Arkansas, Tennessee look to avoid second SEC loss

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Posted 3:49PM on Friday, October 4, 2002

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen knew his team could rally from seven points down at halftime to beat Rutgers by three touchdowns a week ago. He would rather the No. 10 Volunteers (3-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) dominate early and avoid a similar predicament Saturday night against Arkansas (2-1, 0-1). ``If we come out and mess around with Arkansas, who knows what's going to happen,'' Clausen said. ``We have to come out and play the first play to the last play. We have to play fast and aggressive. We can't mess around anymore.'' Tennessee has been sluggish offensively, even with receiver Kelley Washington and several good running backs, and uncharacteristically mistake-prone in the last three games, which included a 30-13 loss to Florida. The Vols want to put the questions behind them this weekend as they start a string of four tough SEC games before No. 1 Miami visits Nov. 9. ``It's really important that we take a big step from the consistency standpoint,'' Fulmer said. ``Some of the continuity hasn't been there, but we are very capable of being a good, consistent football team. That's what we're working toward. We're 3-1 and really haven't played our best football yet.'' The Razorbacks are trying to overcome last week's 30-12 loss to Alabama, which ran through its hard-nosed defense for 267 yards. ``When we were down early, it felt like once we settled back down it felt like it was about to turn and we were just needing to make a play,'' Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. ``Our problem was that we couldn't put two or three good plays together in a row.'' While coaches and players say every game is important, both teams are looking for momentum. ``It's a real crucial game for both teams as you look at it. Neither one of us wants to go down with two losses in the conference this early in the season,'' Fulmer said. ``We need the win, we're looking for a win right now,'' Arkansas cornerback Ahmad Carroll said. Arkansas, on the road for the first time this season, last won in Knoxville in 1992 and has lost four straight since. The Vols won last season in Fayetteville 13-3 in a rainy game that included two delays. The weather also delayed an interesting matchup that should be key to this year's game. With receivers Donte Stallworth and Eric Parker injured, Tennessee's Washington had his first chance last year to steal the show against Arkansas' heralded defensive backs Ahmad Carroll, Ken Hamlin, Lawrence Richardson and Jimmy Beasley. The rain forced the Vols to rely mostly on Travis Stephens carrying the ball 41 times for 206 yards while Washington finished with six catches for 96 yards. ``That's going to be a very competitive match when you have a team that's going to play man-to-man and you have some talented receivers who can really go down the field and catch the ball,'' Washington said. ``It's definitely going to be a showdown.'' Nutt hopes his players will be able to defend against the big plays. ``They have the most experience really on the team. So we expected them to be put in some one-on-one situations and be able to mix up coverages,'' Nutt said. ``Now that we are in SEC ball, you have to go to another level.'' Both teams also boast talented rotations of tailbacks even with injuries. Tennessee's Cedric Houston, from Clarendon, Ark., will miss the game due to a torn ligament in his left thumb. Arkansas' Ben Talley was listed as questionable with a sprained left wrist. The Vols' run game has been stalled so far, surprisingly averaging just 129.5 yards a game behind an experienced offensive line. Jabari Davis will start while freshman Gerald Riggs may make his Knoxville debut. Riggs played sparingly against Wyoming in Nashville. Clausen and Washington would like to see more passing in the Vols' game plan. ``If we have the athletes out there on the outside we need to use them. I know we're a type of football team that we like to pound the football. Sometimes we're going to have to start off throwing the football down the field,'' Washington said. The Razorbacks' Cedric Cobbs, Talley and De'Arrius Howard have helped Arkansas to a 232-yard average. The Vols are only allowing opponents 89.5 rushing yards a game but will rely on three freshmen to back up the starting linebackers Saturday. Sophomore quarterback Matt Jones is no slouch when he tucks the ball and takes off, averaging 7.6 yards a carry. He ran for 592 yards last season, a school record.