CHN: King of OverTime.

[DKW 86 7,451]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/footba...5043722,00.html

Here's hoping it never comes to that Saturday.

Working overtime on overtime has paid off for Razorbacks

Beth Hall/Associated Press

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt says that he loves overtime, a sentiment you'd expect from a coach whose teams are 6-1 in games that have gone into extra sessions. The Razorbacks' latest OT success came in a win over Alabama on Sept. 23.

October 5, 2006

Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt wouldn't mind if Saturday's game at No 2 Auburn went into overtime.

Because when it comes to working a little extra, Nutt is one of the best in the business at 6-1 lifetime, including 5-1 as boss Hog, since the NCAA adopted overtime in 1996.

So what's his secret? He has endured three of the longest games in college football history and won two of them, including the longest games ever, that seven-overtime, 58-56 affair at Ole Miss in 2001 and the 71-63 seven-OT victory over Kentucky in 2003.

"We work on it (overtime situations) all the time, so I think it's ingrained in the players," said Nutt, who has coached in 26 overtime periods, the most in Division 1-A. "We want them to be as prepared as they can be so that when it's for real, they're ready."

Behind Nutt in most SEC overtime periods is Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer with 15. Fulmer is 5-1 in overtime games, including that crazy 41-38, six-OT win over Arkansas in 2003. That's Nutt's only overtime loss as a coach.

Fulmer said he doesn't have his team work on overtime periods every week.

"We pick and choose at different times all year to work on it, and we do address it in spring practice and in some fall scrimmages. We just work on red-zone offense, the same kind of plays you normally call (in that part of the field)."

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville is a little more detailed. Tuberville, 4-3 in overtime (1-0 when he coached at Ole Miss, 3-3 at Auburn), said he crafts overtime offense and defense for each SEC opponent.

"You see what plays might work against a defense in that situation and you see how you might defend against a certain offense in overtime," Tuberville said. "We go into a game with an idea whether we want to be aggressive with our offense (in overtime) or defer and play defense (if his team wins the coin toss to start overtime). It's important your kids understand your plan as you go into overtime."

Alabama coach Mike Shula said he doesn't have any special plays held back for overtime.

"You just sort of see what has been successful for you that game in that part of the field," Shula said.

A couple of weeks ago, Shula and 'Bama offensive coordinator Dave Rader were criticized for their conservative approach late in regulation and in the first overtime of what became a 24-23, double-overtime loss at Arkansas.

On a day where quarterback John Parker Wilson completed 16-of-20 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns, 'Bama's last 13 plays in regulation and the first overtime were rushing attempts designed to position kicker Leigh Tiffin for field goals. Tiffin missed a 30-yard game-winning field goal in regulation, then a 37-yard game-winning field goal in the first overtime.

"I would have bet my house he wouldn't have missed a third field goal," Rader said of Tiffin.

It's no coincidence that Arkansas seemed fresher in overtime than Alabama. Nutt psychologically plants the overtime seed in his team back in off-season conditioning drills.

"At the 6 a.m. workouts, even after we've run all those sprints and their tongues are hanging out," Nutt said, "I'll call out, 'Uh-oh, overtime. Three more sprints.'

"I wouldn't want to do overtime every Saturday, but it's been good for us. I love overtime."

[BamaGrad03 0]

Thats funny. Considering Arkansas didnt do anything to stop us in overtime. We just missed kicks.

Both of his OT wins against bama came in 2nd OT AFTER we missed field goals in 1st OT.

[DKW 86 7,451]

Thats funny. Considering Arkansas didnt do anything to stop us in overtime. We just missed kicks.

Both of his OT wins against bama came in 2nd OT AFTER we missed field goals in 1st OT.

BG, I kow you dont mean it to sound that way, but you almost make a case for Bama not being able to handle OT.

FWIW, CHN is money in OT.

[BamaGrad03 0]

I do mean it that way. We suck in OT.

Orange Bowl - Lost to michigan because of missed XP

Arky I - Lost because of missed FG after we picked off Arky pass in first frame

Arky II - Lost because of missed FG after we picked off Arky pass in first frame

UT - Lost because we gave up a TD on 4th and 22

Hell even our OT win in the swamp in 99 we missed an XP and got to kick again because they were offsides

Basically i was saying that he benefits from other teams just screwing up a little more than him

[CharlieHog 0]

Thats funny. Considering Arkansas didnt do anything to stop us in overtime. We just missed kicks.

Both of his OT wins against bama came in 2nd OT AFTER we missed field goals in 1st OT.

In our first OT win against Bama we won by switching FG kickers and then making a FG.

Nutt's strategery > Shula's strategery

[Cumming Tiger 0]

Don't you normally kick a field goal AFTER the defense has STOPPED your offense?

[BamaJay 0]

Thats funny. Considering Arkansas didnt do anything to stop us in overtime. We just missed kicks.

Both of his OT wins against bama came in 2nd OT AFTER we missed field goals in 1st OT.

BG, I kow you dont mean it to sound that way, but you almost make a case for Bama not being able to handle OT.

FWIW, CHN is money in OT.

Sadly, Bama can't handle OT. Last OT win for Bama I believe was 1999 in the Swamp.

[CharlieHog 0]

It's not like there is any special OT magic. If Bama had thrown the ball in the first OT and had not played for the FG, they would have won. That was the dumbest series of play calls I've seen in Razorback Stadium, and trust me that's saying something.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Yeah it was CHN's strategy for you guys throw an interception...and then set us up for the big missed field goal play. Just to create more momentum and suspense going into double OT.

[BamaGrad03 0]

It's not like there is any special OT magic. If Bama had thrown the ball in the first OT and had not played for the FG, they would have won. That was the dumbest series of play calls I've seen in Razorback Stadium, and trust me that's saying something.

Youre right. Everybody knows that when you need 3 to win, you go for the end zone. ESPECIALLY when you have been sacked 5 times in the game and another sack takes you out of field goal range.

[CharlieHog 0]

It's not like there is any special OT magic. If Bama had thrown the ball in the first OT and had not played for the FG, they would have won. That was the dumbest series of play calls I've seen in Razorback Stadium, and trust me that's saying something.

Youre right. Everybody knows that when you need 3 to win, you go for the end zone. ESPECIALLY when you have been sacked 5 times in the game and another sack takes you out of field goal range.

psst: not all pass plays have to go into the end zone. You can pass for regular old first downs too.

Bama couldn't run. Bama couldn't kick. Bama could, however, pass.

Let's play find the correct stategy for success.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Didnt you guys score on one of our pass plays?

[AURainman 6]

[CharlieHog 0]

Didnt you guys score on one of our pass plays?

you're right, I don't know why any team even uses the forward pass, there's so much bad that can happen.