Surprises Await Ark-Ala Match-up?

Now, I am not one of those Razorback pundits who picks the Hogs to beat every opponent on any given Saturday. However, after attending and evaluating the Razorback’s effort against Georgia last weekend in Fayetteville, I think there are reasons for hope against Alabama.

Already, sportswriters are focusing in on the match-up brewing between Saban’s defense and Petrino’s offense. It is a match-up that may be more significant in 2010 than this year, but I still think it has some interesting potential in 2009.

The question of Arkansas’ defense must be answered and, honestly, there is no way to go but up. Taken as a whole and considering the outcome of the Georgia game, the defense failed. However, there were some glimmers of hope and a dramatically improved defense that may show its face in the weeks to come. The defense needs to continue to make improvements against Alabama and not give up big plays.

I believe the key to the game won’t be how good Arkansas can play defense, because I think they will be better. The key to the game is if Alabama can stop Ryan Mallett, who hasn’t seen this kind of pass rush all season. If Mallett can survive that, the Hogs have a chance to pull out a win, if ever so slim.

Here is some of what is being said about the game:

Arkansas vs. Alabama – A Test of Bobby Petrino’s Ability to Adjust story

Petrino vs. Saban: Only the beginning story

Lack of Discipline Ruined the Hogs

Jim Harris on Arkansas Sports 360 provides some great insight here in the Hogs disastrous loss to Georgia at home. Personally, I’m wondering if they can recover from this, but I am hopeful. Early, so much went right, but boy did it blow up big time went the penalties started flying!

Georgia-Arkansas Game Recap

I just can’t motivate myself to comment about the Georgia-Arkansas game, so I am going to link to a good — and mostly positive — recap and look to the rest of the season from KenHog on Arkansas Expats. Here’s an excerpt:

“Of course, we are all pleased to see that we now can pass the ball. But we can’t lose our ability to run as well. I would have liked to have seen some long drives that ate up clock on the ground to go with the passing. I believe we ran under 100 yards. I know we complained about Nutt always wanting to run. But the thing that good teams do is both throughout a game.”

Link

Razorbacks Not Overlooking Georgia

Coach Bobby Petrino knows he has to beat Georgia Saturday if he is to send a message to the college football world that Arkansas is back.

The problem is Georgia has beaten the Hogs five straight times, three of which have come in Fayetteville, the site of this week’s game.

Considering Georgia isn’t as good as past seasons, for Arkansas to lose this year would be devastating to Petrino’s rebuilding program.

Alex Abrams of the Northwest Morning News has a good preview on this week’s Arkansas-Georgia game.

Follow is an excerpt:

“Thanks to an open date on the schedule, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has an extra week to prepare for Georgia’s offense, which is in a state of transition after losing its two biggest weapons (to the NFL).

Direct Link: http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/09/13/razorback_central/091409fbgeorgiafeature.txt

SEC Week 2 “Things We Learned”

ESPN’s Chris Low has some excellent observations on Week 2 of the SEC season. Direct link or below:

What we learned in the SEC: Week 2

September 13, 2009 11:30 AM
Posted by ESPN.com’s Chris Low

Auburn made a little history. Tennessee came crashing back down to reality and Georgia lived to see another day Saturday.

Here’s a look at what all we learned in the SEC in Week 2:

1. Auburn serves notice: Hey, this Gene Chizik guy has made a pretty big splash. In fact, of the three new head coaches in the league, he’s made the biggest splash, and he’s done it the old-fashioned way — by winning games. Auburn flattened Mississippi State 49-24 on Saturday night and rolled up more than 500 yards of total offense for the second straight week. It’s the first time since 1970 that Auburn has surpassed the 500-yard mark in back-to-back games. This is a team that’s improving weekly and a team that obviously knows how to put its opponent away. Auburn led Louisiana Tech 13-10 at the half last week, but set sail on a 24-3 run in the second half to win easily. And then Saturday, Mississippi State jumped out to a 17-14 lead midway through the second quarter, but Auburn scored four unanswered touchdowns to send the Bulldogs packing in the SEC opener for both teams. Here’s the most telling stat about what the Tigers have done: They scored six offensive touchdowns against Mississippi State. A year ago, they scored a total of seven offensive touchdowns in eight SEC games.

2. Alabama has options on offense: Sophomore running back Mark Ingram was already coming back from the flu and a bruised knee. Then on the opening drive against Florida International, Julio Jones bruised his right knee cap, while senior running back Roy Upchurch injured his ankle. No problem, though. The Crimson Tide unveiled freshman running back Trent Richardson in full, and he responded with 118 yards rushing. Mike McCoy got most of Jones’ snaps and finished with 100 yards in receptions, and junior quarterback Greg McElroy really looks comfortable standing in that pocket right now and throwing the ball. Everybody will keep an eye on Jones these next few days to see how his knee responds, but this appears to be a more diverse Alabama offense than a year ago.

3. Tennessee not ready for prime time: Now we know. Western Kentucky was just that bad. The Big Orange Nation was giddy with excitement over the Vols’ 63-7 season-opening win last week. But after watching the Vols play a real opponent and lose to UCLA 19-15 at home Saturday, reality quickly set in for the folks on Rocky Top. This is an average team that has a ways to go before it climbs back among the SEC’s elite. The offense doesn’t look any better than it did a year ago, although Monte Kiffin’s defense played valiantly. Lane Kiffin has a decision to make about senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton, who’s already thrown five interceptions in two games. Kiffin obviously lost any confidence he had in Crompton throwing the ball in the second half Saturday. How else do you explain those two up-the-middle-run calls by Kiffin down near the goal line in the final minutes?

4. Garcia finds his groove: Even though South Carolina didn’t win Saturday, sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia gave the Gamecocks hope for the future with the way he played. He showed some courage in the pocket, was a wizard at scrambling out of trouble and just generally grew up in South Carolina’s 41-37 loss at Georgia. It’s sort of what everybody has been waiting to see from Garcia ever since he came to South Carolina as a highly regarded prep quarterback out of Tampa, Fla., two years ago. He finished 31-of-53 for a career-high 313 yards and was intercepted just once. He also led the Gamecocks in rushing with 42 yards on 10 carries. If he’d only kept the ball on that final fourth-down play instead of trying to throw it, South Carolina might be 2-0 right now. Either way, if he continues to play this way the rest of the season, the Gamecocks are going to have a chance to win a lot of games.

5. Bulldogs aren’t dead yet: They were reading the last rites on Georgia’s season as South Carolina drove down the field in the final minutes Saturday. Who knows where an 0-2 start would have led the Bulldogs? Wherever that is, it wouldn’t have been a lot of fun. But by gutting out a 41-37 win, Georgia now heads to Arkansas this coming weekend with a little momentum. The Razorbacks have been pointing toward this game for the past couple of weeks. Even Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino admitted the Hogs worked on some Georgia stuff leading up to the opener against Missouri State, and they were off this past weekend. The Bulldogs will have to play better defensively, especially against the pass, if they’re going to win in Fayetteville. But they go into that game with some newfound confidence and do so 1-0 in the SEC.

How Impressive Were the Hogs? Really?

I have been reading news reports and blogs the past couple of days following the Razorbacks dismantling of Missouri State 48-10 at War Memorial Stadium. And while I am overjoyed that Arkansas didn’t have to struggle for this win (unlike last yea’s opener), I have lot of cause for concern.

Here’s some of my big concerns:

• The kicking game. We couldn’t seem to keep our kickoffs on the field of play. Giving Missouri State a short field wasn’t the end of the world, but it won’t cut it in SEC play.
• The short run game. Wow, did USC transfer Broderick Green unimpress or what? Petrino gave him his chances, but he didn’t deliver. Yeah, the offensive line is partly to blame, but Green is a big load and he really needs to learn how to use his size effectively. At least in one series, after three tries Petrino opted for the air for the score. Sad.
• The defense. Yes, improved, but should Missouri State have scored at all on Saturday? I’ll give them the long field goal, but the drive they put together was nothing but a collection of missed assignments and sorry tackling by the Razorbacks. That just won’t cut it in the smash mouth SEC.

There are several important factors to consider as we look ahead to Georgia. I have to wonder if Coach Petrino laid all of his cards on the table against Missouri State. I doubt it. Also, Georgia was beaten by Oklahoma State in its opener and has South Carolina next week. There is a chance Georgia could travel to Arkansas 0-2 when they play the Hogs if they stumble against an improving South Carolina team. It could shape up to be the perfect storm. They may mad and overdue for a win.

While Arkansas has two weeks to prepare for the Dogs, I think in lots of ways it will be to Georgia’s advantage having already played quality opponents and one SEC game – win or lose – than it will be an advantage for the Hogs having so much prep time.

That being said, this is not the Arkansas team of old. Petrino is undoubtedly one of the best minds in college football and he will have this squad ready with a solid game plan. The game will be won or lost based on execution of the plan.

Here’s what Brandon Marcello of The Slophouse has to say about Saturday’s game and debut of the retooled Hogs, who broke numerous records on offense and – at least for one week – find themselves statistically one of the best teams in the nation:

Just how impressive was the Arkansas offense?

By Brandon Marcello
September 7, 2009

Arkansas was very sharp on the football field in its season opener, and quarterback Ryan Mallett was the catalyst in his first start as a Razorback. So just how hot were the Razorbacks on offense in their 48-10 win over Missouri State on Saturday? Well, so hot that they’re rated first nationally in passing yards and near the top in several offensive categories (through Saturday’s games).

When was the last time an Arkansas team was even close to sniffing the top 10 nationally in passing yards per game? Does anyone know? … Anyone?

Bueller?

So don’t be surprised if Mallett is the recipient of an SEC Player of the Week award when the conference makes their announcement later today.

Here’s a breakdown of the Hogs’ offense, with the national ranking in parentheses. Coach Bobby Petrino, who graduated with a degree in math AND physical education at Carroll College in Montana, should love crunching these numbers today.

Even if it was against an FCS school, Petrino looks to be getting back on the path he cultivated as an offensive juggernaut at Louisville and Auburn. As an assistant coach or head coach, Petrino’s offenses have ranked in the top 10 nationally six times in total offense, including twice at No. 1.

We’re not the only ones impressed with Petrino’s offense and the Hogs’ 447 yards through the air Saturday for a single-game school record. Matt Hayes of the Sporting News, who recently predicted eight wins for this season, had this to say Sunday:

Last year at this time, the Hogs needed a second-half comeback to beat I-AA Western Illinois. This time, quarterback Ryan Mallett led an offense that set the school record for passing yards in a game. There will be many more records broken this fall by the SEC’s most underrated team.

Here’s something else to consider: Arkansas plays all of the SEC’s Big Four — Florida, Alabama, LSU, Mississippi — on the road. And they’ll get at least one upset from that group.

And let’s not leave out Willy Robinson’s defense. Three sacks and eight tackles for a loss against the Bears can not be overlooked.

Arkansas’ defense, even if it did have a few missed tackles which led to a Missouri State touchdown in the first half, also showed signs of improvement from a season ago. The Hogs’ D is ranked 21st in total defense nationally after giving up just 205 yards to the Bears on Saturday.

Also, sophomore Dennis Johnson, who returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, is second in the land in yards-per-return with a 57.5-yard average on kickoffs.

Not too shabby.

“Celebration of the Razoback” Video

Enjoy!

Hogs vs. Mo. State – Look for a Blowout!

I can’t help but think that Arkansas football has a lot going for it this season. And as I have predicted, I can’t imagine this team – despite a really tough schedule – doing any less than 8-4. The Hogs are hungry and Bobby Petrino doesn’t like to lose. Period.

That being said. I predict the Razorbacks will initially sputter a bit against Missouri State, then roll to a huge win. I say 31-14 or perhaps an even wider margin.

Here’s what the Fayetteville Flyer says:

The Razorbacks shouldn’t have much of a problem with the Bears and will be a nice way to start off the season with a win. After that, it’s a bye week (why so early?) and then Georgia. But, don’t look too far ahead, keep focused and take care of business. Go Hogs! Read more.

All in all, I believe it will be a great start to a really exciting season! Go Hogs!

ESPN Arkansas Preview

According to ESPN, Arkansas has the toughest schedule in the SEC, but things are looking up!