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Gators Bend, Don't Break

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By KARL HYPPOLITE

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 5, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas entered Saturday's contest dead last in the Southeastern Conference in rushing offense, averaging a meager 90.5 yards per game - more than 20 yards fewer than the next-lowest team, Mississippi State.

Apparently, someone forgot to mention that to UF's defense, which entered the game giving up less than 90 yards per game. Running back Michael Smith proceeded to run over, under and through them.

Smith ran for 133 of Arkansas' 141 rushing yards, and at times he looked like the vaunted NFL running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones that he is attempting to replace.

"Their tailback is a heck of a player," Coach Urban Meyer said. "He's third or fourth in the SEC in rushing, and you can tell why. He's a very talented player."

It was the second week in a row that UF's defense was repeatedly gashed on the ground.

"We're far from a finished product," Meyer said. "But that's what happens in college football."

The Gators were also a rather unappealing product for long stretches of the contest as they allowed the most deceptive seven points possible.

Arkansas moved the ball up and down the field throughout the game with a combination of Smith runs and crossing routes that UF didn't seem to figure out until late in the second half. But the Razorbacks were unable to score.

Arkansas finished with 369 total yards.

"Not a lot of points, but a lot of yards," said CB Joe Haden, who had an interception. "We've got to work on that a lot. We don't want that at all, but if they happen to get into the red zone, our defense knows it has to step up."

With LSU heading to Gainesville next week, there isn't a lot of time to work out the kinks. Haden feels the quick running backs the Gators have faced the last few weeks haven't prepared them for the power running attack the Tigers employ.

"Those shifty backs are kind of bad for us right now," Haden said. "The bigger, stronger running backs are a little easier to see and a little easier to tackle. But we know that we have to come out and work hard."

The Gators have won four of their five by at least three touchdowns, but with the spurts of brilliance sprinkled in between the long stretches of mediocrity, it's hard to get a handle of how good they may be.

But there certainly isn't time for them to worry about perceptions.

"We're not really going to worry about all that," Haden said. "All we can do is come out and practice."

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