FAYETTEVILLE — The renewal of the Arkansas-Texas A&M football series Saturday in Arlington, Texas, looks sure to supply offensive sparks with two of the NCAA's best offensive teams.
It also looks promising to provide a bunch of penalties.
Texas A&M leads the nation in penalty yards per game, while Arkansas is the third-most penalized team in the country.
Arkansas senior guard Mitch Petrus was fuming about the offensive line play in general and the penalties after Tuesday's practice, three days after the Razorbacks amassed 101 flags for 98 yards in a 35-7 loss at No. 3 Alabama.
"We've got to stop making mistakes that are costing the team and stop getting penalties," Petrus said.
That infraction level is almost child's play compared to the penalties Texas A&M racked up in its first two games.
The Aggies were hit with 14 penalties for 123 yards in their season-opening 41-6 rout of New Mexico. In Game 2, Texas A&M was penalized 16 times for 147 yards in a 38-30 victory over Utah State.
"We had some mundane penalties we shouldn't have had," Texas A&M Coach Mike Sherman said that day. "Last week, we had 14, and this week we had 16. In my career, we've always been a little-penalized team for the most part.
"We haven't proved that yet at A&M. We have to get that fixed."
The Aggies did much better against Alabama-Birmingham last week, netting only three penalties for 25 yards. Texas A&M averages 11 penalties per game for an average of 98.3 yards per game.
Arkansas has been steadily penalized. The Razorbacks drew eight penalties for 60 yards in their opener against Missouri State, then had 11 infractions for 100 yards against Georgia.
Arkansas averages 10 penalties for 86 yards per game.
Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino said he was upset by the Razorbacks' number of penalties. Asked how he expected to cut down on penalties, Petrino replied: "Run the heck out of them. That's the starting point, you know."
Arkansas had penalties called on four of its first six offensive series at Alabama, though the Crimson Tide declined a clip on guard Grant Cook on the first possession of the game.
"They're not helping," quarterback Ryan Mallett said of the penalties. "We've got to stay in front of the sticks."
The Hogs' rule-breaking has run the gamut, including a series of false starts - including two by wide receiver Greg Childs at Alabama, and three by offensive tackle Ray Dominguez against Georgia - some holding calls, blocks in the back on special teams, a chop block against Georgia, three pass interference calls against the Crimson Tide, linebacker Jerry Franklin's double-unsportsmanlike conduct and ejection episode against Georgia, and Petrino's own unsportsmanlike call a few minutes after Franklin was booted.
"That was a case where the guy thought I was challenging his integrity, and I shouldn't get that penalty,"Petrino said.
Against Alabama, receiver Jarius Wright had a clip, guard Wade Grayson was flagged for a block in the back, and cornerback Ramon Broadway was hit with a face mask call on Trent Richardson's 52-yard touchdown run and also got one of the pass interference penalties.
"The big thing we've got to work on with everybody, you can't let a guy hit you and let that get the best of you," defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard said. "You've got to keep your composure just for the team's sake."
Without naming players, Petrino railed on the big-yardage penalties.
"Three of them were completely stupid plays," he said. "Penalties you should not ever make."
Petrino said a stronger reliance on discipline and technique should help cut down on penalties.
"You can't make stupid penalties," he said. "You can accept a penalty if you're doing it out of aggression. ... But you don't hit guys in the back, and offensive players don't block people in the back. When they do that, you can't accept it."
Sports, Pages 19, 23 on 09/30/2009