Get off my yard: 2 coaches, 2 styles, same motivations

FAYETTEVILLE -- A turf war and a tempo battle will be afoot today when Arkansas hosts Auburn on what could be a rain-soaked field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The turf belongs to the Arkansas Razorbacks, and Coach Bret Bielema has made no secret of his dislike for the Tigers, going so far as saying "I hate Auburn" before a big crowd of supporters at the team's kickoff dinner in August.

The turf is also where Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn got his big break into college coaching in 2006 as the offensive coordinator for the Razorbacks. Malzahn, the Fort Smith native who made his name in the Arkansas high school ranks by winning three state championships and playing for seven of them in 14 seasons, will coach in front of plenty of friends and family in today's 11 a.m. game.

Auburn assistant coaches Tim Horton, Rhett Lashlee and J.B. Grimes also have strong ties to the area, the Razorbacks and the state.

Game tempo, a topic that stoked a flare-up between Bielema and Malzahn two years ago, is certain to be an issue between the typically up-tempo Tigers (4-2, 1-2 SEC) and the usually methodical Razorbacks (2-4, 1-2). The team that prevails in dictating the flow of the game could have the upper hand.

Weather conditions also could be a factor. The forecast called for rain extending into this morning, with an 80 percent chance of rain during the game.

Bielema and Malzahn didn't fan the flames of their smoldering rivalry this week, perhaps because both of their teams are in need of a pick-me-up after sluggish starts.

The two have exchanged texts over the past couple of years and Bielema has gotten closer to Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze, a good friend of Malzahn's and his predecessor at Arkansas State in the past year or so as an intermediary of sorts.

"I respect Gus because he really believes in something that he holds true to his heart and has been in his system ever since he's been running it," Bielema said Monday, referencing Malzahn's role as a pioneer in the hurry-up, no-huddle offense. "As a man, as a competitor, I really respect that because he's unwavering in that.

"So I know ... I say certain things at times, but I say things a lot of times when you're in front of 500 rabid Hog fans where it comes across well. It doesn't maybe at some other times."

Malzahn steered clear of any controversial remarks all week, even when asked if it meant more to him to beat Arkansas in his old stomping grounds.

"No," Malzahn said. "They are all important, and you are focused on winning SEC games for your school."

Many who know Malzahn well say his fire burns brighter when he faces Bielema and the Hogs.

"I do think there's something special for Gus -- and he would not admit it -- when it comes to playing Arkansas," said George Schroeder, the USA Today college football writer and former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter who was one of the earliest chroniclers of Malzahn's exploits. "Because it's where he grew up. Because it's where, as a high school coach, he certainly thought one day, 'Wouldn't that be like the dream job, to coach Arkansas?'

"He's got a great gig and and he loves the gig he's got, no question, but yeah, it's a huge deal to play Arkansas."

Bielema could use a victory in the head-to-head matchup with Malzahn after opening his Arkansas career 0-2 against the Tigers. Auburn is one of four SEC West teams Bielema has yet to beat in his two-plus season,along with Alabama, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.

"As you become acquainted with the Arkansas fan base and everything else, everybody always wants to beat certain teams and I probably hear it more about that game than anything," Bielema said. "Obviously I know the history of Gus and he coached here and all that stuff. ... I think it's important for the fans, and it's important for us.

"They played for a national championship two years ago, so to see where we've come in that amount of time is an intriguing thing for us in the program, I think."

Bielema and Malzahn had flare-ups in 2013 over what could be termed a tempo tiff. Bielema expressed concern that the proliferation of no-huddle offenses, which sometimes rush to the line after every play to make defensive substitutions unmanageable, could lead to an increased risk of injuries, especially for heavier players on both sides of the line.

Asked about Bielema's remarks at SEC media days in 2013, Malzahn said his first reaction was that it was a joke.

Bielema didn't take kindly when told of the "joke" line, saying he was no comedian, and the rivalry was on.

The last time the teams played here, the week began with a Bielema jab on Monday when he complained that the video exchange from Auburn didn't include a swinging gate formation on an extra point attempt by the Tigers. Malzahn said his program always operated with integrity.

While pushing the pace on SEC defenses, he had his own beef about players faking injuries to slow down his potent offense.

So what happened on game night?

Bielema used a swinging gate formation to complete a fourth-down pass that led to Kiero Small's fourth-quarter touchdown.

Then on the play after the Hogs' fourth down conversion, Auburn defender Anthony Swain, standing upright with his hands on his hips one moment while looking to the sideline, suddenly fell to the turf and needed assistance with his right knee.

Bielema objected to the officials on his sideline, and ESPN color analyst Matt Millen blurted "Guilty as charged, my friend," after taking a look at an isolated camera shot on Swain.

Malzahn said his players are not told to fake injuries. Bielema told reporters they read too much into the Swinging Gate play, which he labeled "Field Goal Buehner" because backup quarterback Brian Buehner threw the pass to Austin Tate.

Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen said the Razorbacks have a lot of faith in Bielema.

"We know the biggest thing is he always has our backs and we've got his," Allen said. "Obviously Coach B's style of football and Coach Malzahn's style of football are not very similar. They do a lot of different things. I think that's just kind of where the head-butting comes in right there."

The Arkansas-Auburn series had plenty of highlights before Bielema and Malzahn entered the picture, such as a strange disregard for home-field advantage.

Unranked Arkansas defeated the No. 24 Tigers 38-17 in Auburn, Ala., in 2002, and the Tigers returned the upset the following season with their unranked team topping No. 7 Arkansas 10-3 at Razorback Stadium. Another unranked Razorbacks' team in 2006 stunned the No. 2 Tigers 27-10 on the road, derailing Auburn's national championship hopes. That Razorbacks team, however, won 10 consecutive games en route to winning the SEC West.

The road team is 11-11-1 in the series, including a stretch from 2002-2008 in which the visiting team posted a 6-1 record.

"If you look back at the series there's been some pivotal games over the years that people remember pretty well," said Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr., who was quarterback for the first Razorbacks team to beat Auburn, 30-28 in Little Rock in 1995. "That's part of it. Obviously they've had some good success from a national perspective and I think that puts an added emphasis on it, and there's been a handful of players from the state that have played there and are recognizable. So that adds an element.

"There's all kinds of different layers there. But at the end of the day, I think our people feel like that because it's an SEC West opponent that the outcome of that game is always really important to our standing in the league and what it means for us postseason-wise, and this year is no different."

Sports on 10/24/2015