Maintain the intensity
Brandon's Line of Scrimmage column for November 7th
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Part One complete. Three more to go. The Razorbacks put on an offensive clinic on Saturday and defeated Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks 48-36. It was a good day to be in Fayetteville.
After watching that game, there is no doubt in my mind that Arkansas’ backfield is the best in the nation and anyone that differs can ask Spurrier about it.
After the first quarter, the stands were full of shouts of “Felix for Heisman,” referring to one half of the dynamic rushing tandem. When the third quarter rolled around, it was time for Darren McFadden to make his statement, and it was a big one.
Rushing for 321 yards, he tied an SEC single game record for most rushing yards. It was announced during the game that he had broken the record at 323, but after watching the tapes, it was decided that one of Felix Jones’ runs was credited to McFadden. But who cares? He still rushed for 321 freakin’ yards!
Houston Nutt compared D-Mac to Barry Sanders. An ESPN commentator said, “Get him a ticket to New York,” and after the day, he received an ESPN Helmet Sticker (an award they give to the best performances of the day.)
He definitely sent the Heisman voters a message: Don’t count him out just yet. It was this time last year that McFadden turned it on and made his run to become the runner-up for the prestigious award.
If the Razorbacks can continue to play at the intensity they displayed Saturday, a win in Baton Rouge would not be that farfetched. The offense is clicking, but Reggie Herring has to get his defense at the top of their game. When Arkansas is performing on both sides of the ball, they are an unstoppable force.
UP NEXT — The Razorbacks head to Knoxville to take on Phillip Fulmer’s No. 22 Volunteers. The Vols are coming off of a big win where they, too, broke their school’s rushing record.
While they may have stepped up their running game, defending it is a different story.
Tennessee’s rushing defense is ninth in the SEC and it showed Saturday. The Vols gave up 234 yards on the ground to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. If Tennessee stands a chance at winning this game, they have to shut down the run. If the Ragin’ Cajuns can reach 234, it’s scary to think what Arkansas could do.
I was reading the Tennessee message boards Sunday night, and not one post was confident that the Vols would win. There is a lot more riding on this game for Tennessee than for Arkansas. A win would put them within reach of going to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. It’s going to be a battle in the first half, but the Razorbacks will pull ahead after halftime.
PREDICTION - Arkansas 34, Tennessee 24
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