2008 Arkansas
Razorbacks
Nov. 28
Arkansas 31 … LSU 30
Casey Dick came off the bench to lead Arkansas to 17 unanswered points with a
46-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, a 17-play, 90-yard drive finishing with
a 22-yard Alex Tejada field goal, and a with just 21 seconds to play, a 21-yard
scoring toss for London Crawford. LSU went on a 27-point midgame run highlighted
by nice throws for scores from Jordan Jefferson, who hit Richard Dickson on an
11-yard touchdown pass late in the second and Brandon LaFell for a 32-yard score
in the third. LSU had one final chance to try to get into field goal range, but
a couple of missed throws forced Colt David to try a 63-yard field goal that
came up short.
Player of the game:
Arkansas QB Casey Dick completed 18-of-29 passes for
197 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: Jordan Jefferson, 9-21, 143
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jordan Jefferson, 19-50. Receiving: Brandon LaFell, 2-49,
1 TD
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 18-29, 197 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Dennis Johnson, 18-127, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Williams,
8-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Arkansas might not
be going bowling and this might not have turned out to be a stellar first season
under Bobby Petrino, while Houston Nutt is off doing big things with Ole Miss,
but to show the fight that the team had in the second half against LSU to close
out strong sets a nice tone going forward. Now there’s hope going into the
off-season that the team really can play with just about everyone, and more
importantly, that the coaching staff can make the adjustments to pull off a win
when everything isn’t going well.
|
-
2008 Arkansas Preview
-
2007 Arkansas
Season
2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
6-6
2008 Record: 5-7
Aug. 30
Western Illinois
W 28-24
Sept. 6 ULM (Litt.Rock) W
28-27
Sept. 13 at Texas PPD
Sept. 20 Alabama L 49-14
Sept. 27 at Texas L 52-10
Oct. 4 Florida L 38-7
Oct. 11 at Auburn W 25-22
Oct. 18 at Kentucky L 21-20
Oct. 25 Ole Miss L 23-21
Nov. 1 Tulsa W
30-23
Nov. 8 at South Carolina L 34-21
Nov. 15 OPEN DATE
Nov. 22 at Mississippi St
L 31-28
Nov. 28 LSU W 31-30 |
|
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
8-4
2007 Record: 8-5
Sept. 1
Troy
W 46-26
Sept. 15 at
Alabama L 41-38
Sept. 22
Kentucky
L 42-29
Sept. 29
North Texas
W 66-7
Oct.
6
Chattanooga
W 34-16
Oct.
13
Auburn L 9-7
Oct.
20
at
Ole Miss
W 44-8
Oct.
27
FIU
W 58-10
Nov.
3
South Carolina
W 48-36
Nov.
10 at
Tennessee L 34-13
Nov.
17
Mississippi St
W 45-31
Nov.
24 at
LSU W 50-48 3OT
Cotton Bowl
Jan. 1 Missouri L 38-7 |
Nov. 28
Arkansas 31 … LSU 30
Casey Dick came off the bench to lead Arkansas to 17 unanswered points with a
46-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, a 17-play, 90-yard drive finishing with
a 22-yard Alex Tejada field goal, and a with just 21 seconds to play, a 21-yard
scoring toss for London Crawford. LSU went on a 27-point midgame run highlighted
by nice throws for scores from Jordan Jefferson, who hit Richard Dickson on an
11-yard touchdown pass late in the second and Brandon LaFell for a 32-yard score
in the third. LSU had one final chance to try to get into field goal range, but
a couple of missed throws forced Colt David to try a 63-yard field goal that
came up short.
Player of the game:
Arkansas QB Casey Dick completed 18-of-29 passes for
197 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: Jordan Jefferson, 9-21, 143
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jordan Jefferson, 19-50. Receiving: Brandon LaFell, 2-49,
1 TD
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 18-29, 197 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Dennis Johnson, 18-127, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Williams,
8-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Arkansas might not
be going bowling and this might not have turned out to be a stellar first season
under Bobby Petrino, while Houston Nutt is off doing big things with Ole Miss,
but to show the fight that the team had in the second half against LSU to close
out strong sets a nice tone going forward. Now there’s hope going into the
off-season that the team really can play with just about everyone, and more
importantly, that the coaching staff can make the adjustments to pull off a win
when everything isn’t going well.
Nov. 22
Mississippi State 31
… Arkansas 28
Mississippi State got a huge day out of Anthony Dixon and the running game as he
scored three times including a 63 yarder late in the third quarter. Arkansas was
able to stay close on the arm of Nathan Dick, who connected with Lucas Miller
for an 87-yard touchdown and finished with three touchdown passes. But the
Bulldogs were able to hang on late as Dick hit Ben Cleveland for a one-yard
touchdown with 25 seconds to play to pull within three, but the Hogs couldn’t
get any closer.
Player of the game:
Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon ran 23 times for
179 yards and a touchdown, and he caught five passes for 32 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Nathan Dick, 25-43, 333
yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 14-60, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Williams,
5-59, 1 TD
Mississippi State - Passing: Tyson Lee, 23-40, 219 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 23-179, 1 TD. Receiving: Jamayel Smith,
6-64
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense ended
up going with Nathan Dick over Casey, who appeared to be still struggling after
getting knocked out against South Carolina. While Nathan had a huge game against
Mississippi State, the defense couldn’t help out the cause with little
production against anything the Bulldogs tried to do. Michael Smith didn’t get
bottled up, but he didn’t get a chance to break out with only 14 carries for 60
yards. Now that a bowl game is out, a win over LSU would be the only saving
grace going into the off-season. With the way the Tigers are playing, Arkansas
can win this if its head is screwed on straight.
Nov. 8
South Carolina 34 …
Arkansas 21
South Carolina alternated quarterbacks on a regular basis, occasionally on every
play, as Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia each threw a touchdown pass, and
Garcia ran for one in the first quarter from 14 yards out. Arkansas hung around
with a 70-yard touchdown catch from Jarius Wright and a four-yard grab from
Mitchell Bailey, but Kenny McKinley put the Gamecocks up for good with a 15-yard
touchdown catch early in the fourth. Mike Davis put the game out of reach with a
13-yard touchdown run with just over six minutes to play. Arkansas got a late
one-yard touchdown run from Brandon Barnett, and a fight ensued after an onside
kick attempt.
Player of the game:
South Carolina WR Kenny McKinley caught seven passes
for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 16-26, 217
yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Brandon Barnett, 7-45. Receiving: Lucas Miller, 5-57
South Carolina - Passing: Eric Baker, 9-59
Rushing: Eric Baker, 9-59. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 7-130, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Arkansas is trying
to throw everything out there to see what works, but the offensive line isn’t
getting the job done and the defense can only hold up for so long. Against South
Carolina, Casey Dick got hit all game long, and it showed as he had to start
hurrying his throws. Michael Smith could never get going; he didn’t have any
room to move. Now the Hogs are behind the eight-ball, needing to beat both
Mississippi State and LSU to get to a bowl. To pull it off, the line has to
figure out something to do a better job of protecting the passer.
Nov. 1
Arkansas 30 … Tulsa 23
The high-powered Tulsa offense gained 528 yards, but it only managed three
points in the second half and came up short in the final moments as David
Johnson’s fourth down pass on the Arkansas seven was incomplete. Arkansas got up
17-0 helped by a 13-yard Andrew Davie touchdown catch and a seven-yard Michael
Smith run, but the offense fell flat in the second half. The Golden Hurricane
came back with two Charles Clay touchdowns in the second quarter and a 22-yard
Trae Johnson catch in the first, but that would be it for getting into the end
zone. Following a 22-yard Jarod Tracy field goal from Tulsa to tie it at 23 late
in the third, Dennis Johnson took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for what would
turn out to be the game-winning touchdown.
Player of the game:
Arkansas QB Casey Dick completed 25-of-38 passes for
385 yards and a touchdown with an interception
Stat Leaders: Tulsa - Passing: David Johnson, 17-31, 322
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tarrion Adams, 9-45. Receiving: Charles Clay, 7-117, 1 TD
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 25-38, 385 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 23-67, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Williams,
6-129
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Arkansas survived a
dangerous scare from Tulsa, the nation’s most potent offensive team. The defense
didn’t exactly slow down the Golden Hurricane offense, but it came up with the
final stop when needed. Now hopes for a bowl game are back on, but with LSU to
close, the team needs to win at South Carolina next week. Casey Dick has to be
razor-sharp against a nasty Gamecock secondary, but that’s easier said than
done. He got the passing game working against Tulsa, but he has to avoid
turnovers and he has to keep spreading the ball around.
Oct. 25
Ole Miss 23 … Arkansas
21
Arkansas scored on a 22-yard Greg Childs catch with just over a minute to play,
recovered the onside kick, after the initial call was reversed, and came close,
but couldn’t get in range for the game-winning field goal. In Houston Nutt’s
game against his old team, his Rebels came up with two Jevan Snead touchdown
passes with an eight-yard play to Shay Hodge and an 11-yard pass to Mike
Wallace. A 28-yard Joshua Shene field goal gave the Rebels a 23-14 lead late
before the Arkansas flurry.
Player of the game:
Ole Miss WR Mike Wallace caught five passes for 120
yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 20-38, 282
yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 19-129, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Williams,
10-129
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 14-27, 209 yds, 2 TD, 1
INT
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 19-81. Receiving: Mike Wallace, 5-120, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The close losses
the young, improving team is getting hit with over the last two weeks should
turn into wins once all the pieces are in place. The line play was iffy, at
best, against Ole Miss, but the skill players did the best they could. Casey
Dick was fine and Michael Smith was terrific, rushing for 129 yards on just 19
carries, but the offense couldn’t get moving on a regular basis until it was too
late. Converting 3-of-14 third down changes was a problem, and now the offense
has to get it cranked up for Tulsa before dealing with South Carolina.
Oct. 18
Kentucky 21 …
Arkansas 20
Part time quarterback Randall Cobb wore the No. 12 jersey in honor of Dicky
Lyons, the star receiver who’s out for the year, and he came through with
touchdown catches from 32 and 21 yards out in the final 4:15 to give Kentucky
the comeback win. Arkansas star RB Michael Smith dominated with 192 rushing
yards with a two-yard touchdown run and a 22-yard catch for a score in the first
quarter. UK stayed in the game with a 71-yard Alfonso Smith touchdown catch in
the third, but the offense didn’t come to live until late. The Hogs were plagued
by a rough day from QB Casey Dick, four turnovers, and 13 penalties, but they
still had chances to hold on to the lead late and couldn’t.
Player of the game:
Kentucky QB/WR Randall Cobb completed 2-of-3 passes
for 45 yards and caught five passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 11-29, 94 yds,
1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 35-192, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Smith,
3-33, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 17-32, 239 yds, 3 TD, 2
INT
Rushing: Moncell Allen, 7-46. Receiving: Alfonso Smith, 5-108, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Arkansas should’ve
beaten Kentucky. The offensive line struggled a bit against the Kentucky pass
rush, but it did a great job of opening up holes fro Michael Smith. The passing
game might not have been working, but outside of one big play, the defense was
fantastic for about 55 minutes. 13 penalties and four turnovers turned out to be
a killer, and the struggles in the passing game didn’t help. Now a win over Ole
Miss is a must to keep bowl hopes alive.
Oct. 11
Arkansas 25 … Auburn 22
Michael Smith ran for 176 yards and a 63-yard fourth quarter score and the
defense held on as Arkansas came up with the first big win in the Bobby Petrino
era. Auburn managed a mere 193 yards of total offense, but the defense came up
with three turnovers and Tristan Davis returned a kickoff 97 yards for a
touchdown on the way to a 20-10 lead. The Hogs went on a 15-point second half
run and the defense didn’t allow any points over the final 27:43. Auburn managed
just 56 rushing yards.
Player of the game:
Arkansas RB Michael Smith ran 35 times for 176 yards
and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 7-18, 119 yds,
2 INT
Rushing: Kodi Burns, 15-38, 1 TD. Receiving: Tommy Trott, 2-31
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 17-32, 222 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 35-176, 1 TD. Receiving: Joe Adams, 4-60
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Auburn is reeling,
so it’s not right to look too much into the win over the Tigers, but for a team
reeling like Arkansas, this was important. The team needed something positive to
happen after a rough start, and while Casey Dick and the passing game were
effective, outside of two interceptions, it was 5-7 RB Michael Smith who has
been a spark of life. He’s not big enough to run 35 times a game, but the
offense will revolve around him over the next three weeks. With the right
breaks, a lot of breaks, the Hogs can win two of three against Kentucky, Ole
Miss and Tulsa.
Oct. 4
Florida
38 … Arkansas 7
Florida rolled up 514 yards of total offense, but it was only up 17-7 going into
the fourth quarter. Percy Harvin ended the drama with a 21-yard touchdown catch,
and Chris Rainey added the exclamation points with a 75-yard dash for a score.
Jeffrey Demps, who ran for a 36-yard touchdown in the second quarter, ran for a
48-yard touchdown in the final minute. Arkansas stayed alive with a six-yard
Michael Smith run in the third quarter, but the offense couldn’t make anything
happen in the fourth quarter. The two teams combined for 20 penalties for 285
yards.
Player of the game: Florida CB Joe Haden made 11 tackles and an
interception.
Stat Leaders: Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 17-26, 217 yds,
2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeffrey Demps, 7-103, 2 TD. Receiving: Louis Murphy, 5-70
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 24-38, 220 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 20-133, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Smith, 6-43
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Arkansas hung tight with Florida for three quarters thanks to the
defense, which held firm after a rocky first half, but the offense couldn’t come
through with points after cranking out some big yards. Casey Dick has to do more
to stretch the field, and the running game could use another option other than
Michael Smith. The team needs something positive to happen, and it needs a few
breaks. The defense has to start creating the mistakes by forcing turnovers, and
the offense has to do a better job of taking advantage of every opportunity.
Sept. 27
Texas
52 … Arkansas 10
Colt McCoy ran for two second quarter touchdowns and threw three
scoring passes, including two to Jordan Shipley, in the blowout win.
The Longhorn defense held the Hogs to 191 yards of total offense and
only allowed a 30-yard second quarter Shay Haddock field goal. The
Arkansas touchdown came on an 80-yard fumble return for a touchdown
by Antwain Robinson with 2:20 to play. The UT defense also got into
the act with an 81-yard interception return for a score from Aaron
Williams.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 17-of-19 passes for 185
yards and three touchdowns, and he ran nine times for 84 yards and
two scores.
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 7-13, 138 yds
Rushing: Michael Smith, 13-42. Receiving: D.J. Williams, 4-39
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 17-19, 185 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Colt McCoy, 9-84, 2 TD. Receiving: Jordan Shipley,
8-83, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Texas is playing extremely
well, but Arkansas still should've found something that worked.
There was one problem: the offensive line. The pass protection was
non-existent with Casey Dick getting sacked six times. There wasn't
any running game with Michael Smith gaining 42 yards but the team
netting 11. Things aren't going to be any better against a fired up
and angry Florida team next week unless the lines come up with
something different over the next six days, and if the linebacking
corps doesn't start to play stronger.
Sept. 20
Alabama 49 ... Arkansas 14
Alabama got up 21-0
in the first half beginning with a one-yard Mark Ingram run, and
then came the home runs. Glen Coffee ripped off an 87-yard touchdown
dash and Javier Arenas took a Casey Dick pass 63 yards for a pick
six to all but end the fun before the second quarter. The Hogs got a
12-yard touchdown catch from Andrew Davie early in the second, but
Julio Jones answered for Alabama with a 25-yard scoring grab. The
defense got back in the act with a 74-yard Justin Woodall
interception return for a score. The Bama big plays kept on coming
in the second half with a 31-yard Glen Coffee touchdown run in the
third and a 62-yard Roy Upchurch dash in the fourth. Bama outgained
the Hogs 328 yards to 92.
Player of the game: Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran ten times for 162 yards
and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 20-39, 190
yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 19-91 Receiving: Michael Smith, 6-67, 1 TD
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 6-14, 74
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 10-162, 2 TD. Receiving: Earl Alexander,
2-38
Whoopty doo. What
does it all mean, Basil? ...
Four interceptions, no run defense, and a sputtering offense. The
Alabama game exposed the major problems in the early part of the
Bobby Petrino era. The linebackers struggled throughout the game and
the two interceptions thrown for scores didn't help the cause. It's
going to be a while before the Hogs are able to hang with the better
teams, but until then there can't be mistakes. They committed five
penalties to Alabama's one, four turnovers to Bama's one, and
converted just 5-of-17 third down chances.
Sept. 6
Arkansas
28 … UL Monroe 27
Arkansas survived as UL Monroe’s Jeremy Gener missed a 45-yard field
goal after the Hogs took the lead for good on an eight-yard D.J.
Williams touchdown catch in the final minutes. The Warhawks had a
24-6 first half lead on two Kinsmon Lancaster touchdown passes to
Anthony McCall and a one-yard Gary Frazier score, and then the Hogs
rallied. Williams caught an eight-yard touchdown pass at the end of
the third quarter and Michael Smith added a four-yard touchdown run
in the fourth, his second score of the day, to close on a 22-3
scoring run. Arkansas outgained ULM 506 yards to 341.
Player of the game: Arkansas RB Michael Smith ran 22 times
for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and caught four passes for 23
yards
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick,
22-34, 323 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Michael Smith, 22-157, 2 TD Receiving: D.J.
Williams, 5-124, 2 TD
UL Monroe - Passing: Kinsmon Lancaster, 23-39,
270 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Rodney Lovett, 17-66. Receiving: Anthony
McCall, 6-125, 2 TD
Whoopty
doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Arkansas is
obviously going to be a work in progress and it’s going to be a
while before the offense is humming like Bobby Petrino will want it
to, but the win over ULM was a positive step, even if it was a
struggle. Casey Dick showed moxie with a big fourth down throw and
in leading the team to the late win, but it shouldn’t have been so
close. On the plus side, Michael Smith looked like the star running
back the team was waiting for with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones
off to the next level.
Aug. 30
Arkansas 28 ... Western
Illinois 24
Three turnovers and an inconsistent offense made life tougher for
Arkansas than expected, but Casey Dick saved the day against WIU
with two touchdown passes and two scoring runs including a four-yard
dash with under two minutes to play to finally give the Hogs the
lead for good. Down 24-14 late in the fourth, Dick connected with
Greg Childs for a 26-yard touchdown get close, and then led the way
to a 12-play, 83-yard drive that culminated in the winning score.
The Leathernecks got two scores from Herb Donaldson, who finished
with 169 of the team's 262 yards.
Player of the game:
Arkansas QB Casey Dick completed 25 of 41
passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, and
ran seven times for 12 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Western Illinois - Passing: Matt Barr, 10-25,
105 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Herb Donaldson, 35-157, 1 TD. Receiving: Lito Senatus,
3-40
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 35-41, 318 yds,
2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DeAnthony Curtis, 6-36. Receiving: Greg Childs, 6-88, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Before getting too
worried about the close call, Western Illinois is really good. It
might be the best team in the FCS. Even so, the Hogs struggled way
too much to put the game away and the running game was a long way
from last year gaining just 76 yards and two touchdowns. Mistakes
were a big problem, but the biggest issue was the lack of run
defense. WIU's Herb Donaldson ripped off 157 yards.
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Joe Adams
WR 6-0 175 Little Rock, Ark. Central
Ark. Christian
He racked up 80 tackles, including 29 assisted stops and 10 tackles
for loss for CAC as a senior. He was named to the Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas team and the Associated Press Super
Team after tallying 15 pass break ups and five interceptions for 187
yards while playing cornerback and safety. He returned one
interception for a 77-yard touchdown. He also earned four sacks,
while earning one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He earned
742 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns rushing. He caught 33 passes for
770 yards and racked up 435 yards in return yardage as a senior. He
also threw for a pair of touchdowns. He had a total of 25 touchdowns
on the season. In his junior season, he rushed 75 times for 857
yards and 14 touchdowns. He caught 29 passes for 633 yards and nine
touchdowns. He averaged 21.8 yards per catch. As a sophomore, he
tallied five interceptions. He is a member of the Rivals.com250 and
is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state by the same outlet.
Hawgs Illustrated ranks him as the No. 2 prospect in Arkansas while
Scout.com ranked him as the No. 8 cornerback in the nation. He
was also recruited by Southern California, Clemson, Georgia, Texas
A&M, Oklahoma and Florida.
Potential Instant Impact Players
Tyler Wilson
QB 6-3 186 Greenwood, Ark. Greenwood HS
He turned in
one of the most prolific high school careers in Arkansas history
passing for more than 8,000 yards and 93 touchdown passes in his
career. He also completed 62 percent of his passes during his high
school tenure. As a senior, he led Greenwood High School to its
third straight state title—second with Wilson starting at
quarterback—while passing for 3,939 yards and 42 touchdowns for
Coach Rick Jones. He was named the MVP of the 5A state championship
game. He was also named as one of two quarterbacks on the Associated
Press Super Team following his senior season after completing 294 of
473 passes. He also rushed 65 times for 199 yards and four
touchdowns. He was recognized with the Landers Award as the state of
Arkansas’ top player and selected an all-conference and all-state
performer. He was a 2007 all-state selection. As a junior, he
completed 294-of-434 passes for 4,222 yards and 50 touchdowns. He
was rated No. 10 overall in the state by the HawgSports.com Natural
21 rankings and No. 6 by Hawgs Illustrated. He was ranked, by
Scout.com, as the No. 35 quarterback in the nation and the No. 7
player in Arkansas. He was also recruited by Kansas, Minnesota,
Missouri and Nebraska.
Jarius Wright
WR 5-11 180 Warren, Ark. Warren HS
He racked up
58 receptions for 1,350 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior for
Coach Bo Hembree at Warren High School. He also carried the ball 55
times for 382 yards and eight touchdowns. He racked up 168 kickoff
return yards and a touchdown on four kickoff returns and 296 punt
return yards and two touchdowns on seven punt returns. He earned a
spot on the AP Super Team. He was a 2007 all-state selection and was
selected to the All-Arkansas team by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Fellow coaches also named him as the outstanding back of his
classification. As a junior, he totaled 51 catches, 1,086 receiving
yards and 15 touchdowns. He also recorded three kickoff and two punt
returns for scores. He was named to the all-state team. He was
touted as the No. 3 overall prospect in the state by Hawgs
Illustrated. He was rated the No. 39 receiver in the nation and the
No. 3 overall prospect in the state by Scout.com. He was also
recruited by Minnesota, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas
Tech.
Rest of the Class
|
Lavunce Askew |
DL
|
6-3
|
288
|
Camden,
Ark.
|
Fairview HS
|
|
Brian Christopher |
DL
|
6-4
|
240
|
Camden,
Ark.
|
Fairvew HS
|
|
De'Anthony Curtis |
RB
|
5-10
|
211
|
Camden,
Ark.
|
Fairvew HS
|
|
Khiry Battle |
ATH
|
5-11
|
209
|
Dacula,
Ga.
|
Dacula HS
|
|
Greg Childs |
WR
|
6-5
|
200
|
Warren,
Ark.
|
Warren HS
|
|
Alfred Davis |
DL
|
6-2
|
305
|
College
Park, Ga.
|
Banneker HS
|
|
Austin Eoff |
OL
|
6-5
|
308
|
Fort
Smith, Ark.
|
Northside HS
|
|
Elton Ford |
FS
|
6-0
|
208
|
Alpharetta, Ga.
|
Chattahoochee
HS |
|
Albert Gary |
ATH
|
5-10
|
180
|
Citra,
Fla.
|
North Marion HS |
|
Chris Gragg |
WR
|
6-3
|
199
|
Warren,
Ark.
|
Warren HS
|
|
Dennis Johnson |
RB
|
5-8
|
192
|
Texarkana, Ark.
|
Arkansas HS
|
|
Basmine Jones |
ATH
|
6-0
|
195
|
Warren,
Ark.
|
Warren HS
|
|
Ryan Mallett |
QB
|
6-6
|
247
|
Texarkana,
Texas |
Texas HS /
Michigan |
|
Jerico Nelson |
ATH
|
5-11
|
207
|
Destrehan, La.
|
Destrehan HS
|
|
Anthony Oden |
OL
|
6-8
|
310
|
Indianapolis, Ind.
|
Lawrence
North HS |
|
Chris Raggett |
CB
|
5-11
|
172
|
Beaumont,
Texas |
Ozen HS
|
|
Jelani Smith |
LB
|
6-1
|
213
|
Abbeville, La.
|
Abbeville HS
|
|
Zac Stadther |
DL
|
6-2
|
291
|
North
Little Rock,
Ark. |
North Little
Rock HS |
|
Tramain Thomas |
CB
|
6-1
|
181
|
Winnie,
Texas
|
East Chambers
HS |
|
Cruz Williams |
WR
|
6-4
|
206
|
Little
Rock, Ark.
|
Pulaski
Academy |
|
Tenarius Wright |
LB
|
6-3
|
231
|
Memphis,
Tenn.
|
Whitehaven HS
|
|
Jim Youngblood |
QB
|
217
|
FR
|
Camden,
Ark.
|
Fairvew HS |
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Bobby Petrino. Whatever the world might think
about him and the way he left the Atlanta Falcons high and dry, the guy
can coach. He was tremendous for Louisville and should bring a new fire
and a new look to the offense over the next few seasons. With the way
he's recruiting early on, the potential is there for this to be an
exciting young team that should get better and better as the season goes
on.
Why to be grouchy: The whole thing got blown up, and now the
program is making a 180-degree turn. With NFL first round talents like
Darren McFadden and Felix Jones gone, along with the right side of the
offensive line, the most talented receivers, and five starters on
defense, this year will be a step back to potentially take a giant leap
forward. Before mid-October, the Hogs have to go to Texas, Auburn and
Kentucky and host Alabama and Florida, and there's still LSU to deal
with to close out the year.
The number one thing to work on is: Finding a quarterback. Mitch
Mustain would've been the perfect fit for what Petrino wants to do, but
he's off as the likely starter for USC. Ryan Mallett is on the way from
Michigan, but he won't be eligible until next year. In the meantime,
it's Casey Dick as a stopgap as he has to grow into a far, far more
efficient, more dangerous passer with McFadden and Jones gone. Dick has
to make everyone around him better.
Biggest offensive loss: RBs Darren McFadden & Felix Jones
Biggest defensive loss: CB Michael Grant
Best returning offensive player: C Jonathan Luigs, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Freddie Fairchild, Jr.
2007 Recap
Recap:
The Hogs had their moments in 2007, winning five of their final six regular
season games, but not enough to spare head coach Houston Nutt, whose fate was
likely sealed before the season ever began. Although Arkansas limped out of the
gate with three tough SEC losses, it rallied behind the superlatives of RB
Darren McFadden, one of the most celebrated players to ever wear the school
colors. With a chance to finish the season ranked, however, the Razorbacks got
smoked by Missouri and RB Tony Temple in the Cotton Bowl, 38-7.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Darren McFadden
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Freddie Fairchild
Biggest Surprise: Arkansas did its part to reshuffle the BCS rankings on
Nov. 23, beating No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge in a triple-overtime classic. As
expected, McFadden led the way for the Hogs, rushing for 206 yards and three
touchdowns, and throwing for 34 yards and a touchdown in a 50-48 victory that
reverberated throughout the country.
Biggest Disappointment: Losing to Auburn, 9-7, in October on a Wes Byrum
field goal with under a minute left in the game. In a listless effort, the
Razorbacks sunk back to .500, failing to open any holes for McFadden or RB Felix
Jones, and managing to generate only 11 first downs and 193 yards of total
offense.
Looking Ahead: It took some time for Arkansas to locate Nutt’s successor,
but Bobby Petrino should prove to be worth the wait. The former Louisville and
Atlanta Falcons head coach will have his work cut out for him in 2008,
inheriting a team that has an average quarterback, and must replace McFadden,
Jones, and much of the secondary.
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