LIKE IT IS: Hogs need all units ready to roll for Tide

— A week ago, hopes were running helium high as the Arkansas Razorbacks prepared to host the Georgia Bulldogs.

The common belief was the Bulldogs were down and the Hogs were up, way up.

That was only partly right.

The Bulldogs are not down, and by the end of the game it was obvious quarterback Joe Cox really had been suffering from the flu in the season-opening loss to Oklahoma State.

Actually, there was a pretty good clue he was sick against Oklahoma State. He arrived in Stillwater, Okla., by private airplane so he wouldn't infect everyone on the team plane.

Also, Arkansas' defense without Jerry Franklin was porous at best.

What was partly right was that the Razorbacks' offense is much improved over a year ago.

The Razorbacks had backto-back tenderloin lunches to open last season but squeaked by Western Illinois 28-24 and Louisiana-Monroe 28-27. Those teams finished the season with a combined record of 10-13.

The Hogs followed those games by being outscored 139-31 in their next threegames. Alabama, Texas and Florida all played in BCS bowl games.

Opponents averaged 38 points per game through the first five games, but that dropped by almost 12 points per game over the final seven games, and four of those teams played in postseason bowls.

After their first three SEC games last season, the Hogs had scored a total of 46 points.

They scored 41 points against Georgia, their only SEC opponent so far, and have 89 total this season.

That is progress.

That is what should have been the realistic expectation for this season.

Bobby Petrino knows what he is doing.

He said after the Georgiagame he was very disappointed in the defense, which gave up 530 yards and 52 points.

On the flip side, the Razorbacks gained 485 yards in their second game of the season against a good Georgia team. They topped that mark once last season, when they totaled 506 against Louisiana-Monroe.

Offense is what Petrino does best.

He built his reputation on moving the chains, first as an offensive coordinator and then as a head coach.

Saturday's game is being dubbed as a showdown of chess players: Petrino's offensive brilliance against Nick Saban's defensive brilliance.

What favors Alabama is it has some great defensive players up front, guys who fight through blocks and droprunning backs and quarterbacks for losses.

Alabama has 10 sacks, but it has registered another 14 tackles for losses of a combined total of 106 yards.

If the Razorbacks' offensive line plays better than it did against Georgia and gives quarterback Ryan Mallett the needed three seconds to pass, the Hogs will move the ball.

Michael Smith, who was the go-to running back a year ago when he rushed for 1,072 yards on 207 carries, has to get more touches, too. He showed again how tough he is when he left the Georgia game early in the first quarter, came back on the sideline without shoulder pads, then put them on later and in the second half had seven of his eight carries for 56 of his 59 yards.

Petrino doesn't just do offense, though. He manages every position through his staff.

He doesn't expect the defense to improve in one week. He demands it.

He isn't asking any more of defensive coordinator Willy Robinson than he is of himself.

The offense will be ready Saturday, but the key is the offensive line play. It has to run block as well as pass block.

The defense will be ready. It has been reacquainted with the speed and strength of the SEC, plus Franklin will be back on the field and wanting to make up for his ejection in the Georgia game.

Georgia outscored Arkansas 42-20 with Franklin on the bench.

Sports, Pages 23 on 09/25/2009

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