Anderson a constant presence in opposing backfields

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Posted 7:10PM on Monday, November 13, 2006

LITTLE ROCK - Jamaal Anderson broke past the line of scrimmage and reached Jonathan Crompton in an instant and instead of wrapping up the Tennessee quarterback, Anderson just shoved him to the ground. It wasn't the most fundamentally sound tackle of the evening, but it painted quite a picture of Arkansas' domination. Anderson had three sacks Saturday night in the No. 5 Razorbacks' 31-14 manhandling of No. 22 Tennessee, leading an overpowering effort by a defense that shut down the Volunteers' vaunted passing game. ``Our defensive front Jamaal Anderson, Antwain Robinson, Keith Jackson, guys that play hard every down they put a lot of pressure on the quarterback,'' coach Houston Nutt said Monday. Tennessee has been the Southeastern Conference's top passing team this season. Receiver Robert Meachem is averaging over 100 yards per game, and Jayson Swain and Bret Smith have complemented him nicely. But quarterback Erik Ainge has been bothered by ankle problems, so Crompton a redshirt freshman started against Arkansas. The Razorbacks sensed an opportunity. ``There was a new quarterback bring broken in on the road in a hostile environment,'' Anderson said. Crompton was under pressure from the start. He threw two incompletions on the game's first drive, then was sacked by Anderson the next time he dropped back to pass. Tennessee went three-and-out on its first two possessions, giving Arkansas the ball near midfield each time. The Razorbacks drove 53 yards on their second possession for a 7-0 lead. ``I thought that was key,'' Nutt said. ``To win the field position. I thought that was key in the first quarter.'' The Volunteers punted four times in the first quarter alone, largely because Crompton couldn't connect with his standout receivers. Anderson was credited with another sack in the period when Crompton was called for intentional grounding on third down in Arkansas territory. Crompton finished 16-of-34 for 174 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. One of the touchdown passes was late in fourth quarter with the outcome no longer in doubt. Anderson was a high school standout at Little Rock Parkview as both a receiver and a defensive end. As it became clear his future was on defense, he started gaining weight about 65 pounds in all, he says. ``It was a long process,'' said Anderson, now listed at 280. ``I had to eat more. I had to lift more. The weight just came on with it.'' Anderson started the last five games of 2005 as a sophomore, finishing the season with 47 tackles and four sacks. He was slowed at the beginning of 2006 by a hamstring injury that forced him to miss practice heading into the season opener against Southern California. He played in that game, but he contributed only one tackle in a 50-14 loss. ``I felt like I was a step slow,'' Anderson said. ``I wasn't as ready as I thought I was going to be.'' He recovered, though, and the Razorbacks have won nine straight since that game. The defensive linemen Anderson, Robinson, Jackson, Marcus Harrison and Ernest Mitchell have been a major reason why. Arkansas is fourth in the conference in rushing defense and second in sacks with 27. Anderson was named SEC defensive lineman of the week after a 27-10 victory at then-No. 2 Auburn in October. His sack total this year is unclear he has nine according to the SEC's stats and 10 according to the NCAA. Against Tennessee, he played perhaps his best game as a Razorback and he knew it. ``I did a lot of trash-talking this game. That was something I'd never really done,'' Anderson said. ``I was just really feeling it.''