Tennessee tries to get run game going against Arkansas

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Posted 6:54AM on Friday, October 4, 2002

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - Tennessee thought it had something going in its first possession against Rutgers when Jabari Davis ran 34 yards on three straight carries. That was about the only success the No. 10 Volunteers (3-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) had last week running the ball, a staple of Tennessee football. Tennessee is still looking to establish the run and hopes to find it Saturday night against Arkansas (2-1, 0-1). ``We have to come out and get our running game going because that's a big part of what we do,'' Tennessee tight end Jason Witten said. ``We still haven't proved it in four games now.'' The Razorbacks, who have lost four straight in Knoxville since a 1992 victory, know all too well how much the Vols like to run. Last year, Tennessee's Travis Stephens ran 41 times for 206 yards in a game delayed twice because of a rainstorm. The Vols rallied to score all their points in the four quarter en route to a 13-3 win in Fayetteville. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt doesn't expect anything different this year. ``We know the thing they want to do is run the football. The numbers might not be as big as the last few years, but we know they are very, very capable,'' he said. With highly-touted sophomore tailbacks Davis, Cedric Houston, Derrick Tinsley and freshman Gerald Riggs and an experienced offensive line, Tennessee has been surprisingly ineffective running the ball. The Vols beat Rutgers 35-14 but finished with 94 rushing yards on 23 carries, bringing their average down to tenth in the conference at 129.5 yards a game. Houston, Tennessee's leading rusher, had surgery this week to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb and will not play Saturday. Riggs, who has only played in one game so far, could get more carries. Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer insists the ground game will develop and has given various reasons for why it hasn't yet. Mainly, he says the concentration was on developing the young receivers in the early games when receiver Kelley Washington didn't play because of a sore knee. Then when the Vols found themselves trailing at home against Florida and Rutgers, they relied on passing to get quick scores. Of course, that makes fans wonder why the Vols didn't start out throwing the ball to Washington and Witten before adjusting at halftime. The Vols won't say this week if they plan to come out passing to open the field for the tailbacks or come out pounding away on the ground. ``We want to do whatever we have to to move the ball. A lot of it is affected by the game situation and how the defense is playing,'' Tennessee offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said. The Razorbacks have emphasized stopping the run this week after losing 30-12 to Alabama last week. Santonio Beard had 134 rushing yards, and Shaud Williams scored on an 80-yard run for the Crimson Tide. Arkansas had been leading the country in rush defense going into the game and now ranks 36th and sixth in the SEC in allowing 114 yards a game. ``Alabama is a good running team, and Tennessee is going to try to do the same thing run with it and pass some,'' Arkansas safety Ken Hamlin said. ``Tennessee is going to have both weapons, so we got to be prepared and I think we're going to take this week to get prepared on that.'' Meanwhile, the Razorbacks have had a successful running game so far. They rank second in the SEC and tied for ninth in the nation in averaging 232 yards a game. Senior Cedric Cobbs's 209 yards this season leads Arkansas, and he is supported by Fred Talley and De'Arrius Howard. Talley may not play because of a sprained left wrist.