Arkansas
Razorbacks
Preview 2007
By
Pete Fiutak
-
2007 Arkansas
Offense Preview
|
2007Arkansas Defense Preview
-
2007 Arkansas Depth Chart
|
2006 CFN Arkansas
Preview
2006 was a special year for Arkansas, with everything coming
together in a perfect convergence of timing, help from the schedule,
and the emergence of a jaw-dropping ground game. However, for a
program seemingly on the verge of becoming something special, things
took a sudden and nasty turn after a stunning ten-game winning
streak.
Head coach: Houston Nutt
10th year: 67-44
15th year overall: 103-66
Returning Lettermen: 48
Lettermen Lost: 21 |
Ten
Best Hog Players
1.
RB Darren McFadden,
Jr.
2. RB/KR Felix Jones, Jr.
3. WR Marcus Monk, Sr.
4. DE Antwain Robinson, Jr.
5. DT Marcus Harrison, Sr.*
6. C Jonathan Luigs, Jr.
7. OG Robert Felton, Sr.
8. FS Michael Grant, Sr.
9. CB Matterral Richardson, Sr.
10. FB Peyton Hillis, Sr. |
|
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
8-4 |
|
Sept. 1 |
Troy |
|
Sept. 15 |
at
Alabama |
|
Sept. 22 |
Kentucky |
|
Sept. 29 |
North Texas |
|
Oct.
6 |
UT Chattanooga |
|
Oct.
13 |
Auburn |
|
Oct.
20 |
at
Ole Miss |
|
Oct.
27 |
FIU |
|
Nov.
3 |
South Carolina |
|
Nov.
10 |
at
Tennessee |
|
Nov.
17 |
Mississippi State |
|
Nov.
24 |
at
LSU |
|
|
2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
9-3
2006 Record: 10-4
Preview
2006 predicted
wins
|
| 9/2 |
USC L 50-14 |
| 9/9 |
Utah State
W 20-0 |
| 9/16 |
at Vanderbilt
W 21-19 |
| 9/23 |
Alabama
W 24-23 2OT |
| 10/7 |
at Auburn W 27-10 |
| 10/14 |
SE Missouri St
W 63-7 |
| 10/21 |
Ole Miss
W 38-3 |
| 10/28 |
UL Monroe
W 44-10 |
| 11/4 |
at S. Carolina
W 26-20 |
| 11/11 |
Tennessee
W 31-14 |
| 11/18 |
at Miss State
W 28-14 |
|
11/25 |
LSU L 31-26 |
|
12/2 |
SEC Championship
Florida L 38-28 |
|
1/1 |
Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin L 17-14 |
|
Before
that nasty turn, the franchise quarterback, Mitch Mustain, had been the
coup of a solid recruiting class, the offense was going high-tech with
offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, the SEC West title had been won by a
relatively young team with its best days ahead of it, Darren McFadden
had finished second in the Heisman trophy voting, and then … boom. It
all started to unravel, and Arkansas was no longer the SEC’s hot team.
There’s no shame whatsoever in losing to LSU, Florida and Wisconsin,
along with USC to start the season, considering those four went a
combined 47-6, with three BCS wins and a national championship among
them. But those defeats, along with the defection of Malzahn to Tulsa
and the transfer of Mustain, raised doubts as to whether Arkansas could
turn the corner under Houston Nutt and be a yearly contender and not
just a one-year wonder.
The team of the SEC future is the team of the present. Instead of a
diverse attack with Mustain as the ringleader, it’ll be the running game
that once again makes or breaks the team, with McFadden, Felix Jones and
a solid offensive line that should be fine after a bit of patching.
Arkansas will continue to have one of the best home run-hitting ground
games in the country, with just enough passing to get by. While that
might not be enough to win the SEC West again, it should keep the team
competitive against just about everyone on the tough schedule.
What to watch for on offense: Can Casey Dick throw the forward
pass? Fine, so Mustain didn’t exactly light up the world as a true
freshman, and was too impatient to wait around, improve and become the
player everyone expected him to be. However, that means Dick has to be
much, much better. Obviously the world will do everything humanly
possible to stop the Hog ground game, and Dick has to make defenses pay
by doing simple things like hitting the open receiver. Over the last
three games, in the season’s crunch time, he completed just 22 of 60
passes, with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
What to watch for on defense: Who’s going to fill the leadership
role? The loss of tackle Keith Jackson and pass rusher extraordinaire
Jamaal Anderson to the NFL leaves gaping holes up front, but the
departure of heart-and-soul linebacker Sam Olajubutu will be even
tougher to handle. The defense didn’t get enough credit for being
occasionally dominant throughout last season, and while it has quickness
and athleticism, it needs a leader.
The team will be far better if … the punting game is better.
McFadden and Jones can score from anywhere on the field, but for a team
that’s going to run the ball as much as this one, good field position is
a priority. The Hogs have to average more than 32.5 net yards per punt
and 7.2 yards per punt return.
The Schedule:
A hot start
is a must, with five home games in the first six and seven of the first
nine, but they’re not all layups, as Auburn closes out the run.
Actually, most of them are easy, including space-fillers against Troy,
North Texas, UT Chattanooga and FIU. The road game in the group is at
Alabama, which should set the tone for the SEC West season. Road dates
at Tennessee and LSU late might be too much to overcome for another
division crown.
Best Offensive Player:
Junior RB
Darren McFadden. One of the preseason favorites for the Heisman,
McFadden is one of the nation’s best all-around players with home
run-hitting ability every time he gets the ball in his hands. He’s big,
tough and when he turns the corner and gets into space, it’s over. He’s
also an effective quarterback when the offense gets funky and puts him
under center in the Wildcat package. If possible, he’ll be asked to do
even more for the offense this year.
Best Defensive Player:
Junior DE
Antwain Robinson. Was he effective because teams had to deal with Jamaal
Anderson on the other side, or was it the other way around? Robinson is
smaller than Anderson, who took off early for the NFL, but has the speed
to be a regular in opposing backfields. However, he has to prove he can
succeed when he’s targeted as the number one guy.
Key player to a
successful season:
Junior QB Casey Dick.
With Mustain gone, the pressure is on Dick to be merely average. New
offensive coordinator David Lee is working hard to make Dick more
accurate and more consistent, and while the passing game will never
resemble Hawaii’s, it could be extremely effective, with every defense
focusing ten players on slowing down McFadden and Jones. Dick has to
take advantage of every opportunity.
The season will be a
success if
... the Hogs win nine games. Another West title might be too much to
ask, considering the losses on defense and the way the SEC schedule
plays out, but there are four gift-wrapped non-conference wins, games
against the Mississippi schools that are must-wins, and winnable home
games against Kentucky and South Carolina. It might take a bowl win to
get to nine, which would be a nice achievement, but a double-digit
victory total is a realistic dream.
Key game:
Sept. 15 at Alabama.
While Nick Saban’s team won’t be the toughest the Hogs will have to deal
with, it will be a tone-setting SEC opener that each team will use to
make a statement. With four home games to follow, a win in Tuscaloosa
could mean a huge start.
2006 Fun Stats:
- Sacks: Arkansas 37 for 262 yards; Opponents 9 for 70 yards
- Rushing yards per game: Arkansas 228.5; Opponents 114.6
- Arkansas 2nd quarter scoring: 143; 4th quarter
scoring: 65