HOG CALLS

Receivers optimistic about new staff

Arkansas receiver Javontee Herndon during the 2013 Red-White scrimmage at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas receiver Javontee Herndon during the 2013 Red-White scrimmage at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE - Today’s Arkansas Razorbacks receivers perhaps felt like if today’s military was suddenly asked to swap its sophisticated weaponry for a caveman’s club.

The Bobby Petrino Star Wars passing offenses setting and re-setting Razorbacks records and securing NFL futures for recent Razorbacks quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson, tight ends D.J. Williams and Chris Gragg and receivers Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Cobi Hamilton, have passed on.

Petrino, for transgressions that the UA could not look away, was fired during April 2012 despite 10-3 and 11-2 seasons. Though the 2012 Hogs floundered 4-8 under interim Coach John L. Smith, the Paul Petrino coordinated offense, even with Wilson missing an entire game and a half with a concussion, produced Hamilton a Razorbacks record 90 catches for 1,335 yards.

Now all things Petrino are Arkansas departed.

Down to Arkansas from Wisconsin came new Coach Bret Bielema, successful with his Badgers in the Big Ten, but to some arriving stamped with the national Big Ten image of offenses mushing like dogsleds regardless how many passes actually thrown in that league.

The change initially couldn’t have excited Javontee Herndon, a Razorbacks senior receiver priming for the spotlight after three years in the shadows.

Herndon wasn’t alone wondering if they were receivers about to be passed over.

”I know all of us when we first heard who the coach was all thought, ‘Woe, who is this?’ ” Herndon said after Bielema completed spring drills last month. “We want to get familiar with this guy. We had to look up our offensive coaches and figure out what they wanted.”

They noted Russell Wilson, the 2012 Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback sensation, quarterbacked Bielema’s Badgers in 2011. Wilson passed for 3,175 yards and 33 touchdowns while All-American Wisconsin running back Montee Ball became a Doak Walker Award finalist.

They also noted that Tyler Bray, the Tennessee Volunteers quarterback that Bielema-hire offensive coordinator Jim Chaney coached in 2012, threw for more yards (3,612 to 3,387) and touchdowns (34 to 21) than Wilson did last year.

“We looked at Tennessee’s offense last year and it was like, ‘Wait a minute, they do throw the football,’ ” Herndon said. “And then you look at Wisconsin and they were physical that’s not a bad thing for the receivers. Because the more you pound and pound and pound and then play-action pass that’s going to bring a big play and excite the crowd and exciting the crowd excites the offense. It’s only going to help us.”

All returning Razorbacks receivers ought to have renewed respect for the run. Their 2012 staff threw away opportunities to run clock on the 30-point underdog Louisiana-Monroe team that Arkansas led 28-7 during the third quarter.

ULM tied it 31-31 on a touchdown with 47 seconds left in regulation and achieved a 34-31 overtime upset dooming Arkansas’ season just two Saturdays into September.

“We could have run the ball a lot more last year,” Herndon said. “But this is a new year, and new offense and new era. We are looking forward to big things this year.”

Sports, Pages 16 on 05/06/2013

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