FAYETTEVILLE — It’s right there on the tape.

Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino has it, and freshman running back De’Anthony Curtis has seen it. So has Dennis Johnson, another freshman back expected to inject life into a Razorbacks ground game that must replace first-round NFL Draft picks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

The tape is part of the recruiting pitch Petrino and his brother Bobby, Arkansas ’ first-year head coach, gave to Curtis, Johnson and others last winter. The tape is designed to show the Petrinos’ pass-happy reputation can be overblown at times.

A mix of game footage from the four seasons Bobby Petrino served as head coach at Louisville, the tape features former Cardinals running backs Eric Shelton, Lionel Gates, Michael Bush and Kolby Smith. All but Gates are on NFL rosters, and their exploits under Bobby Petrino were enough to convince recruits and returning players alike that Arkansas ’ traditionally strong running game won’t be abandoned.

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“That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to come here,” Johnson said of watching the tape. “People and defenses think we throw the ball a lot and all of that, so they might back up and we can bust them for 5, 6 yards a play. Then when they come up, we’ll bust them over the top.”

That type of balanced, keepdefenses-guessing offense is exactly what the Petrinos and running backs coach Tim Horton said Arkansas is trying to install as preseason camp continues.

“Showing them on film is the biggest thing,” Paul Petrino said. “That’s what I always tell recruits, ‘Make them show you on film. Don’t let them just talk to you, because half the time they’re just telling you a story.’”

Game films and statistics don’t lie, and history shows the Petrinos are serious about running the ball effectively. In Bobby Petrino’s four seasons at Louisville, the Cardinals never gained less than 38 percent of their total yards on the ground.

In 2003, Louisville ranked 10 th nationally in rushing offense (228. 2 yards per game ), and in 2004 the Cardinals set school records for rushing yards (3, 005 ) and rushing touchdowns (47 ). Bush gained more than 1, 000 yards rushing in 2005 while scoring 24 touchdowns and leading the nation in scoring (14. 4 points per game ).

Curtis said those kinds of stats — and the recruiting tape — eased any concerns he had about playing for the Razorbacks.

“They told me it was half and half, and I trust in the coaches, believe in the coaches,” Curtis said. “I knew they’d find ways to get me the ball.”

In the opening days of preseason practice, coaches have tried to do just that, identifying each back’s strengths and trying to play to them. That includes junior Michael Smith, who is expected to be the starter when Arkansas opens against Western Illinois on Aug. 30.

Smith, 5-7, 173, saw limited action playing behind McFadden and Jones for two seasons but totaled 550 yards and 6 touchdowns on 81 carries — a 6. 8 yards-per-carry average — during that time.

“He’s always been a playmaker, so I think Michael will be the lead guy,” Horton said. “At the same time, I can see us playing two or three different tailbacks.”

That’s fine with Smith, who said he’s eager to move into the starting role but smart enough to know he’s not built like a workhorse.

“I won’t have to handle a load like McFadden did,” Smith said with a grin. “But the load that I will have to carry, I’m sure I’ll be able to handle that. We’ll be a lot more balanced this year, so it’ll be a lot easier on the running backs and receivers as a whole.

“ They talk about being the No. 1 offense in the nation, so if we’re going to be the No. 1 offense in the nation, everybody’s going to have to be on the field.” While fellow freshman Albert Gary has had limited workout time because of what Bobby Petrino called “paperwork” issues, Curtis, 5-10, 205, and Johnson, 5-7, 195, have logged extensive work with the first-team offense.

“When you look at our depth at running back, they’re going to have to jump in there and go,” Bobby Petrino said of the freshmen. “I think the greatest thing is that they have an opportunity to be special players — the way they can move, their hands — and I was impressed with how quickly they learn and how focused they were. They paid attention to detail in the different things that we have an opportunity to do with them.” Converted linebacker Chip Gregory, a 6-3, 218-pound sophomore, also figures into Arkansas’ plans, while junior Brandon Barnett, 5-10, 206, continues to recover from an arthroscopic knee procedure. Paul Petrino said “the next couple weeks will tell who is going to step forward and get the most carries.”

The only certainty for now is Arkansas’ running backs will remain a vital part of the offense.

“That’s something we’ve always tried to do,” Paul Petrino said. “Whatever our backs do best, use them to do that.”