Razorbacks Report
By Scott Cain

UA defense can claim first round As promised, Arkansas didn’t scrimmage long on its first day in pads, but the defense didn’t need much time to distinguish itself. Defense dominated the 30-play
scrimmage that ended a 2 1/2- hour practice Monday. "I like the way they’re flying around," defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. "They’re trying to get better each day. I see them making improvement. There are a lot of things we’ve got to get cleaned up. We’re making some mistakes we don’t need to make."

The offense managed three plays of more than 10 yards but did little else. A stagnant running game, two dropped passes and a few missed throws cost the offense.

Ryan Sorahan completed 4 of 6 passes for 25 yards with one dropped pass to lead the quarterbacks but he did not work against the first-team defense. Tarvaris Jackson completed 2 of 6 for 22 yards. Matt Jones was 0 for 4 with a dropped pass.

Jackson completed a 20-yard pass. Jones turned a broken play into a 25-yard gain. Sorahan completed a short pass to Thomas Crowder, with Crowder turning it into a 20-yard gain. "It was hard," said Coach Houston Nutt, who runs the offense. "[The defense] threw everything at us real hard, but I’ve seen Tarvaris, Ryan and Matt all three make plays today. Tarvaris really stood in the pocket when some bombs were going off... then Matt, third-and-8, third-and-4 — first down, first down. Real proud of that."

The quarterbacks didn’t have much to say about their performances. About the most forthcoming was Jackson, who said, "We did a decent job today, but we can do a lot better."

Except for a quick-whistle sack and a tipped pass at the line, Sorahan might have helped himself. Or maybe he didn’t. "You’d have to ask the coaches that," Sorahan said. "I have no idea. I hope so."

Jackson took the first snaps. Jones came in with the second group.

Both sides played second- and thirdteam players liberally to evaluate backup spots where there’s competition.

One of those spots is inside linebacker where true freshman Sam Olajabutu made some big hits in drills and the scrimmage. He leveled tailback Dedrick Poole, forcing a fumble and sending Poole off with sprained wrist. "Let me say this about Sam: He might not know where to go all the time, but he will make a tackle," Nutt said. "That guy will splatter you." Boise State chatter

Out in Boise, Idaho, they’re paying attention to Houston Nutt’s decision not to suspend free safety Ken Hamlin and running back Cedric Cobbs, and they’re having some fun with it, too.

In a column headlined "Who’s afraid of BSU? Nutt is," Mike Prater of The Idaho Statesman wrote: "Our good buddy Houston Nutt made a curious decision the other day and I have a theory. He’s afraid of the big, bad Broncos."

Maybe, Prater surmised, Nutt didn’t suspend the two key players because he needs them to beat Boise State in the season opener on Sept. 7.

Even Broncos Coach Dan Hawkins couldn’t resist a jab. "I’ll just say this," Hawkins told the Statesman. "I’ve got three guys missing a month of camp and one game and it wasn’t as serious [as what happened with Hamlin and Cobbs]."

Think that clip will find its way to the Razorbacks’ bulletin board?

Sidelines

Redshirt freshman Jared Hicks, a reserve tackle, will have arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday to clean up a cartilage problem. He’s expected back in two weeks. Jayson Johnson will have surgery on his dislocated shoulder Wednesday.