Casey Dick makes no bones about his final two regular-season performances of 2006. The junior quarterback played poorly in the Arkansas Razorbacks’ losses to LSU and Florida, and he takes responsibility for it.

“ LSU and Florida and for that matter Wisconsin all had outstanding defenses, ” Dick said in late April, “ but we were just plays away from beating them. As the quarterback, I’m responsible for getting us into good plays and executing and moving the chains. I take the blame for that. If I play better, we could have won those games. ”

Dick was obviously being tough on himself. The Hogs’ 31-26 loss to LSU in the regular-season finale and their 38-28 loss to Florida in the SEC Championship Game twisted and turned on the performance of the Razorbacks as a whole, not as individuals. However, Dick’s willingness to take the bullet for his team is one of the reasons his teammates have faith in the Hogs’ lone returning scholarship quarterback.

“ Casey is a stand-up guy, ” said senior wide receiver Marcus Monk. “ He’s a guy we know we can count on and he’s a guy we all want to play for and do our best for. ”

Razorbacks junior center Jonathon Luigs, an All-American candidate, agrees, adding that the 6-2, 207-pound junior from Allen, Texas, has a toughness that his offensive linemen admire.

“ He’ll stand in there and take a hit to deliver the ball, ” Luigs said. “ You have to respect that. He doesn’t get antsy, and that just makes every- one want to do a good job for him. ”

Part of the Razorbacks ’ issues in the three losses that closed out the season was the imbalance of the offense, which relied too heavily on the talents of All-American running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. For 10 games, the Razorbacks ran roughshod over all comers, but the Tigers, Gators and Wisconsin Badgers held the Hogs’ running game in check just enough to earn victories.

When the Razorbacks needed to complete passes to keep the chains moving, the weakness bit them. Dick said the problem has been diagnosed and the Razorbacks worked diligently on the cure during the spring. New offensive coordinator David Lee brought a pro-style passing game with him from the Dallas Cowboys.

“ We primarily worked on the passing game in the spring, ” Dick said. “ In order to win a championship, we have to be able to throw and catch the ball more effectively. When Coach Lee came in, that’s the first thing he said. It was the emphasis, and I think we improved. There are a lot more checks and reads that gives us more options to help us stay out of a bad play. I think it’s going to make a great difference. ”

Dick, however, notes that the Razorbacks’ bread and butter will remain the running game.

“ We’re not going to ignore Felix and Darren by any means, ” Dick said. “ In fact, I think we’re just going to open more things up for them with play action and things we can do down the field and with the H-back. Teams are going to have to honor more things with us this year, and that should help everyone. ”

Monk said the confidence and leadership Dick showed in the spring helped the Razorback receiving corps make necessary improvements, as well.

“ There are no questions. Casey is our quarterback, ” said Monk, who caught touchdowns 50 and 48 yards from Dick last fall against South Carolina and Florida. “ I think that helped the team and particularly the receivers to get used to him and the way he throws the ball. I think he improved and showed a lot of leadership in the spring. ”

Likewise, Dick has nothing but praise for the 6-5 Monk, who will be chasing several Razorbacks receiving records in the fall.

“ It’s great to have a big target like Marcus out there, ” Dick said. “ You’re not always going to be able to throw the perfect ball when you have linemen in your face. But it’s great to know that with a guy like Marcus, you just have to get it in his vicinity. He can go get it. ”

Dick, Monk and Lee not only worked on the field but also in the film room to build a stronger bond between the quarterback and receiver.

“ Myself, [Lee ] and Monk watched a lot of film together, and I think that’s going to help us make a better connection on the field, ” Dick said. “ We came a long way from Day 1 of spring ball, but we know we have a long way to go. ”

The work of Monk and the rest of the Razorbacks receivers impressed Dick in the spring. Dick said he will have more options than just Monk and H-back Peyton Hillis to throw to in the fall.

“ I think Coach [Alex ] Wood did a great job with our receivers in the spring, ” Dick said. “ They were getting off the ball and making plays. I have confidence in all of our receivers. I’m looking forward to having and good year, and I know they are, too. ”

Lee likes the progress Dick made in the spring and feels he will only improve as the Razorbacks polish their offense in preseason drills.

“ We threw a lot at our quarterbacks early, ” Lee said. “ I think we installed something new eight of the 15 practices to find out what we do best. In August, we’ll pare it down and work on execution. ”

Some Razorbacks fans doubt that Arkansas will improve its passing game. They’ve heard such resolutions before, but the Hogs have stuck with their tried and true running game. But Dick thinks they will see a difference this year.

“ Teams are going to be targeting Darren and Felix and Marcus, ” Dick said. “ We want to be more balanced to take the pressure of them so that they can do their best. Balance is what we talk about in our meetings, and that’s what we hope we can achieve. ”