FAYETTEVILLE — Hogs get fair share in ratings

Arkansas’ 2010 football season did more than jolt the passion of Razorbacks fans.

Coach Bobby Petrino’s Hogs received an extraordinary amount of national exposure, according to figures released recently by the National Football Foundation (NFF).

Arkansas’ 31-26 loss to Ohio State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl earned a 9.5 rating, the third-highest college football rating for ESPN all time, behind only the Auburn-Oregon national championship game and the 2011 Rose Bowl.

The NFF report also determined the Sugar Bowl made an economic impact of $182.55 million this season, an increase of 26.3 percent from last year.

Arkansas’ home game against Alabama on Sept. 25 drew a national rating of 5.2and a 12 share for CBS, the network’s best showing for a regular-season afternoon game since 2003.

Among other highlights in the NFF release: The SEC led the nation in attendance for the 13th consecutive season, and the SEC on CBS was the highest-rated TV package in college football.

Breaking out

Arkansas’ offense graduated to another dimension in 2010 with its ability to spring playmakers into space and have them break tackles and ride escorts into the end zone.

Among the many examples: Jarius Wright’s 89-yard touchdown at Mississippi State, Cobi Hamilton’s two 80-yard catch-and-run scores against LSU and multiple Knile Davis breakout runs.

However, the improved Arkansas defense limited those kind of breakaway touchdowns spring, until the Red-White game.

Wright caught about a 10-yard pass from Tyler Wilson, was knocked backward on a hit by Ryan Farr, then quickly kicked it in gear to outrace surrounding defenders for a 57-yard touchdown.

“I’ve been working on getting my legs stronger so I can break more tackles and it showed today,” Wright said.

The Razorbacks have increased depth and team speed under Coach Bobby Petrino.

“I remember when I first came in, we were one of the slower and smaller teams in the SEC, and now I feel like we’re one of the bigger, quicker teams,” Wright said.

“We just have to keep steadily improving on that.

Hog ties

Seniors from last year’s Arkansas team, plus quarterback Ryan Mallett - who entered the NFL Draft after his junior season - were introduced to the crowd during Saturday’s Red-White game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium and presented with framed jerseys.

Sports, Pages 17 on 04/18/2011