KNOCK ON WOOD : Petrino era begins in earnest on Sept. 19

By Terry Wood

Posted: September 6, 2009 at 7:47 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — OK, the Arkansas Razorbacks' one-game exhibition season is over.

Now, with the Missouri State Bears in their rear-view mirror, it's time for the Hogs to get down to business.

The Hogs' season begins in earnest in 13 days when the Georgia Bulldogs visit Razorback Stadium forone of their rare visits to the Ozarks.

The game is a huge one for Bobby Petrino and his Arkansas staff. It can almost be viewed as a coming-out party for the Montana-bred, playcalling maestro at Arkansas.

No, I haven't forgotten last season, Petrino's first at theArkansas helm, but I'd like to and I bet the Head Hog would, too.

It's an understatement to say the Razorbacks weren't ready for primetime in 2008.

Petrino and much of his staff had arrived on the hill after a nightmarish season with the Atlanta Falcons, and the Razorbacks were shellshocked themselves after the bitter turmoil that led to Houston Nutt's departure as their coach.

It took nearly the entire season for Petrino and the Razorbacks to get on the same page, but when they did, the Hogs stunned a downtrodden LSU squad, 31-30, in Little Rock in the final game of the season.

This year, the much improved Razorbacks won't be able to ambush Mark Richt's Bulldogs.

It'stoo early in the season, and there is too much on the line.

If the Hogs are to beat the Bulldogs, they will have to do it straight up.

And, after a loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday and their upcoming SEC opener against South Carolina this Saturday, the Bulldogs will be ambling toward mid-season form.

The Razorbacks, on the other hand, will be experiencing whatamounts to their second season opener.

What's odd about the way the two team's schedules stack up is that Petrino and his staff will have a better book on how the Bulldogs will respond in pressure situations than they will on their own team.

No doubt, it will take the Razorbacks some time to adjust to the speed of the game against an SEC opponent, particularly the Hogs youngerand more inexperienced players, including quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Certainly, Mallett competed against top talent his freshman season at Michigan, but it's been almost two years since he faced a pass rush like Georgia will throw at him and defensive backs with the physical ability of the Bulldogs.

And while the Hogs do have the luxury of nearly two weeks to prep for Georgia, there reallyisn't any way to simulate the speed of the game in practice.

That being said, expect the Razorbacks to be primed and ready for the Bulldogs' visit, which will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2 at 6:45 p.m.

During his tour of Razorback Clubs earlier in the year, Petrino did not mind telling fans that the Georgia game was one he had circled on his calendar.

It's an understatement to call it a big game for Petrino's burgeoning program at Arkansas. How the Hogs play against the Bulldogs will set the early season perception of the Razorbacks not only among Hog fans, but also for recruits, the rest of the SEC and the nation.

Despite being on the road, Georgia will most likely be favored, and there is nothing that grabs headlines and attention like an upset.

And while coaches in most collegiate sportscan accurately say that polls and public perception are meaningless, football coaches can't, at least not until the Bowl Championship Series rankings stops using opinion in the form of polls to help select its champion.

Simply put, the game is huge for the Razorbacks and their 2009 aspirations.

Fayetteville ought to be revved up for the game and Razorback Stadium should be bursting at the seams with rowdy Razorbackers.

But, it's a slow build until Sept. 19 for Hog fans. Their taste for football was merely whetted on Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium.

The football feast begins for real in 13 days when the Bulldogs come barking at the Razorbacks' door.

Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the North west Arkansas Times.

Sports, Pages 10, 12 on 09/06/2009

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