By Harry KingArkansas News Bureau
Hustled by Lou Holtz, Arkansas quarterback Ron Calcagni was primed for the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma. With an excuse in mind, Clint Stoerner ignored Houston Nutt's call from the sideline on the pass to Anthony Lucas that beat Tennessee.
That is some of the inside stuff in a book by Rick Schaeffer, who was privy to so much behind-the-scene doings during his more than two decades as sports information director at the University of Arkansas.
When former Florida SID John Humenik contacted Schaeffer about doing a book, Humenik gave him a couple of options on the format. Schaeffer went with one that opens each chapter with a profile of a Razorback player, follows with some background, the particular season and game and then gets out of the way to let the athlete have his say. Each chapter ends with a brief post-game and a "where are they now."
Limited by the availability of the people involved, Schaeffer did 24 games. For instance, he would have loved to have talked with Jim Benton, who was on the 1936 Southwest Conference championship team, and he was never able to track down Ben Cowins, one of the most underrated running backs in Arkansas history. Although Schaeffer lives only two blocks from Quinn Grovey, the former quarterback is on the road a bunch and it took forever for them to get together and discuss the 1989 Houston game.
In some cases, he had to make a choice - he could have done passer Jon Brittenum for the 1965 Texas game, but went with receiver Bobby Crockett instead.
"It is not a historical document; it is a personality book," he said.
The quarterback on Holtz's first Arkansas team in 1978, Calcagni said the coach called him just before Christmas to tell him he had suspended Cowins, Michael Forrest and Donny Bobo. Holtz told Calcagni that someone would come through against Oklahoma and when they met in the coach's office, Holtz said the quarterback would be the only one who handled the ball on the first four plays.
A long-running Rose Bowl delayed the Orange Bowl kickoff and when it was finally time, Holtz held Calcagni back and told him, "You and I are going last."
He reminded Calcagni that he would carry the ball on the first four plays. Calcagni made 8 yards on first down and Bruce Hay came in from the sidelines with 34 Right, a play for the running back. Calcagni double-checked with Hay, expecting Load 34 for the quarterback. He handed the ball to Roland Sales who scored.
"Coach Holtz already had me cranked up," Calcagni told Schaeffer. "Scoring a touchdown got Sales cranked up."
In 1999, Arkansas trailed Tennessee 24-21 and had a first down at the Vols' 23 when Nutt sent in X7 Bend Double Post.
"It's a safe play with (Anthony) Lucas being the No. 1 receiver on the sideline," Stoerner said. "Remembering the safety had been coming down, I left the X7 Bend off and called a Double Post. If it didn't work I could always tell Coach Nutt I didn't see the X7 Bend part when he signaled it from the sidelines."
The touchdown was the difference in 28-24.
Glancing at the table of contents, most of the games are immediately recognizable for their significance. The sore thumb is Chapter 21, James Rouse against New Mexico in 1987.
Schaeffer included that game because he knew Ken Hatfield's job was in jeopardy. Chilled and puking, Rouse went into the dressing room at halftime, took off his pads and laid down, thinking the game was secure. It wasn't, and his dad rousted him out with the message that the team needed him. Rouse scored three second-half touchdowns on his way to 219 yards.
If the unthinkable happens and Arkansas upsets Southern California on Saturday night, there will be impetus for "Game of my Life, Vol. II."