By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Arkansas’ trio of sophomore receivers turned in an impressive season.
Together, Greg Childs, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright combined to catch 110 passes for 2,006 yards and 18 touchdowns. They accounted for seven 100-yard receiving performances and took turns hauling in passes during Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett’s record-breaking year.
But one of them said Monday the performance didn’t quite meet his preseason goals.
“I expected a little bit more,” Wright said. “I got high standards. Anybody else you could ask, they probably think we did great, but I set higher standards for myself and my teammates.”
Wright may be tough to please, but Arkansas has been pretty happy by the group’s growth as it prepares to play East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday. The three worked their way through up-and-down seasons as freshmen in 2008, but became pivotal parts of a high-powered offense that led the Southeastern Conference in scoring (37.3 points a game) in 2009.
Childs finished third in the league in receiving yards a game (71.8). Adams was fifth (61.4). And Wright wasn’t far behind (49.2).
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said their impact on the offense was obvious throughout the year.
“When they’re focused and feeling good they’re hard to stop,” Petrino said. “One thing that’s been good is because all three of them can make plays, the quarterback can really read the coverage and just distribute the ball according to coverage. We don’t try to force the ball to a particular guy and I think that’s why they’ve all had their share of big games.”
The first sign of the group’s potential came in the 52-41 loss to Georgia, when each receiver caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Childs led the way with 5 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns, but the sophomores took turns making big plays nearly every week.
“I’m just a lucky guy to have a group of receivers around me that can make the plays that they do,” Mallett said. “These guys make plays that I don’t see too many people making.”
Adams said that type of production is exactly what all three envisioned when they decided to play in coach Petrino’s offense.
“That’s why we came here,” Adams said last week. “So all three of us could be together. …
“We’re all coming back next year. We’re all sophomores. We can’t do nothing but get better.”
But there are some unanswered questions that could have an impact on the group next season.
The receivers don’t know who will be coaching them after Paul Petrino left to become offensive coordinator at Illinois earlier this month. Bobby Petrino said he will likely wait until after the bowl game to hire a replacement.
They’re also not sure which quarterback will be throwing passes in 2010. Mallett is considering and early jump to the NFL and Wright said he won’t get in the way of the decision.
“It’s all up to him,” Wright said. “He could take the money or he could come back and finish one more year of great college football with a great team. We’re going to win games.
“I hadn’t really had a chance to talk to him about it because everybody else has. I don’t want to be a pest. Especially as one of his receivers. I’m just going to let him clear his mind until after the bowl game.”
Instead, Wright and the receivers are just concentrating on one more performance against the Pirates. They may have a little added motivation to produce in the Liberty Bowl, too.
When All-SEC teams were announced earlier this month, Adams was the only Arkansas receiver recognized. He was named a second-team performer by The Associated Press after catching 28 passes for 553 yards and 7 touchdowns in nine games.
Childs was left off the ballot for both the AP team and the SEC coaches’ team.
“I was surprised,” Childs said. “But I’m not too worried about it. I think I had a pretty good season, though. I think I improved.”
The perceived snub left many Arkansas players and coaches, including Wright, upset.
“It’s probably going to go in the paper, I’m probably going to get criticized about it, but I looked at Julio Jones’ numbers and his numbers weren’t better than either one of our receivers,” Wright said of the Alabama wideout, who was named a second-team performer by SEC coaches after catching 42 passes for 473 yards and 4 touchdowns. “I’m just not understanding.”
But Wright said the only thing he, Childs and Adams can do now is make one final impression against East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.
Then they’ll set their sights on 2010 with Wright expecting even more from the receivers.
“We’ve got a good chance of competing for a national championship, an SEC championship,” he said. “I feel like it’s all in our hands.
“It all depends on what we want to do with it and how hard we work in the offseason.”
