See Dick Run
Senior quarterback helps Hogs escape
Robert Beckmann
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Sports
An offense that began its debut with a whimper ended it with a bang.
The Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0, 0-0 SEC) picked up their first win of the season 28-24 against the Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-1). They now look forward to Saturday's game in Little Rock versus Louisiana-Monroe.
Game tape of the season opener is currently being dissected to see what worked and what needs improvement. However, one distinct bright spot for the Hogs was the work of senior quarterback Casey Dick.
Dick, recently dubbed Casey "Vick" by teammates, ran for the first two rushing touchdowns of his career.
"I never saw Casey run last year. I can't remember even one run, and he doesn't run too much at practice," said junior tackle Malcolm Sheppard. "So to see him run like that surprised me. He ran a lot faster than I thought he could."
Arkansas' newfound use of the quarterback scramble is not only the result of Dick's creativity, but more so that of Bobby Petrino's offensive philosophy. In the preseason, Petrino imparted to his quarterback that running was a necessary dimension which Dick needed to add to his game.
"There are certain things [the coaches] have continued to be on him about," Petrino said. "And to be a great quarterback you have to be a willing runner."
Dick's first rushing touchdown of the game came as a surprise. Dropping back for a pass, he saw no defenders within 10 yards and decided to see how many yards he could gain. The result was a 23-yard touchdown scamper, narrowing the Leatherneck lead to 17-14.
Impressed, coaches called for Dick to run again as the Razorbacks trailed 24-21 in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
"We were down on the goal line, and they called my number," Dick said. "I just read the play, saw the block, and went to the outside and scored."
The game, however, was not always quite so easy for the Hogs. Turnovers, sacks, and dropped passes were all common occurrences for the UA early.
The Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0, 0-0 SEC) picked up their first win of the season 28-24 against the Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-1). They now look forward to Saturday's game in Little Rock versus Louisiana-Monroe.
Game tape of the season opener is currently being dissected to see what worked and what needs improvement. However, one distinct bright spot for the Hogs was the work of senior quarterback Casey Dick.
Dick, recently dubbed Casey "Vick" by teammates, ran for the first two rushing touchdowns of his career.
"I never saw Casey run last year. I can't remember even one run, and he doesn't run too much at practice," said junior tackle Malcolm Sheppard. "So to see him run like that surprised me. He ran a lot faster than I thought he could."
Arkansas' newfound use of the quarterback scramble is not only the result of Dick's creativity, but more so that of Bobby Petrino's offensive philosophy. In the preseason, Petrino imparted to his quarterback that running was a necessary dimension which Dick needed to add to his game.
"There are certain things [the coaches] have continued to be on him about," Petrino said. "And to be a great quarterback you have to be a willing runner."
Dick's first rushing touchdown of the game came as a surprise. Dropping back for a pass, he saw no defenders within 10 yards and decided to see how many yards he could gain. The result was a 23-yard touchdown scamper, narrowing the Leatherneck lead to 17-14.
Impressed, coaches called for Dick to run again as the Razorbacks trailed 24-21 in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
"We were down on the goal line, and they called my number," Dick said. "I just read the play, saw the block, and went to the outside and scored."
The game, however, was not always quite so easy for the Hogs. Turnovers, sacks, and dropped passes were all common occurrences for the UA early.
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