By Harry King
LITTLE ROCK — Starting at the top, there is intrigue galore within Alabama vs. Arkansas.
In college football, Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino are appointed geniuses. Saban’s defense vs. Petrino’s offense will be a 50-something play guessing game.
From the pinnacle, there is trickle down. Both head coaches are only as good as those who carry out their marching orders. Saban’s most exotic blitz can be foiled; same for Petrino’s most creative pass play.
There are all sorts of matchups worth pinpointing — Arkansas’ linebackers vs. Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson and Alabama’s pass defenders vs. Greg Childs, Joe Adams, D.J. Williams and others — come to mind immediately.
Forced to choose one, give me Alabama defensive lineman Marcel Dareus vs. whomever is trying to block him. More than likely, all of the offensive lineman will have an opportunity, if that is the correct word, to face the 6-foot-4, 306-pound Dareus.
Against Duke last week, in his first start since the NCAA suspended him two games for accepting improper benefits from an agent, Dareus lined up some at both ends and played some at a tackle spot.
Along with Robert Quinn of North Carolina, Dareus is supposed to be one of the first two defensive linemen picked in the 2011 NFL draft. Arkansas has not seen anybody like him this year.
Dareus will be at the heart of the pass rush that will take aim at Ryan Mallett immediately and dare the Razorbacks to prove they can run the ball.
Arkansas must protect Mallett. Otherwise, the Razorbacks have no chance against the No. 1 team in the country. Given time, Mallett will complete some passes against any defense. With the ball, Adams and others can do exciting things.
Wrapping up Arkansas’ victory over Georgia, Petrino cited big plays, the lack of turnovers “and the fact that we hit their QB more than they hit ours.”
Alabama defensive coaches said last year that they wanted to flush Mallett from the pocket because they thought that made him uncomfortable. He was on the move a couple of times against Georgia, once when he made one of his best throws — a dart to Williams for 18 yards to the Georgia 1 — and once when a receiver ran out of room on the sideline.
In the 35-7 loss at Tuscaloosa, Mallett was only 12-of-35. The Heisman Trophy candidate says the team didn’t believe it could win back then, a mindset that supposedly changed at Athens last week, and that he is much more even keel than he was a year ago.
Although Dareus only started four games last season, he was the Defensive MVP of the BCS title game against Texas. On the Longhorns’ fifth snap, Dareus knocked quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game. At the end of the half, he intercepted a shovel pass from McCoy’s backup and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown and a 24-6 lead.
Texas coach Mack Brown defended the play call, saying he had never seen a shovel pass intercepted.
In three spring practices this year, Dareus reportedly recorded 10 sacks and 11.5 tackles for losses.
The final sentence of the Georgia preview said if Mallett had time and his receivers cooperated, the Razorbacks would win. Given identical circumstances, the Razorbacks have a chance to win on Saturday.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
