New Look Should Improve Hogs Offense

Offensive MVP: Running back Michael Smith Defensive MVP: Defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard Special Team MVP: Punter Jeremy Davis Freshman of the Year: Linebacker Jerry Franklin

Best Win: Arkansas’ last-minute, 31-30 win against LSU in the season finale is an easy pick. Quarterback Casey Dick to wide receiver London Crawford is a game-winning play that will be remembered for a long time.

Worst Loss: The Razorbacks dominated Kentucky throughout the first 55 minutes. But the final five were the most memorable. The Wildcats scored two touchdowns in that span to pull off a 21-20 stunner.



Best Play Call: Petrino called for the Cowboy Get It pass on fourth-and-1 with Arkansas trailing Louisiana-Monroe in the fourth quarter. Freshman Chris Gragg, who had never caught a pass, pulled the ball down between two defenders to keep the drive alive. The Hogs eventually scored to win the game 28-27.

Worst Play Call: Arkansas led Tulsa 30-23 in the closing minutes and were near the goal line. Instead of playing it safe to attempt a field goal, Petrino called a pass play. Dick threw an interception. Tulsa didn’t tie the game, but the risky play was a near disaster.



Best Surprise: Running back Michael Smith proved to be an explosive, all-purpose player. Injuries took a toll late in the year, but Smith played a big role in Arkansas’ offensive success. He led the SEC in rushing most of the year and finished with 1,072 yards in 10 games.

Worst Surprise: Alex Tejada was impressive as a freshman, but the place-kicker struggled with accuracy throughout a bitter sophomore slump. Tejada, who was replaced by Shay Haddock for half the season, finished 4 of 9 on field goals. His longest was a 30-yarder.



Best Defense: The maligned group came up big in the 25-22 win at Auburn, holding the struggling Tigers to 193 yards. That also included a late stand, which helped Arkansas snap their three-game losing streak.

Worst Defense: Mississippi State had the SEC’s worst offense, but ran all over the Razorbacks in its 31-28 win in November. The Bulldogs piled up 226 rushing yards to officially end Arkansas’ bowl hopes.



Best Season: Tight end D.J. Williams became one of the SEC’s top players. The sophomore led the Hogs in catches (61) and receiving yards (723). He was a Mackey Award semifinalist — presented to the nation’s best tight end — and caught a pass in all but one game.

Worst Season: You have to feel for Marques Wade. The wide receiver worked as a starter in spring practice, but was suspended for the first two games because of an offseason arrest. He was back for Alabama, but went down with a season-ending knee injury in the first half.



Best Throw and Catch: As mentioned earlier, Dick’s final pass against the Razorbacks may have been his best. He found Crawford for a perfect, 24-yard strike with 21 seconds left to beat the Tigers.

Worst Throw and Catch: Dick’s interception to Alabama’s Javier Arenas was an ugly one. There was no receiver near the ball that was caught by Arenas and returned for a 63-yard touchdown in the 49-10 loss.



Best Tackle: Safety Matt Harris came up with a big play when he dropped Tulsa running back A.J. Whitmore for a 3-yard loss from the Arkansas 4 in the fourth quarter. The tackle forced fourth down and Arkansas held on to beat the Golden Hurricane 30-23.

Worst Tackle: A week later, safety Rashaad Johnson made a half-hearted, two-handed attempt to push South Carolina tight end Jared Cook out of bounds in the first half. The problem was, Cook didn’t go out and rumbled for a 66-yard score in the Gamecocks’ 34-21 win.



Best Statistic: Fans got what they wanted: The Hogs threw for a school-record, 3,115 yards. It topped the previous season best of 2,668, which came in 1998. Ironically, that was Houston Nutt’s first season.

Worst Statistic: There are two. First, the Razorbacks are last in the nation in sacks allowed after giving up a school-record 46. Second, Arkansas allowed 31.2 points a game. That’s 92nd in the country. Both must improve.