FAYETTEVILLE -- It seems every successful Arkansas football team thrived in part because some discounted, discarded and all-but-disappeared player surprisingly emerged as an emergency starter triumphantly.
So with Arkansas' Dwayne Eugene poised for his second weakside linebacker start Saturday on the road against Auburn, hope abounds that these 5-2 Razorbacks will finish strong.
Eugene, of Marrero (La.) Archbishop Rummel, arrived in 2014 at Arkansas so football smart he immediately played every game on four special teams. He did so again in 2015.
Yet as a full-time linebacker, it seemed the Razorbacks brass deemed Eugene's talent not ready for prime time. Other than one start, Eugene didn't play much linebacker as a 2015 sophomore while starters Brooks Ellis and Dre Greenlaw mostly toiled without respite beyond exhaustion.
Eugene hadn't played much linebacker this season, either.
Then on the second series against Alabama, Greenlaw broke his foot.
Talented, going-to-be-very-good true freshman linebacker De'Jon Harris subbed first. Harris played well for a freshman. But just well against reigning national champion/No. 1 Alabama doesn't cut it.
"He's a pretty mature freshman, and he's got a lot of tools," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. "But you can tell the game was a little big on him when he first got in there. So that's when they [defensive coordinator Robb Smith and linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves] put Dwayne in there. And Dwayne actually responded very, very well."
Eugene couldn't change the course of an eventual 49-30 defeat to the nation's best team, but he inspired the capacity Reynolds Razorback Stadium crowd. Eugene's interception marked Arkansas' lone turnover secured against Alabama. And he made three tackles.
Starting Arkansas' 34-30 victory over Ole Miss at Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday, Eugene again emerged in the right place at the right time. Against the Rebels' complex hurry-up offense, Eugene again contributed three tackles. Twice he was credited with hurrying Ole Miss senior quarterback Chad Kelly into throwaway incompletions.
Bielema took note, but the Arkansas coach notes he always takes note of Eugene's copious notes since Eugene's freshman year.
They have helped equip Eugene to play all three linebacker positions plus all those special teams.
Bielema laughed while recalling the director of football operations, Mark Taurisani, turning in a notebook accidentally left after a special teams meeting.
"I didn't have to look at it," Bielema said. "It was Dwayne Eugene's. He brings that notebook into every team meeting, punt meeting, punt block return, kickoff coverage and kickoff return. His mom and dad have raised an incredible kid. And he came out of a great program where he learned how to prepare for a game."
Retired Arkansas College Hall of Fame Coach Lou Holtz recalled one of his player's 4.3 speed just got him to the wrong place faster.
Holtz would have loved coaching Dwayne Eugene, who takes the extra prep time to advance to the right place at the right time.
Sports on 10/19/2016