For Bobby Petrino, not playing Alabama football in Tuscaloosa is a relief. Petrino must still have nightmares from his last trips to T-Town.
I know Bobby’s 2009 and 2011 Tuscaloosa nightmares are real. I was there. Being in Bryant-Denny, unfettered by the narrow view of a television camera, I watched Petrino’s offenses collapse. Twice the Alabama football defenses were too tough and too smart for Petrino’s offenses.
It was easy to be impressed with the precision of Arkansas receivers, executed in a flash immediately after a snap. But you had to look quickly because most Arkansas plays did not last long. Bobby Petrino may not have been humbled but that does mean he was not marred by those game experiences.
Bobby Petrino had a reputation as a sharp offensive mind before becoming a head coach. His stints as an offensive coordinator at Nevada, Louisville and Auburn garnered him acclaim. Auburn became so impressed it wanted to hire Petrino and fire Tommy Tuberville after Petrino’s first season as a head coach at Louisville.
Petrino’s first tenure at Louisville cemented his offensive guru status. In 2003-2006, Petrino’s Louisville teams won 41 games and reached as high as No. 3 in the AP Poll in 2006. Even his ill-fated, 2007 season with the Atlanta Falcons failed to dim his star.
Arkansas had a ragged year in 2008, going 5-7 and winning only two SEC games. For Alabama football fans, there was sweet irony when one of those SEC wins was against then No. 20 Auburn, in Auburn.
2009 Alabama vs. Arkansas in Tuscaloosa
Before Petrino made his first head coaching visit to Tuscaloosa, the Razorbacks beat Missouri State and lost to Georgia. In the loss to the Bulldogs, Petrino’s offense scored 41 points. Ryan Mallett was the highly regarded Hogs QB. In 2010, Mallet finished seventh in the Heisman voting.
Arkansas kept the game close into the third quarter, trimming it to a 14-7 deficit from a Mallet TD pass. It was the only score of the game for Petrino’s offense. Mallet and Tyler Wilson threw 41 passes in the game with only 16 completions. The Hogs’ 191 passing yards was eclipsed by 291 yards from Greg McElroy.
The final score was 35-7. Mallet was intercepted once and sacked three times. He spent almost the entire afternoon under duress from wave after wave of Crimson Tide pass rushers. Crimson Tide defenders were credited with eight QB hurries. For Bobby Petrino, the game was a lesson no scheme can overcome physical domination.
2011 Alabama vs. Arkansas in Tuscaloosa
The 2011 Arkansas team was a good one. The Hogs were ranked No. 15 in the preseason and No. 5 at the end. They won 11 games, with losses only to Alabama football and LSU. They beat Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl. For the season, Petrino’s Razorbacks averaged 438 yards per game. Against the Alabama football defense, they managed 226 yards and a paltry 14 points.
Petrino’s passing offense had a little more success in 2011. The Razorback QBs threw 40 times for 209 yards. To put that stat in perspective, Alabama football threw 20 passes for 200 yards. The Hogs only managed a net 19 yards on the ground. Two interceptions and a sack held back the Arkansas passing attack. As in 2009, the Alabama football defense maintained relentless pressure on the Hog’ QBs. Crimson Tide defenders were credited with four QB hurries.
The game was over in the third quarter as the Tide coasted to a 38-14 victory. For Bobby Petrino, his precision offensive schemes were again ineffective.
Petrino’s Second Louisville Stint
In Petrino’s second Louisville run, his teams have never lost fewer than four games in a season. The Cardinals have not reached 10 wins in any of the four seasons. It is true he tutored a Heisman winning QB, in Lamar Jackson. Even with Jackson, Petrino’s success the last four seasons has been modest.
When Bobby talks leading up to the season-opener, it is akin to whistling in the dark. Proclaiming a Louisville win is a weak attempt to dim Petrino’s Tuscaloosa nightmares.
Will the 2018 Alabama football secondary struggle against a Petrino offense? No doubt inexperience will call misreads and maybe even blown coverages. The Tide pass rush will, like 2009 and 2011, keep the Cardinals QBs under constant pressure.