Posted: 11/30/2008 9:21:51 AM EDT
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Five for fighting
Arkansas scratches and claws out 5-7 record By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer LITTLE ROCK From the first game of the season to the last, Arkansas had to fight for every win. With Darren McFadden in the NFL and a new coach in charge, the Razorbacks went 5-7 and fell short of the postseason. The growing pains were no surprise, but the Hogs provided enough encouraging moments to give hope for the future. The season ended with a 31-30 victory over LSU on Friday. Arkansas trailed 30-14 in the second half before rallying to win on a last-minute touchdown. "I am very proud of this football team," coach Bobby Petrino said. Petrino was hired last December to replace Houston Nutt, and he faced an immediate challenge. McFadden, the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2006 and 2007, turned pro. So did fellow running back Felix Jones. The Razorbacks began the season with the two easiest games on their schedule Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe. Arkansas needed late fourth-down conversions to win each game. That became a common theme throughout the season. Petrino was more than willing to go for it on fourth down at a makable distance, and the Razorbacks often converted. Their final touchdown a 24-yard pass from Casey Dick to London Crawford with 22 seconds left against LSU came on fourth-and-1. "We work on the 2-minute drill all the time in practice," center Jonathan Luigs said. "So we felt comfortable on that last drive." The victory wasn't enough for a postseason berth, because although Arkansas won its share of close games, it also lost a few. The Razorbacks led by 13 points and had the ball with under five minutes remaining in an October game at Kentucky and ended up losing 21-20. The following week they lost to Ole Miss 23-21 in Nutt's return to Fayetteville. Those defeats stung. Unlike in losses to Alabama (49-14) and Texas (52-10) early in the season, Arkansas was competitive. Close games became the norm during the second half of the season. The Razorbacks handed Tulsa its first loss of the season Nov. 1, holding off the Golden Hurricane's powerful offense for a 30-23 victory. That was Arkansas' most lopsided win of the year. Petrino's arrival meant a move away from Nutt's run-oriented offense. Dick threw for 2,586 yards, falling just short of the school's single-season record. He also threw 14 interceptions and only 13 touchdown passes. Dick's younger brother Nathan, a redshirt freshman, started the last two games of the season, but Casey Dick returned in the second half against LSU and finished his senior year with an emotional win. Next season, Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett will be eligible at quarterback, and the Razorbacks return plenty of other key offensive players. Michael Smith rushed for 1,072 yards as a junior this season, although Petrino didn't show much confidence in his backups and Smith wore down as the year progressed. Freshmen Joe Adams and Jarius Wright showed promise at wide receiver, and sophomore tight end D.J. Williams led the team with 61 catches. "He's been our go-to guy and he's the guy who has had the big plays and a lot of third-down conversions," Petrino said recently. Arkansas loses Luigs off the offensive line, and defensive linemen Ernest Mitchell and Antwain Robinson. Juniors Malcolm Sheppard and Adrian Davis combined for 11.5 sacks. Linebacker Jerry Franklin, a redshirt freshman, led the team in tackles. "Jerry's a good player," linebacker Wendel Davis said early in November. "He's got a few years left and he's going to be a great player." Expectations could be quite a bit higher next season, when Arkansas tries to return to the postseason. |
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God, how i hated Houston Nutt.
Everything he said, and every action he undertook made me think: "does this A-hole understand the fundamentals of this game??!!" Some of the decisons he made left me with the sad impression that he simply doesn't knowwhat he's doing. Talk about a bonehead...man....that guy is a triceratops in a nice suit. He is a football moron with a carpetbagger's silver tongue. Petrino....he STINKS of competance. Football knowledge drips off of him and slings away from his every gesture. He's our new manifestation of Patton, man.... and he'll drive the barbarians from the gate in LR or Fayetnam. He takes no crap, on the field or off. And if he says it....i by God believe it. I have hope for our program for the first time in a decade. Go Hogs. |
