Two-A-Days: Arkansas Razorbacks

Two-a-Days rolls on with our 13th installment, in which we take a closer look at the Arkansas Razorbacks.

To read previous entries, click HERE.

Arkansas in a flash:

Head Coach: Bobby Petrino, third year
2009 Record: 8-5 (3-5 SEC), beat East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl
2009 Stats: Total offense, 427.31 ypg (3rd SEC, 20th nationally); Total defense, 401.15 ypg (12th SEC, 89th nationally)
Coaching Changes: OC Paul Petrino left for the same job at Illinois, and Garrick McGee was promoted to take his place, with Bobby Petrino still calling plays. Offensive line coach Kirk Botkin also departed, replaced by Chris Klenakis, who comes from Nevada. Kris Cinkovich takes over as receivers coach. Former Tennessee assistant Steve Caldwell takes over as defensive ends coach for Kirk Botkin.
Starters Returning: Offense (9), Defense (7), Special Teams (2)
Key Player Losses: RB Michael Smith, OL Mitch Petrus, DT Malcolm Sheppard
Big Games: @ Georgia (9/18), Alabama (9/25), Auburn (10/16), LSU (11/27)
Non-Conference Slate: Tennessee Tech (9/4), Louisiana-Monroe (9/11), Texas A&M (10/9), UTEP (11/13)

Arkansas' offense was downright scary last year, but so was the defense for a much different reason. Ryan Mallett's return and Bobby Petrino's history make the Hogs a trendy pick in the SEC this year, but there is still much to be done before Arkansas is ready to pass Alabama out west.

So, how far were the Hogs able to go this spring? For that, I turned to Brandon Marcello, the Razorbacks beat writer for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Here's what he had to say...

David Hale: Ryan Mallett is high up on plenty of draft boards and coming off an impressive season a year ago, but he missed all of spring practice with a broken foot. I'm not sure this is a fair analogy in the least -- but are there any concerns that his second season in the SEC could involve a step back as it did for fellow transfer Jevan Snead at Ole Miss? How has Mallett's injury progressed and do you see any hangover effect as he gets into shape for the fall?

Brandon Marcello: I think there is always that thought and belief out there that Ryan Mallett could take a step back. In fact, you may see that with his numbers this season as I believe the Razorbacks are going to need to run the ball more this season to have more success. It's easy to forget that Mallett was in his first season as Arkansas' signal-caller last year, and while Mallett certainly has all-world ability, we should remember that was the first time the SEC teams and coaches had seen Mallett. Now they've had a year to adjust, so the junior very well could have diminished numbers in 2010.

All that aside, I do not see him taking a step back like Jevan Snead at Ole Miss. The offense at Ole Miss is nothing like the one at Arkansas, and many know that the Rebels' offense is not necessarily a haven for quarterbacks. Bobby Petrino is an offensive coach, and he's worked with quarterbacks most of his coaching career. Additionally, all signs point to a healthy recovery from the broken toe in Mallett's left foot. The worry was that Mallett would gain unneeded weight during his recovery, but he's actually stayed healthy and maintained his arm strength in workouts.

A funny story to share here is when Petrino visited Mallett in the hospital after the surgery to check in and to also go get the quarterback some food. He asked Mallett what he wanted from a menu, and Mallett surprised Petrino by picking a healthy item — chicken without mayonnaise.

It may sound small, but Petrino says that showed him that Mallett has matured since he arrived on campus in 2008.

Mallett is hovering at about 232 pounds right now, and coaches would like to bulk him up to near 240 for the fall. He should also be cleared to participate in voluntary drills in June.

DH: I don't think anyone will question Arkansas' explosiveness on offense, but there are some key changes on that side of the ball. Paul Petrino left for the OC job at Illinois, so Garrick McGee was promoted to O coordinator. O line coach Mike Summers was replaced by Chris Klenakis, who did some impressive work with Nevada's running game last year. How have the new guys fit in, and what changes might be in store with the coaching shake-ups?

BM: You're going to see the Pistol offense quite a bit next season. The coaches at Arkansas call it the 'Shot," and they did run it a bit last season but mainly with the passing game. The hope is that with Chris Klenakis on staff, the Hogs can learn to run the ball with more success out of the formation. Klenakis helped install the Pistol at Nevada in the past and he's worked with Coach Petrino in the past. In fact, this coaching staff has a heavy Petrino flavor as he has coaching connections with most of his assistants.

The loss of Paul Petrino, I believe, was huge in the offseason and it may have been a contributing factor to the off-game the receivers had in the Liberty Bowl. Paul was the best assistant on the staff last season, and the job he did improving the receivers was remarkable. Garrick McGee was a natural choice to become the offensive coordinator, even if Bobby Petrino is the one calling the plays. Many believe McGee is on his way to being a head coach somewhere within the next two seasons.

The running game has been as big a focus as anything this spring, and it may have cost Arkansas' passing game a tad. Bobby Petrino believes the passing game took a step back. It's up to Kris Cinkovich to improve the receiving corps, which features three of the top pass-catchers in the SEC — Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright.

Defenisvely is where the most improvement can be seen with the hiring of a new assistant. Steve Caldwell is molding Arkansas' defensive ends into a team strength, and DE Jake Bequette was a menace off the edge in the spring. Watch out for that group next season, as Arkansas began to see more production from the ends near the end of last season. The hiring of Caldwell, who coached some of the best at Tennessee, was a great addition and one Petrino has been working on for a while. You may remember that Petrino came after Caldwell to be his defensive coordinator in 2008, but Caldwell passed and stayed at Tennessee.

DH: Obviously it's the defense that worries most Arkansas fans, and for two straight seasons under Bobby Petrino, it's been pretty bad. Beyond the coaching changes, have you seen anything this spring that would lead you to believe the unit can be revitalized this coming season?

BM: The cornerbacks and, as mentioned above, the defensive ends, have improved. I think the key next season is the return of Isaac Madison, who was out all last season with an injured knee, at cornerback. His addition and the improvement of rising sophomore Darius Winston has given the Hogs some needed depth and production at corner. For the first time since this staff has been here I heard the term "lockdown" when describing the coverage by the cornerbacks at times this spring.

The move of Rudell Crim from cornerback to strong safety has also helped. He's now the fastest safety on the team and his move late in the spring proved fruitful in the latter practices, when the defense became disruptive. In fact, the defense snagged seven interceptions in one practice.

The weakness is linebacker, where the depth is almost non-existent. Bret Harris showed promise as a backup. Jerry Franklin was in the weight room for most of the spring by Petrino's orders, but will be counted on next season. There's also Jerico Nelson to look at there, who seems to never come off the field. The Hogs may count on freshmen for depth, including newcomer Braylon Mitchell.

DH: Georgia fans won't soon forget the shootout in Fayetteville last year in which Arkansas' secondary made Joe Cox look like a Heisman candidate. How much has Arkansas really improved that secondary this season after the unit finished 99th in the nation in pass defense a year ago?

BM: As mentioned above, the move of Rudell Crim over to strong safety was needed and provided some added production. Darius Winston hit the weight and film rooms hard this offseason. His big weakness was, well, his upper body weakness. He was man-handled at times last season, but was stronger on the field this spring. I recall one example when he threw the much larger Greg Childs to the ground while fighting for the ball during a scrimmage. That opened some eyes.

The problem, though, is that they need to be more consistent. They'll play the short game well and have improved on halting yards-after-the-catch, but they're still weak stopping the big play. We saw it in the spring game when the two defenses gave up 10 plays of 25 yards or longer, including an 88-yard run by backup quarterback Brandon Mitchell.

It remains to be seen. The good thing for Arkansas fans is that the defense did improve as the season went on last year. In fact, if not for the defense in the Liberty Bowl, the Hogs could have been 7-6.

DH: Forgive me for another Ole Miss comparison, but like the Rebels last year, Arkansas seems like the chic dark-horse pick this season. What's the attitude among the players and coaches to all the offseason love? Has it been a motivation or have coaches worked to maintain underdog status in the locker room?

BM: Bobby Petrino does not like the underdog role. He has embraced the high expectations and has made it no secret that he wants to win an SEC championship this season. He's told the media this and it's the talk in the locker room nearly every day.

It's easy to label someone the "darkhorse," when that team's offense is sexy. The passing game is fun to watch, the receivers are physical and fast, and with Ryan Mallett's star power, it makes the pick so much easier for the national guys. Lost in all this is the need for improvement from the running game and defense. Arkansas was a quick-strike offense last season, but they need to be able to run the clock and improve in short-yardage situations.

And we all know they need to improve leaps and bounds on defense to be a contender for a BCS game.

Even so, there was improvement this spring and the coaches think the pieces are in place for a special season.

One thing is for certain, it's going to be fun to watch Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and LSU battle it out in the SEC West next season. It's going to be the toughest division of any power conference out there.

***

Many thanks to Brandon for the analysis. You can read his Arkansas blog HERE, check out his Arkansas videos HERE or follow him on Twitter HERE.

So, what say you guys? Should Arkansas really be a chic pick for an SEC West title? Or do you think those defensive deficiencies will be too much to overcome? And just how concerned will you be for the Hogs visit to Athens in September?

And don't forget, we'll be wrapping up Two-A-Days with an in-depth look at Georgia, so if you have questions you want answered, leave them in the comments section here or send me an email at dhale@macon.com.

NEXT UP: Wrapping up Georgia's opposition with a look at Colorado this afternoon.

Grading the Game: Arkansas Razorbacks

For the second straight week, Georgia gave me a lot to review before handing out grades. Once again, the offense looked tough, young playmakers took a step forward, and the defense… well, that wasn't so good.

But without any further a do, let's get right to the grades.

QUARTERBACKS: Never let it be said that I'm unwilling to admit when I'm wrong. I wrote last week that I thought Georgia would benefit in the long run by letting Logan Gray or Aaron Murray get a taste of playing time. At this point, however, there is absolutely no reason Joe Cox should ever be standing on the sideline. My bad, Joe.

I still think it'd be nice for Georgia to put away Arizona State early this week the way they should, thus giving Gray some opportunities to get acclimated, but in the meantime, Cox has clearly developed into a weapon offensively.

In the first week against Oklahoma State, there were legitimate questions about how well he could throw the ball and if he could put enough zip on his passes to stretch the field. Clearly, however, it was the flu that kept him in check, not the Okie State defense, the shoulder injury or any natural physical limitations.

Cox completed 18-of-26 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns, throwing one INT against Arkansas this week -- racking up his first 300-yard passing day in 23 fewer starts than it took his predecessor, Matthew Stafford. Ten of Cox's 18 completions were for 20 yards or longer, which is astounding considering how much criticism he got for his lack of arm strength during the offseason.

(Side note: Cox said he didn't get calls or texts from Stafford, David Greene or DJ Shockley, whom he now shares the record for most TDs in a game with. I expected at least a snarky comment or two. Lame.)

As important as the big plays, however, was Cox's decision making. The lone interception was probably a pass he shouldn't have made, but it was a straight down-the-middle throw on third-and-long that, when combined with a penalty on Arkansas, effectively worked as a punt. Beyond that, Cox was sharp, never giving the Razorbacks a chance to make a play, but putting his playmakers -- namely Orson Charles and A.J. Green -- in perfect position to do what they do best. Cox's reads were perfect throughout the game, and while Arkansas' defense didn't necessarily give him a big challenge, Cox made the most out of the opportunities given.

Off the field, I think it's time to pat Cox on the back for being that fiery leader we heard so much about during the offseason. For one, he has completely shaken off a ton of criticism and handled himself well. His confidence never wavered, and despite the illness and the injury and the inexperience around him, he has never made one excuse. Georgia fans should be showing Cox a lot of love this week, because he absolutely is everything they're asking the defense and the coaches to be right now in terms of maturity, leadership and accountability.

Moreover, Georgia has fallen behind early in each of the past two games against teams that were moving the ball well. That puts a lot of pressure on an offense, and Cox has handled that pressure with ease. In fact, it was awesome to hear the comments from his receivers after the game about Cox's approach in the huddle:

From Orson Charles: “My feeling was that we couldn’t be stopped, and Joe got in the huddle and said, ‘We can keep going, they won’t stop us.’”

From A.J. Green: "We just got rolling and we never looked back. It's fun just throwing it up there knowing any play can be a big play. Joe doesn't let anybody bring him down, and Joe was bringing it."

From Mike Moore: "Joe’s a fighter, and this just shows what type of guy he is. He had his back against the wall the last two games, and he went out and had big games."

And from Cox, himself: “I think we had a perfect game plan for everything they were doing and we knew we had them on their heels. We knew if we executed and made plays that we weren’t going to be stopped, and that was how it was the whole night. It was a fun feeling.”

Oh, and one more thing I learned from Green on Sunday night: It was Cox who informed him about Arkansas' trash talk during the week, so credit the Georgia QB for adding a bit of motivation for the already otherworldly receiver.

Grade: A

RUNNING BACKS: I wrote about the work done by Richard Samuel and Caleb King in this morning's post, so I won't get into the nitty gritty on them here.

A few points worth noting regarding the backfield, however:

-- For those of you who want Samuel to switch positions because his athleticism might make him a natural fit elsewhere, I have two words for you: Kiante Tripp. That kid is every bit as naturally gifted at what he does as Samuel is, and the coaching staff has essentially derailed his career by moving him from one position to another. Samuel can be a great running back. Give him a little time to continue to develop. That series against South Carolina looked so good for a reason. Now he just needs to learn to do it more consistently.

-- The vertical game was working so well against Arkansas that there was no need to think much about Shaun Chapas, but it's worth noting how little he's been involved in the offense -- particularly as a receiver -- so far this year. It says a lot about the number of playmakers Georgia has that he's, at best, a fifth or sixth option, but it'll be interesting to see how his role develops as the season progresses. It wouldn't surprise me to see him have a big day against Arizona State this week. Remember, it's the anniversary of the time he fell down in the end zone on a wide-open TD pass last year. In fact, I'll be sure to remind him of that this week.

-- As several of you pointed out in the comments to this morning's post, the coaches are really not doing a good job of properly utilizing Carlton Thomas. I'm convinced he's a weapon if they can get him in space, but through three games, that really hasn't happened. Of course, with King just now returning from injury, there really hasn't been a time in which Georgia knew what it had to work with in the backfield. Let's see how this week goes.

-- The pass protection against Arkansas from both Samuel and King was exceptional. It was a big focus for both during the offseason, and it's obvious they both took big steps forward.

Grade: B+

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: Tavarres King joked on Sunday that he might start telling A.J. Green that the opposing defensive backs talked smack on him before every game because when Green gets revenge, he doesn't shortchange anyone.

The sophomore receiver said Arkansas rolled the safety over to his side routinely and offered as many double teams as he's seen all season, but the results for the Razorbacks were ugly. Green had seven catches for 137 yards. The astonishing fact is that it was just the third 100-yard game of Green's career and it was the second-highest total for him -- the best being his 159-yard day against Arizona State last year.

While Green hauled in a touchdown in the first half, it was his second TD reception that came in the fourth quarter that essentially iced the game. Between the scoring grabs, however, he had a ton of big receptions to help Georgia move the chains, and it's obvious he's going to be a weapon regardless of how much attention defenses give him.

Of course, this was hardly just an A.J. Green show. Michael Moore quietly racked up six catches for 91 yards, and nearly every grab was crucial. His 20-yarder with 30 seconds left in the half put Georgia in field-goal range, and he had two 20+ yard receptions in the second half that completely shifted field position on scoring drives.

Tavarres King has made huge leaps in each of his first three games, with Saturday being by far his finest performance. He had two catches for 64 yards in the game, including a 50-yard grab for a touchdown that was the first of his career. Of course, King will lament his two drops as much as the two receptions. He had an easy third down conversion hit him in the chest before falling incomplete in the second half, and he had what would have been a second long TD one play earlier that tipped off King's fingers. The redshirt freshman said he turned around to look for the ball a second too soon, and that cost him the reception. Still, it was a great step forward for him, and he's starting to look like he can be the guy to take the pressure off Green in the passing game.

The offensive explosiveness that was so clearly missing from the tight end position last season returned in spades against Arkansas, too. Orson Charles looks like he will be a dominant force for Georgia this year, and while he had just two catches -- coming on back-to-back plays -- his TD reception of 44 yards shows how much of a weapon he'll be. Aron White had a nice day, too, catching a 21-yard touchdown pass over the middle to open the scoring for Georgia and hauling in another long reception that was overturned by a penalty. Arthur Lynch played a good bit and was flagged for a false start on one third-down play.

Finally, we saw a good bit of Rantavious Wooten in this game, and the coaches even gave him a touch as a runner, which is probably a smart play that we'll see more of. Wooten isn't quite Branden Smith in terms of speed, but he's not too far off either. If the Bulldogs can run that misdirection they've done with Smith with a guy like Wooten as well, that's going to be a nightmare for defensive coaches.

Still little work for Marlon Brown, which should probably tell you that the coaches are clearly not thrilled with where he's at in his development. But he has seen increased snaps in each game, and there's every reason to believe he can be another weapon on offense in the coming weeks -- and that should scare the heck out of defensive coordinators.

Yes, Arkansas' defense was not very good in this game, but big plays just just happen because they're open. It takes a rapport between quarterback and receiver, it takes gutsy play calling on the part of the coaches, and it takes strong blocking on the part of the line and running backs to give the receiver time to get downfield. All of that was executed perfectly time and time again for Georgia this week. While it's easy to bash the Razorbacks' secondary, there's no doubt that Cox and his receivers deserve a lot of credit for completing those passes when the opportunities arose. Three weeks ago, it was fair to wonder how many playmakers Georgia had. Now I think it's safe to say that this offense has a chance to be far more dynamic and versatile than it was even last season.

Grade: A

OFFENSIVE LINE: It would be easy to give the line a glowing review considering that the offense racked up 530 yards, was successful both running and passing, and Cox was sacked just once. That sounds like the work of a very strong unit.

But to watch the game, it really didn't look like the line played particularly well. There were some plays where the Arkansas front four got a good push, Samuel was hit in the backfield or at the line way too often, and beyond the big 80-yard run, most of the ground game was earned by the tailbacks rather than provided by the line.

More concerning, however, were the penalties. Georgia had six false starts and three holding flags in the game, part of a 14-penalty night. I know Mark Richt said he's not going to preach about the flags to the extent that it harms aggressiveness, but this has little to do with aggression. This is simple fundamentals. Obviously a hold is sometimes better than a sack -- particularly if it keeps Cox from being blindsided and coughing up the football -- but the problem is getting guys in the right position to begin with.

Bean Anderson got his second straight start, and from what I saw, he played most of the game. VinceVance did a decent enough job at left tackle as well. But the bottom line is this isn't the same unit that worked together throughout the offseason and fall camp, so perhaps they're still in the process of coming together. Georgia's going to need that process to move quickly, however, because the tests get tougher next month, and while the line has the potential to be great, right now they're nowhere near hitting that mark.

Grade: C+ (Which is, in all fairness, the lowest I can go given all the yards Georgia picked up, and I may be being a bit too harsh. But, man, those penalties...)

DEFENSIVE LINE: The line did an acceptable job of stopping the run once again, holding Arkansas to just 42 yards on the ground in the first three quarters. Then again, why run the ball when throwing it comes so easily?

What's worse is that Georgia really never got significant pressure on Ryan Mallett, recording just two sacks, one of which came during desperation time late in the game. Demarcus Dobbs' sack that caused a fumble was really the only big hit Georgia got on him all day, which is particularly discouraging given that the Bulldogs won't see too many quarterbacks more stationary than Mallett this season.

Justin Houston finally returned after a two-game suspension, and while he did manage seven tackles -- one for a loss -- he wasn't anywhere near dominant.

Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins were supposed to be forces this season up the middle, and so far the results simply haven't been there. They haven't been able to shoot their gaps and disrupt the pocket, and the defensive ends simply aren't good enough to do it by themselves. I offered some leeway to the DTs through two games since both Owens and Atkins were playing as much off the edge as anything, but that wasn't the case against Arkansas, and the duo still didn't get the job done.

I had a comment from a reader on my post earlier today about the defensive problems that I also think needs to be addressed here: "excellent article but I think your missing (imo)the biggest problem on defense.....creating turnovers. Fumbles and interceptions at a +3 per game would drastically reduce the yardage given up by the defense. We can't intercept because of our players seemingly lost on the field and they can't even hit hard enought to cause fumbles. The defense as a whole can't seem to jar the ball from an opposing player. Start causing turnovers and things will improve on defense."

I most definitely agree. Georgia has given the ball away nine times and gotten just two turnovers this year. How the Bulldogs are 2-1 is a borderline miracle with those numbers.

But you can't just say, "Get more turnovers, guys." Creating turnovers doesn't happen the same way as, say, trying to get the ball to A.J. Green more. You can't just WANT it to happen. You have to… well, create them. And that starts with the pass rush.

If the QB is comfortable in the pocket (as Mallett was) or is able to step up to avoid the rush easily (as Stephen Garcia was) then there is not going to be a chance to create those turnovers. It all begins with taking the offense out of its element. There are a few quarterbacks who will simply do something stupid and give the ball away on a bad read or a poorly placed throw, but Georgia only gets to play Tennessee once. When you're going against a smart offensive football team with a successful QB, turnovers are a product of disruption by the front four and opportunistic playmaking by the secondary. Neither has occurred in the first three weeks.

So while I completely agree with the comment, I think the writer has the cause and effect backwards. IF Georgia gets more pressure, THEN the turnovers will come.

One positive note regarding the front four: Cornelius Washington picked up a sack for the second straight game, and he looks like he's really coming on strong. Here's a great quote from Jeff Owens about him: "He plays hard. He plays with a motor that I think a lot of us need to play with. He just runs to the ball, pins his ears back and runs to the ball. I like that. I love that passion, and you can tell he's passionate about playing football. A lot of guys don't play like that, but he does, and that's the most impressive thing about him."

Sounds like maybe the rest of Georgia's line needs to start taking some lessons from Washington.

Grade: C-

LINEBACKERS: I touched a bit on the linebacker play in my defensive post earlier today, but the bottom line is that the secondary is taking a lot of heat for some problems in coverage by the LBs.

Again, the problems seem to stem from players having trouble deciding whether to play the pass or run. For a firsthand account of how tough that can be, check out my post talking to Rennie Curran about the final defensive play against South Carolina. It's no easy task, and the Gamecocks continuously caught the linebackers in no-man's land two weeks ago.

Although the results were a bit different this week, with Arkansas using the vertical game more, the linebackers still had their problems. An early injury to tight end D.J. Williams actually made the LBs' jobs a bit easier, but he came back in the second half and had four catches for 58 yards, including a touchdown.

Rennie Curran was his usual self, racking up 11 tackles and recovering a fumble, but even he had his problems in coverage.

The linebacker blitzes -- which were used sporadically -- were not effective, and Darryl Gamble was the only non-Rennie linebacker to record a solo tackle. Akeem Dent missed the game, as did Darius Dewberry, but this was supposed to be a position of depth, and no one has really stepped up to fill the void during these early season injuries.

As many concerns as there clearly are on defense right now, I think the two biggest are the problems at DT and LB because those were supposed to be the areas of greatest strength. It's one thing to have problems the D needs to fix, but it's particularly concerning if there's no foundation to build from.

Grade: D

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Where to begin?

Prince Miller got beat. Bryan Evans got beat. Vance Cuff got beat and got hurt. Branden Smith got beat. Brandon Boykin got beat and then beat again and then beat again. No one played a particularly good game (although let's give some credit to Reshad Jones who really does appear to have taken last year's problems seriously and has played much better).

The big plays killed Georgia in this game, just as they did against Oklahoma State. The coverage has just not been there, but this was by far the worst I've seen in the past few years. I mentioned in my post earlier today about Georgia's focus on the running game, that perhaps the defense was selling out to the run too often. Here's a quote from Bryan Evans on the TD grab he was beaten on: "It was kind of a zone to a man coverage, and one of the receivers ran a take-off. We got caught trailing, looking in the backfield."

That's essentially the point. The defensive backs (and to be fair, the linebackers) are simply not where the need to be often enough. Again, from Evans: "Some plays we're in great position to make plays, we just didn't make them. Other times, we're just lackadaisical at getting to our positions where we're supposed to be at."

How do you really blame Willie Martinez for that? He gave them a scheme on where they needed to be, but they either were there and didn't get the job done or they messed up and didn't get to where they needed to be? At some point, players have to execute, regardless of who the defensive coordinator is.

Of course, having said that, it's the DC who coaches those players during the week and who decides who is on the field on Saturday.

I'm inclined to chalk this up as a learning experience for Boykin, who looked sharp in his first two weeks but was clearly in over his head against Arkansas. I'm willing to bet he learns from the experience.

Prince Miller is what he is. I'm not sure he's the best corner out there, but Georgia simply can't throw two first-year starters out there at corner and expect to win, so they're stuck with Miller.

Again, Jones has played pretty well, so that leaves us with Evans. I'm not saying Martinez should bench him, but maybe it's time to get a bit better look at Baccari Rambo, Makiri Pugh or Sanders Commings to see what they're made of. The results, at this point, can't be much worse.

I'll give some credit, however, to the D for holding Mallett to just 2-of-10 in the fourth quarter and keeping Arkansas out of the end zone when it mattered most.

Some other good news: The Dawgs won't play another QB with as big an arm as Mallett all season; Vance Cuff's injury isn't as bad as it looked on the field; Arizona State should cure a few ills.

Grade: D

SPECIAL TEAMS: Honestly, I just don't have the energy to go through the whole production about the kickoffs again. You guys have heard it enough. You know the drill. You know what Mark Richt and Jon Fabris say, and you know what just about every other person watching the game says. Blair Walsh kicked the ball off out of bounds twice in the second half after big TDs by the offense, and that was exactly the type of momentum changer that doomed the Bulldogs repeatedly last season. I understand what Richt is saying about giving up field position due to low kicks and bad coverage -- but at least make the opposition work for it. For the game, Arkansas started six drives at its own 40 or better and just three inside its own 20 -- all following punts.

Speaking of the punting, however, it was another remarkable game by Drew Butler. To (supposedly) quote Richt, his "yonders" have been exceptional this year, even if his "uppers" still need some work. Butler averaged 55.2 yards per punt, with three going inside the 20 and a long of 64. He's been a huge asset so far this season.

Blair Walsh did look good in his PAT and FG duties again. He was 3-for-3 in the game on field goals, bringing his season total to a perfect 6-of-6. But Walsh started last year strong in this department, too, and as the problems on kickoffs mounted, his field goals went south. Fans have to hope that doesn't happen again this year.

One other complaint on the field goals: What was the deal with rushing the kick at the end of the first half, which resulted in what could have been a crucial false-start call as the Bulldogs hurried to get the kick off? It was first down with about 17 seconds left. Cox could have easily come in and spiked the ball and let the special teams unit take their time to get set. In the end, it all worked out, and Walsh drilled a 37-yarder to help Georgia take a six-point lead into the locker room, but geeze, that was more stress than was necessary.

Georgia gets another positive grade for Brandon Boykin in the return game. He racked up 146 yards on six kick returns, giving him 333 return yards in the past two games. Watching the game, every time he touched the ball you could see the possibility for a long run. I'm guaranteeing at least one more touchdown out of him before this season is over. Maybe before this month is over.

Georgia also gets points deducted, however, for a second straight week of a special teams turnover. That probably goes on Boykin, too, who backed into Prince Miller as Miller came up to field a short punt, setting up Arkansas' first touchdown of the game.

Grade: B (Although this is a tough grade because some areas were so good and some, so bad.)

COACHING: I think we covered Willie Martinez pretty well here and in my earlier post.

I mentioned the penalties, but here's a full rundown of all 14, courtesy of reader Warren T (thanks, Warren!)...

false start: 6
holding: 3
personal foul: 1
block in back: 1
offsides: 1
delay: 1
illegal formation: 1

Richt can talk all he wants about good teams having a lot of penalties, but good teams do not make these types of mistakes. I'd forgive Reshad Jones' flags in the previous two games if he repeated those plays in every game the rest of the way, but six false starts is absolutely inexcusable. It was loud in Fayetteville, but it wasn't that loud.

Rather than dissect every other aspect of the coaching staff's decisions against Arkansas, let me just give a big kudos to Mike Bobo. Here's what Mike Moore had to say about the game plan: “Coming into the game we knew we could throw the ball on them and Coach (Mike Bobo) said we were going to be pretty aggressive with the play calling. We just went out there and made plays, and Joe was putting the ball on the money.”

Bobo knew how to beat Arkansas, and he never took his foot off the gas. He did a nice job of mixing in the run just enough to keep Arkansas honest but never bowing to his own pressure to be "balanced." He diversified the attack, feeding the ball to a number of players, but in the end he put the game in the hands of the guys he trusted most: Cox, Green and Moore.

I've been as critical of some of Bobo's decisions as anyone, but as the first drive against Okie State showed and as this game absolutely put an exclamation point on -- when he's on, he's as good a schemer as anyone. He just needs to not overthink things, and then let the amazing amount of young talent on this offense go to work. He did that and then some against the Razorbacks.

Grade: B (With Bobo really bringing up the curve)

VENUE: A few tidbits worth mentioning from my trip…

-- The classic rock radio station in Fayetteville is 98.3 KKEG, or "The Keg" as they called themselves. Better yet, they broadcast from the Coors Lite Studios, and the nighttime DJ was named Miller. You can't make that stuff up.

-- I was impressed at how many Georgia fans were out in Arkansas. Seemed like a better turnout than Okie State by a wide margin.

-- Fayetteville seemed like a fun town. I can't say I'd want to live there, but it was definitely a cool place to visit and a fun place to watch some football on Saturdays.

-- Solid press box situation. First of all, it's open air, which all press boxes should be. I absolutely abhor those sterile environments where you can't even hear the crowd. How can you be expected to write about a game when you feel like you're not even there? The press box at Reynolds was right in the middle of the action, and had a perfect vantage point for the game. As an added bonus, they had chicken fingers and mac&cheese before the game (simple, classy) and cookies and thoroughly cooked hot dogs at halftime (a nice pick-me-up after a long first half). Good work by the Arkansas folks.

-- I went out in Stillwater after Okie State won, and the town was pretty dead. Arkansas loses a heartbreaker, and their fans were still out in droves after the game. I respect that.

-- I must have seen at least a dozen Arkansas fans that, if you had told me they used to be the keyboard player for REO Speedwagon in 1987, I would have completely believed you. I think that's the unofficial look of Northwest Arkansas.

-- The excessive use of the "NWA" abbreviation for Northwest Arkansas also made for a lot of good Dr. Dre jokes throughout the weekend.

-- On the way to the hotel Saturday night, we stopped to use the bathroom off the interstate. The town was called "Johnson" and the Exit number was 69. Again, you can't make this stuff up.

Grade: B+

So... what did you think? Keep the venom for Willie to PG-13 rated, if you don't mind. We're a family blog... (he says after just referring to Dr. Dre and Johnson, Ark.).

Live Blog: Georgia at Arkansas

PREGAME

-- Sadly, I'm on an insane deadline tonight, so the live blogging will be minimal -- likely at the end of each quarter.

-- If you weren't following me on Twitter today, you can go back and check out my updates from around Fayetteville HERE.

-- Erin Andrews spoke to me. Granted, she simply bumped into the Red & Black's Fletcher Page then accidentally said, "Sorry" to me... but still.

-- I must say, I love Arkansas so far. There's been a ton of funny stuff happen, but my favorite was just outside the stadium as a security guard made a guy in an SUV back up out of a blocked off drive. As the guy backed up, an Arkansas bus pulled up behind him. The security guard was yelling, "You're gonna hit the bus! That big white thing behind you! You're gonna hit a bus!" but he was pointing at the bus rather than saying "Stop" so it looked as if he was signaling the guy to back up. It was a hilarious situation that I really can't do justice to, but I assume it's quintessentially Arkansas.

-- I was at a restaurant for lunch to get a burger. My buddy sent me a text asking how the female situation in Arkansas was. I looked around, and the bar was mostly dudes, but there were a few pretty attractive young ladies, too. Then I looked around a few minutes later and it dawned on me... everyone, including the women, were UGA fans. I love Athens.

-- Akeem Dent did not travel with the team. That's a concern given Georgia's lack of depth at Sam LB and their problems covering the TE last week. Arkansas has a good one in DJ Williams.

OK, more updates later...

FIRST QUARTER

-- My weekly pregame instructions from Bernie Dawg: "Ok. This week...no undercooked chicken and how ever many beers you had last week. Peace, good will and Go Dawgs!!"

Done and done!

-- BTW, chicken fingers and mac & cheese in the press box. Simple, yet elegant.

-- And we begin the game with another touchback. Now I want you fans to take notice that it was the deepest Georgia has kicked the ball so far this game and Arkansas is starting with its best field position... all the way at the 20!

-- So far, the perimeter and underneath aren't looking like strong spots for the UGA defense. Where have I seen this before? Oh right, every game.

-- Reshad Jones' onslaught continues with an impressive hit to break up a pass on second down. I think he's taken some of last year's criticism to heart. He has hit HARD this year.

-- DJ Williams being helped off the field. Well, that might solve one problem.

-- Oh dear God. That was ugly. Miller got caught up with Brandon Boykin and Chad Gloer and the punt dropped to the ground, once again setting up the D with some bad field position. Georgia's turnover ratio this season: 7 to 1.

-- Arkansas punches it in on a pretty pass from Mallett to Joe Adams. Prince Miller was in coverage. Arkansas 7, Georgia 0 (4-34-1:44).

-- I'm not trying to knock Prince here, but what does it say that Brandon Boykin has started three games, and in the last two, defenses have shown Boykin significantly more respect?

-- Speaking of Boykin, another nice kick return for him. Georgia starts its first offensive drive at its own 41.

-- Beautiful pass from Joe Cox to AJ Green for a 29-yard gain. He definitely doesn't have Stafford's arm, but he can make the passes he needs to. That was pretty.

-- Rantavious Wooten on the field on third-and-six, but Cox throws a laser down the middle to Aron White for a touchdown. I think we can officially put to bed the "bench Cox" chants for a while. Georgia 7, Arkansas 7 (5-57-2:27).

-- Cobi Hamilton takes a reverse on a short kickoff and returns it to the 48. One player later, Bryan Evans gets burned by Jarvis Wright for a touchdown. Glad I took the over on this one. Arkansas 14, Georgia 7 (1-48-:19).

-- Wooten has already doubled his career reps. He was the decoy on a fake reverse that went nowhere.

-- Justin Fields out the rest of the game with a right shoulder injury. He's a special teams fixture for UGA.

-- Demarcus Dobbs hits Mallett in the backfield and focred a fumble recovered by Kade Weston. Rennie Curran walked off the field with the ball, however, after Weston fumbled the fumble. Nevertheless, Georgia ball at midfield.

-- Cox to a wide open A.J. Green to the Arkansas 22. Wonder if the Arkansas secondary still thinks A.J. is no different than any other receiver.

-- Caleb King's first carry of the game -- and the season -- goes for 5 yards.

-- Wooten is getting a ton of playing time so far. He's split out wide again with Moore in the slot. Doesn't matter as Cox telegraphs a pass to White down the middle that's broken up by Wendel Davis to force a FG attempt.

-- Walsh's kick is good from 35 yards. Arkansas 14, Georgia 10 (6-26-2:47)

-- Three kickoffs so far, all three deep, only one reached the end zone. Dennis Johnson returned it to the 30. Maybe Fabris is right.

-- Another nice stop by the defense, another turnover on the first play by the offense. A pitch to Richard Samuel is mishandled, and Arkansas recovers at the 30. The pitch looked good, but Samuel just dropped it. Once again, Mallett doesn't build the drama. He hits Greg Childs on the first play for a TD, beating Branden Smith. Arkansas 21, Georgia 10 (1-30-:06)

-- Georgia's turnover ration so far this season: 8 give-aways, 2 take-aways.

-- Have to admit, as bad as Georgia has played, Ryan Mallett has really shown he's a star in the making. His passes have been on the mark every time. This game could get ugly for the Georgia D if the Bulldogs keep giving Mallett extra opportunities.

END of First Quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

- And we now have turnover No. 3 for Georgia. On third-and-long, Cox had all day, but floated a pass down the middle intended for Tavarres King. Tramain Thomas stepped in front of the pass and picked it off. A flag moved the Razorbacks back 15 yards, so the pick was essentially as effective as a punt would have been.

-- Georgia's turnover ration this year so far: 9-to-2.

-- Man, Mallett is good. He throws a rocket down the far sideline for a Wright for a 31-yard gain. Georgia's secondary has just been awful so far, but to Mallett's credit, he hasn't missed a beat.

-- Another personal foul flag goes against Arkansas, which backs them up to their own 39. Georgia has really benefited from flags in these first three games.

-- Dobbs nearly had his second takeaway of the game, breaking up a lob over the middle, but he couldn't haul it in, bringing up 2nd-and-23.

-- Well, regardless of how bad this might get, Richt is probably going to avoid any criticism this week in the wake of Georgia's equestrian team losing its opener. Come on equestrians! What, is Willie Martinez training the horses now?

-- Arkansas starting OLB Jerry Frankin was just booted from the game. Bobby Petrino, as you might imagine, didn't agree and kindly offered some constructive criticism. He was subsequently flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving Georgia up to the 30 to start their drive.

-- Cox hits White down the middle yet again for a big gain, but a flag negates the play. Mallett has looked sharp, but oh my has Georgia thrown this game away in the first half.

-- Richard Samuel takes a handoff and isn't touched up the middle, sprinting 80 yards for a touchdown. I'd love to credit Samuel for a great carry, but there was no one near him on that play. Kudos to the O line. How Georgia is down just 4 is beyond me, but once again, glad I took the over. Arkansas 21, Georgia 17 (2-85-:45).

-- Walsh flirted with his first out-of-bounds kick of the season, but instead it bounced around the 3, just inside the sideline and rolled out of the end zone for a touchback. Directional kicking! It's the wave of the future! Woo-hoo!

-- You know what's crazy? Georgia could take the lead on this drive. How is that possible, as bad as they've played? But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Also of note -- Greg Reid had a pick-six for the 'Noles out in Provo.

-- The keys to this game so far can be summed up in two stats: Georgia has three turnovers and Arkansas has 15 rushing yards.

-- Marlon Brown in the game for the first time along with Caleb King, but Georgia takes a time out.

-- Interesting point by Ford in Athens: "Why does Fabris not rush a punt when we have Logan Gray in the game who the coaches have vowed not to let return a punt. I just see no reason why not to run some kind of punt block scheme when you have a punt returner in the game who has no chance of fumbling the ball because of a lack of coverage (as you cannot call get hit on a fair catch)."

-- Nice run by Caleb King, who picks up 11 yards to the Arkansas 39. This is what Georgia was missing offensively the past two weeks -- a legitimate counterpunch to Richard Samuel.

-- Georgia's second false start in the past four plays. I know Richt doesn't want to overreact to the flags, but these are the ones that should be avoided.

-- Jerico Nelson came free around the right side and Cox never stood a chance, sacking Cox for a 9-yard loss. But once again, a flag saves Georgia when the Razorbacks are called for offsides. Seriously, how many big plays against Georgia have been negated by whistles this year so far?

-- King goes up the middle for a short gain. Georgia goes for it on fourth down and Cox connects with Mike Moore for the first down. Great call by Richt to have enough confidence in his offense to go for it there. It will have to be demoralizing to Arkansas to go into the half trailing.

-- Cox to A.J. for a 25-yard TD. He hit Green at the 9, and Green simply bounced off a defender and took it out to the sideline and into the end zone. I am honestly astounded that the Dawgs are leading, but they are. Georgia 24, Arkansas 21 (10-75-7:11).

-- Mallett had Adams wide open near midfield but overthrew him by a touch. Man, Georgia's secondary needs to put the clamps down, I'm just not sure they can.

-- Georgia nearly had another takeaway and touchdown, but a review called it an incomplete pass. That was probably the right call, but I'm not sure there was enough on video to overturn the call on the field. Either way, Georgia's O has some time and Arky's kick was dismal. Dawgs set up with first-and-10 at the 47.

-- Cox hits Moore to the 33 with 28 seconds left but gets absolutely smothered on a blitz back to the 45 two plays later. Georgia's O line has been a mixed bag today, but Cox had to read that blitz and get rid of the ball quickly. Arkansas brought everyone.

-- Not sure why Georgia rushed that FG attempt. It was first down. They could have easily spiked it and taken their time. Nevertheless, a great catch by A.J. who was dominant in the first half and Georgia is miraculously going into the half leading 27-21.

HALFTIME

-- Just a reminder that I have to have a complete game story written within about 11 seconds of this game ending, so we'll have just a handful of updates in the second half here.

-- Some interesting stats of note from the first half: First downs: Georgia 12, Ark 7; Total yards: Georgia 285, Ark 226; Rush yards: Georgia 113, Ark 18; Third-down chances: Georgia 3-of-7 (and 1-of-1 on 4th), Ark 0-of-5; Penalties: Georgia 6-43, Ark 8-83

-- AJ Green has five catches for 104 yards and a TD. So, he's just like every other receiver, eh?

-- Richard Samuel, 10 carries for 90 yards. Caleb King, five carries for 30 yards.

-- Ryan Mallett is 10-of-16 passing for 208 yards and 3 TDs.

-- Justin Houston has four tackles.

-- Arkansas actually cooks their hot dogs at halftime all the way through. I don't get it.

THIRD QUARTER

-- DJ Williams back on the field but drops his first chance at a reception. He makes up for it by converting Arkansas' first third down two plays later.

-- Boykin looked bad on that throw, and Mallett chalks up TD No. 4 for the game, tying an Arkansas school record.

-- Who's this Matthew Stafford everyone keeps talking about? Cox hits Tavarres King for 50-yard TD, the first of King's career. A holding penalty negated a two-point conversion by Cox to Mike Moore. Walsh connects on the kick instead. Georgia 34, Arkansas 28 (3-65-1:46).

-- We're less than halfway through the third quarter and there have already been 13 plays of 20 yards or longer in this game, with Georgia accounting for 8 of them. Who would have thought that after that first game in Oklahoma?

-- It's like a flashback to 2008. Georgia gets a big score, Walsh boots the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. Bet the over on UGA all year long, folks.

-- I don't know if we'll be able to say Georgia is playing "good" football all season, but man if they haven't played some exciting football. Hope everyone has low cholesteral, because the Bulldogs are going to give a few of you a coronary.

-- Oh, Boykin. Just an awful missed tackle that allowed D.J. Williams to pick up an extra 15 yards or so down to the 2.

-- After two nice stops on runs, Mallett rolls out of the pocket and finds D.J. Williams for touchdown No. 5 on the night. Arkansas regains the lead and Mallett sets a school record for touchdown passes. Arkansas 35, Georgia 34 (5-60-2:36).

-- Cox returns the favor with a 44-yard TD pass to Orson Charles for a TD. That's Charles first TD reception, as he joins Tavarres King in accomplishing that feat this week. Georga goes for 2 and there's yet another flag. Delay of game, but the Dawgs go for it anyway, and Cox hits a wide open A.J. Green in the back corner of the end zone. Georgia 42, Arkansas 35 (5-60-:41).

-- This is like the NBA All-Star game. There have now been 10 touchdown drives in the game. Only two have been for more than 5 plays. Here's the run-down: 4, 5, 1, 1, 2, 10, 8, 3, 5, 5. Five of those drives have been under a minute.

-- That's Joe Cox's fourth TD pass of the game, one off the school mark that D.J. Shockley tied against Boise State in 2005.

-- Vance Cuff taken off the field. Looked fairly serious. Not that Georgia's secondary has done anything that could be missed anyway.

-- Mallett hits Childs for 30 yards and there was NO ONE around him. Seriously, this defense is brutal.

-- Miguel --err, I mean Alex Tejada boots a 23-yard field goal to make it 42-38 Georgia. I can just hear Willie --- "We held them out of the end zone and I thought that was really good. Now we've just got to, you know, execute." Georgia 42, Arkansas 38 (8-65-3:14).

-- Outside of the 80-yard run on which no one touched Samuel, Caleb King has really been the more effective runner thgis game. Not that it matters when there's no reason to run.

-- Cox just missed another one to Tavarres King that was just off his fingertips, then King dropped an easy competion that would have been a first down on the next play. That was a bad time for a three-and-out.

That'll do it for the third quarter and for tonight's blogging. I'll try to post some notes later and have lots more tomorrow.

And call it a hunch, but I've just got a sneaking suspision that this game is going to come down to one big defensive play -- a pick on one side or the other. It almost has to, right?

Five Players to Watch: Arkansas Edition

I'm hitting the road for Arkansas -- woo hoo! -- so I'm limited on posts for today. But in advance of this week's SEC showdown, here's my thoughts on five players who will be the difference for Georgia on Saturday.

1.) Prince Miller. The senior cornerback didn't officially get burned against South Carolina, but he sure didn't have his best day. The Gamecocks had two touchdown passes against Miller, but both were called back due to penalties. He'll need to improve in coverage against a far more potent Arkansas team that enjoys lulling an opponent to sleep with a controlled passing game, then going deep for the big play at just the right time.

2.) Akeem Dent. South Carolina burned Georgia over and over by dumping off passes to the tight end over the middle. Dent didn't play particularly well, and with Darius Dewberry out and Nick Williams questionable for the game, he'll be back to work at the Sam linebacker spot on Saturday. That's going to be a concern, as Arkansas has one of the conference's top tight ends and the Razorbacks will no doubt be looking to exploit the same weaknesses South Carolina did.

3.) The Brand(on/en)s. Man, we really need a better nickname for these two. And as a fan of a non-Houston NL Central team, I can't endorse "The Killer Bs." Plus, as one reader pointed out, no true Georgia Tech hater can give his players a bee-related nickname.

Anyway, to the main point: Arkansas' special teams aren't exactly the best the SEC has to offer. Smith and Boykin were monsters in the return game last week, setting up Georgia with good field position on offense (or in Boykin's case, taking it to the house). They'll have a chance at a repeat performance this week, and against the Hogs' high-octane offense, every yard is important.

4.) Justin Houston. With Rod Battle out, Georgia's depth at defensive end isn't getting any better now that Houston is back from a two-game suspension. But that doesn't mean the results can't be improved. Houston had a huge spring and continued to earn praise for his work this fall despite the two-game absence. That should match up well with the less-than-mobile Ryan Mallett, who won't give the defensive line the same trouble Garcia did a week ago by moving around in the pocket and making plays with his feet.

5.) Mike Bobo. Two games into the season, and we really don't have any better understanding of what Georgia's offensive identity is. Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten still have hardly seen the field. Orson Charles has looked impressive but has been underutilized. Richard Samuel appeared on the verge of a breakout game last week, then disappeared from the game plan for 15 minutes. The playcalling improved last week from the opener, but there were still plenty of curious decisions. Arkansas' defense should't require a rocket scientist to solve, but the problem for Bobo has really seemed to be his overthinking of the game plan. Bobo needs to find the right mix of diversifying the offense enough to keep the Hogs guessing while not abandoning the Bulldogs' bread and butter for long stretches of the game. In other words, find an identity and go with it.

So… what do you think? What are your keys to this game? What matchup has you the most worried?

Behind Enemy Lines: Arkansas Razorbacks

Georgia hasn't played Arkansas since 2005 when D.J. Shockley hurt his knee in a Bulldogs win, forcing Joe Tereshinski into his first start of his career a week later against Florida.

Needless to say, a lot has changed, so I sent along some questions about this year's Arkansas Razorbacks to beat writer Alex Abrams of The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas, and he sent back some very interesting responses...

David Hale: Ryan Mallet looked pretty sharp in his debut in Week 1, but it wasn't against top competition. Do we have a good idea yet of what we can expect from him in his first real SEC game?

Alex Abrams: It's hard to tell how Mallett will perform in his first SEC game, in part because Arkansas has played only one game this season and that was a 48-10 rout of Missouri State. Mallett, however, showed in his debut that all the hype about him is real. He's a big quarterback with a strong arm, and he was more accurate than many people expected after sitting out last season. But he has yet to face an SEC defense, so we'll have to wait to see how he does against Georgia's fast defenders.

DH: How much of a weapon can DJ Williams be in this game? Is Bobby Petrino drooling on the film after watching South Carolina dismantle Georgia's D using the tight end last week?

AA: Williams is definitely a target in Arkansas' offense, but I don't think he'll be used nearly as much as he was last season when he was the team's leading receiver with 61 catches for 723 yards. Bobby Petrino appears to have more confidence in his young wide receivers than a year ago, and that was evident by the fact that Williams caught only two passes for 20 yards in the season opener. But the tight end is still a big part of the offense, and Petrino will have no problem using Williams against Georgia if he feels there's a mismatch there.

DH: Arkansas finished last in the SEC against the run last season and, size-wise, the Hogs' D line doesn't seem like a great matchup against Georgia's big guys up front. What are the chances Arkansas can slow Georgia's running game? How has the rush D improved over last year?

AA: Arkansas' defense is still one of the team's biggest questions. The front line gave up only 82 yards rushing against Missouri State, but I don't think anyone is confusing Georgia with Missouri State. Defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard is from Bainbridge, Ga., so this is a game he admitted he has been looking forward to for some time. If the Razorbacks hope to contain Georgia's tailbacks, Sheppard must have a big game. But all of Arkansas' defensive linemen got bigger over the offseason, so I'd be surprised if they got pushed around as easily as they did last season. But we'll have to wait for an answer on that one as well.

DH: Georgia doesn't have a lot of big names on offense this year the way it did last season, but they still have A.J. Green. Who gets the burden of having to cover A.J. and what's the game plan to stop him?

AA: Cornerback Ramon Broadway will probably have the challenge of trying to defend A.J. Green, and the way Broadway made it sound on Wednesday, he's not that worried. The junior actually said that while Green is a wide receiver who's ahead of his time, he's not much different than the other receivers Broadway has faced at Arkansas. I'm not so sure that this is the case. But Arkansas' coaches and players have talked all week about Green, so they definitely have a plan to stop him. To do that, they must get pressure on Joe Cox and force the quarterback to make some mistakes.

DH: Arkansas had some problems on special teams last year, and Georgia's kick returners had a huge day against South Carolina last week. Are the Razorbacks worried about that matchup?

AA: Arkansas' players watched Georgia's win over South Carolina, so they know all about the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Petrino has made special teams more of an emphasis in practice this year, and the coverage teams are filled with starters instead of just backups and newcomers. The hope is that the starters will be able to tackle and not give up as many big plays. But Arkansas' Dennis Johnson returned the opening kickoff of the season opener 91 yards for a touchdown, so the Razorbacks will try to counter with their own speedy return man.

DH: This will be my first trip to Fayetteville, so fill me and the Georgia fans heading to the game in -- what should we do to keep ourselves entertained until the 7:45 pm (Eastern) kickoff?

AA: Well, you could always stop by Wal-Mart's headquarters, but that's nothing impressive to look at. No, seriously, Fayetteville is a great college town that reminds me of a smaller Austin, Texas. Dickson Street is the main college strip and there are some good restaurants and bars on this row. The biggest problem with Fayetteville is that it doesn't have that one restaurant that every visitor must eat at when in town. But Herman's and Doe's are popular local spots if you're in the mood for some meat.

Big thanks to Alex for helping out with this. You can read his coverage of the Razorbacks HERE or check out his exceptional Arkansas blog HERE.

Media Days Notes: Slive Calls for 'Renewed Vows'

Commissioner Mike Slive gave SEC coaches a cease and desist order with regards to public mudslinging when they met in Destin, Fla., in June, a necessary step, he felt, with all the coaching turnover since the league adopted a compliance manifesto in 2004. He reiterated that message Wednesday.

"We cannot sustain our successes, which is now our ultimate goal, unless we avoid self inflicted wounds," Slive said, "unless we avoid calling attention to ourselves at the expense of others, and unless we remain committed to the conference, and, finally, unless we realize that we are inexorably tied to each other's athletic and academic successes, and we are tied to each other's athletic and academic failures."

Slive also addressed the spate of secondary recruiting violations that made big news this offseason. While Tennessee drew the most attention, Georgia self-reported several secondary violations, including excessive contact with recruits it attributed to a miscommunication between coaches. Slive claimed such violations were nothing new to intercollegiate athletics but did not brush them off, saying the conference reviews each report to determine its thoroughness and accuracy and reacts accordingly.

"When trends are detected, the penalties and corrective actions become more severe," he said. "As we told our coaches earlier this week in our SEC new coaches orientation program, any time any time they commit a secondary violation, they place themselves, their program, and the institution and the prospect at risk. The risk may be lost recruiting opportunities, lost ability to interact with prospects, and additional scrutiny for themselves and their program."

WHO DUNNIT?

Only three players were unanimous selections by the conference's coaches to the All-SEC team and the conference's most heralded player wasn't one of them. So on Day 1 of SEC Media Days, several reporters set out to find the coach who didn't vote for Tim Tebow.

"I don't know if you all are going to find the culprit," Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson said, "but you can tell him it wasn't me."

Four SEC coaches took to the podium Wednesday and none confessed to leaving the former Heisman winner off their ballot. Tebow received 10 votes, and his coach, Urban Meyer, was not allowed to vote for anyone on his team.

The omission by the one anonymous coach seemed so odd that Arkansas' Bobby Petrino assumed the offending coach wasn't altogether coherent.

"I voted for Tebow," he said. "I'm not crazy."

Mississippi State's Dan Mullen, who was Tebow's offensive coordinator a year ago, was asked the question, too, and not surprisingly he had the Florida quarterback on his ballot as well.

The fourth coach to meet with reporters, Kentucky's Rich Brooks, said Tebow had burned the Wildcats so badly during the past two seasons that he had no choice but to vote for him, too.

So the mystery continues, whether or not anyone will actually admit to the snub.

A SCARY REPUTATION

A reporter asked Kentucky left tackle Zipp Duncan to name the toughest defensive linemen in the SEC to block. He didn't need much time to come up with his answer: Georgia's Geno Atkins.

"He's just a dynamic athlete," Duncan said. "He gets off the ball quick. He's got the speed to beat you and the strength to beat you, so he presents a really tough matchup."

PLENTY OF SEC ON ESPN

A new twist to the kickoff of SEC Media Days this year involved a special presentation by ESPN's John Wildhack, the network's executive vice president for programming acquisition.

ESPN and the SEC agreed to a new 15-year deal this year that will dramatically increase coverage of the league's sports, including football. Wildhack said 23 more SEC games would be televised this season than last year, including a regional game of the week, which will air on a newly launched platform called The SEC Network. Wildhack also said he expects SEC games to be featured more prominently on ESPN's regular Thursday night packages.

"Our goal is to serve the SEC football fan better than ever before," Wildhack said. "Last year, 77 million people watched SEC football on ESPN or ESPN2. We expect that number to increase significantly this season."

Each of Georgia's first three games will be carried on one of the network's platforms. The Bulldogs' opener against Oklahoma State kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, with the SEC opener against South Carolina a week later airing on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Georgia's road date with Arkansas in Week 3 will be carried by either ESPN or ESPN2 and is set to kick off at 7:45 p.m.

RETURN ENGAGEMENT

New Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen knows that selling his team on a new system is no easy task, which is why he's so happy to have senior linebacker Jamar Chaney back in the fold has been such a blessing.

Chaney, who was originally a Georgia signee, figured to be the anchor of the Mississippi State defense a year ago, but a leg injury suffered in the first game cost him the entire season. He accepted a medical redshirt and decided to return to the Bulldogs for a second shot at his senior season – this time with a new head coach and a new role as salesman.

"From Day 1, he walked into my office and said, 'Coach, I'm going to believe in everything you're doing,'" Mullen said of Chaney. "Having a personality back like that, especially when you take over a new program, to help build that foundation of what we wanted the message we're trying to get across to our team … it's just fantastic."

PREPS AREN'T PREPARED

Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino thinks some changes need to be made in the way high school coaches are preparing quarterbacks for the next level. With more programs employing spread offenses, Petrino said many young quarterbacks aren't getting the necessary experience playing under center, and it's making the job of recruiting pocket passers a tough one for college coaches.

Petrino pointed to one of his own quarterbacks, Tyler Wilson, as a prime example of the problems of playing too much out of the shotgun. Wilson took every snap of his high school career in a no-huddle shotgun formation, and he has struggled since arriving at Arkansas with things as simple as the quarterback-center exchange or handoff placement on running plays.

The solution, Petrino said, might be mandating how high school coaches use their quarterbacks.

"I'm really happy that high schools are throwing the ball," Petrino said. "I just wish they would maybe put a rule in that they have to have at least 25, 40 percent from underneath center."

SLIM AND TRIM

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has always been described as having an NFL body. It's just a little slimmer now.

Mallett, the strong-armed, 6-foot-7 quarterback who emerged from the spring as the Razorbacks' projected starter, weighed 265 pounds when he transferred from Michigan last year. Since then, he's slimmed down to 238 pounds, something head coach Bobby Petrino hopes will help him be more elusive in the pocket against the SEC's quick defensive fronts.

"In him losing the weight, being more mobile, we're not going to lose our movement game, our ability to run sprint outs, run the bootleg game, be able to move the pocket," Petrino said. "In this league, with the defensive ends we face, the speed and athleticism of the defensive fronts, it's important that you change the launch point, and you can set your quarterback at different spots, take some pressure off the offensive line and running backs at times."

* The Ledger-Enquirer's Andy Bitter contributed to these notes.

Media Days '09: Bobby Petrino

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino discusses the progress his team has made in his second year in Fayetteville.

Two-A-Days: Arkansas Razorbacks

Over the past few weeks, I've traded emails with beat writers for each SEC team, along with Georgia's three other BCS-conference opponents to get some insider insight into what fans can expect from UGA's competition in 2009.

Each day, we'll preview two teams, culminating with a big-picture look at the SEC and a deeper look at the biggest issues facing your Georgia Bulldogs. To submit a question for the Georgia entry in Two-A-Days, send me an email with the subject line "Two-A-Days" and I'll do my best to find you an answer.

To read the previous entries in the series, click HERE.

The 12th entry in the series is the Arkansas Razorbacks.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
Head coach: Bobby Petrino (2nd season)
2008 Record: 5-7 (2-6)
Total Offense: 373.03 (4th SEC, 49th overall)
Total Defense: 375.17 ypg (12th SEC, 72nd overall)
On the docket: The Razorbacks open against Missouri State on Sept. 5, then have a bye week before hosting Georgia on Sept. 19.

Plenty of buzz -- and controversy -- surrounded the hiring of Bobby Petrino at Arkansas last year, and his debut for the Hogs didn't exactly bowl anyone over. While his predecessor, Houston Nutt, turned around Ole Miss quickly, Petrino struggled to find consistency on offense or any semblance of a defense. There will be plenty of new faces on both sides of the ball in 2009, however, so could Petrino's second effort provide much better results than his first? I went to Alex Abrams of the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas to find out.

David Hale: The big question of the spring seems to surround the quarterbacks at Arkansas. Ryan Mallett gets his first chance to play after transferring from Michigan, so how has he looked so far? Is he capable of making a significant impact immediately?

Alex Abrams: Mallett has shown throughout the spring that he has a cannon for an arm, something that has been lacking over the past few years. He's the type of quarterback that will allow Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino to spread out the field and run the type of pass-happy offense that he's known for. The biggest question surrounding Mallett -- and the possibility of him being the quarterback of the future -- is whether he can stay out of trouble. Petrino was disappointed when Mallett was arrested in the offseason for public intoxication.

DH: Michael Smith went down with a pretty nasty hamstring injury. Has he been able to participate at all in spring practice, and have any of the other tailbacks stepped up in his absence this spring?

AA: Smith has been able to take part in the final week of spring practice, and he appears to be getting over the hamstring injury that sidelined him at the end of last season. The bigger concern for Petrino might be the way the backfield has been depleted lately by injuries. At the start of spring, the Razorbacks had a crowded backfield, but since then, senior Brandon Barnett has suffered a broken tibia, freshman Knile Davis broke his ankle and sophomore Dennis Johnson has been sidelined with a swollen foot. Needless to say, Smith's expected return in the fall will definitely be welcomed.

DH: Arkansas' defense returns all seven of its starters up front. Given that the Hogs finished dead last in the SEC in rush defense and scoring defense, that may not necessarily be a good thing. How has the defense looked this spring, and do you see any reasons to expect a major improvement in 2009?

AA: Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson is well aware of how bad things went for his unit last season. The coaches tried to address some of the problems in the offseason workout program. Each starting defensive lineman gained at least 10 pounds, so that might prevent opposing teams from pushing around the defensive front as much in 2009. Spring practice has helped as well. Defensive ends Adrian Davis and Jake Bequette have dominated some of the scrimmages, and middle linebacker Wendel Davis has shown that he could be a force next season. There are still questions in the secondary, but I'd be surprised if the defense isn't improved next season.

DH: While the front seven returns all its starters, three of the four starters in the secondary will be new. How has that group looked this spring, and are there any potential difference makers there?

AA: It's hard to judge Arkansas' secondary because several players who will likely compete for starting jobs in the fall aren't on campus yet. Coaches will give a long look at five-star recruit Darius Winston in the fall for one of the cornerback positions. That said, junior Ramon Broadway has continued to make plays and show that he deserves to keep his starting cornerback job. Sophomore Tramain Thomas is pushing senior Matt Harris for the starting free safety position. But the secondary has continued to give up some big plays, something that hasn't gone unnoticed by Robinson.

DH: After seeing the team this spring, what jumped out at you in a positive way, and what would you say are the biggest questions Arkansas still needs to answer before the season begins?

AA: It became apparent early on that wide receivers Joe Adams and Jarius Wright could be on the verge of having breakout years. Both players showed flashes as freshmen, but with one year under their belts and the likelihood of Mallett throwing to them, both sophomores could turn out to be big playmakers for Arkansas. Meanwhile, quarterback Tyler Wilson has pushed Mallett for the starting job with his good arm and ability to throw on the run. Heading into the fall, Petrino must find some consistency with his offensive line, figure out who will play in the secondary and try to correct the special-team mistakes that cost them last season.

* Alex Abrams has been the Arkansas football beat writer for The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas since 2006. Over the past three years, he has covered two Heisman Trophy ceremonies, one coaching change and more Houston Nutt drama than anyone outside of Arkansas would want to read. His articles can be found HERE and his Hog Blog can be found HERE.

NEXT UP: The LSU Tigers with New Orleans Times-Picayune beat writer James Varney.