Arkansas Bowl Game 2010: Breaking Down the Razorbacks in the Sugar Bowl
On January 4th the Arkansas Razorbacks will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in one of the most intriguing games of the BCS college football bowl season.
If the Razorbacks are going to emerge victorious and win a BCS bowl game, they will need to have a solid game plan and execute it flawlessly.
Here is a breakdown of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the things that they will need to do to finish the season with a win.
10. Coaching—Avoid Distractions
1 of 10
As with any bowl game, coaching is important and could be the difference between winning and losing.
This is the time of year when coaching rumors swirl throughout the college football world, providing a distraction for a team right before the big event. This could have been a big problem for the Razorbacks as the head coaching job at Florida opened up and Arkansas head man Bobby Petrino was rumored to be a candidate for the position.
Arkansas did not want this to be hanging over the team so they locked up Petrino with a new seven-year deal with the school. Under the new contract, Petrino will reportedly earn $3.56 million per year.
Many Razorbacks fans believe that he deserves every penny. Petrino became only the third coach in history to guide two different college football programs to a BCS bowl game. He is responsible for bringing the Hogs to their first ever BCS bowl and has a 64-23 record in college football.
Now with this behind them Petrino can focus on attacking the Ohio State defense.
9. Unleash Ryan Mallett
2 of 10
Bobby Petrino is an offensive minded coach and that will be put to the test when he faces an Ohio State defense that ranks first in the Big 10 in passing defense.
The Hogs counter with a passing offense that ranks No. 1 in the SEC and is led by junior standout quarterback Ryan Mallett. If the Razorbacks want to win, Petrino will need to unleash the talented signal caller.
Mallett has an impressive resume as the Hogs field general. Mallett has completed a single-season school record 242 passes on 364 attempts for 3,592 yards and 30 touchdowns. He has led the Hogs to a second place ranking in the SEC in scoring offense and total offense.
The Buckeyes will target Mallett as the biggest threat on this team and that is why it is important for the Hogs to establish the ground game.
8. Get Knile Davis Started Early
3 of 10
Arkansas running back Knile Davis has been a pleasant surprise this year.
When the season started the Razorbacks were sold on using a running back by committee approach until one of the backs emerged as a superstar. It took six weeks, and a few injuries, but Knile Davis emerged as the best back on the team.
He has piled up 1,183 yards on the ground and finished the year as the third best rusher in the SEC behind only Cam Newton and Marcus Lattimore. He has surpassed the 100 yard mark in the last five out of six games and has done this against some impressive run defenses.
Now he will attempt to do it against the Buckeyes who ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game at just over 94 yards per contest.
If the Razorbacks can get Davis started early it will open up the passing game and go a long way to setting up the Hogs to win the game.
If Davis and the Razorbacks can put up some points, than it will make things much easier for the defense.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Get Defensive
4 of 10
The Razorbacks have been known for an explosive offense, but the defense is much improved on the season.
In fact the turnaround of the Arkansas defense is one of the main reasons they Hogs are in a BCS bowl. They improved 55 spots in the NCAA’s total defense rankings and is ranked No. 34 in total defense in the nation coming into this big game.
The Razorbacks true test will be trying to improve on a rushing defense that ranked near the bottom of the SEC. Terrelle Pryor is a mobile quarterback that can put up some yards on the ground if the Hogs can’t contain him.
6. Put Pressure on Pryor
5 of 10
Arkansas’s defense will have one main target, Terrelle Pryor.
The quick-footed QB seems motivated and ready to take it to the Hogs and if they can’t stop him, there is a good chance they will not win this game. Jerry Franklin leads the team in sacks and will be let loose on Pryor in hopes of keeping the quarterback scrambling all day long and forced into making mistakes.
The Razorbacks finished second in the SEC in sacks and have a winning formula when it comes to putting the pressure on opposing signal callers.
If the defense can do their job it will make it easier for the Hogs offense to take over the game.
5. Spread the Ball Around
6 of 10
The offense is led by quarterback Ryan Mallett, and Knile Davis is having a great year on the ground, but the Hogs are deep at every skill position.
Part of the reason of the success of the offense is Mallett’s ability to use any player on the field.
The Razorbacks have five players with at least 500 yards receiving and six players that have scored at least four touchdowns. They are the only team in the country to accomplish this feat.
When talented wide out Greg Childs was lost due to an injury, others players picked up the slack and the offense did not skip a beat. Joe Adams is Mr. reliable and Mallet’s go to guy and Jarius Wright leads the team with 718 yards on the season.
Mallett has a full arsenal of weapons that is impossible to stop and makes it very tough for the defense to double team just one player.
4. Get In the Zone
7 of 10
The Razorbacks will have to hope they get in the Red zone early and often in the Sugar Bowl.
The Razorbacks were the best team in the red zone in the SEC scoring at an amazing rate of 91.6%.
They scored on 42 of 46 attempts and 33 of those attempts went for six points. They Hogs have a well balanced attack within the 20 yard line as 16 of the scores came through the air and 17 on the ground.
The Razorbacks were perfect with field goals in the red zone hitting nine times on nine attempts.
Ohio State has a great defense, but if they allow Arkansas into the red zone, it will be a long game for the Buckeyes.
3. A Secret Weapon?
8 of 10
While the Buckeye’s defense will focus on Mallett, Davis, and a handful of talented wide-outs, the biggest threat on the Hogs offense may be tight end DJ Williams.
Williams is the recipient of the 2010 John Mackey Award, which is presented annually to the top tight end in college football.
He leads Arkansas with 49 catches and has amassed 589 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the year. What many people do not know is that he is the active NCAA career leader in catches with 147 and receiving yards with 1,817.
If the Buckeyes don’t account for Williams it will be a huge mistake.
2. Keep It Clean
9 of 10
The Razorbacks have to keep it clean in the Sugar bowl and avoid penalties.
The Hogs rank dead last in penalties in the SEC and amassed 97 flags for 700 yards on the season. This averaged out to costing the Razorbacks just over 65 yards per contest.
The only silver lining is that the Razorbacks are very good at drawing penalties from the opposition. The Razorbacks finished first in the SEC in penalties by the opponents.
If the Razorbacks want to have any shot at beating the well-disciplined Buckeyes they will have to keep the flags to a minimum.
1. So Very Special
10 of 10
Special teams cannot be overlooked in a game of this magnitude. Field position can make all the difference in a game that is evenly matched.
The Razorbacks excel at returning punts and were ranked No. 1 in the SEC in average of punt returns.
The main reason is wide receiver Joe Adams, who returns punts for the Razorbacks. Adams averages over 17 yards per return and returned one punt 97 yards for a score.
Zach Hocker handles placekicking duties for the razorbacks and is perfect on extra point attempts hitting 55 of 55. Hocker made 13 of 16 attempts on the season and did not miss from within the 29 yard line. His long on the year is 51 yards and if he is needed for this game he will be ready.
The Razorbacks have the players to win the Sugar Bowl and the potential to end the season with a signature win.
Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at mregaw@gmail.com.
Other College Bowl Game Articles:
New Mexico Bowl: Miners to Challenge Cougars
Sugar Bowl: Five Reason the Hogs can beat the Buckeyes
New Orleans Bowl: Bobcats Can Run Against Trojans
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
