In his last tenure in the SEC at Auburn, his interest in the power running game was piqued by the strategy's ability to control the clock and wear down a defense's pass rush.
In the SEC, the athletes are stronger, faster, and smarter. So the grind of the game and the toll it takes on a player's mind and body are vital elements to success. In Petrino's stints in the NFL as both a coordinator and a head coach, he used elements of play action out of bunch formations and power I formations to keep the offense from becoming pedestrian.
The spread elements of the offense most resemble the Indianapolis Colts. At the college level, creating space for athletic receivers turns five and six yard passes into huge gains and points. Part of the reason Petrino has been so successful in the college ranks is that he thinks ahead of the curve.
Now you may wonder just who those "studs" are going to be next season.
At Louisville, Petrino managed to lead the nation in total offensive yards and points. In 2004, Louisville was the only team to rank in the top 10 in both pass offense (288.6 per game) and rush offense (250.4 yards per game).
Balance indeed!
Arkansas returns a number of players who got considerable playing time last season at skill positions, such as wide receiver London Crawford and running back Michael Smith. And still other players who sat out with injury, but showed promise early on such as tight end Ben Cleveland and slot receiver Crosby Tuck.
The question next season won't be who the most talented players on the team will be. We pretty much already know who those are. Instead the question will be, how quickly will the "studs" buy in to the power spread with Petrino as its architect?
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