Arkansas coach Houston Nutt and senior quarterback Matt Jones are the odd couple of SEC football.

Nutt is the most animated coach in the conference. He burns as many calories on the sideline as most folks do in the gym.

He bends, twists, spins, and jumps in joy and in frustration. Then, in the fourth quarter, he gets really excited.

If Nutt is doing aerobics, Jones is practicing yoga. He looks relaxed enough to fall asleep in the huddle.

His running style fits his personality. Even when he's scrambling from oncoming defenders, there's no panic in his gait. He moves backward, forward and sideways with long, easy strides that belie his speed.

Their differences are magnified in overtime. Nutt goes nuts. Jones goes with the flow.

The unflappable Jones was made for OT, where his ability to run, pass and run the option is often too much for an already-weary defense to bear. If they gave a Heisman Trophy for overtimes, Jones might have won a couple.

As a freshman against Ole Miss, he accounted for 116 yards as Arkansas won in seven overtimes. He totaled 100 more yards in another seven-overtime victory last year against Kentucky. And he almost led the Razorbacks to a six-overtime victory against Tennessee in 2001.

While Jones' play goes up in OT, Nutt goes up and down, suffering and celebrating from one down to the next while his quarterback doesn't even change his expression.

It's easy to see how much the outcome matters with Nutt. It's not so easy with Jones.

"I get a lot of e-mails about his laid-back attitude, people saying he's not caring enough," Nutt said at SEC football media days. "I really want to straighten that up.

"He's a very caring person. All he wants to do is please.

"His demeanor might say different, but that's what makes him good when the ball's in his hand. He's good when the lights come on, especially in overtime."

The Nutt-Jones relationship isn't just about the attraction of opposites. They also have something in common.

Jones, who is 6-foot-6, wanted to play football and basketball in college. He knew he had an ally in Nutt, who also was a college quarterback and basketball player.

"That's how we signed him," Nutt said. "He could have gone to Oklahoma. He could have gone to a lot of different places.

"When someone loves basketball as much as Matt Jones loves basketball, I've got no problem with (him playing both sports). Matt has given us nothing but great effort."

His effort is often concealed by the ease with which he plays the game. There's no grimace of determination, no hint of urgency, just a career's worth of game-turning plays.

That's not to suggest he's the best quarterback in the SEC. His throwing has been inconsistent and his footwork in the pass pocket sometimes has the awkward look of someone playing out of position. He might be.

With his height, speed and athleticism, Jones is a natural wide receiver, a position he has played from time to time and will play again if redshirt freshman Robert Johnson develops fast enough to spell Jones occasionally at quarterback.

Although Jones might have a better shot at making the NFL as a wide receiver, Arkansas needs him more than ever at quarterback. He's the only returning starter on offense.

That prompted a sportswriter to ask if Jones would feel more pressure this fall.

"Man, there ain't no pressure," he said with a smile. "This is just a game."

Tell that to his coach on the sideline.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.