FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks are five days away from kicking off a 2011 season that could act as a launching pad to extended success under Coach Bobby Petrino.
Arkansas elbowed its way into national respect last season, going toe-to-toe with defending national champion Alabama, and notching key victories over South Carolina, Mississippi State and LSU down the stretch to a Sugar Bowl berth. Arkansas achieved a No. 10 ranking before its loss to Alabama in late September, then battled all the way back to No. 8 heading into bowl season after losing at eventual BCS national champion Auburn.
Now the Razorbacks, with a different offensive look, must show they can maintain their standing among the SEC elite, which Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee can tell you isn’t easy.
Arkansas, which has increased its victory total each season under Petrino, from 5 to 8 to 10, will open the season ranked No. 14 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 15 in the Associated Press poll. That’s easy striking distance of a run into the top five because the Razorbacks, after three nonconference games, face two preseason top 10 teams — Alabama and Texas A&M — then face the defending champion Auburn.
The Razorbacks have a chance to be sparked by their defense this season.
“We have to go prove it, but I’m very encouraged coming in,” Petrino said. “We took a huge step from year 2 to year 3 defensively. We just need to do that again.”
Seven starters, and 15 of the top 19 tacklers, return from a unit that ranked No. 36 nationally a year ago, and the Hogs believe they can provide more run-stopping force with a huge set of defensive tackles and more depth than ever on their front seven.
“It’s been nice to answer questions about how good we’re going to be this year instead of how bad we’re going to be,” said senior captain Jake Bequette, a preseason All-SEC defensive end.
Bequette will join senior linebackers Jerry Franklin and Jerico Nelson as defensive captains.
“We’ve come a long way since ‘08,” Bequette said. “I think everyone knows that. But we’ve got to go out and prove it on the field. It’s not going to be easy by any means. But I think we have a chance to be one of the best defenses in the conference, and hopefully be the strength of this team.”
The Razorbacks will clearly have a new feel on offense, where the more mobile Tyler Wilson takes the reins from big-armed pocket-passer Ryan Mallett.
Wilson will have the full fleet of game-breakers available at receiver, with seniors Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright leading the way along with junior Cobi Hamilton. Childs, who suffered a patella tendon injury late last year, said he’ll open the season at 100 percent, though he has not been up to his previous standards in camp.
The offensive line will have a different complexion, with starting tackles Demarcus Love and Rey Dominguez and tight end D.J. Williams all now in the NFL. The Hogs appear ready to plug in senior Grant Freeman and true freshman Mitch Smothers at the tackle positions, while Chris Gragg and Colton Miles-Nash head up the contingent of tight ends.
Injuries have cut into depth in the backfield. The Razorbacks have lost their top two rushers, but Knile Davis (broken ankle) and Broderick Green (torn knee ligament) for the season. Davis was the SEC’s leading returning rusher with 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
The Hogs have talented replacements, but Dennis Johnson is returning from a major abdominal injury, and the projected starter, Ronnie Wingo, hasn’t been a workhorse since his senior year in high school.
“We’ve spent a lot of time with Ronnie the last two years, getting him developed,” offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “We can see all the talent.
“I definitely think that he has tried to step up, there’s no doubt, when we lost Knile, to fill that void. His energy, his enthusiasm, his commitment to being a major league running back for us. ... I’ve seen him change his whole mentality and his whole approach to what we’re doing.”
Petrino and his staff have recruited well, to the point that the Hogs’ two-deep should be as its strongest since the regime began.
Petrino got some unprecedented job security last winter with a raise to $3.56 million per season, and mirrored buyout clauses with the university that don’t drop below $10 million for the next five years.
Yet Petrino has said the competition to win a national championship is his primary driving force and he hasn’t stepped away from the grind he preaches about needing to get there.
Sports, Pages 13 on 08/29/2011