Sunday, October 03, 1999
Kentucky 31, Arkansas 20
'Major' upset for Wildcats
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Talk-show callers called for his head. Newspaper articles decried his defense as porous. Illness landed his wife in the hospital.
All of which Kentucky defensive coordinator Mike Major responded to by calmly executing his job.
“I just coach football,” Major said. “That's all I know how to do.”
Major emerged a hero after one of the toughest weeks of his life, as his Wildcats defense sparkled Saturday throughout a 31-20 upset of 20th-ranked Arkansas.
UK effectively shut down the Southeastern Conference's second-highest scoring offense, holding the Razorbacks to their lowest point total in two years in a surprising rout. All of which made recent speculation about Major's job security seem silly.
When asked about the defense's play, UK coach Hal Mumme said: “I'd like to talk about the guy who called the (Big) Blue Line and wanted to fire the defensive coordinator. ... Call me again, pal.”
As meaningful as the win was for UK's season — at 3-2 (1-1 SEC), the Wildcats can return to postseason play by
splitting their final six games — it was tasty vengeance for the still-maturing defense.
UK entered play Saturday ranked last in the SEC in yards-per-game allowed (392.8) and scoring defense (35.8 ppg). The defensive players held a meeting Friday night to address their woes.
“We had a heart-to-heart about what we need to do as men,” sophomore defensive lineman Dennis Johnson said. “(Major) can only do so much. We have to go out there and execute for him.”
Said junior cornerback Eric Kelly: “It was emotional for me. We feel like it's up to (the coaches) to have the game plan, and it's up to us to execute it. It's about time we did our part.”
Mumme was galled when callers to his radio show Monday openly questioned UK's defensive coaching. He fired back, “When we get rid of him, then you'll be getting rid of me, boy, because we're a package deal.” Mumme and Major have coached together 16 of the past 22 years.
Major said his pride was hurt more by an article that appeared in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “It said how soft our defense was, how Arkansas was going to be able to run the ball all day on us,” Major said.
Friday night, Major gave copies of the article to his players.
Saturday morning, he had to take his wife, Laura, back to University of Kentucky Hospital. She has rheumatoid arthritis, an ailment that frequently affects her immune system, and felt ill enough last week to require tests at the hospital twice.
Needless to say, Saturday's victory cheered his hurting heart.
“At our meeting (Friday) night,” Major said, “I told the guys: "We gotta start playing with a purpose out there. Play to win. Play with passion.'”
The defense did just that, holding Arkansas down while UK's Dusty Bonner tossed three touchdowns for a 21-0 lead, and the lead never dipped below 14 points thereafter. The Wildcats intercepted two passes, recovered a fumble and forced Arkansas to try two different quarterbacks.
“I've never seen us play worse,” Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. “We couldn't get in synch.”
Said UK junior linebacker Marlon McCree: “We know we have a good defense. It was just a matter of time before we showed it.”
The Razorbacks (2-2, 0-2 SEC) are reeling. Picked to win the SEC West, they have stumbled badly in successive weeks.
But don't dismiss the Wildcats' willpower. Mumme now has led UK to upsets of ranked teams in all three of his UK seasons. The Wildcats beat No.20 Alabama in 1997 and No.21 Louisiana State last year.
The last time UK beat a ranked opponent three consecutive seasons was in 1968-70.
“This was obviously our best game of the year, but we're only five weeks into the season,” Mumme said. “There are a lot of games left.”
Arkansas ....... 0 6 8 6—20
Kentucky ....... 14 7 7 3—31
First Quarter
UK—McCord 48 pass from Bonner (Samuel kick), 6:38.
UK—Allen 24 pass from Bonner (Samuel kick), 5:53.
Second Quarter
UK—McCord 18 pass from Bonner (Samuel kick), 10:03.
Ark—Chukwuma 1 run (kick failed), 3:23. Third Quarter
UK—Davis 2 pass from Bonner (Samuel kick), 6:02.
Ark—E. Williams 10 pass from Hampton (Poydras pass from Hampton), 1:59.
Fourth Quarter
UK—FG Samuel 42, 7:46.
Ark—Stoerner 9 run (pass failed), 4:56.
A—62,602.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Arkansas, Cobbs 18-70, Chukwuma 8-14, Stoerner 3-12, Hampton 1-1. Kentucky, Homer 17-60, White 13-56, Team 1-0, Bonner 7-(minus 25).
PASSING—Arkansas, Stoerner 17-31-1-131, Hampton 8-18-1-87. Kentucky, Bonner 19-31-0-252.
RECEIVING—Arkansas, Cobbs 5-7, M.Williams 4-54, E.Williams 4-40, E.Smith 3-26, Jenkins 3-18, J.Davenport 2-34, Lucas 2-14, Morreale 1-17, Caston 1-8. Kentucky, Whalen 4-63, Allen 4-50, McCord 3-79, Davis 3-27, White 2-20, Blizzard 1-9, Pyatt 1-5, Homer 1-(minus 1).
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