Hog Calls

Calloway must find consistency

Chevin Calloway, Arkansas cornerback, celebrates after recovering an Eastern Illinois fumble Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in the first quarter at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Chevin Calloway, Arkansas cornerback, celebrates after recovering an Eastern Illinois fumble Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in the first quarter at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — It’s not just Kermit the Frog who can proclaim, “It’s not easy being green.”

In the Arkansas Razorbacks’ 1998 secondary it wasn’t easy being Green.

As a first-year starting cornerback, Orlando Green was greener in experience than his last name.

David Barrett, the superb then-junior 2-year letterman and eventual 9-year NFL cornerback, manned the other side.

Opposing quarterbacks avoided Barrett’s side like a leper colony quarantined.

They attacked where the grass was Green.

The Barrett-Green scenario that Houston Nutt’s 9-3 1998 Razorbacks survived personifies again.

For after their 55-20 victory last Saturday over lower division Eastern Illinois going into tonight’s game at Colorado State, Arkansas’ contrasting experience on the corners appears decidedly one-sided.

Though missing last season because of torn pectoral muscles, Ryan Pulley seems the David Barrett, 20 years later for first-year Coach Chad Morris’ Razorbacks.

Sophomore Chevin Calloway is the green as Green starter on the other side.

Pulley returns completely healthy playing to the form of his 13 pass breakups in 2016.

Eastern Illinois’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks quickly took note.

“I think Ryan Pulley was targeted four times and made all four plays,” Morris said.

Calloway was promoted from third-team to second-team when Pulley went down in last year’s Game One to be medically red-shirted. However Calloway never started and didn’t play all that much behind promoted fellow 2017 freshman corner Kamren Curl now starting at safety.

Last Saturday Calloway started sensationally. He recovered two fumbles, one that he forced himself, and made four tackles.

Calloway’s start lacked finish. EIU quarterback Harry Woodberry and receiver Alexander Hollins burned him for two touchdown passes.

“Chevin Calloway gave up two big plays but overall played well at times and recovered two fumbles and caused one,” Morris said Monday. “He was a little inconsistent but a fighter and battled back.”

Certainly Calloway needs to battle tonight. Colorado State quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels, 52 of 83 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns vs. two interceptions for two ages, and receivers Preston Williams, 15 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and Olabisi Johnson, 12 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns those two games, likely will gear their passing attack nearly all the way towards Calloway.

“That’s something we talk about all the time,” Morris said. “Until you do something to stop it, they’re going to keep trying to expose you. Chevin is very aware of that. He understands that’s going to happen, especially with Ryan on the other side.”

So what must Calloway do?

“Chevin’s got to keep getting better,” Morris said. “He played really well the other night up that point, but on his two main busts his technique was very poor. That happens a lot when you play young guys. They want to go back sometimes to what they did in high school and let their talent carry them. But at this level you’ve got to really work your technique and understand what’s being asked of you.”

It’s not easy being green.

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