Old friends meeting Saturday, expect a battle royale

By BY NATE ALLEN Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted: September 16, 2009 at 6:26 a.m.

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LITTLE ROCK — For most of the 70,000-plus coming to Reynolds Razorback Stadium Saturday night, it's the battle of Arkansas vs. Georgia.

However, For a foursome, it's the Battle of Bainbridge.

Georgia Bulldogs linebackers Darryl Gamble, a starter, and Nick Williams hail from Bainbridge, Ga. as do fellow Bainbridge High graduates and Arkansas Razorbacks Malcolm Sheppard, the senior starting defensive tackle, and Ray Dominguez, the fourth-year junior starting offensive tackle.

"Me and Malcolm are really looking forward to this game," Dominguez said after practice Tuesday. "It's my first time against them. Ever since I came here as a freshman, I circled this.I circled this game three years ago."

He'll be glad to see old friends, particularly Gamble, "one of the bestest friends I ever had," Dominguez said.

But he knows nothing will be friendly once the Razorbacks' SEC opener kicks off at 6:45 p.m. on ESPN.

"Vicious," Dominguez said when asked to describe the Bulldogs' defense. "Really vicious and really fast. The linebacker corps is extremely fast and their front four is really good. They stay low to the ground and their D-backs are unbelievable. And their D-ends are really fast. Their whole front seven is really good. Establishing a running game against this team is going to be a challenge."

Though the Bulldogs have had ran into trouble trying to run on them.

Goal-line stops madethe difference against South Carolina as the Gamecocks too often were forced to settle for field goals when touchdowns initially appeared in their grasp.

"They didn't have no running game," Dominguez bluntly assessed of the Cowboys and Gamecocks against the Bulldogs.

But the Hogs didn't mount much of a running game in their only game to date. It wasn't required. Outclassed Missouri State stacked the box, so the Hogs winged it with quarterbacks Ryan Mallett, 17 of 22 for 309 yards, and Tyler Wilson combining to complete 30 of 41 for 447 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 48-10 romp, Sept. 5 in Little Rock.

"If they are going to commit everyone to the run and let us throw it," Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said,"then we'll throw it all day long."

Nobody expects Georgia to play such one dimensional defense - even if senior first-team Preseason All-SEC running back Michael Smith still is Arkansas' most proven weapon.

Carrying the ball 70 times (35 each) during two consecutive games last year, Smith only carried four times, for a 10.8 average 43 yards with a touchdown, against Missouri State.

That light load, plus a bye week, should have Smith ready to run against a Georgia defense ready to stop the run.

"He's fresh and had a great practice tonight," Paul Petrino said after Tuesday's practice in pads. "He looked fast. It's exciting to watch him play."

Smith looked excited to play after a week off knowing that, despiteArkansas' increased running back depth over last year, he should log a whole lot more than four carries Saturday night.

"To have a balanced offense, period, we've got to have our run game being better than what it was when we played Missouri State," Smith said. "I think that's something that we have emphasized this week during practice. We're just going to come out there and we're going to hit them in the mouth and we're going to run the ball downhill, downhill, bust it outside, run it back downhill, and every way we can."

All the while knowing the Bulldogs will be doing all they can to bust Smith in the mouth and make his night an uphill battle.

"They're fast," Smith said. "They're physical, they fly to the ball. They have good linebackers and a good D-linethat holds that run game down to a minimum. But we just have to come here ready to compete, and be prepared."

Both head coach Bobby Petrino's Razorbacks and Georgia head coach Mark Richt's Bulldogs have been asked constantly whether 'tis better to be battle tested or well-rested. Georgia has back-to-back games against big names versus Arkansas creaming a cupcake then having two weeks to prep for its SEC opener.

Paul Petrino got asked the same question Tuesday.

"You have to play the cards that you are dealt," Paul Petrino said, "and we have to build on the positive that we have had two weeks to prepare for them and make it a positive all the way. There's nothing we can do about it so we have got to play our tails off."

Sports, Pages 10 on 09/16/2009

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