This is the first installment in a look at five potential surprise teams of the new college football season. Next up - Baylor.
The first season of the Bobby Petrino era in Fayetteville saw the Razorbacks finish 5-7, have close shaves at home with Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe, their worst loss to Texas since 1916, and pick up only two SEC wins.
However, after being blown out by Alabama, Texas, and Florida back-to-back-to-back to drop to 2-3, it could be said that Arkansas performed better over the remainder of the season despite a 3-4 mark. There were losses by one, two, and three points, comeback wins at Auburn and against LSU in the season finale, and a win over Tulsa that ruined the Golden Hurricane’s unbeaten season.
The running game will once again be strong with 1,000 yard rusher Michael Smith leading the way, and there are some talented backups in sophomores De’Anthony Curtis and Broderick Green, a USC transfer. But things should be a lot less bumpy in the passing game, with highly-touted Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett taking the reins. All of the primary targets from last season return, including one of the nation’s best tight ends in D.J. Williams, so Mallett won’t be starved for targets.
The key, however, will be improvement by a defense that was last in the SEC in scoring defense, rush defense, and touchdown passes allowed. With nine starters returning, including All-SEC tackle Malcolm Sheppard, that improvement should happen.
If everything comes together in Year 2 for Petrino’s Razorbacks, this will be a much, much better team than last year’s, and a return to the postseason will be on the cards.
More importantly, can they make a run in the wide-open SEC West? Underestimate them at your peril.
The schedule isn’t easy, with a home game against Georgia to start their SEC slate, the annual showdown with LSU to finish it, and road games at Florida and Ole Miss in between.
But at the very least, they‘ll have a chance to have a significant role in how the West title race shakes out, and if this team performs up to their potential, it‘s not unfathomable that the Razorbacks could rise up and win the West.
Arkansas 2009 Schedule
9/5 Missouri State - W
9/19 Georgia - Toss-up
9/26 at Alabama - Toss-up
10/3 vs. Texas A&M - W
10/10 Auburn - W
10/17 at Florida - L
10/24 at Ole Miss - Toss-up
10/31 Eastern Michigan - W
11/7 South Carolina - W
11/14 Troy - W
11/21 Mississippi State W
11/28 vs. LSU - Toss-up
When it comes to the toss-ups, I like Arkansas to win their SEC opener over Georgia, and I don’t see them having an 0-fer against Alabama, Ole Miss, and LSU. Here’s a fun fact - Arkansas has gone winless against that trio only once since joining the SEC in 1992.
Eight wins would be nice, but a nine-win season - or better - is well within reach. If that does happen, the rewards will be plentiful, and many Arkansas fans will (or should be) saying, “Houston who?”
