Arkansas Shows Balance, Patience In Victory Against Auburn

Arkansas isn't much of a running football team. Tailback Michael Smith might be good for catching a few passes, but defenses have figured out how to stop him on the ground.

Tight end D.J. Williams is a forgotten receiving threat. He's doing his best work in 2009 as a blocker.

Take away the big play and Arkansas has next to nothing to offer offensively. Sustained drives aren't this team's thing.

Through the first third of the season it seemed pretty clear what the Razorbacks' offense was and what it wasn't.

Think you know the Arkansas offense? Think again.

Apparently, folks had it all wrong. And the Razorbacks shattered those misconceptions Saturday, along with No 17 Auburn's confidence, its defense and its undefeated start.

"Defenses don't know what to expect. We don't give away tendencies," Williams said. "That's going to be huge for us later on down the season."

Later in the season? It was huge Saturday in a 44-23 dismantling of the Tigers before an announced crowd of 72,559.

Arkansas, which scored at least 40 points for the fourth time this year, played its most complete offensive game of the Bobby Petrino era. Since being hired in December 2007, Petrino has stressed the importance of balance.

Saturday proved that's more than lip service or an impossible-to-reach notion.