COURTESY PHOTO
Crystal Bridges Craze Spreads As Museum’s Opening Day Draws Closer by LAUREN LEATHERBY Features Editor
The Crystal Bridges Musuem of American Art offers a full array of art appreciation at no cost.
JACKI FROST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Visitors Expected to Flock to Crystal Bridges by JACK SUNTRUP Staff Writer
By all measures, the economic impact of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be substantial. By Crystal Bridge’s own estimates, 250,000 visitors will come to Bentonville annually to admire the world-class artwork. This surge has fueled a new focus on Bentonville’s downtown restaurants and shops, that has sent ripples through the Northwest Arkansas economy. “We’re working on the baseline of 250,000 guests per year,” Development Officer Jamey McGaugh said. “If it’s even half that it will have a huge impact.” McGaugh attributed those estimates to the museum’s marketing strategy and its resulting notoriety. “[The strategy] is multipronged. We’ve had national ad campaigns ranging from
the “New York Times” to other major newspapers and magazines,” he said. “And we’ve tried to bring bus tours through. We’ve had a lot of media tours both national and local. They’ll be a feature on “CBS Sunday Morning” after we open.” “The art on display is going to bring people in from all over the country,” said Mike Harvey of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “These people are coming from places they normally don’t. The secondary impact is that when people come you’ll be pleasantly surprised and people’s thoughts of Northwest Arkansas will change.” The museum will employ more than 130 people and will have 800 volunteers, McGaugh said. The new workforce and increase in annual visitors has already made its presence known downtown along with a new Walmart visitor’s center, said Daniel Hintz of
Downtown Bentonville Inc. “We have seven new restaurants that have opened or will be opening,” he said. “Many have opened in the past year. Mobile food cafes and food trucks have also come in town.” Bentonville’s attendance at the 80 annual events it hosts has jumped from 27,000 a few years ago to more than 70,000 in 2010, Hintz said. Hintz also talked about increased interest in the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market that has provided local farmers an outlet to sell their produce. “All of that combined interest in Bentonville is the catalyst for Crystal Bridges,” he said. “It’s all part of a bigger soup that is Bentonville. Crystal Bridges brought that to light.” For the Phat Tire Bike Shop, the 3.5 mile bike trail adjacent to Crystal Bridges with sculptures along the way will hopefully boost rentals, a store official said.
“We anticipate possibly more rentals,” Manager Josh Milton said. “We’re going to use more of what we have in the store. If the demand is there we’ll buy more bikes for rental to the museum.” The the core businesses in Bentonville have kept the shop open and has allowed them to expand to Fayetteville, Milton said. “Large businesses have been able to keep people enjoying their hobbies even in a down economy,” he said. In Fayetteville, the impact on the university will mainly be from a scholarly perspective, McGaugh said. “For those in art, architecture or engineering it’s just a terrific opportunity for those departments in particular to have actual artwork, than have to look at a picture,” he said. “There’s a 50,000 volume library dedicated to the study of art, so it’s an asset to the UA and scholars from around the country.”
World-class art museums rarely gain such a reputation overnight, but this weekend’s opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art dares to challenge that notion. Crystal Bridges, a museum located in a wooded area within walking distance of the Bentonville Town Square, will open to the public Friday, Nov. 11. The museum will feature American art from the colonial era to modern day. The museum was built with an $800 million gift from the Walton Family Foundation. Alice Walton, a daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is spearheading the museum’s creation with the mission of bringing high art to middle America. Walton has been an art collector for most of her life, but she began buying pieces specifically for the museum only a few years ago. In addition to a collection worthy of world prominence, admission to the museum will be of no cost to visitors. Walmart announced a $20 million grant on July 28 to cover admission fees for all visitors to Crystal Bridges. Before the grant, a $10 admission fee was being considered for adults, according to a press release on the Crystal Bridges website. “The public opening ceremony will take place on the Bentonville Town Square beginning at 11 a.m.,” said Alice Murphy, a representative for the museum. “This is a free, unticketed, public event.” The swooping, glass-paned
pavilions, designed by Boston architect Moshe Safdie, contour the formerly Waltonowned land on which the museum is built. The buildings are surrounded by two ponds, and 3.5 miles of trails wind through the grounds around streams, native plants and outdoor sculptures. The museum’s name, Crystal Bridges, was dubbed in honor of Crystal Spring that trickles nearby. Some of the more notable works that will be on display include a portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, purchased for $8 million, as well as Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of Washington, purchased for about $6 million; Dolly Parton by Andy Warhol, purchased for $914,500; and Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell, purchased for $5 million. In addition to the galleries and the trail system, the museum will have a restaurant, called Eleven, a coffee bar, a museum store and a library. “Eleven will features modern American comfort food,” Murphy said. “It will serve foods from the high South and low Midwest, prepared in a fresh, exciting way. Eleven holds to the principle of ‘edible responsibility,’ promoting and celebrating local food culture.” Students can reserve tickets to see the museum on the Crystal Bridges website, or they can call the ticketing office at 479-418-5700. Tickets for entry to the museum on opening day are already fully booked, Murphy said, but entry tickets at certain times are still available for Nov. 12 and the following days.
FEATURES THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 2
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
FEATURES EDITOR: LAUREN LEATHERBY
ASST. FEATURES EDITOR: KELSI FORD
Crystal Bridges Finds A Perfect Fit in Northwest Arkansas
by SHELBY GILL Staff Writer
From California to New York, the art world is abuzz as Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, one of the largest American art museums in the country, prepares for its grand opening in Northwest Arkansas. This museum marks the first American art museum of its caliber opening in more than 50 years. “The location was chosen because that’s where Alice Walton wanted it,” said Jeri Dockery, a docent at Crystal Bridges. The museum was constructed on land that belonged to the Walton family, and on which Alice Wal-
ton, the museum’s founder, played as a child. It was important to Walton that the museum be built in her own "backyard" so that the community could benefit from and enjoy the collection, according to Alice Murphy, marketing coordinator for Crystal Bridges. The museum sits atop 120 acres of land in Bentonville. There are six trails surrounding the museum grounds that cover more than 3.5 miles and feature everything from outdoor art to lush dogwoods and tulips. The trails are pedestrian- and bikefriendly and will allow museum visitors to admire the beautiful landscape and foliage that Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
Crystal Bridges Collection Spans American History
COURTESY PHOTOS Right: Charles Willson Peale, George Washington, 1780 Left: Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2010
by BRITTANY NIMS Staff Writer
People from around the world will gather in Northwest Arkansas this week for the Nov. 11 opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The museum will feature a variety of artwork exploring American history and culture spanning 400 years, a museum curator said. “The installation is presented chronologically beginning with work from the 17th century and ending with objects created in the last few years,” said Kevin Murphy, curator of American art. The works range from controversial paintings that explore Darwin’s theory of evolution to works confronting the nation’s history of racism, and take note of key themes in American culture, Murphy said, including “art and nature, American art on the global stage, artist as innovator, works by and about women, and the role of the artist in American society.” “To me, part of art’s power is its ability to reflect but also shape culture, and the meaning of what constitutes ‘culture’ is always slippery and contentious and can be messy or ugly,” Murphy said. “I hope people come to the museum
with an open mind.” The collection started out as focused on 18th- through early 20th-century painting but has grown to incorporate numerous other time periods and media, he said. Currently, sculpture and photography play a “modest role” in the museum, said Sandy Edwards, deputy director of museum relations for Crystal Bridges. Edwards said the primary focus for Crystal Bridges was “getting the art on the walls.” “Always it was envisioned that it would span five centuries,” Edwards said. “We really wanted to show a chronological survey of American art and, in doing so, also teach the history of America through art.” Photography is also important in telling the story of American culture, Murphy said. “We realize the importance of photography to the story of the visual arts in America,” he said. “Our main mission is educating local, regional, national and international audiences about the history of American art.” Photography on display during
COLLECTION on page 3
Although there has been some controversy about the museum’s hard-toreach location, Crystal Bridges supporters believe that the museum is making art more accessible to more people. “Right now if you were to go see some of the extraordinary art in this world, you would have to travel,” said Sandra K. Edward, deputy director of museum relations. “This is now in our backyard. There are built-in groups of people who want to come to the museum. Especially Sunday morning after an Arkansas game, there will be people who want to see some great art before driving back home. We feel like bringing the art to this part of the country would give people a chance
to see the art who won’t travel to big urban cities.” Edwards said that people who are not from Arkansas or have never visited the state might not understand why a museum of this magnitude would be built at this location. “Right off the bat, when it was announced that this museum was going to be in Arkansas, a lot of people hearing the news had not been to Arkansas, and they were intrigued about the location,” Edwards said. “The Walton family has a vested interest in helping the university and keeping Northwest Arkansas really vibrant. We get it because we live here, but they don’t understand because they’ve never been to Northwest Arkansas.”
Jordan Lim, senior art major at the UA, said that she hopes critics will give the museum a chance and that after visiting Crystal Bridges, they will have a better understanding of the benefits associated with the museum’s unexpected location. “There have been some mixed reactions in the art world about the location of Crystal Bridges, but I think that the attention it will gain nationally will help dispel a lot of negativity about Arkansas,” Lim said. “The museum's walking trails will really showcase all of the natural beauty that the area has to offer, and the collection is a great example of all
PERFECT FIT on page 3
COURTESY PHOTO
Artist’s Work Adds Local Touch to Crystal Bridges by CAITLIN MURAD Staff Writer
Local artist George Dombek’s work has been displayed in 600 museum collections and more than 100 art exhibits throughout the world. Now, the Arkansas native can add the renowned Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to his impressive repertoire. Dombek’s style of art, which is reflective of the nature around him, falls in accordance with Crystal Bridges’ emphasis on the nature of Northwest Arkansas, which is highlighted by the trails on the museum grounds. Dombek is known for his use of color and isolating aspects of nature, focusing on the detail. Dombek will showcase a watercolor painting that was handpicked by the museum’s founder, Alice Walton, and a sculpture that she commissioned him to create.
Walton visited Dombek’s studio in Fayetteville, fittingly named “The Studio,” and purchased a painting called “A Few Waterdrops” for the museum. The painting is a detailed closeup of blades of grass covered in water drops. Dombek is both a painter and an architect by craft. He was a student at the UA and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1974. After graduating, he immediately got his master’s degree in painting. Dombek has taught architecture at universities throughout the country including at the UA, where he taught as a graduate assistant from 1974 to 1977. After leaving Arkansas, he moved to San Francisco but returned briefly to the natural state
LOCAL ARTIST on page 3
COURTESY PHOTO George Dombek’s sculpture, Tour de Apple Tree, is a life-size bronze sculpture that will be featured in Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The sculpture was commissioned by the museum’s curators, who were impressed by Dombek’s Tour de Tree series of paintings.
UA Professor Documents Crystal Bridges in Film
JACKI FROST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Professor Larry Foley’s work on the Crystal Bridges Museum documentary will continue on after the museum’s opening.
by CONOR WOODY Staff Writer
Some would say that Professor Larry Foley was the obvious choice to direct a documentary about the construction, architecture and opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. His office is filled with Emmy Awards sitting on a shelf behind him, movie posters of his most popular documentaries and old VHS tapes with every film he has helped produce — symbols of his success and passion for film making. “Working with an accomplished professor like Foley is a
unique experience,” said Joe Delnero, station manager of UATV. “He is still out in the field researching and bettering himself. He uses his documentaries in class and helps us learn from his current projects.” Foley understands how to highlight the natural state’s unique characteristics. He has produced dozens of films about Arkansas, including Sacred Spaces — The Architecture of Fay Jones; Beacon of Hope — The Story of the University of Arkansas; and Arkansas — A Special Place. Foley’s affinity for Arkansas grew naturally. He went to school at the UA and worked nine years
with Arkansas Educational Television Network. He has also worked as a reporter, news anchor, assignment editor and producer for KATV Channel 7 in Little Rock. “My first hour-long program was a story about football in Arkansas,” Foley said. “It was my first opportunity to do something longer than a couple of minutes and I’ve loved making documentaries ever since. There’s more time to develop a story and more resources to develop that story over time.” His new documentary, The Art of Crystal Bridges, begins with Alice Walton’s initial inspiration to build the museum and continues all the way up until Crystal Bridges official opening on Nov. 11. Academy Award-winning actress and Arkansas native Mary Steenburgen narrates the film. “We interviewed architects, curators, artists and Alice Walton herself,” Foley said. Walton is one of the most interesting aspects of the film, Foley said. “What comes across is a real passion for art,” he said. “When asked why she would build a billion-dollar museum in Bentonville, she just says, ‘Why not?’”
The film was privately funded and will be completed this spring after 18 months of production. “We’re still working on it,” Foley said. “We began last fall, then started shooting heavily in the winter, spring and summer. We began editing in August. The dedication of the museum will be filmed on opening day.” The film is not yet finished because Foley is waiting to include the public reaction to the museum after the grand opening in November, he said. “The challenge in making this film is that it’s about a subject where all of the information isn’t readily available,” he said. “We’re filming before the museum opens, so our access is limited because of time. We’re waiting for the galleries to open. We’re waiting for the reflecting pools to fill with water.” “There’s a scene in this movie that I’m hoping will captivate people,” Foley said. “George Washington at Yorktown, as painted by Charles Wilson Peal, comes sliding out of a vault, is put on a cart, and put on the wall in
FILM on page 3
FEATURES
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011 FILM from page 2
wall in Crystal Bridges. When people see George Washington, the father of our country, right here in Bentonville, people are going to take note of how special these galleries are.” Although it won’t take much to make Crystal Bridges appear impressive to viewers, Foley said he’s still pinching himself in disbelief that he had the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the biggest
LOCAL ARTIST from page 2 to visit his sick father. While in Arkansas, he was offered a visiting professor position at the UA to teach art and architecture classes before returning back to San Francisco. Dombek has travelled extensively, teaching classes in both Saudi Arabia and Italy. In Saudi Arabia he taught architecture and adult art classes. After teaching in Saudi Arabia, Dombek relocated to Florence where he taught art classes. “Being in Florence, Italy, for a year certainly had a big influence on my art,” Dombek said. “It would on anyone, unless you were blind. It is the center of Renaissance art. It was a wonderful experience.” Dombek currently lives a couple miles outside of Fayetteville in a house he designed himself, where he can focus on his artwork at his nearby studio. A few months after Walton first
COLLECTION from page 2 the opening of the museum will include a group of photogravures by Edward Curtis that document Native American life, Murphy said. A photogravure is an image produced from a photographic negative, transferred to a metal plate and etched in. “We’re not very deep in photography yet,” Edwards said. Building an extensive photography collection takes
museum opening in Arkansas history. “Consider the magnitude of this museum,” Foley said. “There are two of the most famous George Washington paintings in existence [on display]. It’s the first opening of a national art museum in the last century.” Although Foley spends much of his time making documentaries, he wants to be known for his teaching as much as his film making. “I love teaching,” he said. “This is a research university where teach-
ers are encouraged to be actively engaged in the field that they teach. Producing documentaries keeps me fresh in the classroom. The challenges I face keep me up to date as a teacher.” And his love for teaching has not gone unnoticed. “Despite always having documentaries on his mind, students come first. He would set everything aside for a single student, and that’s what makes him such an asset to UATV and the journalism department,” Delnero said.
visited the studio and purchased his painting, the museum commissioned him to make a bronze sculpture for the art trail on the museum grounds. The sculpture is called “Tour de Apple Tree” and is a bronze cast of an apple tree with what appears to be a bicycle made of twigs, hidden in the leaves of the tree. The sculpture is based on a series of Dombek’s water color paintings called “Tour de Tree.” “I originally started painting bicycles in Italy,” he said, “When I came back to the state I started creating bicycles out of sticks, then I started painting the bicycles.” The Smithsonian Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portaiture saw a bicycle Dombek made out of sticks and commissioned him to do one cast out of bronze for their own project about a decade ago, Dombek said. However, because of budget issues the project was cut. Dombek said that Crystal Bridges then-
commissioned him to do the very same sculpture of the bicycle in the tree, to which he agreed. “From the time we signed the contract to the date of completion, it was about a year before it was installed,” Dombek said. “It did take a long time. I supervised the work. I’m not a sculptor but I created the bicycle.” Dombek said that people will have to really look for it in order to find the bicycle in the leaves. “The way the tree was cast it looks like a petrified tree from the outside,” Dombek explained. “It has every mark of the actual apple tree” Sandy Edwards, director of museum relations for Crystal Bridges, said that Dombek’s work is reflective of the northwest Arkansas community. “We see this [museum] to be a part of a vibrant region” Edwards said. To learn more about Geoge Dombek’s work visit georgedombek.com. Dombek will open his studio on Nov. 12 and 13.
time, according to Edwards. “[It] isn’t done overnight,” Murphy said. “We also are conscious not to try to duplicate collections from institutions in our region.” Crystal Bridges will bring attention to northwest Arkansas, said David Poemoceah, a senior marketing major with an art minor. Poemoceah interned with Crystal Bridges during the summer of 2009. “[It] will do a lot to improve the perceptions of Northwest Arkansas,” Poemoceah said. “It’s nice to
see something in Northwest Arkansas not piled on a bunch of cinder blocks. It’s making itself an icon for the region, other than Walmart. It’s nice to have something sophisticated.” Poemoceah is most excited to see the museum exhibit Kindred Spirits by Asher Brown Durand. “It’s a huge deal that that painting is coming to northwest Arkansas,” he said. “On one hand it’s very valuable, on another hand it’s just beautiful.”
PERFECT FIT from page 2 the hidden resources and knowledge that can be found in Arkansas.” The mission of Crystal Bridges is to welcome everyone to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of landscape, Murphy said. “We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting and preserving outstanding works that illuminate our heritage and artistic possibilities,” she said. True to that mission of welcoming all, accessibility has been one of Crystal Bridges’ primary goals. One of the reasons Crystal Bridges came about was because Walton saw a lack of opportunity in northwest Arkansas for people to view, enjoy and become familiar with great works of art. Crystal Bridges strongly supports the view that “great art” is for everyone, Murphy said. The initial planning for the museum began in 2005, but the museum faced some challenges during construction. “The main challenges to construction of the Museum have been due to its unique location,” Murphy said. “Water management is important and has provided some engineering challenges.” Crystal Bridges got its name from Crystal Springs, a natural spring that flows into several pounds on the museum’s grounds. While constructing the museum, nearly five miles of drainage systems were installed under the museum and its grounds to channel the large supply of ground water away from the buildings, Murphy said. There was a two-year gap between the museum’s intended 2009 opening and the actual opening date, Nov. 11, 2011. “I don’t even know why we said that,” Edwards said. “We didn’t know how long it was going to take. It is a very challenging site. Building in that site was really different and a main chal-
lenge is that we spent a year and a half stabilizing the soil.” Rainwater was another concern; however, the museum's pond and weir design will allow the runoff water to pass through the ponds and down the natural streambed to prevent any flooding, Murphy said. The design was built to ac-
commodate water levels over and above the 1,000-year-flood stage — the water level at which a stream has risen to cause damage and be considered a flood. But despite the challenges associated with constructing the museum, Crystal Bridges was able to fulfill its mission of bringing art to an untapped region.
reC CY C YC Y CLE November 15 is America Recycles Day – rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle. Doing a little can do a lot. d .
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OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
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EDITOR: SABA NASEEM
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN
Traveler Quote of the Day “Right now if you were to go see some of the extraordinary art in this world, you would have to travel. This is now in our backyard.” -Sandra K. Edward, Crystal Bridges’ deputy director of museum relations, “Crystal Bridges Finds a Perfect
ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper of the University of Arkansas, is published every day during the fall and spring academic sessions except during exam periods and university holidays. Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Traveler. The editor makes all final content decisions. One copy of The Arkansas Traveler is free to every member of the UA community. Additional copies can be purchased for 50 cents each. Mail subscriptions for delivery within the continental United States can be purchased for $125.00 per semester. Contact the Traveler Business Manager to arrange.
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Don’t Be Alarmed: Winter Won’t Hurt You Fayetteville Spotlight
CONTACT 119 Kimpel Hall University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 Main: 479.575.3406 Fax: 479.575.3306 traveler@uark.edu facebook.com/uatrav twitter.com/uatrav
STAFF EDITORIAL SABA NASEEM Editor -in-Chief 575-8455 traveler@uark.edu
MATTIE QUINN Managing Editor 575-7694 travmgr@uark.edu
LAUREN LEATHERBY
SAMANTHA WILLIAMS Enterprise Editor 575-3226
BOBBIE FOSTER News Editor 575-3226 travnews@uark.edu
CHAD WOODARD
Asst. News Editor
Features Editor 575-7540 travlife@uark.edu
Asst. Features Editor
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ZACH TURNER Asst. Sports Editor
KELSI FORD
Opinion Editor
SARAH CHAMPAGNE Photo Editor BEN FLOWERS Asst. Photo Editor
by Barrett Lewis
Traveler Columnist
I can’t believe it’s already that time of the year. With the weather changing, those of us who have seasonal allegies are about to suffer again. Every year I promise myself I won’t fall into the trap, but more often than not, I can’t help but give in to the cyclical thinking and wanderlust that cold weather causes. It surprises me when I talk with others, and realize that many people are affected just the same. In the summer months, winter doesn’t seem so bad. After just a few weeks of scorching heat, I think most yearn for cooler weather. The past few weeks has been nice, but the colder weather is starting. Soon there will be bracing wind and those last optimistic hold outs for better weather will be right with me. It doesn’t really seem like
—
Dow Jones dropped almost 400 points Friday according to CNN, with investors worried about a possible Italain bailout. Joe Paterno, the Penn State football couch, announced that he would resign at the end of the season Wednesday.
Herman Cain’s alleged sexual harrasment scandal continues, with another alleged victim coming forward.
: ((
Jerry Sandusky, Penn State’s ex-defense coordinator, was arrested Saturday and charged with 40 counts of alleged sexual absuse with minors.
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The Ugly
News Designer
LEAH YOUNG
Graphic Designer
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TAYLOR WHITE Sports Designer
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The economy grew at 2.5 percent in the third quarter, according to the Commerce Department.
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CELI BIRKE
Ohio voted down a ballot measure that would restrict collective bargining rights, according to the New York Times.
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After beating the ninth-ranked team, the Razorbacks went from seventh to eight in the BCS ranking
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Barrett Lewis is a Traveler columnist. His column appears bimonthly, every other Thursday.
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ZACHARY FRY
The Razorbacks play Tennesse in the last game in Fayetteville Saturday.
AARON TAN
Campus Account Executive 575-7594 travad4@uark.edu
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Account Executive 575-3899 travad2@uark.edu
Having the same friends for years is a great thing, but having only the same friends can make it feel like you’ve been in the same place in your life for far too long. Of course, there is the physical place you might have been for far too long as well. I get afflicted with wanderlust often during the winter. Plans start forming for exciting summer trips but the wait can seem cruel and sometimes it’s easy to resent the time and place of your current existence. This winter break, go somewhere else. It doesn’t have to be warm, and if you’re trying to go on the cheap, it probably wont be. Unless Mexico seems ideal to you. Take a week and do something else. This might help put off the winter stagnation. Basically, remember that all things pass. Funks come and go, and rarely is anybody ever in one mood forever, even if you think you will be. Try to be optimistic for as long as possible, and if you can, please take me with you on any trips you go on. I can pay for gas.
The Bad :
JAIME HOLLAND
The Good
MICY LIU
Campus Account Executive 575-7594 travad4@uark.edu
:)
Sales Manager 575-3839 travad1@uark.edu
friends and family. The ones closest to you are the ones who can help relieve you of your funk. And odds are, they’re going through something similar themselves. Sometimes misery loves company, but that’s not to say it’s a bad thing. I think it’s easy to hole up by yourself when things get dark. The internet, school and other responsibilities make it easy to do that. You need to be pulled out of the hole, even when it is uncomfortable, and friends and family can do that. Speaking of being pulled out of that hole, whether a pyschological hole or your apartment, this is the second thing you need to remember. Even though it’s easy to make a comfort bubble in your warm home during the harsh environments going on around your shelter —the thought itself makes me want to hibernate— it’s crucial that you go out into the world and continue experiencing new things. Actually, it’s always crucial, but it’s true that it’s hardest in the winter. While things seem dead outside, this is not always true. Things are still going on around you. Social lives are still being made and friendships are being built. While existing friends should always be cherished, new friendships will help you feel that you aren’t stagnating.
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a big deal, though. Winter shouldn’t be that bad. It doesn’t have to be a drag, does it? Certainly fall and early winter hold the best holidays. Winter is the only time of year where school can be cancelled for days because of snow or sleet. Even better, as a man who enjoys dressing well on occasion, it’s certainly a more fashionable time for everyone involved. Also coats. Man, I love coats. But the positives seem to get lost when the heavy winter weather starts. Or, more likely, these things lose their novelty when you get into the deep months of January and February. With Christmas over, there’s simply nothing to look forward to but Spring and school ending. Right now it’s not bad. Don’t think I’m pre-emptively feeling this, but the day I am writing this, the 8th of November, was a day of such gloominess that everyone I know just wanted to sleep forever. I woke up thinking my blinds were closed, when in fact they were wide open. Today I realized winter weather was coming, sooner than later. Because it’s coming soon, but not here yet, I’d like to make some suggestions as we all go into it together. The most important thing to remember is to not forget your
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck eastern Oaklahoma Saturday. A student was allegedly raped in Yocum. The alleged incident is the first reported case of the school year, according to UAPD officers.
NEWS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 5
NEWS EDITOR: BOBBIE FOSTER
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
ASST. NEWS EDITOR: CHAD WOODARD
Faces of the 4,400: Veteran Finds Fresh Start Editor’s Note: Faces of the 4,400 is an ongoing Traveler series profiling different freshmen students. by EDDIE GREGG Staff Writer
Alan Helms sat on the ground, his back against a pile of dead trees, facing the rising sun at the edge of a clearing in the Wedington Wildlife Management Area. Bow in hand and fully camouflaged—only his eyes uncovered—he waited. The sunlight glistened on the dewy grass and spider webs on the open field in front of him. The only sounds were the chatter of the birds, the wind in the trees and the occasional car in the distance. Out here, Helms’ worries —unemployment, classes and separation from his son — drifted away. The better part of an hour went by. The only real change was the sun climbing higher in the sky. Finally, without making a sound, a buck came bounding across the grassy clearing from the northern tree line. It was a seven-point buck—three prongs on one antler, four on the other. He stopped at a wooded ravine in the middle of the field, craning his antlered head from side to side. Helms sat frozen in place, bow at the ready, eyes locked on the deer. Moments later, the buck came closer, leaping through the field. Helms is part of the recordbreaking 4,400 freshmen at the University of Arkansas this fall. But unlike most of the other 4,400 freshmen, Helms, 25, is a non-traditional student. A non-traditional student is anyone over the age of 24, pregnant, married, the primary provider for one or more children, or an active-duty soldier or a veteran, according to the UA website. Before Helms started classes at the UA this fall, he served in the U.S. Navy as part of an elite tactical team, volunteered as a firefighter and became a father. “I have always had the personality of being a protector. Always,” he said. “If there’s something wrong, put me in the middle and I’ll find a way to fix it.” Helms had planned to become a police officer after leaving the military, but he’s learned that he can change more lives by moving into politics. He is now working on a criminal justice degree. After he graduates, he plans attend law school. From there, he plans to run for public office. “For me, politics is the number one place to serve,” he said.
BEN FLOWERS ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
“I have always had the personality of being a protector. Always,” said Alan Helms, part of the 4400 freshmen class . “If there’s something wrong, put me in the middle and I’ll find a way to fix it.” “Without politics you don’t have fire departments, you don’t have the military, you don’t have police departments.” Helms is also an adrenaline junky—being part of a military tactical team and fighting fires is a rush. “The more stressful, dangerous stuff that gets piled on me, the better I perform,” he said. “It’s odd, but I really enjoy it. So firefighting, having to stand in front of someone with a weapon—it just comes naturally for me.” Helms has always been attracted to danger, said his mother, Tina. Helms joined the Navy when he was 17, which Tina said worried her. But she was also incredibly proud of her son for wanting to serve in the military. For the first three years of his service, Helms was part of an amphibious unit charged with clearing beaches in advance of troop deployments. “Like in Saving Private Ryan,” he said. For the last year he was in the Navy, he searched cargo ships and oil freighters in the Mediterranean and the Gulf Coast with an elite tactical team looking for weapons, drugs, improper paperwork or other contraband. He and his team pulled up next to a ship more than five stories high, Helms said, recalling one of his searches. When Helms boarded the ship to begin the search, he heard what he thought were voices coming from a dark room down a hatch at the bow of the ship. “Well, the hole that we had to go into was pitch-black
Alleged Rape at Yocum Hall by SARAH DEROUEN Staff Writer
An 18-year-old student made a complaint that she was raped by “an acquaintance.” The alleged rape occurred sometime between 8 p.m. and 10:50 p.m. in Yocum hall, said Lt. Gary Crain for the UAPD said. This alleged rape is “the first one this year,” Crain said. In 2008, 11 forcible sex offenses were reported. In 2009, nine forcible sex offenses were reported and two were reported in 2010, according to UAPD Clery report.
A forcible sex offense is “any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent,” according to the Medical College of Wisconsin. “Eighty percent of the women who are raped are victimized by someone they know,” according to the Rape Treatment Center at the UCLA Medical Center. More information will be available about this case after it is closed.
dark,” he said. “There was only one ladder in, one ladder out. I volunteered to be the first person down.” He descended into the black abyss, gun at the ready. “I absolutely love putting myself at risk to help someone else out,” he said. “I just get a thrill out of it.” But it was nothing -- all was clear. Helms misses his threeyear-old son, Christopher, who he has seen only once, and for only 30 minutes. In 2008, Helms' last year in the military, he met a girl named Cassandra Kruger while training at Virginia Beach. “We got pretty hot and serious,” he said. Soon after, they found out she was pregnant. While he was away in training school, she called him and said she was go-
ing to visit her aunt in Illinois for two weeks, Helms said. Two days later she called and said she wasn't coming back. Still in training school and bound for active duty, there was little Helms could do. “She didn’t come back to get her stuff out of the apartment until I was on my last deployment,” he said. The fact that Helms lives in one state and his son and ex-girlfriend live in another— combined with the how expensive legal fees are—has only made the fiasco more complicated. Helms is dependent on the GI Bill to pay for college, rent, child support and any other expenses while he is unemployed, he said. He simply can't afford the thousands of dollars in legal fees it would take to fight
for custody of his son, and he has not been able to find a lawyer willing to take his case pro bono. “All I see are Facebook pictures,” he said. “It takes every bit of me to not be the warrior that I am and just go get my boy. I know that if I do, it will just mess stuff up.” Helms' mother raised her children to always put others first, she said. She also said she is incredibly proud of how he has handled the situation with his son and ex-girlfriend. When Helms is not on campus or out in the woods, he spends a lot of time at his apartment in Fayetteville with his girlfriend, Tabitha Brundige, and their pets, which include a young Labrador-mix named Clove and a calico cat who goes by either Kitty Kitty Meow Meow or Little Miss.
On a recent evening at the couple's apartment, which is crowded with multiple fish tanks and a five-foot tall cat tower, Helms took a break from playing Modern Warfare on his big-screen TV to help Brundige with her algebra homework. “So basically what we're going to do is break them down to where it's two times two times two, three times three times three,” he said, Modern Warfare's dramatic music playing in the background. “I did that,” Brundige said, sitting on a couch in the living room of the apartment. “Ok, you're going to find the highest one,” he said. “The highest one.” “On this one I've got three threes I could bring out,” she replied. “Ok, that's right.” he said. After helping Brundige with her homework, Helms made himself a snack—taco meat with Doritos—and returned to Modern Warfare. Helms dreams of starting his own hunting show one day. He takes a mini-HD camera with him when he hunts. “Love hunting and fishing [and] just the outdoors period,” he said, browsing through videos and pictures he has taken on dove, turkey and deer hunting trips. “When I get out there, all my stress leaves,” he said. “There's nobody yelling at you to pay the bills or make money or get your grades up or anything like that. It’s just you and the natural world.” The buck never came within range of Helms' bow. As quickly and silently as it appeared, it was gone—vanishing into the southern edge of the clearing. Helms—his heart still pounding with excitement—relaxed a little. The same seven-point buck came back twice that morning—but it never came within range. Helms did not let that get him down, though. He was happy just to have seen it, he said.
Senior Walk Etchings Delayed by AMANDA POGUE Staff Writer
Delays in Senior Walk etchings are soon to be resolved, UA Facilities Management officials said. “We at FAMA have been very concerned about the concrete surface where the 2010 senior sidewalk names are to be installed. We are convinced that the design and construction of the walk are very good. We are also not concerned about the hardness of the concrete,” said Bob Beeler, UA director of design and construction services. News about the delay in etching has reached recent graduates. “I got a letter from the university telling me that they’re having problems with the concrete and my name hasn’t been put down yet,” said Jared Delaney, 2009 UA graduate. The fear is that senior walk may deteriorate soon after the names are placed. “The problem has been the amount of chert in the concrete that has caused ‘pop outs’ at the surface,” Beeler said. Chert is a sedimentary rock material used in concrete, according to the National Park Service. UA Facilities Management personnel have tested the concrete to determine whether or not the characteristics caused by the contaminants will cause the senior sidewalk surface to continue to deteriorate over time. They have also been experimenting with various repair methods and the durability
CHANDLER CRACRAFT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
of these methods, Beeler said. “I believe we are at a point where the supplier is going to go forward with a repair method. We have tested the method for color and texture. We have tested the method by actually blasting some sample text, all with favorable results,” Beeler said. The supplier, Arkhola Company, is expected to start those repairs this week. “Our expectation is to see staff from Arkhola Company doing those repairs in the next few days. I do not know exactly how long the process will take. After this process is complete, adequate cure time is needed before the engraving process begins. The engraving process is weather dependant as you know, but we will be as diligent as we can be with the weather and try to finish the process as soon as we can,” Beeler said.
CHANDLER CRACRAFT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
“We at FAMA have been very concerned about the concrete surface where the 210 senior sidewalk names are to be installed,” said Bob Beeler, UA director of design and construction services.
DOWNTIME THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 6 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
LAUGH IT UP
Comics, Games, & Much Much More!
SUDOKU
Q: What’s worse than raining cats and dogs? A: Hailing taxis Q: What did the angry inflatable teacher say to the
irresponsible inflatable child in the inflatable school? A: “Not only have you let me down, you’ve let yourself down, and you’ve let the whole school down!” Difficulty:
Q: Is it dangerous to swim on a full stomach? A: Yes. It’s better to swim in water.
TODAY’S SOLUTION Q: What do a telephone and a dog have in com-
mon? A: They both have collar ID.
WELCOME TO FALLING ROCK
Josh Shalek
THAT MONKEY TUNE
Michael A. Kandalaft
BREWSTER ROCKIT
Tim Rickard
BLISS
Harry Bliss
CALAMITIES OF NATURE
CROSSWORD ACROSS
DOWN
1 Sonar pulses 6 Subj. for Aristotle 10 Staff note 14 Gridiron strategy 15 First name in design 16 Like much lore 17 Field operation run by idiots? 19 Diamond homecomings? 20 Thrice, in Rx’s 21 Do the honors 22 Hallmark 23 Track meet category for joggers? 27 To __ 28 Thick 29 Stone measuring 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale 32 Dojo discipline 33 Gaelic John 36 Views from Hamilton? 41 __ alai 42 Appoint 43 Be intimate with 44 Scrabble 10-pointer 46 Liqueur flavoring 49 Hook on a raft? 54 Reunion attendees 55 Face-saver of a kind 56 Italian counterpart of the BBC 58 Sitter’s concern 59 Obsessive cleaners? 62 Jay with jokes 63 Ecua. rejoined it in 2007 64 Alternate version, in scores 65 Petrol pick 66 Slog (through), as tedious text 67 Sharp
1 Soft “Yoo-hoo!” 2 Chip maker 3 Surgery opening? 4 Disparity 5 “Never mind” 6 Place of cover 7 Learned 8 Bark up the wrong tree 9 Cartoon cat 10 Quagmire 11 Learning 12 Juicy fruit 13 ‘80s-’90s NFL commentator Merlin 18 Cooked 22 Try to buy 24 Date source 25 Groggy words, perhaps 26 Part of an old boast 29 Vb. target 30 Princess’s nighttime problem 31 Casa Grande residents 32 Sixpack with no special qualities? 34 Yucatán year 35 Sydney is its cap. 37 Pecks and feet, e.g. 38 Flamboyant surrealist 39 “Yes!” 40 Its headquarters are in Delft 45 Body work? 46 Do some film editing 47 Griffin’s rear 48 Old trail terminus 49 Jean de La Fontaine story 50 Attracts 51 Rubbernecked 52 Word on a coin 53 Weird Al Yankovic song parody 57 “Indeed!” 59 Flabbergast 60 Type of beer orig. brewed in England 61 Ultra-secretive gp.
Crossword provided by MCT Campus
SOLUTION
Tony Piro
SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 7
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
SPORTS EDITOR: JIMMY CARTER
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ZACH TURNER
Tennessee at No. 8 Arkansas
4-5, 0-5 SEC
5 p.m. Saturday, ESPN 2
Reynolds Razorback Stadium – Fayetteville, Ark.
8-1, 4-1 SEC
GARETH PATTERSON, CONTESSA SHEW and RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Arkansas seniors Jerry Franklin, Joe Adams and Jake Bequette (left to right) will play in their final Fayetteville home game Saturday against Tennessee. The trio is part of a 17-man class that took the program from five wins in 2008 to competing for their second consecutive BCS bowl this season.
Cornerstone Careers Coming to Close Senior class laid the foundation for program’s success.
by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor
The members of Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s first recruiting class played on a team that struggled to be a top 10 squad in the Southeastern Conference their freshman year. Four years later, a 17-man senior class is trying to lead the Razorbacks to a second consecutive BCS bowl. The seniors started their Hog careers 8-11. In its last 28 games Arkansas is 23-5. Saturday, the seniors will suit up for their final game in Reynolds Razorback Stadium against Tennessee. “I think it’s a special class for me because we all came in together,” Petrino said. “We went through some hard times. We stuck together, kept battling.” Those hard times included struggles when facing lowly nonconference opponents and getting beat by a combined 13931 against ranked foes Alabama, Texas and Florida in 2008, Petrino’s first season.. The Razorbacks finished 5-7
that year, but had a 31-30 win against LSU in the season finale. The Hogs went 8-5 in 2009, losing close road games at Florida and LSU, but finishing the season with an overtime Liberty Bowl over East Carolina. That springboarded into a 10-2 season last year, capped by a Sugar Bowl appearance, the program’s first BCS bowl. “I always think back on that first year, when things weren’t going well, but these guys came to practice eager to learn, eager to work, eager to get better and we did that and we kept improving as the year went on,” Petrino said. “Then built it a step further the following year, then went to a BCS bowl game last year. This class has done a lot for this football program.” Arkansas (8-1, 4-1 SEC) is off to its best start this fall in Petrino’s four seasons. The Razorbacks are ranked No. 8 in the BCS, have beaten three top-15 teams and are in the top 10 for the sixth consecutive week, the program’s longest stretch since 1989. The Hogs enter Senior Day on a five-game winning streak,
including a 44-28 win Saturday over then-No. 9 South Carolina. “I thought the game the other night was a big win for us,” Petrino said. “It was a top-10 matchup. This group of seniors that will be playing their last game in this stadium has learned how to compete, how to win, how to stick together. Now that’s why this is an important game for us. we need to make sure that we send them out with a win in their last game in our stadium.” The game will be emotional for many of the players. “It’s emotional,” senior receiver Jarius Wright said . “My last game being in this stadium. My last game getting the chance to play in front of this crowd … My last chance to run through the ‘A’ stepping on this field. It’s going to be very emotional.” Wright is one of the trio of seniors at the core of one of the most highly-touted receiving groups in the country. He, Joe Adams and Greg Childs have combined for 423 catches, 6,849 yards and 51 receiving touchdowns, helping Arkansas lead the SEC in passing offense the last three seasons.
“I’ve had a lot of really good receivers, but I can’t say enough about what those guys have done for our program,” offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “I remember going into those kids homes and when they came here on their official visits and they walked onto the field for us the first day of practice their freshman year. Now we’re at the point where it’s the last point where it’s the last time they’re going to run out on this field. “It’s an important game for us because these seniors are the ones that set the foundation for what we’re trying to build here.” All three rank in the top seven for receptions in school history. Adams and Wright are on the precipice of shattering Anthony Eubanks’ school record 153 catches. Adams has 151 catches entering the game against the Volunteers, while Wright is one catch behind. “We’ve just got to keep pushing each other and whoever ends up with the most at the end, more power to the guy,” Adams said. The list of impact seniors
goes on. Senior safety Tramain Thomas was a second-team All-SEC performer last season and has 10 career interceptions, seventh on the UA career list. Senior Zach Stadther wasn’t offered by former Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt, but changed his commitment from Kansas to the Hogs once Petrino was hired and offered. He leads Arkansas’ active defensive tackles with 122 career stops. Cornerback Isaac Madison has started 25 games. Outside linebacker Jerico Nelson was a preseason thirdteam All-SEC selection by media and has 245 career tackles and 30 starts. Five seniors – including defensive end Jake Bequette and middle linebacker Jerry Franklin – were already on campus when Petrino was hired, redshirting in 2007, Nutt’s final season. Bequette and Franklin have made as much an impact as anyone else in the class. Both have been named All-SEC performers. Franklin led Arkansas in tackles his first three seasons and
has a team-high 73 this year. His 354 career stops rank seventh in program history. He’s on pace to finish second all-time. Bequette’s 18.5 sacks rank fifth on the UA career chart. That he’ll be playing his final home Fayetteville game Saturday hasn’t hit him. “I’m not really the nostalgic type,” Bequette said. “I try to stay focused and just look one day at a time. I guess I’ll reminisce about that after the season, but for now we’re just worried about Tennessee and getting the next win.” He might not be dwelling on running through the Arkansas “A” onto Frank Broyles Field for the final time Saturday yet. The impact he and the other 16 seniors made on the program won’t soon be forgotten, though. “I think it speaks for itself,” Bequette said. “We are building a reputation as a really solid team nationally and a team that belongs in the top 10, top 15 weekin and week-out. Not that we’ve arrived, we’re always striving for more, but I think this class, these guys I’m about to graduate with, we’ve really turned it around.”
Hogs Want to Attack Vols’ D Defense on a Roll by MARTHA SWEARINGEN Staff Writer
Tennessee hasn’t won a Southeastern Conference game, but No. 8 Arkansas isn’t overlooking the Volunteers. Tennessee (4-5, 0-5 SEC) has struggled offensively, but has a defense ranked No. 28 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 21.2 points per game. “We’ve been really impressed with their personnel,” Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “There’s no way their record speaks of the talent and type of personnel that they have.” The Volunteers use unique coverage packages and rank No. 5 in the SEC in pass defense, giving up an average of 186.8 yards. The Razorbacks lead the SEC in passing offense, led by junior quarterback Tyler Wilson’s 2,626 yards and 15 touchdowns. “They play some combo stuff,” junior QB Tyler Wilson said. “We’ve got some stuff to attack it. We prepare every week and try to find something that we can see and take advantage of.” The Hogs’ offensive line will try to continue its solid play. Wilson was sacked once in the 44-28 win over thenNo. 9 South Carolina, but had
arguably more time than against any other conference foe. “That’s the offensive line’s goal,” senior Grant Cook said. “I think we did a great job and we came in and really worked hard this week with the technique issues that were apparent at Vanderbilt. We did a good job cleaning that up and coming in knowing the assignments and making sure we got the job done.” Slowing down Volunteers defensive end Malik Jackson will be key for the offensive line Saturday. Jackson was on preseason award watch list for the Lombardi, Outland and Nagurski awards. He is third on Tennessee’s defense with 42 total tackles, including 28 in the last five games. “I think their defensive tackle, (Jackson), has got to be one of the best in this conference,” offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “He’s big, he’s strong. You can tell he’s a veteran as he continues to play hard throughout the game.” Arkansas will try to start fast for the second consecutive game. The Razorbacks scored first against the Gamecocks, the first time the Hogs had scored before their opponent since Sept. 17 against Troy. “We have a philosophy that
we really believe in,” McGee said. “We’re going to continue to execute and go about our business the way that we always have. Then we have to figure out what coverage they’re going to play against us or what their plan is against us after the first quarter. Then we’ll go from there to see what we need to do to get more points.” One of the players helping Arkansas score more points in recent weeks has been junior running back Dennis Johnson. The 5-foot-9, 213-pounder is averaging 189 all-purpose yards in the last three weeks, including earning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors against South Carolina for his 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Johnson also had 86 yards rushing against the Gamecocks and ran for 160 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries two weeks before at Ole Miss. He has never run for more than 100 yards or gotten more than 15 carries in consecutive weeks, though. “He understands it’s late in November and we’ve still got a lot to play for,” McGee said. “Everybody has to pick it up because these games are going to get really serious, really intense, because there’s a lot at stake. I expect him to come out and play well this weekend.”
by ZACH TURNER
Asst. Sports Editor
Arkansas’ defense turned in its best performance in conference play last Saturday against South Carolina and look to continue its ways against Tennessee this week. The Razorbacks face a Tennessee offense that has averaged just 12.5 points and 247.8 yards. The Hogs (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) got off to a faster start against the Gamecocks registering had a season-high five sacks and forcing two fumbles in the game. “We changed things up,” Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “Obviously we weren’t starting fast before that game and we wanted to let those guys go hunt so that is what we did.” Arkansas faces a Volunteers team in the final Fayetteville home game of the season that ranks last in the SEC in rushing offense, averaging 86.8 yards per game. “With their offensive line you scratch your head and wonder why their record is what it is,” Robinson said. “Their offensive line is huge.
GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas senior line backer Jerry Franklin and the Razorbacks defense are coming off their best peformance of the season, holding South Carolina to 207 yards. They have good backs. Their starting back Poole gained over 1,000 yards last year. “We are still trying to figure out what the reason is to be honest with you. There
seems to be some inconsistencies at times.” Tennessee (4-5, 0-5)
see DEFENSE on page 8
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
SPORTS
PAGE 8
ARKANSAS - TENNESSEE BREAKDOWN Tennessee passing offense vs. Arkansas pass defense
Arkansas run offense vs. Tennessee run defense
Tennessee has struggled to throw the ball the last four weeks while sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray has recovered from a fractured collarbone.
Arkansas is ranked No. 10 in the SEC in rushing, averaging 132.22 yards per game. Junior starting running back Dennis Johnson averages 58.7 rushing yards per game.
Arkansas is ranked first in the SEC in passing. Junior quarterback Tyler Wilson completes 62 percent of his passes and has thrown for 2,626 yards and 15 touchdowns with just interceptions this season.
Junior Ronnie Wingo has also contributed heavily, averaging 41.1 rushing yards per game with three rushing touchdowns.
Matt Simms and Justin Worley have both gotten shots at starting, but Worley has started the last two games. He has copleted 57 percent of his passes, while throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. Arkansas has struggled in the secondary at times, but harassed South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw last week.
Arkansas passing offense vs. Tennessee pass defense
Senior receiver Jarius Wright leads the SEC in receptions and total receiving yards, getting open for 48 receptions and 812 yards and nine touchdowns.
Tennessee’s rush defense is ranked No. 7 in conference, allowing 156.2 rushing yards. Senior defensive end Malik Jackson has eight tackles-forloss.
FILE PHOTO
Shaw threw for just 128 yards, threw an interception and was knocked out of the game with a concussion on the Razorbacks’ season-high fifth sack of the game.
Advantage: Tennessee
Advantage: Arkansas
Tennessee run offense vs. Arkansas run defense
FILE PHOTO
Advantage: Arkansas
Arkansas special teams vs. Tennessee special teams
Tennessee senior running back Tauren Poole has 513 yards and four rushing touchdowns, but the Volunteers struggle to run the ball, averaging just 86.8 yards per game. Arkansas has had trouble stopping the run this season, but held South Carolina running back Brandon Wilds to 21 yards on 10 carries last week.
Arkansas’ return specialist Marquel Wade returns is done with his one-game suspension and will be back in action against the Volunteers. He and junior running back Dennis Johnson both have kickoff returns for touchdowns this season. Coupled with senior receiver Joe Adams’ two punt returns for touchdowns, the Razorbacks lead the SEC with four special teams touchdowns this season. Tennessee is solid on special teams, but has no touchdown returns. Both teams’ kickers and punters are solid
FILE PHOTO Advantage: Arkansas
FILE PHOTO
Tennessee has the No. 5 pass defense in the SEC, giving up 186.8 yard per game. They are No. 11 in the conference in sacks, averaging 1.44 per game. Defensive lineman Willie Bohannon and defensive back Prentiss Waggner lead the team with two sacks.
Tennessee coaching staff vs. Arkansas coaching staff The game will be Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s first against Tennessee and Volunteers coach Derek Dooley’s first against the Razorbacks. Petrino has turned the Hogs’ program around in his four years and is 23-5 in his last 28 games. Dooley is 10-12 in his second season at Tennessee. He was 17-20 in three seasons at Louisiana Tech before taking the Volunteers job.
FILE PHOTO FILE PHOTO
Advantage: Arkansas
Advantage: Arkansas
frome DEFENSE on page 7
Love Live
and the Razorbacks had been practicing as if he could make a possible return coach Robinson said. “We prepared as if he was going to,� Robinson said. “That is a heck of an injury to try an overcome without a long period of time.� Worley was named Gatorade National High School Player of the Year during his senior season of high school in South Carolina, the first player in any sport to win the award in the state. “It is the same offense if either one of them is in the game,� junior linebacker Alonzo Highsmith said. “But Tyler Bray was their starter so I expect their offense to click a little better when he does come back.� Arkansas should get added depth back at defensive end as junior Tenarius Wright might return to action after a broken forearm injury suffered in the Alabama game. “It is nice having Tank back now,� Robinson said. “He is fresh, but probably not quite game shape yet so we will keep rolling those guys, but he is a blur when he comes off the ball.�
enters the game winless in the SEC. The Volunteers are coming off a win however, a 24-0 shutout against Middle Tennessee State in their final nonconference game of the season. “It stops the bleeding a little bit,� Robinson said about Tennessee coming in off a win. “They have confidence in what they are trying to do and everybody was on the same page.� Tennessee has been plagued by injury at the quarterback position with starter Tyler Bray still recovering from a broken thumb suffered against Georgia in early October. True freshman Justin Worley is expected to get the start for Bray and has played in three games this season, completing 33 of 58 passing for 396 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. “We feel like we have a pretty good handle on what he does and how he handles and manages the game,� Robinson said. “We got a couple more days of practice to get better at it.� Bray has got his cast off
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