Casey Dick: Playbook Hog

Experience is supposed to matter in football. It's believed to be especially important at the quarterback position.

Considering the number of starts senior quarterback Casey Dick has under his belt, conventional wisdom would suggest Arkansas is in pretty good shape this season. Of course, it all depends on what gauge of experience is being considered.

Dick has started 18 consecutive games, but he and everybody else wearing a Razorback uniform this season enter with limited knowledge of new coach Bobby Petrino's offensive system.

Spring practice allowed multiple installations of what has been dubbed the "Power Spread" offense, but a true gauge of what players know won't be revealed until the season begins. Arkansas opens things off with Western Illinois on Aug. 30. Fall camp begins Aug. 3, and in the meantime Dick and the team's other quarterbacks understand what they have to do with their free time.

"Study. Study. Study," Dick said. "If you don't study you don't play."

(Video: Chris Bahn previews the Razorbacks' 2008 offense. Check out more on the Razorbacks' schedule, the defense, the tight ends, Jonathan Luigs and Bahn's season prediction. )

Familiarity with the offense on paper is crucial, especially for the quarterback, because of the complexity of it. A single play can be run from 10 or more formations. This keeps opponents off guard whenever possible.

Dick emerged from spring practice with what seemed like a pretty good grasp of things. He threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns in the Red-White game to conclude the team's 15 spring practices.

It was a far cry from what Dick had been asked to do in previous seasons. He has never thrown for 300 yards in a game, and his 2007 season totals of 1,697 yards and 18 touchdowns eclipsed those of his first two seasons combined.