UA defense wants fast start in SEC opener

Posted: September 17, 2009 at 6:38 a.m.

• Print item
• E-mail
• Share
• Tweet

FAYETTEVILLE — Don't forget your mouthpieces, men, Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson will urge his Razorbacks Saturday.

He knows the Hogs likely will need them and need thespit to come back from needing them playing No. 23 Georgia in Arkansas' SEC opener Saturday night on ESPN at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The Hogs had the mouthpieces but no spit and grit onceAlabama hit them in the mouth in last year's SEC opener the Crimson Tide won, 49-14 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

"If we get punched in the mouth," Robinson said after Wednesday's practice, "it'll be interesting to see how we respond. Because we got punched in the mouth early last year and we didn't respond very well."

Sophomore linebacker Jerry Franklin of Marion and sophomore defensive end Jake Bequette of Little Rock Catholic remember too well the Razorbacks' 2008 SEC debut game.

"Last year's first conference game," Franklin said, "we got hit in the mouth and didn't respond very well. We just want to see what kind of team we are."

So far, in practices and the 48-10 Sept. 5 season opening rout of Missouri State in Little Rock, Franklin likes what he sees from the Arkansas defense.

"I feel a whole lot better than before last year's conference opener," Franklin said.

Especially with the linebacking corps starting the SEC season with middle man Wendel Davis healthy, which he wasn't at this time last year, and Freddy Burton at the outside linebacker in a returning starting triumvirate.

"It's a whole different linebacking corps," Franklin said, "because we all know what we are doing first of all. We are confident and know where to go so we can play full speed."

Defensive end Bequette concurred on last year's struggles and this year's confidence.

"We definitely were not very good against the run last year," Bequette said. "So until we prove otherwise, that's going to be our reputation. So first and foremost we do have to stop the run."

And he believes they can.

"I think confidence is the No. 1 difference in our SEC opener this year," Bequette said. "Last year I'm not saying we weren't confident, but we weren't too sure of ourselves. It was a new defense and we weren't too sure of our alignments and assignments. This year we feel much better about that."

He knows the Bulldogs must feel vastly more confident in their offense outscoring South Carolina, 41-37 in their SEC opener last Saturday at Athens, Ga., after losing their season opener 24-10 at OklahomaState.

"Yeah, they did improve," Bequette said of the Bulldogs versus South Carolina. "They didn't play particularly bad against Oklahoma State. Their team in general was thevictim of some bad field position and turnovers and officiating. But they are a very strong group, big and athletic. They are going to be an all-around challenge for us."

Franklin said the Bulldogs "looked like two different teams" they improved so offensively against a South Carolina team that in its previous game limited North Carolina State to a field goal in a 7-3 triumph in Raleigh, N.C.

Both Bequette and Franklin expect to hit the ground running like most SEC teams do, but said the Hogs obviously also have to place a premium on defending the pass and rushing the passer with UGA returning 2008 receiving yards leader A.J.Green.

As a defensive end, Bequette and wideout Green are apt seldom if ever to cross paths Saturday night. Yet it seems Green does add pressure to Bequette's play and arriving sooner rather than later with a pass rush on UGA quarterback Joe Cox.

"I wouldn't call it pressure," Bequette said, "but it's definitely extra motivation to get back there because he's an excellent player. It's very obvious when you watch the film who No. 8 is. As defensive ends and defensive tackles we have to get back there and put some pressure on No. 14."

Apparently it's enough motivation to divertBequette's attention away from attractive ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews.

He was asked if Andrews' sideline presence would be "a distraction."

"Man, I hope she's not a distraction," Bequette said. "I'm going to have to keep my eyes focused on the field and not her."

Sports, Pages 7, 8 on 09/17/2009

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.