Arkansas

Remembering Monte | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

5 months ago

July 13, 2024

Remembering Monte | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas football team held opponents to an average of 7.9 points in 1977 to rank third nationally in scoring defense, but the Razorbacks were even stingier against Oklahoma’s vaunted Wishbone offense.

Arkansas capped the season by beating the Sooners 31-6 in the Orange Bowl, played on Jan. 2, 1978 in Miami to finish 11-1 and ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll.

Monte Kiffin was in his first season as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator for Coach Lou Holtz and devised a new scheme that shut down No. 2 Oklahoma, which came into the Orange Bowl averaging 32.9 points.

The surprise Kiffin sprung on Oklahoma was having nose tackle Reggie Freeman play as an outside linebacker and shadow Sooners quarterback Thomas Lott while defensive tackles Dan Hampton and Jimmy Walker — both All-Southwest Conference players in 1977 and All-Americans as seniors in 1978 — tied up the offensive linemen and used their speed against the Sooners’ bulk to gain the advantage.

“It was ingenious what Monte Kiffin did with Reggie, and it stopped Oklahoma dead in their tracks,” said Hampton, voted into the College Sports Hall of Fame in 2024. “There’s no bigger Exhibit A of how amazingly creative Monte Kiffin was. He was amazing.”

Kiffin, who helped Arkansas to a 30-5-1 record as defensive coordinator from 1977-79 before becoming North Carolina State’s head coach and going on to a lengthy NFL coaching career, died Thursday at age 84 in Oxford, Miss. Since 2020 he had been an analyst for his son, Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin.

“It was a shock to see that Monte had passed on,” Walker said. “I just remember him being so full of energy at Arkansas, and even after he left.

“Football lost a great coach and a great person.”

Kiffin was in the midst of his 13-year run as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator when he spoke to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette at the Senior Bowl in January 2005 about his time with the Razorbacks.

Designing the “Tampa 2” defense is Kiffin’s claim to fame along with helping the Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003, but he clearly enjoyed talking about Arkansas.

“I used to love playing in Little Rock at old War Memorial Stadium,” Kiffin said, his face lighting up with a big smile. “When they turned the lights on down there and everybody was screaming, ‘Wooo, Pig! Sooey!’ man, you talk about getting excited. That was awesome.”

A defensive lineman at Nebraska and native of Lexington, Neb., Kiffin was the Cornhuskers’ defensive coordinator from 1969-76 and helped them win back-to-back national championships in 1970-71.

“Beating Oklahoma the way we did in the Super Bowl ranks right up there with winning the national championships at Nebraska,” Kiffin said. “That game was one of the greatest thrills I’ve ever experienced.”

Kiffin laughed when told he said “Super Bowl” rather than “Orange Bowl” while talking about Arkansas beating Oklahoma.

“Well, it was a super game for Arkansas,” Kiffin said. “I guess calling it ‘super’ shows how big it was to me.”

Hampton, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2002 after a 12-year career with the Chicago Bears, said the Razorbacks never questioned Kiffin changing the defensive scheme for Oklahoma.

“We weren’t sitting around in our hotel rooms in Miami thinking, ‘This is nuts. What the hell is Monte doing?’ ” Hampton said. “If he would have said, ‘Jump out of the hotel,’ we would have said, ‘Which floor?’

“We bought in and it worked out perfectly. Had Reggie ever played outside before? No. He was a nose tackle. But Monte put him out there in space, and Reggie became player of the game.”

Freeman had six sacks and was the Orange Bowl’s Defensive Most Valuable Player.

“I wish everybody could have played for Monte Kiffin,” Hampton said. “He was that great.

“He had this infectious, crazy, wild-eyed look, and you’d see him and get excited and want to go out there and play 8 feet off the ground for him. Those two years I played for Monte was as fun as fun could get.”

Arkansas lost four key players on offense for the Orange Bowl — running backs Ben Cowins and Michael Forrest and receiver Donny Bobo were suspended by Holtz for disciplinary reasons and All-American offensive lineman Leotis Harris suffered a knee injury in practice — and Oklahoma was made an 18-point favorite by oddsmakers.

“I remember us having free time in Miami and going to the malls in our red and white jogging suits,” Walker said. “People would run up to us with their pads and pens for autographs thinking we were Oklahoma players, because we had basically the same colors.

“When they learned we were from Arkansas, they didn’t want anything to do with us. They’d say, ‘Oh well, never mind.’

“We couldn’t wait to play Oklahoma, because nobody gave us a chance. But we knew how impactful our defense had been throughout the year, and we knew Oklahoma was going to have problems with us.

“As we watched film, Monte would point out things we could exploit, and we realized that Oklahoma played against teams like Ohio State and Nebraska with big, physical defensive linemen. They hadn’t played against teams with linemen as quick and fast as we were.”

Walker also recalled how Kiffin coached mental toughness.

“The biggest thing that impressed me with Monte was mind over matter,” Walker said. “I remember when we had a bowl practice in Fayetteville before the Orange Bowl and it was December and really cold. Monte took off his shirt and said, ‘Hey, it’s all in your mind that it’s cold.’

“We thought, ‘Man, he’s crazy.’ But to me, it worked because I stopped thinking about being cold during practice.”

Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman in 2021 recalled meeting Kiffin in 1978. Kiffin scouted a game between Pittman’s Grove (Okla.) High School team that played Miami (Okla.).

“Miami was No. 1 and we were No. 100 in the league below them, and they ended up beating us 21-16,” Pittman said. “They scored late in the game.

“Coach Kiffin came into our locker room and talked about the fight and the grit of the Grove Ridgerunners.”

Larry Beightol was on Holtz’s Arkansas staff with Kiffin as the offensive line coach. Beightol, who died in April at age 81, also was a long-time NFL assistant coach.

“Monte’s the best defensive coordinator I’ve ever coached against or been around,”Beightol said in 2009. “He’s head and shoulders above the other guys.”

Kiffin credited Harold Horton — Arkansas’ defensive line coach in 1977 — with making a major contribution to the Orange Bowl victory.

“We won because our defense controlled the line of scrimmage, and that was because of Harold’s guys,” Kiffin said in 2005. “Harold was a great coach. Not good — great.”

Horton played for the Razorbacks, was an Arkansas assistant coach from 1968-80 and later an administrator with the Razorback Foundation.

“I highly respected Monte Kiffin as a coach and as a person,” Horton said. “I enjoyed being around Monte. He would always be the first guy at work every morning, and I was the second, because I wanted to be where he was.”

Horton’s son, Tim, a former Arkansas player and assistant coach, told the story of his father and Kiffin having a disagreement before Kiffin’s first spring practice with the Razorbacks.

Harold Horton, who had been coaching linebackers, moved to the defensive line position so Kiffin could coach linebackers.

“At Nebraska, Monte coached the flipper technique to get off blocks using your forearm,” Tim Horton, now an assistant coach at Air Force, said in recalling stories he heard from his father, Kiffin and Beightol. “Dad believed in using the hands technique, where you get your hands inside of a blocker’s pads and then you create separation by slinging him around.

“Going into spring practice, Monte told Dad, ‘Hey, I’ll let you try that hands technique the first day or two, but then we’re going to change and do it my way with the flipper technique.’

“The first contact drill in spring practice, the defensive line tore up the offensive line. Just demolished them. After practice Monte came up to Dad and said, ‘Harold, I think we’ll use that hands technique.’ “

Hampton said that during team meals, Kiffin often got lost in his thoughts.

“Monte was kind of like the nutty professor,” Hampton said. “He’d be sitting there at dinner and everybody’s talking about this and that, and Monte would be off looking into space.

“You’d say, ‘Coach, you alright?’ He wouldn’t say anything, and then after a while, he’d say, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking about this defense.’

“He was picturing what we needed to do as a defense to combat whatever play the offense had coming at us.

“Monte Kiffin was one of a kind and just a glorious, glorious coach. God bless him.”

Walker said he appreciated that Kiffin cared about his players away from the field.

“He’d come to the dorm and visit us and make sure we were doing OK,” Walker said. “Stuff that a lot of coaches just wouldn’t do, but that Monte did.”

Monte Kiffin at a glance

BORN Feb. 29, 1940 in Lexington, Neb.

DIED July 11, 2024 in Oxford, Miss (age 84)

AS A PLAYER Defensive lineman at Nebraska 1959-63. Had short stints professionally with the Minnesota Vikings, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Rifles and Brooklyn Dodgers 1964-66.

AS A COACH

Nebraska graduate assistant 1966-68, defensive coordinator 1969-76

Arkansas defensive coordinator 1977-79

North Carolina State head coach 1980-82 (16-17 overall record, 8-10 ACC)

Green Bay Packers linebackers coach 1983

Buffalo Bills linebackers coach 1984-85

Minnesota Vikings linebackers coach 1986-89

New York Jets linebackers coach 1990

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator 1991, linebackers coach 1992-94

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator 1995

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator 1996-2008

Tennessee defensive coordinator 2009

Southern California defensive coordinator 2010-12

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator 2013, assistant head coach for defense 2014

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive assistant 2016

Florida Atlantic defensive assistant 2017-19

Ole Miss player personnel analyst 2020-23

NOTEWORTHY Defensive coordinator for Nebraska’s back-to-back national championship teams in 1970-71 … Helped Arkansas to a 30-5-1 record as defensive coordinator, highlighted by 31-6 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl to cap the 1977 season … Credited with developing the “Tampa 2” defense … Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator when the Buccaneers beat Oakland in the Super Bowl to cap the 2002 season … Only assistant coach inducted in the Tampa Bay Ring of Honor … Father of Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin.

Monte Kiffin was in his first season as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator when the Razorbacks defeated Oklahoma 31-6 in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2, 1978. The Sooners came into the game averaging 32.9 points per game, but Kiffin’s defensive scheme shut the Sooners down. “There’s no bigger Exhibit A of how amazingly creative Monte Kiffin was,” defensive tackle and 2024 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Dan Hampton said. “He was amazing.” (Democrat-Gazette file photo)

Former Arkansas defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin died Thursday. Jimmy Walker, an All-American defensive tackle for the Razorbacks, said his former coach cared about his players on and off the field. “He’d come to the dorm and visit us and make sure we were doing OK,” Walker said. “Stuff that a lot of coaches just wouldn’t do, but that Monte did.” (Democrat-Gazette file photo)

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Arkansas

New statewide group promotes, aids prescribed burns | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

10 mins ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

New statewide group promotes, aids prescribed burns | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The newly formed Arkansas Prescribed Burn Association held its first meeting in mid-October.

The association works as an umbrella organization, recruiting and maintaining new groups of landowners to conduct prescribed burns throughout the state.

“Properly planned prescribed burns reduce the fuel load, which can lessen or even eliminate wildfires,” said Thomas Baldridge, one of the association’s three directors. “But that’s only part of the benefit of prescribed fire. It’s the best tool available to land managers to increase wildlife habitat for turkeys, quail, deer and all sorts of other species.”

North American bird populations have declined by more than 2.9 billion birds in the last 50 years and the loss of grassland habitat is one of the largest contributors to that loss, according to a recent study conducted by Kenneth Rosenberg and highlighted by the National Audubon Society. Fire helps open up dense underbrush to promote seed-producing grasses and plants that are beneficial to grassland species on a year-round basis.

Instead of manipulating land through dirt work or planting food plots, many landowners can turn the tide on the loss of wildlife habitat with the proper use of prescribed fire.

Baldridge said the formation of the prescribed burn association was a natural evolution to what the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and other partnering organizations had been studying the last few years.

“Game and Fish started building prescribed burn associations a few years ago. Most of our members have been fortunate to have worked with many of the staff from Game and Fish, Quail Forever and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on burns and other private land habitat projects. The prescribed burn association just sort of seemed to be a missing piece to the puzzle that was already being put together,” Baldridge said.

Hunter Johnson of Des Arc and Catrina Mendoza of Searcy share director duties with Baldridge, who also lives in Searcy.

Baldridge said the association used states like Oklahoma and Florida as templates to follow in their formation.

“Oklahoma really sets the standard for a statewide prescribed burn association. They’ve grown to a massive organization with a budget over $1 million and eight full-time staff members to support all of their chapters.”

Game and Fish, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Quail Forever all pitched in financially to help the new association build a firm foundation. Game and Fish granted the organization $25,000. Fish and Wildlife gave it $50,000 and Quail Forever provided $17,000 derived from its specialty license plate sales.

Baldridge says trailers, safety gear and other prescribed burn necessities also were donated to the association, increasing its startup assistance to more than $200,000 in funding and equipment. Since the organization is entirely volunteer-based, all of this funding is put directly into putting prescribed fire on the landscape.

Visit www.arfire.org for more information and to learn how to set up a new prescribed burn association in any area of Arkansas.

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Arkansas

Arkansas' official depth chart for Missouri game

Published

8 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas' official depth chart for Missouri game

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks (6-4, 3-4 SEC) have released the depth chart for Saturday’s regular season finale against the No. 24 Missouri Tigers (8-3, 4-3 SEC) at Razorback Stadium.

Arkansas recovered from a slow start to take down Louisiana Tech, 35-14, over the weekend in Fayetteville. Missouri bounced back from a loss to South Carolina on Sept. 16 with a 39-20 win at Mississippi State on Saturday.

A few changes were made to this week’s depth chart, most notably the absence of junior defensive end Nico Davillier at the defensive end position. The pass-rusher did not play against Louisiana Tech on Saturday due to a knee injury, and senior Anton Juncaj is the lone listed starter in Davillier’s place. Backing up Juncaj is freshman Charlie Collins.

At safety, sophomore TJ Metcalf and junior Miguel Mitchell no longer have an “or” listed between them. Metcalf is the starter with Mitchell backing him up. Finally, redshirt sophomore Brooks Edmonson is listed as the backup center behind Addison Nichols instead of redshirt sophomore Amaury Wiggins, who is no longer listed on the depth chart.

Here is the full Arkansas depth chart ahead of Saturday’s game against Missouri, which is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network at Memorial Stadium.

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Arkansas

Higginbottom key in win vs. old team | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

16 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Higginbottom key in win vs. old team | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

FAYETTEVILLE — Izzy Higginbottom sent a text message to her teammates on the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team Saturday night.

The note contained a list of things she felt the team needed to work on from its 94-71 loss Thursday night to Oral Roberts. First on the list was better energy.

Her message resonated.

Higginbottom played with passion and excelled against her former team as Arkansas found its defense in the second half to defeat Arkansas State 76-60 on Sunday afternoon at Walton Arena.

“I personally knew how much this game meant to her,” Arkansas forward Jenna Lawrence said of Higginbottom. “Obviously, you want to beat the team that you’ve recently been on, so I just think she was really amped up — the most amped I’ve seen her for a game.

“I’m just really proud of how she performed and how she was a leader on and off the court.”

Higginbottom, a 5-7 transfer guard who played two seasons with the Red Wolves, filled the stat sheet with 15 points, a career-high 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

“When the other team shoots threes, they become speed rebounds,” Arkansas Coach Mike Neighbors said. “I thought she dug a bunch of those out, and then that got us going on transition, too. She was out in front of the break leading it, getting to the foul line and created a couple of good catch and shoot looks for (teammates).”

The Razorbacks (4-3) snapped a two-game losing streak and won their second game against an in-state opponent this year. Arkansas won 71-60 in overtime at Arkansas-Little Rock on Nov. 11.

“It stinks to lose any day,” Neighbors said, “but especially if you get on a little bit of a streak, it’s easy to get (down). So, I thought it was important for us to stay above .500. You feel different when you win. I don’t know if we played any better yet. I’ll have to go home and watch, but I think we did.”

After giving up 38 points before halftime, the Razorbacks held the Red Wolves to 22 points on 8-of-36 (22%) shooting in the second half.

Arkansas State (2-3) went seven-plus minutes without a field goal between the third and fourth quarters. That stretch proved decisive as a 38-35 halftime deficit for Arkansas turned into a double-digit lead for most of the final quarter.

“We started getting all the 50-50 balls,” Neighbors said. “Before that, it was about (half). I think it was like 90-10 in that third quarter. The effort was much better. I thought our focus was a lot better.”

Arkansas State entered on a two-game win streak, which included a 100-96 victory at Arizona State. The Red Wolves fell to 3-9 all-time against the Razorbacks, last winning in the 2005 Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

A fast-paced, back-and-forth first quarter saw two lead changes and runs of 6-0 and 5-0 that helped Arkansas State take a 23-19 lead into the second quarter. The Razorbacks committed six turnovers in the period that resulted in 10 points for the Red Wolves.

Arkansas took a 33-27 with 3:32 remaining in the first half before Arkansas State closed with an 11-2 run. Kennedie Montue beat the shot clock with a three-pointer to give Arkansas State a 38-35 lead just before halftime.

Fatigue appeared to play a factor in the first half, in which Arkansas was outscored 26-2 in bench points. Arkansas State Coach Destinee Rogers made mass substitutions throughout the game and had 10 players log minutes.

Arkansas forward Vera Ojenuwa, who put up a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds, scored 12 points before halftime.

The Razorbacks took a 39-38 lead early in the third quarter on a jumper by Kiki Smith, who finished with 15 points. The teams went back and forth for a while before Lawrence connected on her first three-pointer of the game to put Arkansas up for good at 46-43 with 4:01 remaining in the third. Lawrence finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Arkansas State ran a full-court press for most of the game and Arkansas fared better against it as time went on. The Razorbacks found Ojenuwa alone under the basket on multiple press breaks.

“For two days straight, we worked on just breaking their press and making sure we see Vera wide open,” Lawrence said. “Because the way their press was, they put all of their players in front and left Vera wide open in the back.”

As the Razorbacks built their double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, Higginbottom drove past defenders for three fast-break layups.

Arkansas finished the game on a 12-4 run, including six unanswered, to close the door.

The Razorbacks shot 30 of 67 (45%), including 7 of 27 (26%) from three-point range, and 9 of 12 (75%) from the free-throw line.

Arkansas State went 23 of 74 (31%), 9 of 35 (26%) and 5 of 7 (71%) in those categories, respectively.

Anna Griffin led the Red Wolves with 16 points and 8 rebounds, followed by Montue, who made 3 three-pointers and scored 13 points. Both Griffin and Montue played off the bench, while Wynter Rogers was Arkansas State’s highest-scoring starter with 8 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Arkansas State’s starters outside of Rogers — Crislyn Rose, Zyion Shannon, Kyanna Morgan and Shaunae Brown — combined to go 4 of 36 from the field and scored eight points. Bella Weary and Mimi McCollister provided 7 and 6 points, respectively, off the bench for the Red Wolves.

Arkansas won the rebound battle 48-42 and had a season-high 16 assists.

Six Razorbacks scored at least eight points: Ojenuwa (20), Higginbottom (15), Smith (15), Lawrence (8), Carly Keats (8) and Danika Galea (8). Karley Johnson and Lawrence led the Razorbacks with three steals apiece.

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