Go Hogs Go!
Posted on 09/13/2003 9:46:39 AM PDT by DCBryan1
It has been nearly four years since Texas lost a home game.
The last thing the sixth-ranked Longhorns want is for that streak to come to an end Saturday against Arkansas when the former Southwest Conference rivals meet.
Coming off a bye week after a season-opening 66-7 rout of New Mexico State on Aug. 31, Texas (1-0) looks for a repeat performance against Arkansas (1-0) in the 75th meeting between the teams.
These schools played 60 straight times as Southwest Conference foes before the Razorbacks left for the SEC following the 1991 season. The Longhorns lead the series 54-20, but Arkansas has taken the last two meetings, winning in 1991 and in the 2000 Cotton Bowl.
"I know there's not a lot of liking of each other going into the game," Texas quarterback Chance Mock said. "But that's one of the things you can't get too caught up in because emotions take over and you make mistakes."
Arkansas tight end Jason Peters is well aware that Saturday's game is a big one for his team.
"Everybody, all the coaches and all the players have been getting pumped up for this game," he said. "The coaches say it's just like any other game, but you can feel it that they're going to coach harder and they're more tensed up. We're all ready to go and play."
Having Saturday's game at home is a big advantage for the Longhorns, who are 20-0 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium under coach Mack Brown. Texas, which has outscored opponents by an average of 43-9 during the streak, last lost a home game on Oct. 2, 1999, against Kansas State.
Playing after a week off doesn't present much of a problem for the Longhorns, who have won five straight and eight of nine games following regular-season bye weeks under Brown.
In his team's season-opening drubbing of New Mexico State, Brown saw Selvin Young return two kicks for touchdowns while Derrick Johnson and Michael Huff returned interceptions for two more scores.
Mock, making his first career start, passed for two TDs to senior Roy Williams while backup quarterback Vince Young added a pair of rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
"Everybody in the country is seeing that we can score in all phases of the game," Williams said. "Once we got rolling, it was hard to stop us."
Williams caught four passes for 104 yards, reaching the 100-yard plateau for the sixth consecutive game to extend his own school record. Williams also holds school records with 27 receiving touchdowns and 12 100-yard games.
"Roy Williams is phenomenal. He can beat you in any way," Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said.
The Razorbacks are also coming off an easy victory in their season opener, 45-13 over Tulsa on Saturday.
The two-tailback system of senior Cedric Cobbs and De'Arrius Howard combined for 210 yards and three TDs. Cobbs carried 12 times for 145 yards and was named SEC offensive player of the week.
Despite the convincing victory, Tulsa rushed for 212 yards against a defense that allowed just 113.6 per game last season.
Nutt and his players agree that a better performance will be needed to beat Texas.
"I've never seen so many guys come up and say 'We can play better than that, we've got to improve,"' he said. "That's the attitude you have to have. There's a lot of things we can improve on. There's a sense of urgency to get better, because they understand that it's a quality opponent."
These teams will meet again next season in Arkansas.
PING!
Hope to see you in Hot Springs for the Freeper meet this afternoon!
1st QTR over:
Arkansas...14
Texas..........7
You want to amend that?
AT HALFTIME:
Arkansas Razorbacks. 21
Texas Longhorns...........7
AT HALFTIME:
Arkansas Razorbacks.......21
Texas Longhorns...........14
But the Horns look awfully soft, both on D and running the ball.
Mack Brown may be the best recruiter I've ever heard of. But I'm not sure he knows what to do with the pieces once he's got 'em.
Hawgs - 28
Horns - 14
ARK 28
TEX 21
Its official, we have a good football game.
(as I surf the other four top 25 teams that are losing today).
As I recall (and I could be wrong) during the old Southwest Conference Days Texas usually beat Arkansas. Go Sooners!
Oh, I see. Well, the Arkansas - Texas matchup just doesn't interest me anymore. Got too tired of seeing my father's disgust with Frank Broyles all these years. I am watching Army - Rutgers right now. Good game.
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