We know that Arkansas running back Michael Smith is going to be a very important piece in Arkansas’ offense.

But we also know that Smith won’t be the Razorbacks’ only weapon, which is what it looked like last season when he carried the offense and, in the process, ran his 5-foot-9, 165-pound body into the ground.

Arkansas is planning to take some of the load off Smith this season and we should get our first look at how much beginning with Saturday’s opener against Missouri State. It’s something I explored in the story I wrote for this morning’s paper. You can find it by clicking this link. We don’t know how many carries Smith will get, but it’s clear he will have more help with Dennis Johnson, Broderick Green, Ronnie Wingo, Knile Davis and De’Anthony Curtis all looking for opportunities this season.

I didn’t have space for everything in the story, but wanted to explore how the other backs could be used.

It’s actually something Smith described during Monday’s press conference.

“Our coach, he’s a situational-type coach,” Smith said. “Whatever situation we’re in may call for a different type of back. If I’m tired, we need a long one or a draw or something like that, Dennis would be in. If we need two or three yards, Broderick would be in. If we need somebody to hit the corner fast, Ronnie would be in.

“So there’s a lot of room for everybody to play in different situations. He’s just going to put the backs in whatever situation that they could probably produce the best results.”

Bobby Petrino talked about it last night, telling us he’s not sharing his plan. I wasn’t able to use the entire quote in the story, but here is some that was left out. You can get a feel for what Petrino is thinking as Arkansas closes in on the opener.

“We have different personnel groups that we can call out to get Broderick Green at tailback, to get Knile at tailback or to get Ronnie Wingo at tailback,” Petrino said. “Dennis, I just put him in. He’s a guy that I can just throw in there because he knows everything, so there’s times when I put him in.

“And that’s what we really did the last two weeks, what we worked hard on the last two weeks. That’s why the coaches were off the field, on the sideline in the scrimmages and really worked on how we’re going to substitute, what the process is going to be.”

So with that said, any guesses on who will have the most carries and rushing yards during the opener?

If it was Georgia week the answer is easy: Smith. But what happens if Arkansas jumps out to a big lead in the first half against Missouri State? Does Smith take a seat to rest for Georgia? And if he does, he gets the bulk of the carries behind him?

Should be interesting to watch the game and see the boxscore when it’s all over.

  Arkansas’ practice ran a late this evening and then players had to go to meetings, so I apologize for this blog entry coming a bit later than usual. Anyway, here are some tidbits we learned today.

  Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said he has a plan for how many carries he’d like to get starting running back Michael Smith, but he smiled when asked about it and said he wasn’t going to share his plan with the media. Robbie Neiswanger has a whole story on Smith for Wednesday’s newspaper, so I’ll let him tell you all about the senior.

  Meanwhile, Petrino clarified that sophomore De’Anthony Curtis isn’t a true fullback, even though he was listed as the backup fullback on Arkansas’ opening-week depth chart. Curtis hasn’t changed positions as much as he’ll be used in a two-tailback set.

  “Oh, it’s not really a move to fullback. It’s what we call out-personnel, where you put two tailbacks in the game,” Petrino said. “He can block there, he can catch a lot of passes there. He runs, gets the ball running from that position.

  ”… (Anthony) does a nice job of it. He’s very quick, has a good understanding of what he needs to do and I’ve been impressed with the way he’s learned to block better.”

  Wide receiver Joe Adams appears to be improving from the hamstring injury that sidelined him late last week, which is good news for the Razorbacks. Adams is expected to be a big part of the offense and has shown that he has the speed and moves to be a primary receiver for quarterback Ryan Mallett. 

  “It was my right hamstring. It’s feeling better,” Adams said. “I’m ready now.”

  That’s it for now. I’ll have more later. You can follow me on Twitter @NWAAlex.

Just got back to the office after Arkansas’ game week press conference.

Paul Petrino was filling in for Bobby Petrino, who was down in Little Rock speaking to the Touchdown Club. We also got a chance to catch up with RB Michael Smith, QB Ryan Mallett and DE Jake Bequette. Lots to go over. So let’s just get to it:

• Arkansas remembers all too well what happened last year, when they survived a big scare in the 28-24 win against Western Illinois in the opener. Bequette said “no one wants a repeat performance of last year.” He said the Razorbacks are well ahead of where they were last year, but that “kind of a game will leave an impression in your mind for a long time.”

• Smith said he doesn’t know how many carries he’s getting in the opener. He doesn’t know if Bobby Petrino knows how many times he’ll touch it. But Smith is fine with it. With so many backs, Smith said he’s “looking forward to not being exhausted in the fourth quarter or having to get an IV at halftime.” I would look forward to not haing a halftime IV, too.

• The depth chart showed that sophomore De’Anthony Curtis is listed as Arkansas’ second-team fullback. Petrino said Curtis has done a nice job there in fall camp, has done a nice job blocking, and catching the ball out of the backfield. The Razorbacks have some personnel groups where Curtis will line up at tailback, others where he’ll be at fullback.

• Arkansas’ defense apparently had a pretty good scrimmage on Friday night. It was pointed out several times today. Bequette said coaches told them it was “one of our best defensive performances since they’ve been here.” Bequette said the group played with more energy and it went well. Good sign? Maybe. We’ll have to wait til Saturday.

• Paul Petrino said WR Joe Adams is doing just fine and is expected to practice this afternoon. Adams missed time last week with a hamstring injury, but Petrino said he probably could’ve scrimmaged last Friday. Adams is listed as the starter at the ‘W’ spot.

• Team chemistry was talked about a lot today. Petrino said it is “100 times better” than it was last season. He thinks this team is closer and really likes the chemistry right now. Smith said there were some disgruntled players last year, who complained about practice. However, he said none of that exists now.

I’m close to polishing off some notes that will appear in Sunday’s paper (or online at RazorbackCentral.com a little later today).

Lots of stuff to try to fit in, but can’t get it all. Much of the space I have was devoted to AD Jeff Long’s comments about the Razorback Foundation and future plans for facilities at Arkansas. So that’s what brings me to the blog.

One thing that stuck out that won’t be used in the notebook is something running backs coach Tim Horton said Thursday.

We all know Arkansas is going to be loaded at running back. Broderick Green is eligible and will compete for playing time with Michael Smith, Dennis Johnson, De’Anthony Curtis, Knile Davis and Ronnie Wingo. There won’t be enough footballs to go around. We know this. That’s what makes the preseason so critical for most of these running backs.

But Horton said there will be other ways for these guys to get on the field this fall: Special teams.

“One thing we’d like to see the running back role expand is in the special teams,” Horton said. “Those are some key plays that the running backs need to be on the field and making them. Whether they’re return guys or protecting on punt (team) or covering a kickoff. If you produce, you’re going to get on the field.”

Johnson obviously held the biggest role on special teams last season, averaging 22.1 yards and scoring one touchdown on kickoff returns. Smith returned five punts for 44 yards last year as well, but I’m guessing he won’t be used in that capacity this year. Is there a chance Wingo could be used as a kick returner, too, because of his size and speed.

Most of these guys won’t carry the football as much as they want in Arkansas’ crowded backfield.

But, according to Horton, they will have opportunities to make an impact. Will they make Arkansas’ special teams — special?

  Need to kill some time on another rainy day? Well, here’s something that could take up a few minutes.

  Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino released his post-spring depth chart on Friday, and as expected, there are no surprises. For the most part, the depth chart looks how we thought it would.

  Sophomore Ryan Mallett is listed as the starting quarterback, and redshirt freshman Tyler Wilson is behind him as the backup. Redshirt freshman Jim Youngblood is penciled in as the No. 3 quarterback.

  Petrino said during a news conference last month to wrap up spring practice that Mallett would be his starting quarterback if the season started today. But Petrino added that Wilson would come in on the first series of the second quarter and run the offense.

  One position that included some shakeup is running back, where sophomore De’Anthony Curtis has moved up to the No. 2 spot behind returning starter Michael Smith. At one time, Curtis was buried on the depth chart and it wasn’t sure how many snaps he’d get in practice.

  But a slew of injuries in the spring – senior Brandon Barnett (broken leg), freshman Knile Davis (broken ankle), sophomore Dennis Johnson (swollen foot) – cleared room for Curtis and he looked impressive at times running the football. Of course, he needs to avoid his fumbling problems.

  Sophomore Broderick Green, who’s still awaiting word from the NCAA on whether he’ll be eligible to play next season, is penciled in as the No. 3 tailback on the depth chart. Interestingly, Johnson has slipped to No. 4 and Barnett is behind him as the No. 5 running back.

  The rest of the positions feature little change – aside from junior Van Stumon moving ahead of sophomore Mitchell Bailey as the starting fullback. The offensive line, wide receivers, defensive line and linebackers are the same.

  Meanwhile, senior Matt Harris remains ahead of sophomore Tramain Thomas for the starting free safety position. 

  Here is a link to Arkansas’ entire post-spring depth chart.

  So, did that kill a few minutes and beat watching more rain fall? If not, maybe this will help.

  

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said running back Michael Smith practiced more on Thursday and, barring a change, should be ready to play against the Rebels on Saturday.

Here is a note I wrote that will appear in the paper tomorrow:

If everything goes as planned in the next 24 hours, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said running back Michael Smith will be ready to play against Ole Miss.

Petrino said Smith, who suffered a concussion at Kentucky, got in practice work for the second straight day Thursday. Petrino said he was encouraged by the junior’s performance, which included roughly 65 percent of the repetitions.

“He will (start) unless something happens in the next 24 hours,” Petrino said. “Everything went real well (Wednesday). He worked for 45 minutes individual drills and conditioning. No side effects from that. He felt great this morning when he got up, came out here and practiced and unless there’s a turnaround, I would expect he’s ready to go.”

That would be good news for Arkansas, which has leaned on Smith to power the offense the past few weeks. He leads the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards a game (131.8) and all-purpose yards (180.8). Smith carried the ball 70 times against Auburn and Kentucky, but had to leave last week’s game in the fourth quarter after a big hit.

Petrino said having Smith on the field against Ole Miss would be big for the offense, but he doesn’t want to rely on him Saturday. He’s hoping freshmen running backs De’Anthony Curtis and Dennis Johnson will become more involved and believes their play will be critical to the Razorbacks’ success.

“If (Smith is) not (available), then somebody else has to step up and do it,” Petrino said. “We have to get plays from other people. We have to get our tight ends back involved in the game. We have to get our wide receivers involved.”

Happy Houston Nutt week! There’s no doubt Arkansas is going to be crazy this week with the build up to Nutt’s return to Fayetteville. We’ll have plenty on that this week, but before we get going, let’s review the keys to the Kentucky game.

1. Stay Stout Up Front: The Razorbacks held their own in the trenches in the first half. The ground game was working, Casey Dick stayed off the ground, and the defensive front turned in big plays. But that dominance disappeared in the second half. Kentucky’s defensive line started to take over and the ‘Cats offensive front kept the Razorbacks at bay. Because of the ending, I’ll say KEY NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

2. Eliminate Turnovers: The defense did a good job of taking the ball away, but four turnovers killed them. The Razorbacks fumbled at the Kentucky 1 and threw an interception at the 4 in the first half. De’Anthony Curtis’ fumble with less than five minutes left set the stage for the comeback. And Dick’s last-minute interception capped a stunning night. KEY NOT ACCOMPLISHED

3. Improve on Special Teams: The good news for the Razorbacks is that they didn’t make any backbreaking blemishes on special teams. Kentucky’s longest return of the night was 27 yards, place kicker Shay Haddock hit two field goals, Jeremy Davis averaged 34.3 yards a punt. I will say Dennis Johnson’s decision to bring the football out of the end zone in the final minutes backfired. But overall, there was improvement on special. KEY ACCOMPLISHED

4. Run the Football: The Razorbacks did a tremendous job of running the football against the Wildcats, piling up a season-high 236 yards. Michael Smith was the big reason for that. He ran for 192 yards on 35 carries before leaving the game in the fourth quarter. Arkansas’ backups didn’t do so well though. As mentioned, Curtis averaged 1.8 yards on nine attempts. He also had the costly fumble. And when the Razorbacks needed to run out the clock they couldn’t without Smith. But still, KEY ACCOMPLISHED

5. Be Wary of Cobb: If the game was judged by the first three quarters, Arkansas would receive a passing grade. Randall Cobb did provide a spark when he moved to quarterback in the first half, but didn’t lead any touchdown drives. He didn’t kill them running, either. But Cobb caught 5 passes for 73 yards. That included the two easy touchdown catches to beat the Hogs. KEY NOT ACCOMPLISHED

You’ve got to hand it to Arkansas running back De’Anthony Curtis. The freshman is confident.

But it’s not the trash-talking type of confidence sports writers love to hear. You know, like Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes’ assessment that Tennessee quit during its 59-20 loss to the Gators last season. Beautiful!

Anyway, Curtis was asked about the challenge Arkansas’ run game faces against Alabama, which has the nation’s top-ranked run defense. He said the Razorbacks will have success. If they believe.

Kind of like this ... but Arkansas

“They’ve got a big front seven, but I believe we better run against them,” Curtis said. “Just like coach said, you’ve got to believe. when you believe you think you can do it.

“We worked hard. The harder you work the harder it’s going to be to surrender. So I think our linemen will do a good job of opening holes and lanes for us. Me and Mike (Smith) and the rest of the running backs.

“It should be a real good challenge, but like I said we’ve got to believe. We’ve got to go fight, be the bullies, come in and hit them first and hit them in the mouth.”

Curtis will play a big role in any success. Curtis had been slowed by a sprained knee, but said he is 100 percent. The Razorbacks need him to help take some of the load off Smith, who had to carry the ball 22 times against Louisiana-Monroe two weeks ago.

Well, another Tuesday practice has ended. I thought I’d drop a few tidbits on the blog before I went home to walk the dogs and make some dinner.

Arkansas wide receiver London Crawford said he has moved past his infamous fumble in last year’s 41-38 loss at Alabama. In the third quarter of that game, he caught a pass and ran toward midfield, only to fumble the football despite not being touched. No Alabama defenders were near him.

“Honestly, I was over it the next play in the game. Regardless of what happened and what was said, I look forward to the next play,” Crawford said Tuesday evening. “You can’t dwell on what happened in the past when you’ve got the present and the future right there.

“Right now, I’m just really not even worried about that pass. That’s way last year. I’m worried about going out and making plays with my teammates this year.”

Crawford has dropped several passes and been overshadowed by Arkansas’ freshman receivers so far this season. But Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said the junior has practiced well over the past few days.

Meanwhile, Arkansas freshman running back De’Anthony Curtis said he’s fully recovered from the sprained knee that has bothered him over the past few weeks. This is a good sign for the Razorbacks, considering starter Michael Smith is a small back who got tired in the Sept. 6 win over Louisiana-Monroe.

“I think I’ll be ready for this game. I’ve fully recovered,” Curtis said. “I feel good running up and down the field. I’m about 100 right now.”

That’s it for now. Check out Tuesday’s newspaper to read Robbie Neiswanger’s story on all the freshmen who will be playing for both Arkansas and Alabama on Saturday.

It took a long time. Actually, it took a really, really long time. But Arkansas is on the board.

Freshman receiver Joe Adams just caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Casey Dick to give the Razorbacks a 7-3 lead with six minutes left in the half. It came on a third-and-6 play and capped an 8-play, 81-yard drive.

The Razorbacks have been very, very sloppy so far, but that drive was crisp. Dick completed 5 of 7 passes for 59 yards. De’Anthony Curtis showed more burst than starter Dennis Johnson, rushing for 22 yards.

So, just like that, Arkansas fans feel better. But just a little bit.