Harris works way back into starting lineup

Posted: September 3, 2009 at 5:39 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — Just one week to go and suddenly it seemed Matt Harriswouldn't start his final season opener.

The University of Arkansas' then just demoted fifthyear senior free safety changedall that in last Friday's scrimmage.

He will start Saturday's 6 p.m. season opener against the Missouri State Bears in Little Rock, joining an ever expanding club of re-emerged first-teamers demoted during a preseason long depth chart shuffle orchestrated by Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino and defensive coordinatorWilly Robinson.

"He was challenged and he responded," Robinson said of Harris. "We had a lot of guys that did that, they were put down on the second level and all of a sudden they responded. It meant something to them to be on that first unit and it hurt them to be on that second unit and they responded awfully well."

Petrino remarked earlier in the week: "Matt came out last Friday and ran all around the field and made all kinds of tacklesand played real hard and physical. I was impressed with him."

The son of former Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor safety Cliff Harris and the nephew of former Razorback cornerback/safety Tommy Harris, Matt Harris certainly has been around football long enough to know for him last Friday wasn't just another scrimmage.

"I went in thinking it's a make or break scrimmage," Harris said. "That if I have a good scrimmage, I am going to get my spot back. I never thought negatively because if you have a bad mindset you are already No. 2. I went out there and played like Iwas going to play against Missouri State or Georgia."

Apparently veterans like Harris and senior Wendel Davis, the incumbent starting middle linebacker demoted only to re-emerge at first team, took to heart responding to competition Petrino and Robinson put before them.

"Whatever doesn't kill you makes you better, right?" Harris said. "This staff tried to make an emphasis that the No. 1 starters from last year didn't have a safe spot. That everyone would have to work for everything they got. They brought in some goodfreshmen and the No. 2s from last year are better so it made the team better as a whole."

Robinson answered "most definitely" to the question if these Hogs are defensively better across the board than last year's 5-7 team that languished at or near the bottom of the 2008 SEC defensive stats.

With Wendel Davis starting at middle linebacker, third-year sophomore Jerry Franklin of Marion, a 12-game starter last year swinging from Mike middle linebacker to Will weakside linebacker, will start at Will with true freshman Terrell Williams in reserve.

Franklin will start against a Missouri State quarterback he's known longer than his Razorback teammates.

Arkansas raised Missouri State quarterback Cody Kirby is a graduate of Rogers High School but before moving to Rogers grew up in Marion.

"We went through the first through seventh grade together," Franklin said. "We knew each other pretty well. He was a good player, had a rocket arm."

And a quick release making him hard to sack, Petrino and Robinson both say.

When Kirby releases it, Missouri State tightend Clay Harbor often is the target. Harbor, a 6-4, 243 pound senior, the past two years totaled 85 catches for 1,104 yards.

"He is a very special football player," Robinson said, comparing him as a receiving tight end with Chris Gragg, the wideout moved to tight end showing out well in spring drills but now lost for the season with with an ankle injury during the August preseason.

"He's got great size," Robinson said. "He's got a great vertical stretch. He can do it all. Catch all the balls one-handed, twohanded. He's a willing blocker. He's going to be a great challenge for us."

Sports, Pages 7, 8 on 09/03/2009

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