Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring began recalling the events of Sept. 17 and realized he was starting to mumble. The Razorbacks had gone into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Southern Cal had barbecued them for a 70-17 Arkansas loss.
“Their first five plays were five different calls and resulted in five touchdowns,” said Herring. “We were going to mix it up but after the first quarter we just played zone and said, ‘Let’s get the heck out of here as quickly as possible.’ They jumped down our throat and it just snowballed.”
Herring’s col league at Colo rado, Mike Hank witz, can relate. His Buffaloes were eager to avenge a 42-17 regular- season loss to Texas in the Big 12 title game on Dec. 3. But it was the Long horns who did the stampeding, trampling the Buffaloes, 70-3.
“They scored early and then they blocked a field- goal attempt and scored again and fed off that,” said Hank witz. “It was hard to execute much after that. It was one of those snow balls rolling downhill deals. They feasted.”
Herring and Hank witz are good at what they do. Herring had the No.1-ranked defense in the nation in 2004 at N.C. State. With the ex ception of Texas, no team scored more than 28 points on Colorado the first nine games this season.
Both defensive coordinators told The Post they would sit back Wednesday night and watch the national championship Rose Bowl between top-ranked USC and second-ranked Texas. The Longhorns led the nation in scoring at 51 points this season. USC was second at 50.
“If anyone has a chance to defend them, it’s Texas,” Herring said of USC. “It’s not just the guys up front. You have to have talent all across the field and Texas does. But I don’t care who Texas has, someone is going to have to cover that Bush kid. He is a 4.3 blur that plays 4.3.”
That Bush kid is Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush. He scored the Trojans’ first two touchdowns against Arkansas, one on a 76-yard run and the second on a 29-yard reception.
“I don’t know if he’s going pro, but if he doesn’t and if they don’t graduate some guys, I’m going to coach high school next year,” said Herring.
Hankwitz has his own motivation for getting out of the business. His is named Vince Young, although Hankwitz always referred to the Texas quarterback with artistic reverence as Vincent, like Vincent Van Gogh.
Vincent, the Heisman Trophy runnerup, scored four touchdowns and threw for two more against Colorado in the Longhorns’ 42-17 regular-season win. In the Big 12 title game, Young ran for two scores and passed for three more.
“They [the Texas coaching staff] quit trying to make him a great technical thrower and just freed him to play,” Hankwitz said of Young. “Technically, he doesn’t do a lot of things right. But he finds the open guy and flicks it to him.”
Herring referred to Bush as the X Factor. He said USC’s offensive line is solid and experienced; the wide receivers, especially Dwayne Jarrett of New Jersey, are exceptional; tight end Dominique Byrd is NFL-caliber, and quarterback Matt Leinart is like having the proverbial coach on the field.
He believes Texas defensive coordinators Gene Chizik and Duane Akina can account for those players. But then there’s the X Factor – Bush.
“He’s a different guy,” said Herring. “He’s in his own world. I’m mumbling, aren’t I? The guy makes you mumble.”
Pete Carroll, USC’s head coach, who also is the Trojans’ defensive coordinator, might have a slightly easier job in defending Young because he knows where the quarterback lines up.
Bush can be in the backfield, the slot or split wide. He also can return punts.
“Yes, but Vincent always has the ball in his hands,” said Hankwitz. “And he’s bigger, faster and stronger than he appears on film. He’s a nightmare. He’s a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.”
lenn.robbins@nypost.com
