Hogs’ Trips Carry Receiving Load

By Robbie Neiswanger

Posted: January 2, 2010 at 2:07 a.m.

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MEMPHIS — Arkansas’ trio of sophomore receivers turned in an impressive season.

Together, Greg Childs, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright combined to catch 110 passes for 2,006 yards and 18 touchdowns. They accounted for seven 100-yard receiving performances and took turns hauling in passes during Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett’s record-breaking year.

But one of them said earlier this week the performance didn’t quite meet his preseason goals.

“I expected a little bit more,” Wright said. “I got high standards. Anybody else you could ask, they probably think we did great, but I set higher standards for myself and my teammates.”

Wright may be tough to please, but Arkansas has been pretty happy by the group’s growth as it prepares to play East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday. The three worked their way through up-and-down seasons as freshmen in 2008, but became pivotal parts of a high-powered offense that led the Southeastern Conference in scoring (37.3 points a game) in 2009.

Childs finished third in the league in receiving yards a game (71.8). Adams was fifth (61.4). And Wright wasn’t far behind (49.2). Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said their impact on the offense was obvious throughout the year.

“When they’re focused and feeling good they’re hard to stop,” Petrino said.

“One thing that’s been good is because all three of them can make plays, the quarterback can really read the coverage and just distribute the ball according to coverage. We don’t try to force the ball to a particular guy and I think that’s why they’ve all had their share of big games.”

The first sign of the group’s potential came in the 52-41 loss to Georgia, when each receiver caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Childs led the way with five catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns, but the sophomores took turns making big plays nearly every week.

“I’m just a lucky guy to have a group of receivers around me that can make the plays that they do,” Mallett said. “These guys make plays that I don’t see too many people making.”

Adams said that type of production is exactly what all three envisioned when they decided to play in coach Petrino’s offense. “That’s why we came here,” Adams said last week. “So all three of us could be together. ...

“We’re all coming back next year. We’re all sophomores. We can’t do nothing but get better.”

But there are some unanswered questions that could have an impact on the group next season.

The receivers don’t know who will be coaching them after Paul Petrino left to become offensive coordinator at Illinois earlier this month. Bobby Petrino said he will likely wait until after the bowl game to hire a replacement.

They’re also not sure which quarterback will be throwing passes in 2010. Mallett is considering an early jump to the NFL and Wright said he won’t get in the way of the decision.

“It’s all up to him,” Wright said. “He could take the money or he could come back and finish one more year of great college football with a great team. We’re going to win games.

“I hadn’t really had a chance to talk to him about it because everybody else has. I don’t want to be a pest. Especially as one of his receivers. I’m just going to let him clear his mind until after the bowl game.”

Instead, Wright and the receivers are just concentrating on one more performance against the Pirates. They may have a little added motivation to produce in the Liberty Bowl, too.

When All-SEC teams were announced earlier this month, Adams was the only Arkansas receiver recognized. He was named a second-team performer by The Associated Press after catching 28 passes for 553 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games. Childs was left off the ballot for the AP team and the SEC coaches’ team.

“I was surprised,” Childs said. “But I’m not too worried about it. I think I had a pretty good season, though. I think I improved.”

The perceived snub left many Arkansas players and coaches, including Wright, upset.

“It’s probably going to go in the paper, I’m probably going to get criticized about it, but I looked at Julio Jones’ numbers and his numbers weren’t better than either one of our receivers,” Wright said of the Alabama wideout, who was named a second-team performer by SEC coaches after catching 42 passes for 473 yards and four touchdowns.

“I’m just not understanding.”

But Wright said the only thing he, Childs and Adams can do now is make one final impression against East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl. Then, they’ll set their sites on 2010. And Wright is setting even loftier goals.

“We’ve got a good chance of competing for a national championship, an SEC championship,” he said. “I feel like it’s all in our hands.

“It all depends on what we want to do with it and how hard we work in the offseason.”

Saturday’s Ticket

51st Liberty Bowl

Arkansas vs. East Carolina

KICKOFF: 4:30 p.m. TV: ESPN.

WHERE: Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tenn.

RECORDS: Arkansas Razorbacks, 7-5, 3-5 Southeastern Conference; East Carolina Pirates, 9-4, 7-1 Conference USA.

COACHES: Arkansas, Bobby Petrino (12-12, second season, 53-21 overall, sixth season); East Carolina, Skip Holtz (38-26, fifth season, 71-49 overall, 10th season).

LAST TIME OUT: Arkansas lost 33-30 in overtime to LSU on Nov. 28 in Baton Rouge, La.; East Carolina defeated Houston 38-32 in the Conference USA Championship game on Dec. 5 in Greenville, N.C., for its second straight league title.

BOWL RECORDS: Arkansas, 11-22-3; East Carolina, 8-7-0 (5-5-0 since joining Football Bowl Subdivision in 1978).

LAST BOWL APPEARANCE: Arkansas lost 38-7 to Missouri in the 2007 Cotton Bowl; East Carolina lost 25-19 to Kentucky in the 2009 Liberty Bowl.

IN THE LIBERTY BOWL: Arkansas, 0-3 (lost 14-13 to Tennessee in 1971, lost 21-15 to Auburn in 1984, and lost 20-17 to Georgia in 1987); East Carolina, 1-2 (lost 25-19 to Kentucky in 2009, defeated Stanford 19-13 in 1995, and lost 30-0 to Illinois in 1994).

SERIES: First meeting.

TICKETS: To order online, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com and click on the tickets link. Tickets are $50 and in addition a $10 processing fee will be applied to each order. Visa and Mastercard are accepted online. For further information, call 1-800-982-HOGS (4647).

LINE: Arkansas by 7 1/2.

The Schedules

Arkansas Razorbacks

7-5 overall

3-5 Southeastern Conference (Fourth, West)

Date Opponent Site Time

Sept. 5 Missouri State Little Rock W 48-10

Sept. 19 Georgia* Fayetteville L 52-41

Sept. 26 Alabama* Tuscaloosa, Ala. L 35-7

Oct. 3 **Texas A&M Arlington, Texas W 47-19

Oct. 10 Auburn* Fayetteville W 44-23

Oct. 17 Florida* Gainesville, Fla. L 23-20

Oct. 24 Ole Miss* Oxford, Miss. L 30-17

Oct. 31 ***Eastern Michigan Fayetteville W 63-27

Nov. 7 South Carolina* Fayetteville W 33-16

Nov. 14 Troy Fayetteville W 56-20

Nov. 21 Mississippi State* Little Rock W 42-21

Nov. 28 LSU* Baton Rouge, La. L 33-30 (OT)

*Southeastern Conference game

**At Cowboys Stadium

***Homecoming

East Carolina Pirates

9-4 overall

7-1 Conference USA (First, East)

Date Opponent Location Result

Sept. 5 Appalachian State Greenville, N.C. W 29-24

Sept 12 West Virginia Morgantown, W.Va. L 35-20

Sept. 19 North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. L 31-17

Sept. 26 UCF* Greenville, N.C. W 19-14

Oct. 3 Marshall* Huntington, W.Va. W 21-17

Oct. 10 at SMU* Dallas L 28-21

Oct. 17 Rice Greenville, N.C. W 49-13

Oct. 27 Memphis* Memphis, Tenn. W 38-19

Nov. 5 Virginia Tech Greenville, N.C. L 16-3

Nov. 15 at Tulsa* Tulsa, Okla. W 44-17

Nov. 21 UAB Greenville, N.C. W 37-21

Nov. 28 Southern Miss* Greenville, N.C. W 25-20

Conference USA Championship

Dec. 5 Houston Greenville, N.C. W 38-32

*Conference USA game

By The Numbers

The Bowl Histories

Arkansas

Record: 11-22-3

1934 — Dixie Classic, Dallas: Arkansas 7, Centenary 7

1947 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Arkansas 0, LSU 0

1948 — Dixie Bowl, Birmingham: Arkansas 21, William & Mary 19

1955 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Georgia Tech 14, Arkansas 6

1960 — Gator Bowl, Jacksonville: Arkansas 14, Georgia Tech 7

1961 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Duke 7, Arkansas 6

1962 — Sugar Bowl, New Orleans: Alabama 10, Arkansas 3

1963 — Sugar Bowl, New Orleans: Ole Miss 17, Arkansas 13

1965 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Arkansas 10, Nebraska 7

1966 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: LSU 14, Arkansas 7

1969 — Sugar Bowl, New Orleans: Arkansas 16, Georgia 2

1970 — Sugar Bowl, New Orleans: Ole Miss 27, Arkansas 22

1971 — Liberty Bowl, Memphis: Tennessee 14, Arkansas 13

1976 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Arkansas 31, Georgia 10

1978 — Orange Bowl, Dallas: Arkansas 31, Oklahoma 6

1978 — Fiesta Bowl, Tempe: Arkansas 10, UCLA 10

1980 — Sugar Bowl, New Orleans: Alabama 24, Arkansas 9

1980 — Hall of Fame Bowl, Birmingham: Arkansas 34, Tulane 15

1981 — Gator Bowl, Jacksonville: North Carolina 31, Arkansas 27

1982 — Bluebonnet Bowl, Houston: Arkansas 28, Florida 24

1984 — Liberty Bowl, Memphis: Auburn 21, Arkansas 15

1985 — Holiday Bowl, San Diego: Arkansas 18, Arizona State 17

1987 — Orange Bowl, Miami: Oklahoma 42, Arkansas 8

1987 — Liberty Bowl, Memphis: Georgia 20, Arkansas 17

1989 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: UCLA 17, Arkansas 3

1990 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Tennessee 31, Arkansas 27

1991 — Independence Bowl, Shreveport: Georgia 24, Arkansas 15

1995 — CarQuest Bowl, Miami: North Carolina 20, Arkansas 10

1999 — Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando: Michigan 45, Arkansas 31

2000 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Arkansas 27, Texas 6

2000 — Las Vegas Bowl, Las Vegas: UNLV 31, Arkansas 14

2002 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Oklahoma 10, Arkansas 3

2002 — Music City Bowl, Nashville: Minnesota 29, Arkansas 14

2003 — Independence Bowl, Shreveport: Arkansas 27, Missouri 14

2006 — Capital One Bowl, Orlando: Wisconsin 17, Arkansas 14

2007 — Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Missouri 38, Arkansas 7

East Carolina

Record: 8-7-0

1952 — Lions Bowl, Salisbury, N.C.: Clarion (Pa.) 13, East Carolina 6

1954 — Elks Bowl, Greenville, N.C.: Morris-Harvey 12, East Carolina 0

1963 — Eastern Bowl, Allentown, Pa.: East Carolina 27, Northeastern 6

1964 — Tangerine Bowl, Orlando, Fla.: East Carolina 14, Massachusetts 13

1965 — Tangerine Bowl, Orlando, Fla.: East Carolina 31, Maine 0

1978 — Independence Bowl, Shreveport, La.: East Carolina 35, Louisiana Tech 13

1992 — Peach Bowl, Atlanta: East Carolina 37, North Carolina State 34

1994 — Liberty Bowl, Memphis: Illinois 30, East Carolina 0

1995 — Liberty Bowl, Memphis: East Carolina 19, Stanford 13

1999 — Mobile Alabama Bowl: TCU 28, East Carolina 14

2000 — Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, Houston: East Carolina 40, Texas Tech 27

2001 — GMAC Bowl, Mobile, Ala.: Marshall 64, East Carolina 61 (2OT)

2006 — Pajajohns.com Bowl, Birmingham, Ala.: South Florida 24, East Carolina 7

2007 — Hawaii Bow, Honolulu: East Carolina 41, Boise State 38

2009 — Liberty Bowl, Memphis: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19

By The Numbers

Liberty Bowl History

DATE RESULT ATTENDANCE

Jan. 2, 2009 Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19 56,125

Dec. 29, 2007 Mississippi State 10, UCF 3 63,816

Dec. 29, 2006 South Carolina 44, Houston 36 56,103

Dec. 31, 2005 Tulsa 31, Fresno State 24 54,894

Dec. 31, 2004 Louisville 44, Boise State 40 58,355

Dec. 31, 2003 Utah 17, Southern Miss 0 55,917

Dec. 31, 2002 TCU 17, Colorado State 3 55,207

Dec. 31, 2001 Louisville 28, BYU 10 58,968

Dec. 29, 2000 Colorado State 22, Louisville 17 58,302

Dec. 31, 1999 Southern Miss 23, Colorado State 17 56,570

Dec. 31, 1998 Tulane 41, BYU 27 52,192

Dec. 31, 1997 Southern Miss 41, Pittsburgh 7 50,209

Dec. 27, 1996 Syracuse 30, Houston 17 49,163

Dec. 30, 1995 East Carolina 19, Stanford 13 47,307

Dec. 31, 1994 Illinois 30, East Carolina 0 46,212

Dec. 28, 1993 Louisville 18, Michigan State 7 21,097

Dec. 31, 1992 Ole Miss 13, Air Force 0 47,602

Dec. 29, 1991 Air Force 38, Miss St. 15 61,497

Dec. 27, 1990 Air Force 23, Ohio St. 11 32,262

Dec. 28, 1989 Ole Miss 42, Air Force 29 60,128

Dec. 28, 1988 Indiana 34, S. Carolina 10 32,210

Dec. 29, 1987 Georgia 20, Arkansas 17 53,240

Dec. 29, 1986 Tennessee 21, Minnesota 14 51,357

Dec. 27, 1985 Baylor 21, LSU 7 40,186

Dec. 27, 1984 Auburn 21, Arkansas 15 50,180

Dec. 29, 1983 Notre Dame 19, Boston Co. 18 48,071

Dec. 29, 1982 Alabama 21, Illinois 15 54,123

Dec. 30, 1981 Ohio State 31, Navy 28 43,216

Dec. 27, 1980 Purdue 28, Missouri 25 53,667

Dec. 22, 1979 Penn St. 9, Tulane 6 50,021

Dec. 23, 1978 Missouri 20, LSU 15 53,064

Dec. 19, 1977 Nebraska 21, N. Carolina 17 49,456

Dec. 20, 1976 Alabama 36, UCLA 6 52,736

Dec. 22, 1975 So. Cal. 20, Texas A & M 0 52,129

Dec. 16, 1974 Tennessee 7, Maryland 3 51,284

Dec. 17, 1973 N. C. St. 31, Kansas 18 50,011

Dec. 18, 1972 Georgia Tech 31, Iowa St 30 50,021

Dec. 20, 1971 Tennessee 14, Arkansas 13 45,410

Dec. 12, 1970 Tulane 17, Colorado 3 44,460

Dec. 13, 1969 Colorado 47, Alabama 33 50,042

Dec. 14, 1968 Ole Miss 34, VA Tech 17 46,206

Dec. 16, 1967 N.C. St 14, Georgia 7 35,054

Dec. 10, 1966 Miami 14, VA Tech 7 39,101

Dec. 18, 1965 Ole Miss 13, Auburn 7 38,607

Dec. 19, 1964 Utah 32, W. VA 6 6,059

Dec. 21, 1963 Miss St. 16, N.C. St. 12 8,309

Dec. 15, 1962 Oregon St. 6, Villanova 0 17,047

Dec. 16, 1961 Syracuse 15, Miami 14 15,712

Dec. 17, 1960 Penn St. 41, Oregon 12 16,624

Dec. 19 1959 Penn St. 7, Alabama 0 36,211

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