High on the Hog

• By TOM MURPHY
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Nov 27, 2009

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ryan Mallett splashed into the Southeastern Conference at Arkansas like many analysts envisioned.

The Texarkana Rifle leads the SEC with 3,195 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and a 165.18 efficiency rating, and he directs an offense that heads into Saturday’s showdown with LSU ranked 13th nationally with 445.2 yards per game.

Mallett has broken or tied 12 Arkansas records this season and is a threat to unseat Florida’s Tim Tebow as the All-SEC first-team quarterback.

“I’d say their quarterback is the best passing quarterback we’ve faced so far this year,” said Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen before Mallett carved up the Bulldogs for 313 passing yards and five touchdowns last week. Keep in mind, Mullen is also the former offensive coordinator for Tebow, and his Bulldogs had played Tebow earlier in the season.

“He can make a lot of throws that a lot of other guys in the league can’t make.”

LSU coach Les Miles said this week Mallett was “very talented,” and Miles probably wishes the big right-hander was still at Miles’ alma mater, Michigan.

Mallett grew up in Arkansas, running around in Razorbacks red and dreaming of playing for the home-state Hogs.

As he grew into his 6-foot-7 frame as a passing phenom and a Parade All-American at Texarkana’s Texas High, Mallett still yearned to play for the Razorbacks, but there was a problem.

He wanted no part of the soap opera engulfing the team in 2006 with then-coach Houston Nutt, quarterback Mitch Mustain and nominal offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, with fans splitting up into pro- or anti-Nutt camps.

“It was a circus, and I didn’t want to be one of the acts,” Mallett said. “I just didn’t want to get mixed up in all the stuff that was going on.

“You know, it broke my heart not to be able to come here.”

Mallett signed early with Michigan, lured by quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler, who became a mentor.

His one season as a Wolverine in 2007 had ups and downs. Mallett made three starts in place of Chad Henne, going 3-0 and hitting 61 of 141 passes for 892 yards, with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. But homesickness was a constant threat throughout that year.