getting some reps in team,” Craddock said. “He did some good things with his legs as well as sitting in the pocket and throwing the ball. He’s just got to continue to learn mentally. He’s a very smart, sharp kid, but it’s just about doing it and repping it, and he’s got to know it in the meeting rooms…and take it out on the practice field, and go do it.”
Jefferson has the skills to run the run-pass option game that is the key element of the Morris-Craddock offense, something Starkel and Hicks don’t do well because of limited mobility.
If Bowden gets on the field at quarterback against the Hogs, it might be in situations that feature the RPO game. It’s only a matter of time until the Hogs have that kind of a weapon, too.
Crunching the Numbers
The bottom line is points. Arkansas is 72nd in the nation in scoring at 28.6 per game. The Hogs allow 28, which ranks 75th.
Kentucky is worse with a 23.4 scoring average (99th), and gives up 24.4 (53rd).
The Hogs average 431.6 yards; Kentucky 377.6. The defenses give up almost identical numbers. The Hogs allow 396.2 to the Wildcats’ 395.8.
If you believe in numbers, then it could be a fun matchup. There are no promises of any kind of a duel like Jones and Lorenzen produced in 2003, but it could be a close game.
The question mark is if the Wildcats have tried to insert some dynamite at quarterback with Bowden. It was on Morris’ mind Monday when asked about the Wildcats for an overall assessment.
“They are better than their record indicates,” Morris said. “They played Florida down to the wire at home a few weeks back. We have our work cut out for us. We have to play our best. We anticipate Lynn Bowden being all over the field.”
Can the Hogs play their best? Morris already said their best was two weeks ago against Texas A&M. If they do, they’ve got a chance Saturday.