McFadden fires offense’s engine

BY TOM MURPHY

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/198536/

FAYETTEVILLE — As enticing as it sounds, Arkansas cannot simply wind Darren McFadden up, plop the football into his hands 30 times every week and expect to navigate a course back to the SEC Championship Game.

McFadden’s Heisman Trophy candidacy and All-America skills demand he receive ample touches every game, yet there are other issues facing the Razorbacks’ brain trust when it comes to ball distribution in 2007.

How often should it employ the WildHog package, in which McFadden sported a dazzling 229. 96 quarterback rating and gave some of the country’s best defenses fits last year ?

“I researched some things this summer and I came up with three new deals, a couple of new things from this WildHog, and then a couple of things with motioning him out of the backfield, then throwing him the ball,” offensive coordinator David Lee said. “I’ve just got to be careful because he is talented — he can run, he can catch, he can throw — not to just overload him, and let him relax and play.”

McFadden is surrounded by proven talent. Senior fullback Peyton Hillis is a threat as a runner, receiver and punt returner. Junior tailback Felix Jones rushed for 1, 168 yards and averaged 24. 1 yards on 23 kickoff returns. “I feel good about the talent we have... we probably have too much,” Lee said. “That’s a real concern.

“ I think we can spread it out pretty good. What they have to understand is everything is dictated off of coverage. I told the guys the other day, I haven’t got five footballs every snap.”

McFadden said he knows he’s the featured back, but that he can’t be the whole show.

“Football can’t be just a oneman thing,” he said. “Everybody has to get their touches.”

What to do with mighty mite Michael Smith, who has done nothing but impress virtually every time he touches the ball ?

“Everybody will get their chance, ’ quarterback Casey Dick said. “ Everybody will get the ball. That’s just football. You’ve got to wait your chance and make a play when it comes to you.”

McFadden will get first crack. His school-record 1, 647 rushing yards and all-around explosiveness merit such respect.

“In a perfect world, I’d love for him to touch it 20 times [as a runner ],” Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt said. “Some games we might have to stretch it and go 30.

“ We have unbelievable backs. I don’t know if Arkansas has ever had this. We have Peyton Hillis healthy, Felix Jones, Michael Smith is very underrated. Hopefully, with all of them, we can get it done.”

Then there’s the question of balancing that arsenal of runners with a passing game, triggered by Dick, that can at least make you pay if you commit eight or nine defenders to the Razorbacks’ running game.

“We’re just trying to stay balanced,” receivers coach Alex Wood said. “That’s the whole thing. That’s what we’re trying to do so we can be productive and unpredictable as much as possible.”

A knee injury to recordbreaking receiver Marcus Monk has opened the door for the likes of Reggie Fish, Robert Johnson, London Crawford, Marques Wade, Carlton Salters, Crosby Tuck and Rod Coleman to step up.

Can anyone from that group command five or six catches per game ?

Or, will Arkansas just give it to McFadden ?

“To me, it’s something the coaches decide on,” McFadden said. ”

Can McFadden’s Heisman campaign influence decisionmaking ?

“Ultimately, my job is to move the chains, get in the end zone, score points,” Lee said. “There’s two halves of me. You want to move the ball and score points, and at the same time, you’d love to see this guy have the opportunity to win the most coveted award in this game.”