2 let's take some time to look back at the 2009 regular season

The year of 2009 was an exciting regular season for Arkansas football.The Razorbacks finished with a 7-5 record but played much more competitively with their top competition in 2009 compared to how they competed in 2008.As the Hogs prepare to take on East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2, let's take some time to look back at the 2009 regular season.With both successes and failures in year two under Bobby Petrino, let's see how the Hogs' offensive, defensive, and special teams units graded out. Offense Quarterback: A Ryan Mallett rewrote the Arkansas record books, throwing for over 3,400 yards and 29 touchdowns, both Arkansas records. In his first season as a starter, Mallett lived up to his expectations and gave Arkansas fans an unfamiliar confidence in the quarterback position. If Mallett decides to return to Arkansas for his redshirt junior year, the Hogs could be a serious contender in the SEC. Running Backs: B- Arkansas never really got their running game going in 2009.Michael Smith was injured much of the season, and his season and career ended early due to a hamstring injury. However, the Hogs did get red zone production out of big back Broderick Green as the season progressed.The Hogs also got a great performance out of Dennis Johnson against Florida, and freshman running backs Ronnie Wingo and Kniles Davis showed tremendous upside as the season went on.The Hogs' running back stable is full, and in 2010, barring any injuries, the running backs should make a bigger impact and help the Hogs win a lot of games. Receivers/TE: A Arkansas burst onto the scene in 2009 with a record-breaking performance.

As the season went on they continued that trend, as they led the SEC in offense, scoring, and passing.The Razorbacks were led by their fabulous trio of super sophomore wide receivers Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, and Greg Childs Tight end D.J Williams also had a great year. Williams return, as well as freshman Cobi Hamilton and other talented newcomers Petrino redshirted or is currently recruiting to play the WR position at AR. Offensive Line: B The offensive line made huge strides from a year ago. The Hogs in the trenches gave up the second most sacks in the nation in 2008. They must execute better on the road, and the running game must balance out the offense.

There were many times this season when the opposition knew the Hogs would rely on the pass and schemed against it For Razorback fans, this is a bit of uncharted waters. Having the top offense in the SEC is what everyone wants, but being there and saying there is room for more improvement seems to be a shock to some. But it is the nature of the beast, and the Hog players and coaches are the first to say they should be executing better and that they have a large area for improvement. This improvement is what could have the Hogs looking to go BCS bowling in 2010that is, if the defense can hold its own.That leads us to the unenviable task of grading out the Razorback defense that ranked last in the SEC for the second year in a row.Let's just jump right into it. Defense Defensive Line: B- The defensive line in 2009 made large improvements over 2008.The highlights of the D-lines year came against Florida and Texas A&M. However, the D-line had breakdowns and did not do enough to get a higher grade.The Hogs will be losing Adrian Davis and Malcolm Sheppard but have tremendous upside in young players D.D Jones and Tenarius Wright.

The Hogs coaching staff have been hard at work to add to the defensive line with the current recruiting class. Even with the losses of Davis and Sheppard, expect to see the defensive line improve in production and depth in 2010. Linebackers: C The Razorbacks' linebacker group added much-needed weight prior to the 2009 season. This group has two newcomers in Austin Moss and Terrell Williams that will be great players for the Hogs as they develop. Also, the Hogs will see newcomers Darius Winston, David Gordon, and Juco players like Anthony Leon and Ruddell Crim step it up along with others.The Razorback secondary has the ability to be the best part of the Hogs defense in 2010 if they use the bowl practices and the offseason to improve their strength and understanding of the defensive scheme.