WholeHogSports
KNOCK ON WOOD : We’re on the downhill slide to football season
Posted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/66949/
The Fourth of July has past and it’s all down hill from here, heading into football season.
Sure, I know that we haven’t even had the All-Star Game for Major League Baseball, but in less than a month, Bobby Petrino’s first Razorbacks football squad will take to the practice field on Aug. 3.
Two months from today we will have already witnessed the Hogs’ first two games, Aug. 30 against Western Illinois at Fayetteville and Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 6 at Little Rock.
Yes, the season is fast approaching and I can’t wait.
I am eager and a little bit anxious to see Petrino’s newlook Razorbacks in action. While I was not one of those that felt Houston Nutt needed to be run out of town on a rail — or for that matter that he earned the right to be paid $ 3 million to leave — his tenure as the Hogs ’ coach had grown a bit long in the tooth.
If we were in for the same ol’, same ol’ this season, frankly, I’m not sure how excited I or fans would be about the upcoming campaign. In fact, we might all be wishing to avoid it.
Over the last seven years, Hog fans have been spoiled, watching the talents of Matt Jones and Darren McFadden do their thing on the football field.
While the Razorbacks never won a Southeastern Conference title during their tenure, I always felt the Hogs had at least a chance to win — rightly or wrongly — when one of those guys was on the field, unless the opponent was Southern Cal.
But going into this season, the Razorbacks have no stars, unless you count Jonathan Luigs.
Luigs, of course, is the anchor of the Razorbacks ’ offensive line at center. Last season, the Little Rock native won the Rimington Award, which goes to the nation’s top center and based on known University of Arkansas records, he has the chance to become the first three-time All-American in the school’s history.
The Ra zorbacks have had a number of two-time All-Americans such as Loyd Phillips, Chuck Dicus, Bill McClard, Steve Little, Billy Ray Smith Jr., Shawn Andrews, McFadden and Felix Jones, but no one has been singled out three times.
But as outstanding as he has proven to be at his position, I don’t think even Luigs would consider himself a star.
In fact when asked about his accolades, Luigs generally pointed to and thanked McFadden, Jones and his other offensive line mates for making him look good.
Humility is a noble quality, but if you rewatch some of McFadden’s longest runs, many of them started up the middle after Luigs had manhandled his guy.
As great as McFadden was — and no doubt he was — others had to do their jobs, for him to stand out.
And if the Razorbacks are to have any measure of success this season, every Hog will have to count on every other Hog to do their jobs to the utmost.
How many wins will that type of play produce ?
I’m not sure. I can see this squad winning anywhere from five to seven games at this point.
Obviously, that assessment could rise and fall based on the outcome of a couple of late September games — no, I optimistically have not conceded the Texas or Alabama games as some already have — injuries and hard luck.
The most exciting thing I’ve heard from Petrino’s mouth has not been about the balance of his offense, his belief in throwing the long ball early or his desire for a big back to punish defenses and protect leads late in a game.
It’s what Petrino said first when speaking to about 400 coaches at the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Clinic.
The first words out of his mouth were “ repetition is the key to execution. ”
Amen, brother.
So much of the time, it was the little things left undone that kept Nutt’s Razorbacks from being all they could be or as consistent as they could be.
Just from watching Petrino and his staff in the spring, one can tell, he is a detailoriented coach, who runs a detail-oriented staff.
Petrino expects everything done to the letter and he does not mind committing himself, his staff or his players to the work it takes to get things just right.
That type of dedication will pay off for the Razorbacks and it might help them have a better season than many expect.
Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.