Arkansas Football: 9 Items on the Razorbacks Summer To-Do List
The summer is often the time for a vacation, but not if your Arkansas Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino.
The summer is the perfect time for coaches to finalize their rosters and settle position battles.
Petrino has a long to-do list to complete over the summer if he wants to get the Razorbacks in a position to achieve greatness in the fall. Here are some of the main concerns for the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach as the dog days of summer set in and the start of the college football season quickly approaches.
Establish the Offensive Line
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In the order of importance, establishing the offensive line has to be on the top of the to-do list for Petrino.
DeMarcus Love, Ray Dominguez and Wade Grayson all started on the offensive line a year ago for the Hogs and all three have left school. This leaves several big holes for the coaching staff to fill if the Hogs want to be successful in the upcoming season.
Petrino has several options to choose from in Jason Peacock, Grant Freeman and Anthony Oden. Petrino recruited offensive line standout Brey Cook, who has made an immediate impact on the front line during spring practices.
The Razorbacks have a bevy of weapons on offense, but if the offensive line does not come together as a cohesive unit, it could be a long year.
Pick the Starting Quarterback
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Tyler Wilson will be the starting quarterback for the Razorbacks, right? While it seems like a slam dunk that Wilson will replace the departed Ryan Mallett, Petrino has yet to make it official.
Wilson has big game experience and a great feel for the offense, but Brandon Mitchell has shown some promise under center. Perhaps Petrino has yet to name a starter to keep a healthy competition in camp, but until it is official the starting job is still up for grabs.
Scoop-Drills
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Arkansas fans were up and screaming at the screen as the Hogs blocked a kick in the Sugar Bowl and had a chance to scoop it up and return it for a crucial game-changing touchdown. They failed to scoop the kick and that cost them a shot at the Sugar Bowl victory.
Petrino has already implemented scoop-drills in spring practice, using a towel as a football. Petrino is emphasizing attention to detail that could translate into big plays this season.
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Penalties
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One thing that all college football coaches hate is penalties and the Razorbacks have plenty of room to improve in this area.
Last year the Hogs ranked dead last in the SEC in penalties. They committed over 100 penalties and averaged 63 yards per game in penalty yards. They committed 37 more penalties than Alabama and if they plan to compete in 2011, they have to improve in this area.
Petrino has to teach discipline and get back to basics to make his team aware that penalties hurt.
Keep Offense on Pace
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The Razorbacks had a very explosive offense and always put up big numbers. With Ryan Mallett gone, it will be a challenge for Petrino to put up the same kind of offensive attack they had a year ago.
As mentioned before it all starts with the offensive line, but the Razorbacks still need to fine tune the offense in other areas.
Tyler Wilson, if named the starter, will have to avoid turnovers and fill some pretty big shoes. Knile Davis will have to duplicate his performance at the end of last season and share time with returning starter Dennis Johnson in the backfield. Finding that balance could prove difficult and has to be something that Petrino has figured out before the season starts.
Stop the Run
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As much as the SEC is considered a pass-happy conference, many of the more successful teams win games by running the ball.
Auburn, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss averaged over 200 yards per game on the ground and Alabama returns a deadly backfield led by Trent Richardson that can tear up opposing defenses.
Arkansas finished 10th in the SEC in rushing defense and allowed 162 yards per game on the ground. Only Kentucky and Vanderbilt fared worse against the ground game.
Petrino has to find a way to improve on run defense in order to slow down some of the talented running backs in the SEC.
4th Down
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Fourth down is the most important down in college football. For the offense it could sustain a drive and keep hope alive, and on defense it could put the final nail in the coffin for the opposing team.
A year ago it was an Achilles' heel for the Razorbacks. On defense the Hogs had trouble stopping teams on fourth down. This could be attributed to the porous run defense, but the Razorbacks allowed opposing teams to convert 66 percent of the fourth down attempts and that was near the bottom of the SEC.
On offense they converted just 47 percent of their attempts and that will not suffice. Basically if the Razorbacks need a big play late in the game, it hardly went their way. Petrino will have to use the summer to get his team prepared to convert, or stop a fourth down play.
Balancing the Running Game
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Contrary to popular belief, Petrino likes to run the ball. Last year Petrino made Knile Davis the team’s top running back as he finished the year on a high note.
While Davis is expected to get the bulk of the carries, Petrino has plenty of other talented running backs in the backfield.
Dennis Johnson returns to the lineup after missing most of last year due to an injury. Johnson looks better than ever and could contribute to the running game.
Ronnie Wingo has turned heads in spring practices and will undoubtedly get some carries during the season. The Razorbacks have the talent but balancing the carries and utilizing all the big time players, may be harder than it looks.
It’s a good problem to have, but still has to be considered in the summer months.
Make the Hogs Special
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Special teams can be very vital to a college football team, because they set up field position. While the Razorbacks performed well in the punting game, the kick off unit was a disaster.
The Razorbacks juggled return men and finished dead last in kickoff returns in the SEC. They averaged just 19 yards per return and failed to find the end zone. They also struggled on kickoff coverage.
They would allow opponents to have great starting field position and then fail to secure it when they had the ball. This will nullify their offense and make things tough on the team all season if it is not addressed in the summer.
Summer Full of Potential
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The Razorbacks have potential to be one of the best teams in the country. They will not be able to reach that potential if they do not solve some of their problems in the summer.
Petrino has a long to-do list and if he is able to scratch off some tasks, the Razorbacks could really surprise some people this year.
James Brown is a B/R Featured Columnist. Feel free to contact James at jtsneaks@gmail.com.
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