Petrino's Hogs improve for 2nd campaign

Posted: August 30, 2009 at 6:15 a.m.

Anthony Reyes
Arkansas sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallet warms up before practice Aug. 15 at Razorback Stadium.

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FAYETTEVILLE — It's a given these Arkansas Razorbacks commencing coach Bobby Petrino's second season are deeper, more talented, more experienced and should be a better football team than lastyear.

How much better than last year's 5-7, though is no given at all.

In the SEC, vast improvement sometimes just means treading water. Especially with the SEC schedule these Hogs play.

According to the ESPN Coaches poll, the Hogs are doomed underdogs in their four SEC road games versus top-ranked defending national champion/defending SEC champion Florida, fifth-ranked reigning SEC West champion Alabama, ninthranked LSU and 10th-ranked Ole Miss.

Add a tossup with the Big 12's Texas A&M Aggies at Jerry Jones' new Dallas Cowboys colossus, and you've got a potential zero road wins requiring a clean 6-0 sweep at the Hogs' Fayetteville and Little Rock homes to better 5-7.

No given there. Georgia, ranked 13th nationally by the nation's coaches, and Auburn and South Carolina, both in the "others receiving votes" in the Coaches' poll as is Arkansas, come to Fayetteville, along with Troy.

Troy is no gimme but the reigning Sun Belt Conference champ also in the "others receiving votes" portion of national polls.

And there's a Little Rock SEC visit from Mississippi State, victorious over Arkansas last year.

Only nonconference likely rent-a- wins with Missouri State, the season opener Sept. 5 in Little Rock, and the Halloween homecoming with Eastern Michigan in Fayetteville resemble gimmes.

And given last year Arkansas barelyescaped underdogs Western Illinois in Fayetteville and Louisiana-Monroe in Little Rock, theseHogs need to do more than squeak by.

The Hogs can't control the schedule and the fans' and media's perceptions.

What they can control is improving their personnel.

It seems they have done that.

Also, last year's biggest enemy now seems a friend. Time is on their side.

The players now have had a full year adjusting to the Petrino all-business approach so different than the preceding 10 years under Houston Nutt's playerscoach regime.

Everyone knows what's expected.

"We're certainly ahead of where we were a year ago as far as our players understanding our schemes and our offense and defense and how we're going to work, andhow we're going to practice," Petrino said.

Petrino's long day's journey into night spring football scrimmages that boggled the Hogs' minds in 2008 were just par for the course for them in spring and August preseason 2009.

Of course if anything seems too routinely par, Petrino can still be the bogeyman.

During this August preseason at various times he put unquestioned first-teamers like linebackers Jerry Franklin, last year's leading tackler, and senior captain Wendel Davis on the second team. He kept them demoted until they practiced like he expects them to practice.

"Nothing is promised to nobody," senior preseason second All-SEC tackle Malcolm Sheppard, by far the Hogs most heralded defensive player, said. "My position isn't safe. Nobody's position is safe. That's the mentality Coach Petrino wantsus to have."

The defense, dreadful last year, and the special teams, also dreadful last year, have been the focus of major upgrades.

Petrino brought John L. Smith, the veteran former Louisville and Michigan State head coach for whom Petrino worked, to coordinate special teams.

Time and recruiting has upgraded the defense.

It's not so much heralded defensive recruits making a major impact, though many will in time.

More it seems their presence combined with a full year knowing what defensive coordinator Willy Robinson wants, compels the returning players to improve.

Even after a scrimmage when the offense got the best of them, the defensive players know they are better than last year.

"Time to time we check on film of last year just as an encouragement to see theimprovement from Year 1 to Year 2," sophomore starting defensive end Jake Bequette said. "It stands out."

Offense is Petrino's forte and looks ready to roll.

Though Rimington Award winning center Jonathan Luigs has graduated to the NFL, the line overall is much deeper than last year, especially with 2007 starting guard Mitch Petrus returning after redshirting in 2008.

All-SEC tailback MichaelSmith's hamstrings are back healthy, and there's a stable of backs to ease his workload.

Fans wax excited about new starting quarterback Ryan Mallett's big arm and a receiving corps, headed by 2008 Mackey Award semifinalist tight end D.J. Williams and more wideouts than ants at a picnic.

These Hogs are bound to be better, though it's bound to be tough to prove it on the ledger.

Sports, Pages 10, 11 on 08/30/2009

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