FAYETTEVILLE — Remember last season when Arkansas' offensive coaches were reluctant to give any tailback other than Michael Smith many touches for weeks on end?
They are determined the workload will be shared by more players this season, when as many as four or five tailbacks could be in line for action behind Smith, a second-team All-SEC pick in 2008 and first-team selection this preseason.
And the frustration over the Razorbacks' inability to produce in short-yardage situations, especially on the goal line?
Arkansas hopes that's a thing of the past with bigger, heavier backs such as 234-pound Broderick Green and 218-pound Ronnie Wingo in the rotation.
"We feel on offense, in the fourth quarter, if we have the lead, if we can just pound them, pound them, pound them - then you kill the body and the mind will go," offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said after Green had six consecutive carries during a touchdown drive in the Hogs' second scrimmage.
In three scrimmages through fall camp, Smith, a team captain, has been his typical elusive self, rushing for 7.9 yards per carry and cementing his spot as the featured back.
The competition for second team has been hotly contested, with various players surging up and falling back, each of them exhibiting a variety of skills.
"It's a great situation. We're going to need every one of them," running backs coach Tim Horton said.
"Who's the hot guy and who's doing well will be kind of that second guy that goes in or that third guy that goes in, and it could even be situation-specific in terms of this guy's a better pass protector or this guy's a better short-yardage guy or this guy's a better first-down back."
The sorting-out process is well under way, but the pecking order still is not definite.
While it appears Dennis Johnson, Green and Wingo have edged in front of De'Anthony Curtis and Knile Davis, Horton pointed out there are certain packages tailored for the different backs, and they are all involved in special teams. Where senior Brandon Barnett, who is recovering from a broken leg in the spring, fits in this year is anybody's guess.
After Johnson rushed for 93 yards, showing speed and tackle-breaking skills, in last Saturday's scrimmage, Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino was asked if Johnson had solidified his spot.
"It doesn't solidify anything, but I think we are really starting to understand and learn what Dennis does well," Petrino said. "Right now, he is the guy making the big runs, very quick out of the backfield, broke some tackles today."
Green, a sophomore transfer from Southern California, was seemingly in line to be the top option on short-yardage runs, but he became ill last week and will have to work his way back.
Wingo almost seems guaranteed playing time as a freshman, and he leads the backs with 93 receiving yards in scrimmages.
"I like what I've seen in the last week," Petrino said of Wingo on Saturday. "He's got something special about him."
The Razorbacks are eager to display more tailback talent and give Smith more breathers this season after he averaged 23 carries through his first eight games in 2008 before suffering injuries.
In a stretch from Week 2 through Week 9 last season, Johnson and Curtis, then freshmen, managed just 20 carries for 54 yards, and that included Curtis' nine carries at Kentucky. Smith ran 186 times for 987 yards in those games.
It doesn't appear the carries will be that massively unbalanced this season.
The lure of playing time has been a huge factor in the tailback competition.
"If you don't perform, you're moving down," Horton said.
Johnson came on strong the past two Saturdays, compiling 121 rushing yards and 77 receiving yards to make his bid for playing time beyond his kick returning chores.
"I think I can catch the ball, run the ball and can block," Johnson said. "Last year, I couldn't block that well, but they taught me how to block."
Green had two productive scrimmages with 113 rushing yards and three touchdowns before he became sick. The Little Rock native returned to practice Tuesday.
Smith should lead the team in carries, but his snap count is expected to drop. He had 207 carries for 1,072 yards and 8 touchdowns in 10 games last season. He also caught 32 passes for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"I don't have an ideal workload," Smith said. "I have what I want to do. And I want to not be on the field as long, and the way I'm going to do that - that we're going to do that - is executing our assignments fully, so that we can get in the end zone faster."
Curtis has had the fewest carries among the contenders in scrimmages, with 14 runs for 51 yards, but he took a screen pass 34 yards for a touchdown in last week's scrimmage, displaying elusiveness in the open field.
Sports, Pages 19, 21 on 08/26/2009