Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

9/3/2010 at 3:11pm

Bobby Petrino can joke about his first season in Fayetteville now. He can laugh about how difficult things were in 2008.

Arkansas' 5-7 season in 2008, he says, is responsible for his thinning hair and a phone call from one of his daughters, who told him: “Hey, dad, you look bald,’” after catching a glimpse of Petrino on the big screen at Dallas Cowboys Stadium last year.

Petrino was previewing Saturday’s 6 p.m. season opener against Tennessee Tech and recalling the not-so-old days earlier this week at the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club. He was talking about his expectations for the 2010 season and drew a chuckle from the crowd when recalling the phone call from his daughter.

Truthfully, Petrino’s first year in Fayetteville was no laughing matter. He started 16 freshmen and endured his first losing season as a college head coach and encountered all manner of difficulties.

Razorback players weren’t mentally prepared for all that Petrino, now 13-12 in two seasons at Fayetteville, threw at them. Remember those late drives the Razorbacks needed to pull out victories against Football Championship Subdivision team Western Illinois and Sun Belt also-ran Louisiana-Monroe?

Physically, the Razorbacks — if this is even possible — were even worse off than they were mentally. Remember that three-week stretch where Arkansas was manhandled and outscored 139-31 in games against Alabama, Texas and Florida?

And, of course, team chemistry was a mess. Petrino wasn’t just battling against opponents, but he had to deal with players on the team who went out of their way to disrupt what he was trying to accomplish. Remember how the team unraveled in a 34-21 loss at South Carolina and a few days later a pair of senior defensive linemen were dismissed?

Petrino can joke about it all now, but it was a trying season.

Guys that the Razorbacks count on now — guys like receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, tailback Dennis Johnson, linebackers Jerico Nelson and Jerry Franklin, defensive end Jake Bequette — were overwhelmed at times. None were physically or mentally ready to play, and older players couldn’t have enjoyed seeing so many first-year guys in key roles, basically learning on the job.

“Man, sometimes they didn’t know which way they were coming out of the huddle — let alone what they were supposed to do,” Petrino said.

If hair loss was the only byproduct of that season, Petrino should consider himself fortunate. Right?

Players have similar recollections. They seem ready to prove how much they’ve grown since then.

How often did they feel overmatched and outwitted? How much did they mess up?

“A lot,” Nelson, a junior who started as a true freshman, said following a recent practice.

But here’s why Petrino can laugh now, why the players can consider that year a positive:

“Playing as a freshman really helped me and made me grow up fast and adapt to the game faster,” Nelson said. Arkansas has 17 offensive and defensive players back with starting experience. And there is a much better looking crop of freshmen on campus now who can be brought a long at the proper speed.

So don’t expect any nail-biters these first two weeks against Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe. Arkansas players are too football smart for that now.

Victories aren’t guaranteed against Georgia, Alabama or Texas A&M, who follow in the three weeks after these warm-ups. But there’s a good chance Arkansas doesn’t lose all three by a combined score of 138-31. These Razorbacks are much better physically.

And the chemistry on this team — something players referred to without prompting throughout the preseason — is much improved. Don’t expect any games where Arkansas gives up and the finger-pointing and disruptions from within the team follow.

“Everyone knows what they are doing now,” defensive end Damario Ambrose said. “Before, we had guys unsure of themselves.”

Those days are long gone. Just like any hair Petrino and the rest of us might have lost over the past two years.

Tagged: Arkansas Razorbacks, Bobby Petrino, Jerico Nelson, Jake Bequette, Joe Adams, Grege CHilds, Jarius Wright, Jerry Franklin, Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles