Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Joe Adams being Joe Adams on a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown was barely an hour old when video of it began popping up online. Professional grade or taped off the TV with a cell phone it didn’t matter, people wanted to watch it.

Same went for Jarius Wright’s juggling, diving catch with a defender draped over him. People couldn’t watch it enough and it was posted on national sites and local blogs alike well before No. 8 Arkansas had ended its 49-7 victory against Tennessee. 

Both figure to be YouTube sensations. Either were strong candidates not just for play of the week, but year.

Not likely to go viral, but vitally important to closing out the game — and potentially the season — strong was the way Arkansas ran the football. For the first time in 2011, the Razorbacks had more rushing yards (254) than passing (245). You have to go back to a 38-31 victory against Mississippi State in 2010 for last time the run game actually outgained the passing attack.

That won’t get you on the Internet, but it will win you ball games. And it could — with Stanford and Boise State losing — gain the team ground with voters, who will be hard pressed to ignore the yards and points posted by the Razorbacks (9-1, 5-1).

Arkansas now has a chance at consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since joining the SEC. Bobby Petrino’s fourth team now joins 10 others in program history to reach the nine-win plateau.

Success has come much of the year in spite of the running game. On Saturday it was because of the running game and the Razorbacks have to hope that continues.

They'll need another night like they got from Dennis Johnson, who ended the night with 97 yards and two touchdowns. His 71-yard touchdown made it 21-0 and was a career-best effort. Tennessee (4-6, 0-6) was still hanging around when Johnson ran for 15 yards. Both were impressive because of the way Johnson picked up yards after contact.

Johnson averaged 8.8 yards per carry, which believe it or not, wasn’t even the best on the team against a vulnerable Volunteers defense. That honor went to — get this — Broderick Green, whose long of 40 allowed him to average 14.7 yards per carry, or about 14.0 yards per carry more than usual.

All four running backs to get touches — Johnson, Green, De’Anthony Curtis and Ronnie Wingo Jr. — had a long of at least 19 yards.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson described the night on the ground as “awesome.”

Degree of difficult does decrease a bit when taking into consideration how bad the Volunteers are. Tennessee is no doubt in rebuilding mode under Derek Dooley and tackled as poorly as any team the Razorbacks have or will face in 2011.