Bahn: Razorbacks Continuing To Find Ways To Involve Joe Adams, Scare Defenses

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Bahn: Razorbacks Continuing To Find Ways To Involve Joe Adams, Scare Defenses

by Chris Bahn on Tuesday, Sep. 13, 2011 5:00 pm

Arkansas coaches want the ball in Joe Adams' hands 10-12 times per game. Could that include receiving, running and throwing? Adams has a career touchdown pass to his credit. (Photo by Mark Wagner)

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas’ tailbacks haven’t exactly run wild to start the season. But imaginations sure have.

Sunday morning quarterbacks had it all figured out for the Razorbacks after the season opener: put wide receiver Joe Adams in the backfield. Adams is fast. He’s shifty. He’s got good vision. Moving him to tailback would surely get the running game jump-started.

Preposterous, I thought.

And I had the same reaction when my buddy and ArkansasSports360.com contributor TJ Carpenter suggested on his Hog Sports Radio show that Adams should be lined up at tailback.

No way, I told him during a Friday appearance. Adams is a receiver for a reason.

Then Bobby Petrino went and pulled the sort of move you or I might try on a season of NCAA Football 12. He started Adams at tailback against New Mexico. Adams broke off an 15 yard run and added a 18 yarder later in the game. We saw Adams do the same thing last year against Auburn, Mississippi State and LSU, and he entered 2010 with 17 career carries for 109 yards.

See? Adams as running back doesn’t seem to be some sort of long-term solution. It's just something to pull out from time to time.

Running back requires more than being able to carry the football when nobody is expecting it. Adams — at 5-11, 190 — can’t possibly be the blocker he needs to be to see extended time in the backfield. Right?

“I don’t know. We’ve never asked him to do that yet,” Petrino said with something of a mischievous grin after I posed the question on Monday.

Yet?

Either the Razorbacks haven’t tried it yet because they don’t intend to. Or they haven’t tried it yet, but plan to.

My money is on the first of those two options. But what a joy it has to be for opposing defensive coordinators to know that Arkansas coaches are still tinkering with ways to get Adams involved in the offense.