Nutt looks forward to seeing two-quarterback system in action again

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Posted 5:46PM on Wednesday, July 16, 2003

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS - The two-quarterback system will be back for the Arkansas Razorbacks this fall. Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt said Wednesday he won't know how the system will work until after August drills, but Matt Jones and Ryan Sorahan have to be interchangeable. ``The best of both worlds for us right now is to get back to where we were a couple of years ago where you had two quarterbacks,'' said Nutt, referring to the 2001 season when Jones and Zak Clark split time at quarterback. ``Both of them can be on the field at the same time. Both of them can do great things in a different way.'' Nutt told a meeting of sports writers that he was looking forward to the start of the 2003 football season. All players, freshmen and returning lettermen, report to campus Aug. 10. The Razorbacks shared the Southeastern Conference Western Division title last year and represented the division at the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Arkansas lost that game to Georgia and went on to lose the Music City Bowl to Minnesota. ``We didn't like the way we finished,'' Nutt said at the annual meeting of the Arkansas Associated Press Sports Editors. ``We didn't send our seniors off the right way.'' Nutt said right now he would be comfortable using either Jones or Sorahan in critical situations, but he said Jones has won games. Jones has rushed for more than 1,200 yards in two seasons, setting the school quarterback rushing record each year, and last year he threw for 1,592 yards and 16 touchdowns. ``He is the best sandlot player in the world. He can improvise,'' Nutt said. However, Jones' shoulder gave him problems last year and he lacked zip on the ball late in the season. Nutt said Jones can't spend two hours every day throwing the football and perform on Saturday. As such, Sorahan will have to step up and produce after throwing just 73 passes in two seasons. ``The combination with Sorahan, if he keeps going the way I think he's going to go and then that's not Matt Jones on the sideline it's Matt Jones with Sorahan I think it's going to be an exciting offense,'' Nutt said. Arkansas' 2003 schedule is one of its toughest ever with games at Texas, at Alabama and at home against Auburn and Florida in a six-week period. Also in that stretch is North Texas, a bowl team the last two seasons. ``I'd rather have Louisiana-Monroe instead of Texas,'' Nutt said. ``North Texas (has) a lot of good second and third athletes'' that were not signed to scholarships by major schools like Texas or Texas A&M.