FAYETTEVILLE — Off last year's bad defense, Jerry Franklin and Elton Ford provided two good reasonsfor Arkansas to expect better things.
But neither sophomore last Saturday was available when things went bad for Arkansas inGeorgia's 17-0 second quarter and beyond in the Razorbacks' 52-41 SEC loss in Fayetteville.
Both are in the plan for Arkansas' visit to nationally third-ranked, defending SEC West champion Alabama at 2:30 p.m Saturday on CBS television.
How intensely the Hogs missed linebacker Franklin manifested when media interviewed the Arkansas defense Wednesday for the first time since the Georgia game.
Franklin was ejected during the game's second quarter for bumping an official after first being slapped with a personal foul for pushing two Georgia players after the whistle upon Arkansas safety Tramain Thomas' interception.
Starting with Georgia running back Richard Samuel popping an 80-yard touchdown run, the Arkansas defense never was the same the rest of the game.
"You don't know how important somebody is," Malcolm Sheppard, the Arkansas defensive tackle and senior captain, said, "until they are gone. We definitely realize how important Jerry is to the defense."
Defensive end Adrian Davis, also a senior captain, said, "When we lost him you could tell the team kind of got down and he got down. He really wants to come out and help us this week."
Does he ever.
The sophomore from Marion met the press Wednesday addressing the incident that his teammates and defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said was out of character.
"Jerry is a quiet guy," Robinson said. "For him to lose his control the other day, it's not his nature to do that. He's really a good guy off the field and a fine football player on the field. He does everything he's supposed to do."
So Franklin did what he was supposed to do. He publicly apologized.
"First and foremost," Franklin said. "I'd like to apologize about what happened. I take full responsibility for both penalties. Me pushing the players wasn't right and bumping into the referee wasn't right. I sent a letter to the Chancellor and the officiating crew, both, apologizing about the incident, what happened. I hope to use this as something to learn from so that it will never happen again."
Franklin has already apologized to the team, or at leasttried to before their first practice after the game.
"He was actually going to apologize Sunday night," senior safety Matt Harris said, "and we stopped him in his tracks and said, 'We know you're sorry. Get back on the field because we need you.' And we do."
As for Ford, the Hogs have missed last year's starting free safety in games since he severely injured his neck against Ole Miss with five games to go in the 2008 season.
The injury was initially feared career-threatening, but Ford kept rehabbing and was cleared to play before the August preseason. He even reclaimed a first-team spot for awhile and was listed No. 2 strong safety to Thomas at the season's outset.
Yet between a sprained ankle and perhaps some staff doubt, Ford didn't play against either Missouri State or last week against Georgia.
Now Robinson said Ford is in the game plan for Tuscaloosa.
"He's starting to come back and get healthy and put it all together," Robinson said. "We're bringing him back slowly. It's stilla major situation. I think there was a confidence issue with him, even though I thought earlier there wasn't. It's a process he had to overcome."
Whatever head coach Bobby Petrino and Robinson believe he needed to overcome, Ford thinks he's overcome it.
"I am feeling good," Ford said. "My body is feeling great and I am ready. I am excited to play."
Though he's hit and been hit in practice, he's elated finally to hit in a game.
"That's going to be great," Ford said. "I can't wait for it."
His teammates can't wait, either.
"That's also a boost," Adrian Davis said of Ford joining Franklin in the game plan. "He's always around the ball and will help us a lot. The problems he had with his neck, I give him a lot of courage for that to even come back and play football."
While glad to have Franklin and Ford in the fold, these are far from giddy times for the Arkansas defense. They claim grim resolve is their mindset since Georgia blew through with 52 points.
"They saw themselves playing on the film," Robinson said, "and didn't like what they saw. They have been responding all week long."
Sports, Pages 7, 8 on 09/24/2009