Willy Robinson has seen it all.  With more than 30 years of coaching experience, the Arkansas Defensive Coordinator has been exposed to great defenses and, on the other end of the spectrum, defenses like the one he had at Arkansas last season.  Heading into 2009, the Hogs promise to be one of the most improved units in all of college football.  Of course, when compared to 2008 there really is only one direction this group can go. 

The starting front seven from 2008 returns along with a bumper crop of defensive back signees that plan to make an immediate impact on this team.  One year into the Robinson system, you hear words like “comfort” and “understanding” more and more.  The players feel like they are ready to play and react instead of think when the ball is snapped.  That is a far cry from last September.  Coach Petrino believes the second year will show growth.  “The second year, you see a lot of improvement because the players understand what you expect, they know what they need to do, and they’re comfortable with what you’re doing,” he said.

At one point last season, the Hogs started five sophomores and four freshmen defensively.  According to Head Coach Bobby Petrino, who reviewed the starting lineup the Friday night of game week, “I didn’t sleep very well that night.”  The youngsters grew from shoats to full-fledged Razorbacks over the course of the season, though, with the expected ups and downs along the way.  It is hard to tell much from the first two games against Western Illinois and UL-Monroe given that both were sloppily played.

The next game, though, against Alabama was shocking.  With the unexpected week off (thanks to Hurricane Ike that moved the Texas game back 2 weeks), many expected the Razorback defense to tighten the screws and be ready for the multiple offense at Alabama.  All hopes were dashed, though, early when Alabama went up 28-0 and never looked back.  The Tide did not need the passing game that day.  After almost 300 surrendered rushing yards later, the fact that these young Hogs would need to grow up in a hurry was obvious.

The next week at Austin was equally disheartening as Texas piled up 52 points and could have scored even more.  Coming off back-to-back games in which the team gave up a combined 101 points, there was little hope from the fans or those covering the team.  One can only wonder what those defensive team meetings must have been like.

Something happened the next week against Florida, though. The Hogs ended up losing 38-7 to the eventual national champs, but the defense played inspired football.  Jerry Franklin picked off Tebow to snap his consecutive pass streak without a pick (a UF record 203 attempts).  The Hogs held the Gators to 17 points after three quarters.  With a little help from the sputtering offense, who knows what may have happened?  Ultimately the Hogs were worn down by a superior team, giving up a few big plays in the final period.  But the worm had turned, or at least moved a bit.

The win at Auburn showed that the defense had tremendous heart.  The loss at Kentucky was gut-wrenching, and yet again the offense let the D down late by not being able to close the game.  Ole Miss escaped Fayetteville despite a gritty, inspired effort by the defense.  The key may have been Tulsa, where the Hogs shut down the high-flying Golden Hurricanes for most of the game, leading to a much-needed win.  The 89 points given up in those four games were still less than the two massacres against Bama and Texas, and more importanly showed steady improvement.

The trip to South Carolina was a huge disappointment, and the wear and tear of the season showed the final two games against Mississippi State and LSU, giving up 31 and 30 points to those two squads respectively.

Heading into 2009, the Hogs expect to be much different.  All the kids that played in 2008 are men now.  And to help things out, the coaching staff went out and recruited some genuine blue chip talent for the secondary.  Don’t expect a defense like 1961 (school record 177.4 yards allowed/game), but this group will definitely keep the Hogs in enough games to make some noise this year.  And by the end of the season, we may be looking at a group that shows just how formidable it can be when all pistons are firing at once.

Defensive Line

You can’t talk football without talking about the men up front.  Arkansas has a “man child” or two along the front, but the unquestioned leaders is senior Malcolm Sheppard.  Describing his own game, Sheppard says “I don’t think it’s necessarily so much one thing as much as a fearless aggression, doing whatever I have to in order to make a stop.”  At 6′ 2″ and 291 lbs, Sheppard appears ready to shed the label of being too small.  He will be expected to provide pressure up the middle and showed last year that he can do it by racking up 6.5 sacks.  Talking about his defensive leader, Coach Petrino said “Malcolm is a very good football player. He’s a guy that has tremendous quickness, has great anticipation as far as the snap count goes, and can really be disruptive to the offense with his penetration, his ability to rush the passer.” 

Zach Stadther, who saw plenty of action as a freshman, comes back and will line up over the ball at nose tackle.  Stadther (6′ 1″, 289 lbs) is very quick but has that low-center of gravity d-line coaches love.  He and Sheppard will provide a nice combo of quick linemen that can bunker down against the run, too. 

Senior Adrian Davis (6′ 4″, 252 lbs) hopes to be in the backfield a lot this season.  Coaches and fans alike keep waiting for that break-out year from Davis, who has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career.  Sophomore Jake Bequette (6′ 5″, 271 lbs) lines up on the other side of the line after a standout freshman campaign.  If players like Damario Ambrose and new signee Caleb Evans come along quickly, don’t be surprised to see Bequette get some snaps on the interior.  Like before, the Hogs will operate with a rotation up front in an attempt to keep everyone fresh and limit the opportunities for injury.  Patrick Jones enters fall camp as the backup behind Sheppard.  Big Alfred Davis (6′ 1″, 326 lbs) should also figure into the rotation up front as a redshirt freshman.  Jones certainly has the size (6′ 1″, 309 lbs) to be a true anchor in the middle.  Freshman DeQuinta “DeDe” Jones (6′ 5″, 307 lbs) should also see the field this fall, especially after spending the summer in Fayetteville working out and learning from his older teammates.

Linebackers

This group was the primary concern entering fall camp a year ago, but now this appears to be an area of strength.  With more experience coaches are high on the (linebacking) Hogs going into camp.  According to Coach Petrino, “All three linebackers, if we were to start today, the guys that we started, played a lot of football last year. I think Jerry Franklin played every play but six a year ago.”  Senior Wendel Davis looks like he may be ready to make “the leap” this season.  Davis is listed at 6′ 1″ and 230 pounds and hits like a truck.  He also has the speed to drop into coverage and really help the Hogs when they want to play zone.  Junior Freddy Burton returns, too, and looks like a football player.  The six-foot two-inch, 231 pounder from Morrilton is active and fast from the strong side.  Burton looks the part of a starting SEC linebacker, and now he gets his chance to prove it.  Sophomore Jerry Franklin of Marion, Arkansas, will start camp as the #1 guy on the weak side.  Franklin came to Arkansas as a safety but added weight to play up front last year.  Now at 6′ 4″ and 241 pounds, Franklin has the size to go along with his speed.  Hopefully some of the reserves can keep him from taking the pounding he did in 2008.

Khiry Battle is gone, but some would call that addition by subtraction given his off-the-field woes.  Jermaine Love (5′ 10″, 230 lbs) needs to step up and provide some depth behind Davis.  Bret Harris and Jelani Smith will also get looks at linebacker and special teams, along with signees like Austin Moss and Terrell Williams.  Redshirt freshman Tenarius Wright (6′ 1″, 238 lbs) could also factor into the mix at either linebacker (his natural position) or defensive end (where he logged time in practice last year and in the spring).

 Secondary

“A lot of times your secondary takes a lot of criticism when it’s not all their fault,” Petrino said to SEC media recently, “’cause if the quarterback doesn’t have pressure in his face, if you can’t play zone coverage at times behind a four man front, then it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the secondary.”  While that may be true, the secondary had plenty of lapses last year.  And that has led to open competition for spots this season.

You may as well take the post-spring depth chart and light it on fire.  The starters won’t be known until mid- to-late-August as coaches evaluate the new talent with the experience that returns.  Junior Isaac Madison appears to be the favorite at one of the corner positions, but he will be pushed.  Ramon Broadway has been through the wars, and Jerell Norton showed he has the talent to succeed back in 2007.  But with new additions in Rudell Crim, Darius Winston, and David Gordon, the competition will be fierce.  Winston was a high school All-American at Helena-West Helena (Ark) Central, and Gordon won the Oklahoma 100m & 200m championships while in high school.  Crim was regarded by many as the top defensive back prospect coming out of junior college.  Andru Stewart, who transferred from College of the Sequoias (CA) before the spring semester, will also press for playing time.

At safety, all the buzz will center around Anthony “Juice” Leon.  The junior transfer started his career at Florida State, then traveled to California for junior college before settling in Fayetteville.  Matt Harris will not give up his spot without a fight, though.  And Elton Ford has been cleared to participate in fall drills after a promising freshman season was cut short by a neck injury.  If healthy, Ford will definitely be a factor at the safety position.  Jerico Nelson saw the field a lot as a freshman and will compete for playing time as well.  Leon will get looks at both safety positions before coaches determine where exactly he fits in the system. The Hogs have very capable help at safety already, but the addition of Leon makes this unit much better.

 Special Teams

John L. Smith returns to the field as Arkansas’ special teams coach this season.  A coaching mentor to Head Coach Bobby Petrino, Smith has not roamed the sidelines since his days at Michigan State from 2003-2006 — where he was namesdBig 10 Coach of the Year in 2003.  The shoe was on the other foot for Coach Petrino for years, as he worked for Smith at stops at Idaho, Utah State and Louisville.  When given the chance, Petrino jumped at the opportunity to hire his old boss.  “He’s brought a lot of experience to our staff. His relationships that he’s already developed with our players and our coaching staff will help us be much better,” said the head coach.

The special teams last year were abysmal, and Coach Smith plans to change things up.  One change you will not see, at least right away, is a different place kicker.  Junior Alex Tejada is back to try and prove he was worth all the ink during his recruitment.  He had offers from LSU, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, and Nebraska but chose the Hogs early in the process.  After a strong debut, his sophomore campaign was shaky at best.  With a season-long kick of just 30 yards in 2008, Tejada needs to show off the booming, accurate leg that got him on the field as a freshman.

One of the first things Coach Smith wanted to do at Arkansas was bring in a new punter after the graduation of Jeremy Davis.  Former Hawai’i punter Briton Forester hopes he is the man Smith is looking for.  He lettered for the Warriors in 2006 and 2007 before transferring back to the mainland last year and attending Palomar College in California.  He comes to Arkansas as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining.  Ryan Mallet actually spent time at punter this spring, too.  He could fill that role if Forester is to falter.

No one stepped up to fill the role of punt returner last season, as the Razorbacks ended the year with a team average of 5.3 yards/return.  The punt return game will be something Coach Smith needs to address immediately.  With so many speed burners on the team, it seems highly unlikely this group will repeat the dreadful season of 2008.  Jarius Wright will get another look, as will players like Joe Adams, and David Gordon.  A healthy Jerell Norton must be thrown into that mix as well.

As poorly as Arkansas performed on punt returns, the kickoff return team was much different.  While no one will replace Felix Jones anytime soon, Dennis Johnson impressed as a freshman.  The Texarkana native cut loose for a 96-yard touchdown return against Tulsa last year which proved to be the difference in the game.  Elton Ford also showed flashes before injury ended the year for him.  With a 21.1 yard/return average, the special teams put the offense in good position more times than not.  Expect Johnson to once again get his hands on the ball often with a wide open competition for a second option deep.

OUTLOOK

There is no doubt this team will be better than the 2008 version.  Experienced players, increased talent, and a coaching staff that has grown closer together as a unit are the ingredients needed to make a jump.  The biggest problem facing the 2009 Razorbacks is a brutal schedule that includes road trips to Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Oxford and Baton Rouge.  Winning one of those is not out of the question, but the Hogs will definitely need to have all the key pieces in place to knock off one of the conference heavyweights this year.

The home schedule is more forgiving, and a neutral site game in Dallas against Texas A&M might feel like a home game for the Hogs.  Dallas is the largest base of Arkansas alums outside of the state.  Most Razorback faithful count any game in Dallas (in any sport) an additional home game.

The season really stumbles out of the blocks this year.  Missouri State comes to Little Rock to kick off the 2009 campaign on Labor Day weekend.  The next week is Arkansas’ only open week before a brutal 11 week grind against some of the best competition the nation has to offer.  Georgia comes to Fayetteville the third week of September in what many see as a national coming out party for Ryan Mallett and the Arkansas offense.  That game will be on either ESPN or ESPN2 at 6:45 local time, and the crowd will most definitely be ready to open Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the year.  The month ends with a trip to Alabama and the mighty Crimson Tide.  Navigating the month with a winning record will be tough, but a win against Georgia could be considered a coin-flip at this point in the summer.

October starts with the trip to Jerry World in Dallas and the new Texas Stadium.  The Aggies are coming off a difficult season, and some wonder if they are a year away.  Regardless, the Hogs look to leave north Texas with a victory and a lot of exposure.  Coach Petrino is very excited about the new series saying, “It will be great for our recruiting. It already has helped our recruiting in the state of Texas. I think it will give us a lot of recognition throughout the country.”

Auburn heads to Fayetteville the following week with the trip to Gainesville looming on the horizon.  I don’t expect the Hogs to be looking past Auburn, though, as those two games look like a split.  The most anticipated trip of the year is to Oxford, and it comes after the Florida game.  Even battered and bruised, the Razorbacks will be pumped up to take on the Rebels and their head coach.  After two emotion-filled weeks and three bruising SEC games, Arkansas celebrates Halloween with Eastern Michigan.

November begins with a visit from South Carolina and another non-conference game against dangerous Troy.  Both of these are winnable games at home.  The Razorbacks hope to carry a minimum three-game winning streak into their contest with Mississippi State in Little Rock on the season’s penultimate weekend.  Finally the Hogs head south to Baton Rouge to end the year against LSU.  For the first time in more than a decade this game will be played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and not that Friday.  LSU hopes this breaks the spell of 2 tough losses in the past 2 seasons.

Most likely:  It looks like an 8-4 season for Arkansas with 7-5 possible if the breaks go the wrong way.  Winning against either Georgia or Ole Miss should get Arkansas to 8 wins assuming they beat the following:  Missouri State, Texas A&M, Auburn, Eastern Michigan, South Carolina, Troy, and Mississippi State.

With a little luck:  Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks could really make a statement by winning both of those swing games and making a run at 9-3.  A Cotton Bowl berth would most likely await the Hogs with a season like that.

Best case scenario:  Stealing a win against the Big Three looks like a very tough get this year.  Many national pundits point to the October trip to Gainesville, but that seems very unlikely.  I actually like the Hogs to give LSU a run for their money in the Battle of the Boot to end the season.  The past 3 games have been great contests, and there is nothing to suggest this year will be any different.  A 10-2 season would launch Arkansas into the discussion for a trip to Orlando and the Capitol One Bowl.

Arkansas Offense:

Returning starters: 8

Key Players: Ryan Mallett, QB, Michael Smith, TB, D.J. Williams, TE,  Wade Grayson, C, DeMarcus Love, OT

One to Watch: Jarius Wright, WR

­Impact Newcomer: Broderick Green, TB

Arkansas Defense:

Returning Starters: 11

Key Players: Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Wendel Davis, LB, Jerry Franklin LB, Anthony “Juice” Leon, S, Adrian Davis, DE

One to Watch: Rudell Crim, CB

Impact Newcomer: Anthony “Juice” Leon, S

Key Game(s): Georgia, Sept 19, @ Ole Miss, Oct. 24, @ LSU Nov. 28

Schedule/Predicted Result: (8-4)

9/5     Missouri State (LR)              W
9/12   OPEN DATE                             —
9/19   Georgia                                    L
9/26   at Alabama                             L
10/3   Texas A&M (Dallas)             W
10/10  Auburn                                   W
10/17  at Florida                                L
10/24  at Ole Miss                            W
10/31  Eastern Michigan                W
11/7    South Carolina                      W
11/14  Troy                                       W
11/21  Mississippi State (LR)        W
11/28  at LSU                                        L