Jacob Bunn's 2011 Arkansas Football Preview

 

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Jacob Bunn

Predicted 2011 Record:  9-3 (5-3)

Could this be the season that the Razorbacks finally cross that threshold? A two loss regular season last year left Bobby Petrino’s squad happy but not satisfied. And this year, if things fall just right, a bigger leap could be made.

The key to Arkansas’ success this year is its offense, and that means Tyler Wilson, the quarterback set to replace Ryan Mallett, will be counted on heavily. If quarterback play is good, watch out because the Hogs have a receiving corps this year with experience and talent. I think we will see Arkansas in a lot of shootouts this year.

This is how I see Arkansas’ 2011 season shaking out:

Sept 3 – Missouri State – Win 52-21

Sept 10 – New Mexico – Win 45-10

Sept 17 – Troy – Win 38-17

Sept 24 – @Alabama – Loss 31-28

Oct 1 – Texas A&M (Arlington, TX) – Win 27-10

Oct 8 – Auburn – Win 38-24

Oct 15 – Off

Oct 22 – @Ole Miss – Win 31-24

Oct 29 – @Vanderbilt – Win 27-21

Nov 5 – South Carolina – Loss 31-24

Nov 12 – Tennessee – Win 31-20

Nov 19 – Mississippi State – Loss 34-28

Nov 26 – @LSU – Win 31-25

With so much promise at the beginning of the year, Arkansas ends up with three unsightly losses when it is all said and done. I think the pressure will be too much for the Razorbacks. Make no mistake; this is a poor outcome with what Arkansas has returning. A win over LSU, though, will almost erase the disappointment.