Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Jarius Wright hauled in a pass, broke a tackle and headed for the end zone. He was credited with a 57-yard reception and at least 50 of it came after the catch when the safety couldn’t get him wrapped up and to the ground.

In a spring that has included repeated pleas from coaches for leadership, this was as good an example as any of a player delivering. Wright heard Coach Bobby Petrino in his pregame speech challenge what might be the nation’s best receiving corps for more yards after the catch.

Wright did just what his coach asked for with a national television audience tuned in and an announced crowd of 42,000 on hand in Reynolds Razorback Stadium watching the annual Red-White game in person. Petrino wants toughness from his team, and Wright displayed it the first time he touched the ball, energizing teammates on the White team as they rolled to a 45-14 victory over the Red on Saturday.

“I’m not going to try to, you know, kind of brag or anything, but early in the game, that play where I caught the ball, broke one tackle and scored, I feel like that pretty much set the tone of the whole game,” Wright said. “I feel like that got [the Red team’s] head down a little bit. It showed my team ‘He’s ready to play. We need to step up to his level.’”

Those are the sorts of plays that Arkansas will need this fall. Once again Petrino has challenged the players to look toward winning the SEC West and getting into the BCS title game mix.

Arkansas fell short of that in 2010, making a Sugar Bowl appearance in Petrino’s third season. Despite losing key offensive playmakers in quarterback Ryan Mallett and tight end D.J. Williams — a near certainty to get yards after the catch — Petrino sees this as a potential BCS contender.

Replacing the offensive production of those two guys — crazy as it sounds – won’t be the primary issue. Petrino and the Razorback coaching staff have said throughout the spring they want more leadership from the offensive players. They’ve challenged the team repeatedly in a quest to see who is listening and who can fill the void left by guys like Mallett and Williams.

Both weren’t afraid to challenge their teammates with their words and play. Finding guys to do both this year is a work in progress.

But there are flashes here and there, much like what Wright showed on Saturday with a performance that included five catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

Other Razorbacks had big days, too. White team quarterback Tyler Wilson completed 12 of 25 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Ronnie Wingo Jr. averaged 5.6 yards per carry and got a tough touchdown run on the goal line early. White team defensive back Tramain Thomas had a pair of interceptions, continuing his great spring.

But it was Wright, described by one teammate as “electrifying,” who played his guts out on Saturday. Literally. Figuratively. All of the above.

Wilson said Wright was visibly sick to his stomach at one point. Wright’s first three catches averaged 40.6 yards and Wilson figured the receiver could use a break.