2010 AU FOOTBALL PREVIEWS: Arkansas primed for bigger things in 2010

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the seventh in a series previewing Auburn’s 2010 football opponents. This week: Arkansas (Oct. 16). The series will run weekly.

There has, perhaps, been an unfair amount of pressure heaped on this year’s version of the Arkansas Razorbacks, as national pundits and experts seek a potential threat in the SEC West for the defending national champions, Alabama.

Auburn, from firsthand experience last year, certainly won’t argue against the Hogs.

Aside from the Tigers’ meltdown in Baton Rouge, La., against LSU, there was no team that thoroughly outplayed and dissected Auburn more in 2009 than Arkansas.

It was an ugly day in Fayetteville, as Ryan Mallett torched the Tigers with his arm, Michael Smith burned them with his speed on the outside, kick returner Dennis Johnson gashed the walk-on heavy Tigers’ special teams units and even the beleaguered Razorbacks’ defense stepped up, becoming the first team to bottle up Gus Malzahn’s high-flying offensive attack, as the Razorbacks went on to win, 44-23.

Now, when the Razorbacks head to Jordan-Hare Stadium in October, they’ll be expected to do it again — only with expectations similar to what they faced when Malzahn was the offensive coordinator and Darren McFadden was carrying the ball.

“I think we’ve improved,” Arkansas’ third-year coach Bobby Petrino told reporters during the spring. “Our players come with a sense of confidence and a greater understanding of what we’re doing scheme-wise. We have to build on that.”

Maybe the best comparison is last season’s Ole Miss squad, which, despite finishing 9-4 and winning the Cotton Bowl, were considered a disappointment.

That team had a quarterback, Jevan Snead, who was unfairly placed under the spotlight when he received a preseason All-SEC vote over Tim Tebow.

This year’s Razorbacks have the consensus best returning quarterback in the conference, Mallett, who hasn’t seen a bit of live action since Arkansas’ Liberty Bowl victory over East Carolina.

Mallett, who passed on the NFL Draft after tossing for 3,627 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2009, broke a bone in his foot during offseason conditioning drills, forcing him to miss the entire spring. He’s expected to be back in time for two-a-days, but was recently seen on crutches again after a procedure to replace a screw in the foot.

“We fully anticipated this would need to be done in early to mid-June, and the timing of it was intentional to allow him to prepare for the season as much as possible during the summer months,” Petrino told reporters last week. “He will be non-weight bearing for the next two weeks, and I expect Ryan to return fully after that time period. I am completely confident in our athletic trainers and medical staff and the plan they have put
in place for Ryan.”

If he’s fully recovered, there’s no reason to doubt that Arkansas will boast one of the most prolific offenses in the SEC.
Mallett is flanked by a bevy of talented receivers, starting with big target Greg Childs.

Considered one of the best returning wide receivers in the SEC, Childs was dominant during SEC play, averaging 23 yards per catch, racking up 737 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His value increases when you consider he’s by no means a one-man show, as Joe Adams (29 rec., 568 yards, seven touchdowns), Jarius Wright (41, 681, five), Cobi Hamilton (19, 347, three) and TE D.J. Williams (32, 411, three) all return.

“It’s a collection of pass-catchers that any quarterback would love to have,” ESPN’s SEC blogger Chris Low wrote earlier this month. “Losing one of those guys would hurt the Hogs’ passing game, but it certainly wouldn’t devastate it.”

Auburn fans should be delighted that Smith, who combined for 330 rushing yards in the teams’ past two meetings, is gone, but Arkansas has a bevy of options at tailback. Ronnie Wingo Jr. (49 carries, 319 yards, three touchdowns) appears to be the front-runner for the job, but Johnson (57, 342) and Knile Davis (33, 163, four) both have experience.

If Arkansas is to challenge the elite of the SEC West, though, it will have to improve on defense, where it ranked 89th in the nation last season.

Petrino’s teams have never been known for defense, but that was the focus this spring with Mallett on the shelf. There’s plenty of experience, with seven starters returning, but there are still glaring areas of concern, especially at linebacker.

Terrel Williams and Jermaine Love, who combined for 10 tackles in 2009, are locked in a battle for the middle linebacker position. Jerry Franklin is the Hogs’ top returning tackler and will start on the weak side, but there isn’t much behind him, making his health equally as important as his production.

Sophomore cornerback Darius Winston had a strong spring and has emerged as a first-teamer. That position came open when senior Rudell Crim switched from cornerback to strong safety, one of many position switches that took place during the spring.

“I thought the players were flying around and competing,” Petrino told the Sports Xchange in April. “We were sloppy at certain things, particularly putting the ball on the ground. That’s something we don’t do a lot of. Maybe it’s because we were hitting hard and flying to the ball.”

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Arkansas at Auburn
When: Oct. 16
Where: Jordan-Hare
2009 Record: 8-5
Final Ranking: N/A
2009 Bowl: Liberty Bowl (20-17 overtime win vs. ECU)
All-Time Record vs. Auburn: 8-10-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 10, 2009 (Arkansas won, 44-23)