Arkansas Razorbacks Football: 2009 Preview

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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 several times, and if Mallett can simply win the turnover battle, he should be a terrific fit for Petrino's pass happy system.

Arkansas also figures to have one of the most loaded backfields in the conference, with running back Michael Smith returning. Smith has the highest yards per game average of any SEC football running back returning in 2009. He will be joined by two very talented freshmen, Knile Davis and Ronnie Wingo Jr. The Razorbacks offense also returns superstar tight end D.J. Williams, who might just be the best pass catching tight end in the league. Two other wide receivers, Joe Adams and Greg Childs, really stepped up their game in the spring and look poised to be star receivers in the SEC during the 2009 season.

Key Games: September 19 at Georgia and October 24 at Ole Miss

The game against Georgia in Fayatteville will be the first SEC test for the Razorbacks and it will be a stiff one. This game will give Arkansas a chance to prove that they are ready to turn the corner under Bobby Petrino. It will also set the tone for a very tough beginning to the SEC slate.

The game against Ole Miss comes right at the end of that tough stretch, and could make or break the Razorbacks against former head coach Houston Nutt. If the Razorbacks can pull out a win, they'll have some much needed momentum heading into their final five games.

Best/Worst Case: Things certainly won't come easy for the Razorbacks in 2009, as they'll face arguably the toughest road schedule in the nation, with games on the road at Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and LSU. However, given the amount of returning starters and the arrival of Ryan Mallett, it's hard to see the Arkansas Razorbacks football team doing any worse than they did in 2008.

The ceiling is high for the young Razorbacks, but that absolutely brutal schedule means Arkansas will likely have to wait until 2010 before they're seriously in contention for the SEC West. We'll say the worst Arkansas will do this season is five losses, with the best case scenario being an eight-win season with a good bowl trip.

Follow our entire SEC Preview series at SEC Sports Hub - SEC Football.