FAYETTEVILLE — Bobby Petrino smiled after his first Arkansas-LSU game like he never smiled his first Arkansas season.
Come to think of it, maybe that season-closing 31-30 upset overLSU in Little Rock was the only time Petrino truly smiled during the 5-7 2008 campaign.
Again Saturday post LSU in Little Rock, Petrino smiled like nobody had seen him smile this season.
However, though a little broader, the Petrino smile after his Razorbacks defeated then BCS No. 5 LSU 31-23 was just one of innumerable 2010 smiles by a coach thoroughly happy with his team even before its 10-2 season that may continue in the BCS’ Sugar Bowl.
“I can’t tell you proud I am of our football team,” Petrino said. “They have shown a tremendous amount of character, a tremendous amount of toughness. They are a group that since we started this journey has had a great work ethic and tremendous leadership from within the team. A special, special group of players that has made my job easy and one of the most enjoyable years I can remember in coaching.”
Just two years after assuming a squad like a dour drill sergeant taking on the rawest recruits, Petrino and his team came together 10 times in triumph. With 464 yards total offense versus LSU, they ran over and passed through perhaps the fastest, most talented defense in the country.
From Day One back in 2008, Petrino and his staff have worked toward fashioning an offense that could strike like lightning but also pound like a hammer augmented by a defense that would fight its guts out and make the best of any bad hand dealt it.
All of the above came together against LSU (10-2, 6-2).
After the game you would have needed a ruler to determine which drew the bigger Petrino smile: The lightning of those Ryan Mallett 80 and 85 yard touchdown passes to Cobi Hamilton and 39-yard fourth and three TDs from Mallett to Joe Adams or the thunder of the offensive line clearing running backs Knile Davis and Broderick Green to run the ball forward nine consecutive times. They pounded a 13-play, 88-yard drive consuming 6:03 fourth-quarter minutes, which included a game-sealing field goal.
Petrino’s pick your pleasure wasLes Miles’ pick your poison.
“We gave up big plays,” LSU Coach Miles said of the passes. “Any time we give up those big plays, it’s very difficult to come away with a victory.”
It was also LSU difficult when Petrino went Ground Hog.
“That long drive, it really hammered us,” Miles said.
Despite LSU’s Patrick Peterson averaging nearly 40 yards per four kickoff returns, coordinator Willy Robinson’s Arkansas defense kept limiting LSU with three secondhalf field goals instead of touchdowns.
“You score touchdowns and they kick field goals,” Robinson said, “you are going to win the game.”
A winning formula hand-inhand on a team now figuratively joined at the hip.
“Our guys have learned to count on each other and take care of each other,” Petrino said. “It truly was a team win.”
Sports, Pages 16 on 11/29/2010