The Arkansas Razorbacks certainly put up a memorable season last year. Despite finishing third in the SEC West behind LSU and Alabama, they earned a trip to their first-ever BCS Bowl after ending the regular season with a 10-2 record. Following a 29-16 win over Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, Arkansas tied the school record with an 11-win season. Thanks to head coach Bobby Petrino, the Razorbacks ended up No. 5 in the country and the expectations coming into 2012 are at an all-time high.
Things got sour in a hurry in the offseason however, as head coach Bobby Petrino was dismissed from the team after hiding a relationship with a female employee. The Razorbacks got John L. Smith to replace Petrino in after just a 4.5 month stint with Weber St. Smith was previously a linebacker coach and a special team's coordinator with Arkansas the previous three years. Paul Petrino returns as the offensive coordinator and Paul Hayes takes over as the new defensive coordinator after spending the last six seasons with Ohio State.
Nfl 2012
This team definitely has a lot of talent, as the Razorback return 13 starters (7 offense, 6 defense). This season all depends on how well the players will react to the new coach. There might not be a lot of changes made on this team, but they are surely going to miss the play-calling of Bobby Petrino.
Offense:
The Razorbacks are extremely happy that one of the elite quarterbacks in college football, Tyler Wilson, is coming back to the team. What's impressive about Wilson is that he has set numerous school records and became the first Razorback signal caller to receive 1st team All-SEC honors in his first season as a starter. He finished up the year with a whopping 3,638 yards with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. With Wilson behind center, Arkansas averaged 36.8 points/game and 438 yards of total offense. Big things are expected of him coming into his senior year, which has others thinking that this team can still win without Petrino in charge.
It would have been something really spectacular to see had it not been for the injury that sidelined Kniles Davis prior to 2011 season. Davis was coming off a sophomore season where he rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning him First Team All-SEC honors in 2010. Had it not been for Kniles' injury, the offense would have been even more potent for the Razorbacks. Dennis Johnson (670 yards, three touchdowns) and RonnieWingo (458 yards, three touchdowns) were solid as fill ins, but will now be used primary as backups with Davis returning in 2012. This should be one of the most improved units on the entire team.
An area on the offensive end where Arkansas may have to rely on some new faces for production is at the receiver position. Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, and Greg Child were all taken in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. There are still some strong players coming back in senior tight end Chris Gragg (42 catches, 518 yards, two touchdowns) and senior wide out Cobi Hamilton (34 catches, 542 yards, four touchdowns). Sophomore Marquel Wade and red-shirt freshman Quinta Funderburke are also expected to make contributions in the new season.
The offensive line had just two starters back last season and struggled early in the year. They did find their footing and made solid progress as the season went on, and should see a welcome improvement as 2012 rolls along. They bring back two of the top linemen in the conference in left guard Alvin Bailey and center Travis Swanson. Right tackle Jason Peacock is also coming back for the Razorbacks. Two highly touted sophomores in guard Mitch Smothers and tackle Brey Cook are expected to fill the other two spots.
Defense:
The Razorbacks have always had problems on the defensive side of the ball, but they have made some welcome strides since giving up just over 31 points/game in 2008. Last year they held opponents to just 22.2 points/game. The biggest issue for Arkansas was in stopping the run, as they allowed 168 yards/game on the ground. Injuries were a major factor in the struggles this unit faced. It will be interesting to see if Haynes can help this group make even more strides in 2012.
Even though it's hard to replace the production left by 1st team All-SEC defensive end Jake Bequette, they do have six of the top eight defensive linemen back from last season, including starting defensive tackle duo of Bryan Jones and Robert Thomas. There is a chance for the Razorbacks to allow under 4.0 yards/carry for the first time since 2006, but Chris Smith and Trey Flower need to step up.
Middle linebacker is where the Razorbacks may have major problems on the defensive end. They need to find a replacement for Jerry Franklin, who became the first player in school history to lead the team in tackles for four straight seasons. They also lost starting outside linebacker Jerico Nelson and will be moving Ross Rasner to free Safety. While top outside backer Tenarius Wright is returning, there's no doubt that this is their biggest concern heading into the season.
They also have some holes to fill at secondary, as they must fill the voids left by starting corner Greg Gatson and 3rd Team All-SEC safety Tramain Thomas. They do have some potentially great talents coming back, especially if Rasner can make a smooth transition from linebacker. Sophomore corner Tevon Mitchell should get better as he gets more burn in his second season as a starter and safety Eric Bennett is one of the up-and-coming players at his position in the SEC.
SEC Prediction - 2nd SEC West
Arkansas' only real problem right now is losing their head coach after spring practices concluded. Had it not been for that huge development, Arkansas would have a great chance to finish first in the SEC West and possibly play for a National Championship. That being said, they do get to face Alabama and LSU at home, and have a pretty favorable non-conference schedule. It's still tough to pick them ahead of LSU, despite them being a virtual lock to win double-digit games again in 2012.
2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Football Predictions
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