WholeHogSports
Hit the ground running : Minus great backs, Hogs begin new era under Petrino
Posted on Sunday, August 24, 2008
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/68433/
Believe it or not, replacing All-Americans become NFL running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones ranks among the lesser of these Arkansas Razorbacks’ concerns.
Defensive caliber equivalents of McFadden and Jones would seem far higher on new coach Bobby Petrino’s what-if wish list than McFadden and Jones returning to run the ball even after they ran it so superbly the past three years for former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.
The running game still seems in good hands, er, feet.
“ We are going to be OK, ” second-year running backs coach Tim Horton said with a self-deprecating smile. “ If we get any coaching at all, we are going to be OK. ”
It could even be very, very good.
Not to D-Mac and Felix levels, of course. Arkansas nor likely anyone else in the country presently has combo matches for two-time Doak Walker Award-winner McFadden, the greatest running back in UA history, or Jones, the greatest kick returner in UA history.
So how can the Hogs still live on the run minus who made them run ?
Well, center Jonathan Luigs, All-American the last two years and the Rimington Award winner last year for helping to clear McFadden and Jones on their honored paths, is back to block as is an entire line who either started or played key backup roles last year.
Petrino’s considerably more sophisticated passing game should create more running lanes when the Hogs do run.
“ You never really know what we are going to do on any given play, ” Luigs said.
And while not McFadden and Jones, junior running backs Michael Smith (303 yards on 46 carries backing up McFadden and Jones last year ) and Texarkana’s Brandon Barnett (24 carries for 136 yards last year ) and exciting true freshmen running backs De’Anthony Curtis of Camden and Dennis Johnson statistically ran tall in preseason even if all stand a generously listed 5-10 or shorter.
“ They are not as big as them but they can move just as good, ” tight end D. J. Williams said.
Good enough to run rings around Arkansas’ defense in the first two preseason scrimmages, anyway.
The offense in preseason has appeared doubly deadly with quarterback Casey Dick finding his range as a passer including hitting 7 of his first 8 in Preseason Scrimmage II.
Just like these Hogs don’t have a single running back up to McFadden or Jones, the Razorbacks don’t have a single receiver up to Marcus Monk 2004-06 before a preseason scrimmage injury considerably dissipated what should have been his banner senior 2007.
With the additions of flashy freshman receivers Jarius Wright of Warren and Joe Adams of Central Arkansas Christian to go with a host of returnees including first-teamers London Crawford and Carlton Salters, The Hogs have enough capable hands to fulfill Petrino’s three- and four-receiver sets.
Especially when you don’t just throw in the tight ends but throw to the tight ends.
D. J. Williams and Andrew Davie are often the most reliable receivers of the lot, tight or split. Now they’re in an offense designed to prove it.
Tempering all this offensive optimism is the defense’s shaky preseason start.
The defensive staff doesn’t mince words.
“ It wasn’t good, ” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said after Scrimmage I. “ Very disappointing. Took a big step back. ”
After Scrimmage II, defensive ends coach Kirk Botkin said, “ The defense has not played well. We have to get better everywhere. Everywhere in every position we’ve got to be a tougher [defensive ] football team. ”
The emergence of redshirt freshman Jerry Franklin of Marion at middle linebacker and senior defensive end Antwain Robinson wreaking havoc rushing the quarterback have been plusses as has senior defensive tackle Ernest Mitchell’s continued improvement rebounding from offseason knee surgery, and the indefatigable Malcolm Sheppard at the other tackle.
Outside linebacking depth, compounded by the permanent disciplinary dismissal of returning starter Freddie Fairchild, is so thin that Robinson took an extra safety and installed a hybrid safety / outside linebacker position called “ Jack. ” Walner Leandre, freshman Jerico Nelson and Bret Harris rank 1-2-3 at Jack.
On special teams, kicker Alex Tejada and punter Jeremy Davis return with true freshmen Jarius Wright and Elton Ford prime candidates to return punts and kicks.
Minus McFadden and Jones and subtracting so much from last year’s defense multiplied by a killer schedule had SEC media adding up a last-place SEC finish for Arkansas at SEC Media Days.
Nothing to new to Petrino.
“ My first year at Louisville we were picked last or second to last, ” Petrino said. “ We just have to prove everybody wrong. We are going to surprise some people. ”
He did at Louisville, going 9-4 with that first 2003 team preceding his 11-1, 9-3 and 12-1 Louisville campaigns.