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You can view this article in its original form at Arkansas Razorbacks Football Preview.
On Sunday, we released our first team preview in a series of 12, that will take a close look at each SEC football team leading up to the 2009 season. The first in our series was the Alabama Crimson Tide Football - 2009 Preview.
Today, we'll take a close look at another team in the SEC West, the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Razorbacks football team is coming off a disappointing 5-7 season in Bobby Petrino's first year as head coach.
However, as we mentioned during the spring Razorbacks fans are excited about Arkansas' passing attack coming to life under Petrino. Anticipation and expectation are beginning to bubble in Fayatteville, so without any further ado, we present the Arkansas Razorbacks Football 2009 Preview.
Key Losses: QB Casey Dick, OG Jose Valdez, C Jonathan Luigs
Returning Stars: RB Michael Smith, WR London Crawford, TE D.J. Williams, OL Mitch Petrus, DT Malcolm Sheppard
Top Recruits: RB Knile Davis, RB Ronnie Wingo Jr., OL Anthony Oden, CB Darius Winston, CB Rudell Crim
Weaknesses: The weaknesses for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team are easy to spot simply by picking up a stat sheet. The Razorbacks ranked near the bottom of the SEC in 2008 in nearly every defensive category, including finishing in dead last in scoring defense and total defense. The good news is that nearly everyone returns from last year's squad on the defensive side of the ball. The bad news is that those returning players weren't collectively all that good last season. Still, with an added year of experience, Arkansas could experience a similar increase in defensive production similar to the one Florida enjoyed between the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The Razorbacks also must be somewhat concerned about replacing some of their offensive line. The heart and soul of last year's unit, Rimington Trophy winner Jonathan Luigs, has moved on to the NFL. The Razorbacks will plug in veteran star Mitch Petrus in his place. Developing chemistry on the offensive line early will be highly important for Arkansas, as they break in a new starter under center.
Strengths: The Razorbacks, as previously mentioned, figure to have one of the most prolific passing offenses in the nation during the 2009 season, assuming there aren't any recurring off-the-field issues for QB Ryan Mallett. Mallett has his hands firmly on the starting job at quarterback right now and should be a huge upgrade from Casey Dick. Last year, Dick's interceptions cost Arkansas
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