WholeHogSports
ARKANSAS’ MOST IMPORTANT GAMES : Could this be Tulsa’s time to blow away Hogs?
Posted on Saturday, July 5, 2008
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/66919/
Editor’s Note: The Arkansas Razorbacks will face one of the toughest football schedules in the nation in 2008. The sports staff of the Northwest Arkansas Times ranked Arkansas ’ 12 upcoming games from least important to most important based on fan fervor, storylines and the effect a win or loss would have on the Razorbacks ’ season. This is the Hogs ’ eighth-toughest game, part 5 of a 12-part series profiling the Razorbacks ’ 2008 opponents.
Tulsa produced the nation’s best overall offense in 2007 but a new signal caller will be pulling the trigger this season for head coach Todd Graham and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
Tulsa was the first school in NCAA history to produce a 5, 000-yard passer, three 1, 000-yard receivers and a 1, 000-yard rusher. But that was last season and Tulsa now has colossal question marks at quarterback and on defense.
The Golden Hurricane, though, play one of the NCAA’s weakest schedules and could easily be 8-0 when they visit Arkansas in Week 10, which will be Tulsa’s lone true test of the season. Only a roadblock in Week 9 against Central Florida stands in Tulsa’s way before it ventures to Fayetteville.
The contest will mark the return of Malzahn to Arkansas, where he cut his college teeth as the Hogs’ offensive coordinator before leaving amid tumult to take a similar position at Tulsa. Tulsa’s offense has prospered under Malzahn’s Nohuddle Spread scheme but against easier competition than it will be pitted against in Fayetteville. Many Arkansas fans still root for Malzahn but not on this day as he goes toe to toe with one of college football’s most astute offensive minds in first-year UA coach Bobby Petrino.
OFFENSE Tulsa’s high-octane passing attack is built on timing between the quarterback and his big-play wideouts and check-down receivers. That takes repetition to develop and with projected starter David Johnson (6-3, 217 ) taking over for the wildly successful Paul Smith, who set several school passing records, the Golden Hurricane must prove its the system and not the signal caller. Johnson threw all of eight passes in 2007 and has a long way to go to match Smith’s efficiency.
Johnson, though, will be afforded plenty of assistance with three 1, 000-yard receivers returning as targets this season.
Brennan Marion led the NCAA last year with a record 31. 9 yards per catch, hauling in just 39 catches (11 for touchdowns ) but for a teamhigh 1, 244 yards.
Receiver Trae Johnson also returns. He led the team with 70 catches, netted 1, 088 yards and snared 13 touchdown receptions.
Sophomore fullback Charles Clay (6-3, 222 ) earned his keep in the backfield and in the flat. He was second on the team with 69 catches and racked up 1, 024 yards receiving with 7 touchdown grabs in 2007.
Tulsa’s top running back also returns to give Malzahn’s offense balance. Experienced senior Tarrion Adam (6-1, 200 ) rushed for 1, 225 yards on 219 carries (5. 6 ypr ) with 8 rushing scores last season. Tulsa returns four starters on the offensive line, which gave Smith plenty of time to pick defenses apart last year. Only left tackle will employ a fresh face.
DEFENSE The Golden Hurricane return just five starters on defense. Tulsa runs a 3-3-5 defensive set but only one member of the defensive line returns. Tulsa must also replace its top four tacklers on defense. That quartet accounted for 505 stops in 2007. Former starting defensive end George Clinkscale moved to strongside linebacker and former starting cornerback Roy Roberts will transition to the Bandit (strong safety ) position.
Tulsa will deploy first-year starters to middle linebacker (Mike Bryan ), weakside linebacker (Tanner Antle ), strong safety (Adé Manga ), cornerback (John Destin ), nose guard (Terrel Simmons ) and defensive end (Odrick Ray ).
Free safety Charles Davis returns with the most tackles. He finished with 73 stops last season, sufficient for fifth on the roster. Nose guard Terrel Nemons started 11 games in 2006 but started just once in 2007. Nemons will bring some of that experience back this season to an inexperienced defensive line. Tulsa overhauls its linebacking corps but looks to be solid in pass defense with Davis and cornerback Kenny Sims returning.
• • • The difference-maker: The key difference-maker in this game as well as all of Arkansas’ games this season is the consistency of quarterback Casey Dick in Petrino’s Power Spread. Tulsa QB Smith is inexperienced now but by Week 10 should have plenty of reps under his belt in the no-huddle. Smith has an abundance of proven options and Dick does not.
Arkansas’ receivers will play a huge role. If they can’t get open, Tulsa may shut the door.
The deal-maker: Depending on how Arkansas fares through its slate leading up to the Tulsa tilt, it will at least give the Golden Hurricane a more accurate gauge of its progress through the first nine weeks of the season. Several prognosticators have Tulsa going unbeaten heading into the Arkansas game, albeit against one of the nation’s weakest schedules.
Arkansas will face Tulsa on homecoming. Combine that distraction with the Malzahn chatter and a tough road game against South Carolina looming the following week, and the Hogs ’ attention could get diverted elsewhere. With Arkansas ’ tough SEC slate, it will need this nonconference win to boost its bowl stock.
The deal-breaker: It’s a nonconference game for both schools. Tulsa has lost 16 consecutive games to Arkansas and is 16-51-3 in the series. Tulsa faces possibly its toughest conference test of the season in Central Florida on a Sunday just before the Arkansas game and could be emotionally and physically spent.