Sporting Life Arkansas

Live with Jim Harris: Georgia at Arkansas in Little Rock

  It’s game day: Georgia at Arkansas and the Razorbacks search for the team’s first SEC win of the Bielema Era. Today’s game time is set for 3 p.m. in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. Jim Harris will be posting his thoughts throughout the game here, so check this page often. (Scroll down about halfway and you’ll see the posts from Jim.) Let’s get ready to call those Hogs! Pre-game comments: Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney on this week’s practice: “I think we’ve had a great week of practice again. I love the energy of this group and I love the resolve. They go right back out and go to work. I admire that quality. I’m a farm boy and I think there’s something to getting up every day, going to work and trying to solve our issues. I think our kids grasp that and they’ve done it all week again. Let’s throw it out there and see what happens on Saturday.” Chaney on the similarities of Georgia and Alabama’s defense: “I think it’s a different type of problem. Georgia has a great amount of speed and Alabama runs well and has good stature. This group flies around – they’ve got a couple Cheetah-cats coming off the edge. They can really fly. I’m really impressed with how they move laterally and their body quickness is very good up front. So it’s a little different than Alabama in that sense, but good none the less. Statically you can see where they’re at nationally with all the key components: the third downs, the red zones, and the scoring defense – they’re good. It will be a helluva task for us, but we’re excited about that opportunity.” Defensive coordinator Robb Smith on the defense rising to the challenge two weeks in a row: “I like to think that we can get up to play every week. I think we’ve prepared in such a manner that our guys will be ready to play, I think we’ve stacked some good weeks of preparation together and I think that breeds in the confidence when you play on Saturday and when you have confidence when you play that’s when you fly around. You play fast and have fun, and I think that is a trajectory that we’re on right now. We have to continue to do that again this week.” Smith on Josh Williams: “Josh is a competitor. He’s excellent against the run, he’s been in here a lot watching film like he always has and he’s excited about this opportunity and we’re excited to see what he has to offer us and anxious to see him in there and get some action.” Smith the philosophy he brought to the Arkansas defense: “We started from day one with a belief system. Not that we were really worried about what happened before, or what was going to happen three or four years down the road, but we’ve just taken it day by day and focused on getting better at the things that we preach all the time. Whether it’s ‘smart swarm’, tackling, ball disruption, stopping the run, limiting big plays, creating takeaways –  if we just focus on those things on a daily basis, the results usually take care of themselves.” georgia at arkansas
5:51 p.m. — Credit to the majority of these fans at War Memorial Stadium who didn’t depart at halftime but stuck around as the Hogs showed some third-quarter life. But they’re heading out now, and that’s understandable.
5:49 p.m. 45-19 Georgia — No three-and-out this time. Hutson Mason had protection, and Chris Conley got a good step or two on cornerback Jarod Collins to haul in a nice throw, 36 yards on the left sideline and at the goal line. Georgia went three-and-out but with a touchdown this time, covering 42 yards. The play came on a third-and-four. There is 13:08 left in the game.
5:46 p.m. 38-19 Georgia — With Dan Skipper on the bench after his earlier chop-block, Arkansas has a makeshift offensive line going now, and it’s not providing a whole lot of consistent pass protection for Brandon Allen. Denver Kirkland has moved from right guard to left tackle, Skipper’s spot, and left guard Sebastian Tretola has shifted to right guard, Kirkland’s spot. Luke Charpentier is in the game at left guard, his normal spot when he’s alternating with Tretola. Brandon Allen had to hurry a throw down the middle to hot for Keon Hatcher, who got a palm on the ball and tipped in in the air, allowing Georgia’s safety Quincy Mauger to pick it at midfield and set Georgia up at the Arkansas 42.
5:40 p.m. 39-19 Georgia, end of third — Hogs will start the last period with a second down and 7 from the Arkansas 18. Give the Hogs credit for showing some life in all phases in the second half. As expected, Georgia is playing it relatively close to the vest and Chubb is being met in the backfield on carries, and third-down passes are well defended by the Razorbacks.
5:39 p.m. — Three straight three-and-outs delivered by the Arkansas defense, which has regained its aggressiveness. But without anyone actually fielding a punt, and D.J. Dean waving everybody out of the way as usual, Hogs this time will start on their own 15.