Last season was a memorable one for the Razorbacks. They did finish the season third in the SEC West, but behind both LSU and Alabama, the two teams that met in the BCS Championship game. They matched a school record with 11 wins after defeating Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl (29-16) and ended the season ranked fifth in the country. Expectations will be high again this year, despite the dismissal of head coach Bobby Petrino. Be sure to follow the odds and expert picks in college football all season long at Football Free Picks.
Things got sour in a hurry in the offseason however, as head coach Bobby Petrino was dismissed from the team after hiding a relationship with a female employee. The Razorbacks got John L. Smith to replace Petrino in after just a 4.5 month stint with Weber St. Smith was previously a linebacker coach and a special team?s coordinator with Arkansas the previous three years. Paul Petrino returns as the offensive coordinator and Paul Hayes takes over as the new defensive coordinator after spending the last six seasons with Ohio State.
The Razorbacks return a lot of talent with 13 returning starters (seven on offense, six on defense), but this season hinges on how well the program adapts to a new head coach. Bobby Petrino?s play calling will be missed, but don?t expect Arkansas to fall off too much this season.
Offense:
Arkansas returns one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football in Tyler Wilson. What?s impressive about Wilson is that he has set numerous school records and became the first Razorback signal caller to receive 1st team All-SEC honors in his first season as a starter. He finished up the year with a whopping 3,638 yards with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. With Wilson behind center, Arkansas averaged 36.8 points/game and 438 yards of total offense. Big things are expected of him coming into his senior year, which has others thinking that this team can still win without Petrino in charge.
It would have been something really spectacular to see had it not been for the injury that sidelined Kniles Davis prior to 2011 season. Davis was coming off a sophomore season where he rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning him First Team All-SEC honors in 2010. Had it not been for Kniles? injury, the offense would have been even more potent for the Razorbacks. Dennis Johnson (670 yards, three touchdowns) and RonnieWingo (458 yards, three touchdowns) were solid as fill ins, but will now be used primary as backups with Davis returning in 2012. This should be one of the most improved units on the entire team.
An area on the offensive end where Arkansas may have to rely on some new faces for production is at the receiver position. Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, and Greg Child were all taken in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. There are still some strong players coming back in senior tight end Chris Gragg (42 catches, 518 yards, two touchdowns) and senior wide out Cobi Hamilton (34 catches, 542 yards, four touchdowns). Sophomore Marquel Wade and red-shirt freshman Quinta Funderburke are also expected to make contributions in the new season.
The offensive line had just two starters back last season and struggled early in the year. They did find their footing and made solid progress as the season went on, and should see a welcome improvement as 2012 rolls along. They bring back two of the top linemen in the conference in left guard Alvin Bailey and center Travis Swanson. Right tackle Jason Peacock is also coming back for the Razorbacks. Two highly touted sophomores in guard Mitch Smothers and tackle Brey Cook are expected to fill the other two spots.
Defense:
The Razorbacks have always had problems on the defensive side of the ball, but they have made some welcome strides since giving up just over 31 points/game in 2008. Last year they held opponents to just 22.2 points/game. The biggest issue for Arkansas was in stopping the run, as they allowed 168 yards/game on the ground. Injuries were a major factor in the struggles this unit faced. It will be interesting to see if Haynes can help this group make even more strides in 2012.
Even though it?s hard to replace the production left by 1st team All-SEC defensive end Jake Bequette, they do have six of the top eight defensive linemen back from last season, including starting defensive tackle duo of Bryan Jones and Robert Thomas. There is a chance for the Razorbacks to allow under 4.0 yards/carry for the first time since 2006, but Chris Smith and Trey Flower need to step up.
Middle linebacker is where the Razorbacks may have major problems on the defensive end. They need to find a replacement for Jerry Franklin, who became the first player in school history to lead the team in tackles for four straight seasons. They also lost starting outside linebacker Jerico Nelson and will be moving Ross Rasner to free Safety. While top outside backer Tenarius Wright is returning, there?s no doubt that this is their biggest concern heading into the season.
They also have some holes to fill at secondary, as they must fill the voids left by starting corner Greg Gatson and 3rd Team All-SEC safety Tramain Thomas. They do have some potentially great talents coming back, especially if Rasner can make a smooth transition from linebacker. Sophomore corner Tevon Mitchell should get better as he gets more burn in his second season as a starter and safety Eric Bennett is one of the up-and-coming players at his position in the SEC.
SEC Prediction ? 2nd SEC West
The Razorbacks have a lot of talent and a lot of experience returning, so it?s really too bad that Petrino?s indiscretions could end up overshadowing this season. The good news is that Arkansas gets their two biggest games of the year (Alabama and LSU) at home, and they have a relatively easy non-conference schedule. While there is an outside chance that they compete for the top spot in the SEC West, another third place finish is more likely given their unfortunate circumstances.
Jack Jones is an expert sports handicapper who provides his picks for Betfirms.com. You can read more details about this team in an extended preview.
Source: http://www.theyellowads.com/recreation_sports/arkansas-football-razorbacks-start-a-new-chapter/
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