Special teams a concern for Hogs

Posted: September 15, 2009 at 6:54 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — Barring maybe a hurricane force wind, seems Saturday night's Arkansas-Georgia coin-toss winning coach awaits a no-brainer decision.

Take the ball.

Because already this young season, Arkansas kick returner Dennis Johnson and Georgia kick returner Brandon Boykin have converted kickoffs to touchdowns.

For the Razorbacks, 1-0 overall off a bye week going into their 6:45 p.m. ESPN nationally televised SEC opener at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Johnson returned the opening kickoff for a 91-yardtouchdown initiating a 48-10 rout of Missouri State, Sept. 5 in Little Rock.

For Georgia's Bulldogs,1-1 overall but 1-0 in the SEC, Boykin went end zone to end zone returning a 100-yard kick return touchdown in UGA's 41-37 SEC victory over South Carolina last Saturday in Athens, Ga.

That kick return, plus others netting a total 187 kick return yards against South Carolina, earned Boykin SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, the SEC Office announced Monday in Birmingham, Ala.

Johnson, Arkansas' sophomore from the Arkansas side of Texarkana, earned SEC co-Special Teams Player of the Week two weeks ago.

Are the Arkansas and Georgia kick returners similar?

"Nah," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said, smiling. "Dennis is a little shorter, shorter legs."

Stocky running back Johnson is listed 5 feet, 9 inches and 205 pounds. Cornerback Boykin is listed 5-10, 182.

"Boykin did a heck of a job on the return," Petrino said. "He could have been tackled. He broke a tackle and made a great play. We have to do a great job in our coverage and tackling."

Boykin's presence adds pressure to an Arkansas kickoff contingent already under the gun from the Missouri State game.

Placekicker/kickoff man Alex Tejada kicked two kickoffs out of bounds, automatically starting the Missouri State offense in good field position at its own 40-yard line. Tejada was replaced by walkon CameronBryanwhokicked one out of bounds.

Punt returns also weren't an Arkansas bragging point against Missouri State. Joe Adams opened as punt returner and fumbled but was rescued by teammate Ramon Broadway's recovery.

Jerell Norton fielded the next one after first letting it hit the ground for a 2-yard loss.

So who returns punts Saturday?

"We're still working on it," Petrino replied Monday.

Who kicks off?

"We're still working on that, too," Petrino said.

Adams, Norton and running back Michael Smithall returned punts during the bye week and presumably will again in practice today.

A wide receiver with 4 catches for 70 yards against Missouri State, including showing his elusiveness by taking a wide receiver screen pass for a 40-yard touchdown, Adams admits he got carried away by Johnson's kick return as the Missouri State punt came his way.

"Yeah," Adams said, "I took my eye off the ball. I was anxious and just wanted to get me a punt return, but you can't rush those type of things. You have to wait for the ball to come to you."

He vows he'll be patiently sure-handed if granted a next time.

"I would love to have another chance to catch punts," Adams said. "If coach puts me back there, I'll catch them."

The punt was the only thing Adams or any Arkansas receiver dropped against Missouri State.

"That makes you feel good, when you don't have any drops and the only ones that weren't complete were your fault," Arkansas starting quarterback Ryan Mallett said of his receivers.

Mallett does operate two receivers short. Senior Lucas Miller, broken collarbone during the August preseason, isn't due to return until the Sept. 26 Alabama game which CBS will televise at 2:30 p.m. from Tuscaloosa, Ala.

And senior London Crawford broke his collarbone against Missouri State and likely is out four to six weeks.

Of course two receivers short on this current Razorbacks' roster isn't like two receivers short on some Razorbacks' rosters past.

"I still think we've got like 30 on the team," Mallett said, smiling. "Don't we? I think we have plenty of guys out there that are more than capable of playing in the game against Georgia."

The Hogs do boast plenty of wide receivers, though none as acclaimed as Georgia's A.J. Green. Green has 10 catches for 138 yards and a TD in two games this year and a SEC leading 56 catches for 963 yards last year as a true freshman.

"We've got to make sure we know where he's at," Petrino said.

Sports, Pages 9, 10 on 09/15/2009

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