Razorback’s defense holds heroic ground in Florida’s swamp

By Marshall Laney
Ozarks Unbound

With 9 seconds left in a tie ball game, the top-ranked Florida Gators put the game in the hands of a sophomore kicker who stepped up to deliver a 27-yard field goal giving the Gators their 8th straight win over the Hogs.

However, Florida kicker Caleb Sturgis was hardly the hero in the Gators’ Saturday game. Nor was it the absence of Michael Smith in the backfield.

It was the Razorbacks’ defense that continued to show improvement by holding the Gators to only three points in the first half and forcing five turnovers in the game.

The defense, which has been criticized under Coach Bobby Petrino , came into the  swamp giving up an average of nearly 400 yards a game. The Razorbacks were able to lower that average just slightly against the No. 1 Gators, giving only 390 yards.

A defensive line led by Malcolm Sheppard and Adrian Davis dominated the Gators’ during their first drive and held at the line of scrimmage. The Gators were forced to try for a field goal which was missed bad left by Caleb Sturgis.

While the Hogs struggled in the secondary and their tackling throughout the game, the D-line was great in stopping the un-stoppable Tim Tebow and their no huddle offense.

The Razorbacks again faced the spread offense that Florida loves after back to back weekends against similar offenses by Auburn and Texas Tech. .

Tebow came into the game having been sacked six times on the year; by the end of the game, the Razorbacks nearly reached that number with five sacks of their own.

Quarterback Ryan Mallett , the top-passer in the South Eastern Conference, had a difficult time getting started in the first quarter. Other than an outstanding 42-yard run by tailback Dennis Johnson, the Razorbacks looked likely to struggle against the fast secondary of Florida as Mallett went 0-5 in the first quarter.

Much of the game’s opening offense looked like bad play calling from Petrino, but after a nice drive, the Hogs took the lead when Broderick Green punched in a 1-yard touchdown run.

Then with two minutes left in the first half and the score at 7-3, Mallett showed off his pro-caliber arm as he connected with Greg Childs for a 46-yard pass that set up Alex Tejada for an easy 22-yard field goal. However, that would not be the end of the story for Tejada by any means.

Florida’s defense looked much stronger in the second half. The running game of the Hogs continued to show strength and we were able to move the ball. But along with penalties and lack of offense, the Gators were repeatedly given good field position.

Time after time, the D stepped up to the challenge. Mallett and Childs connected again with a 75-yard touchdown pass that gave the Hogs a seven-point lead with eight minutes in the game.

Hog fans could feel the momentum start to slip as the game progressed. It’s a feeling we know well.

But as we got the ball back late in the fourth and moved down the field, it was obvious that Petrino was ready to put the game in the hands of his kicker.

And he did.

Once again, as we Razorback fans have seen for two years now, Tejada came on to miss another important field goal as he has done so many times before.

That gave Tebow and the Florida offense one last chance to take the lead late in the game. And Coach Meyers’ faith in his kicker was warranted as Sturgis split the uprights for the winner.

Hog fans were left with their heads in their hands as we watched wondering how on earth our team could possibly give up a lead so late in the game, and why Alex Tejada is still here on a scholarship.

Maybe next week we will get some answers.

On a promising note, the week-to-week improvement by the Razorback defense should act as motivation for the team as they travel to the Grove to take on the Ole Miss Rebels and former coach Houston Nutt.

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