Arkansas Razorbacks' offense can benefit from Bobby Petrino's new preference

Hogs' offensive coordinator headed for change of scenery, going to booth for this season

Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino during spring practice drills in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator will leave the sideline this year and call plays from the booth, according to Sam Pittman during the SEC's weekly teleconference.

"That's how we're going to start," Pittman said Wednesday. "Bobby actually approached me and felt like he could see the field better, be a better offensive coordinator up there."

This won't be the first time Petrino has called games from the booth either, as he performed his gameday coordinator duties in the pressbox at Texas A&M in 2023.

"I’m going to be on the sideline," Petrino said Aug. 2024. "You’ve got the clicker now where you can talk to the quarterback in the ear piece and can’t do that from upstairs. I thought about it. I kind of liked it last year upstairs and calling the game and being away from all the elements down there, but I didn’t like not being able to see the quarterback’s eyes and how they were reacting and what was going on on the sideline. So I think it’s the right decision to be down."

Of course, former Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher still had his fingerprints all over the offense and reportedly called the plays before being fired toward the end of the 2023 season.

Calm in the Storm

There are multiple reasons that likely played a role in the decision for Petrino to move up to the booth. Last season, it was out of necessity due to being a first-year coordinator with a new team and needing to be more of a coach on the field for unfamiliar reasons.

Now, he is given a quieter pressbox that will allow him to work his offensive magic while being able to see an all-22 view which can allow him to get into more of a personal rhythm calling games.

Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino at spring practice on outdoor practice fields in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

It also affords him fewer distractions, analyze and adapt for adjustments as they go while delegating sideline responsibilities to assistants instead.

Another benefit of Petrino's move is more efficient communication, especially with quarterbacks having on-field communication with him. While hand signals and such will continue to be used, Green will likely be able to understand the play call and pre-snap reads better.

Comfort with Green

Speaking of Arkansas' starting quarterback, Green is ready to show fans and national media that he has developed leaps and bounds to be more effective on the field as a playmaker.

Much of his learning during the 2024 season happened on the go once he entered SEC play as he was used to a lesser competitive conference.

His lack of comfort last season with so many new parts of the offense created a sense of unknown about how things were going to play out.

After posting over 3,700 yards of total offense with 23 touchdowns, Petrino's move came at just the right time going into the Alabama A&M game.

"Obviously, in your first year you don't quite know your quarterback as well as you do after you've worked with him," Pittman said. "I felt like Bobby wanted to be there with him a year ago. However, I think he felt like he could do a better job upstairs with [tight end coach] Morgan [Turner], so that's what we've been working on in our scrimmages and that's what we're going to do."

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green listening to offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino in preseason practice at the indoor center in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

Green is constantly trying to learn and last season he had issues going through progressions with his receivers and often was too comfortable looking for the SEC's leading receiver, Andrew Armstrong.

Petrino will be able to spot gaps and defensive mismatches in the box better from the booth which will benefit Green throughout the season to become more dynamic than he was as a junior.

"I've got a responsibility, I touch the ball every single play and I have to make the right play every single down, every single play," Green said Tuesday night. "That's what Coach Petrino holds me to and that standard. And that's what he tells [me] like, don't shy away from. Always keep that in mind those situations and know down and distance."

Petrino's trust in his senior quarterback and veteran leadership among the offense probably led to the move which has made the Arkansas offense look to be extremely potent this season.

"All the firepower and all the playmakers that we have, not just the skill positions, but the offensive line, the tight ends, the receivers, the running backs, everybody," Green said. "Just how much work we’ve put in and like Coach Petrino said, on Saturday it’s game time, it’s prime time, so just letting it fly and having the mentality to take the ball and score every single time we touch it."