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Arkansas tests Petrino’s patience
Inexperience and a new system provide the first hurdles for the new coach
CommentsArkansas players were practicing for the Cotton Bowl in December when they learned Bobby Petrino was their new coach. While the rest of the world was ripping Petrino for walking out on the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, the Razorbacks were thinking what did it mean for them?
Petrino’s hiring meant a new offense, and a different personality at the helm of the program. While Houston Nutt (who left for Mississippi) was a chipper, outgoing sort, Petrino was known to be no-nonsense, introverted.
“Everyone kinda says we went from a player’s coach to a more stern, boisterous coach who demands a lot of his players,” Arkansas center Jonathan Luigs said. “People say he doesn’t care about his players; he only cares about football and himself. But from what I’ve seen so far, I deny all those claims.”
The Razorbacks were picked to finish last in the Western Division by the media. They lost two first-round draft picks, including Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden. When Petrino was discussing his roster last week at SEC media days, he used the words “inexperience” or “thin” at running back, receiver, linebacker and the secondary.
That leaves both lines, which Petrino said would be the strength of the team, and quarterback.
Casey Dick has never set the world on fire, but he started all 13 games for Arkansas last year and did a decent job doing no harm. Dick threw 18 touchdowns; 10 of his passes were intercepted.
“He’s a guy that has experience, has won games, has won games at the end of the game playing the position,” Petrino said. “I have a lot of confidence in him, and he has a lot of confidence in himself coming out of spring ball, which is a great thing.”
Petrino’s offense is pass-oriented, a drastic change for Arkansas, which featured McFadden and ran the ball 66 percent of the time last year.
But with so many inexperienced players acclimating to a new system, can the Razorbacks improve on their scoring offense last year? They averaged 37.3 points a game, which was third in the league behind Florida and LSU.
Petrino understands the low expectations for his first season.
“I’m not real patient. I like things done, you know, right away,” he said. “I think you can go fast. I think you can move and get better in a hurry. But I do understand that it’s a process. I think I do understand in the game of football, building and changing a program, that it is a process.”
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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