We all knew that former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden was going to be a rich man. We also know that the fourth pick in last year's draft, Gaines Adams, signed a contract that awarded him roughly $18.5 guaranteed. So we know D-Mac will be earning at least that much.

  But the San Francisco Chronicle gave us a little more insight into what McFadden could be earning as negotiations for his first NFL contract are expected to get underway in July. The rough estimate: a six-year deal worth $50 million, $20 million of which would be guaranteed money.

  Wow. That's pretty good money if you can get it.

  Of course, Oakland wants to get a deal done this year. It had a bad experience with a big-money pick last summer. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell held out for a long time. He didn't sign until after the season opener. But McFadden said he doesn't want that to happen with him, telling the newspaper, "I want to be out there, so I'll let my agent take care of that and I feel like he's going to get it done for me."

  For the record, McFadden's agent, Ian Greengross, told the Chronicle he has never had a client miss training camp. One of Greengross' clients, Amobi Okoye, who was the No. 10 pick last year, missed a team meeting because of paperwork issues. He did make it to the field on time, though.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 03:21 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The 2008 NFL Draft is done and, by my count, at least eight former Razorbacks have new homes.

  Six players were drafted during the two day draft, beginning with Darren McFadden selection by the Oakland Raiders. In addition, Felix Jones went to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round and Marcus Harrison went to the Chicago Bears in the third round. Then there was the seventh round flurry in which Nate Garner (New York Jets), Peyton Hillis (Denver Broncos) and Marcus Monk (Chicago Bears) all found homes.

  It doesn't end there, of course. I did find out earlier tonight that cornerbacks Matterral Richardson (Washington Redskins) and Michael Grant (Jacksonville Jaguars) have signed free agent deals. I also spoke with Robert Felton, but the tackle, who expected to be drafted, sounded upset and didn't want to talk. I'm certain he will sign a deal with someone soon (if he hasn't already).

  Look for more Razorbacks to sign too. There are a handful of guys out there — linebacker Weston Dacus, safeties Matt Hewitt and Kevin Woods, fullback Farod Jackson, receivers Robert Johnson and Sean Penix, and defensive tackle Fred Bledsoe — who could land opportunities.

  We'll let you know when we find out. But for now, a long weekend is over. The draft is done. The spring game is done. It's time for some rest.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 09:07 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

What a tough wait for former Razorback defensive tackle Marcus Harrison. Projected to go in the second round by most NFL Draft experts, Harrison watched all of Saturday's coverage without being picked.

Then, he had to sit through more than an hour of third-round picks today until he was finally snagged at No. 90 overall by the Chicago Bears. You have to figure Harrison's off-the-field baggage played into his slipping so far down in the draft.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 09:06 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

As I write this, Arkansas and Ole Miss are in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of today's doubleheader here at Swayze Field here in Oxford. So far, things have gone pretty well today for the Razorbacks (Although it hasn't been easy). The Diamond Hogs lead 3-0 in the nightcap as Logan Forsythe just — and I mean just — hit his second home run of the day. In the first game, Arkansas won, 13-11 in 10 innings after blowing an 8-1 lead.

Tim Smalling was the hero of game 1, hitting a career-high three home runs and driving in a career-best six runs.

Arkansas would love to pull off the doubleheader sweep after losing Friday. If the Razorbacks do hold onto this one, they would be back into a tie for second place in the SEC Western Division and a tie for eighth overall in the SEC.

And remember, only the top eight teams from the league make the SEC Tournament... an important barometer in determining who does and doesn't advance to NCAA Regionals. 

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 08:52 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas is on the field running through drills before the Red-White Game kicks off here at 6 p.m.

  It's the last day of spring practice, the 15th and final workout before the Razorbacks head into the summer. Of course, this spring has been one of the most important at Arkansas for some time because of the coaching change. The Razorbacks have spent the past month getting used to Bobby Petrino and his staff. The playbooks are thicker, the demands have been greater and the intensity of the workouts have all increased.

  Has it helped the Razorbacks? No one can say until next season. But here is one player's opinion:

  “(Offensive line) coach (Mike) Summers said it best," center Jonathan Luigs said. "We’ve been through 13 hard ones and they were on the gas pedal as much as they could to see who would fall or who would crumble and who would step up and emerge. They've definitely been hard. But as a team we’ve grown together and fought through some battles and hardships and the lows and the highs.

  "So as far as the overall spring, i’d grade it pretty well.”

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 04:36 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as an Arkansas alum, knew better than any other NFL owner what kind of talent running back Felix Jones possesses. So for him, you have to imagine his selection at No. 22 in the first round was pretty simple.

(Jerry) Jones selected (Felix) Jones just now, making him the third running back picked in the draft behind Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Oregon's Jonathan Stewart.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 03:47 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden has a new home.

  The Oakland Raiders just selected McFadden with the fourth pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, ending months and months of build up regarding where the Razorback would begin his pro career. McFadden was surrounded by family members in the green room at the Draft in New York's Radio City Music Hall when he was selected. He got a hug from everyone.

  Oakland is one of the destinations that was a likely fit for McFadden. The Raiders and New York Jets were both in the market for a running back and had him high on the list. There were some rumblings about Oakland trading the pick, but it appears (barring a draft day trade) McFadden will be wearing silver and black next season.

  Next up on Arkansas' draft board will be running back Felix Jones. Where does he go? The Dallas Cowboys are the trendy choice. But stay tuned.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 01:19 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The University of Arkansas just sent out a news release to members of the media stating that one of John Pelphrey's 2008 recruits, Daniel Payne, would not attend the school.

Payne, a 6-foot-7 small forward who played at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, "is no longer eligible to participate at the Univerisoty of Arkansas and will be given his immediate release," the e-mail said.

The university said it would have no further comment on the matter. I'll make some calls to try and find out some more.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 01:12 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Ole Miss chased Arkansas starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel from the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning and now has a 9-4 lead in the top of the seventh here at Swayze Field.

The Rebels have used three home runs to break the game open, while the Razorbacks are currently having no luck with Ole Miss reliever Scott Bittle.

If things continue this way, Arkansas will have to win on both Saturday and Sunday to avoid losing their third-straight SEC series in Oxford. The last time the Diamond Hogs won a series at Ole Miss was way back in 2002. 

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 08:10 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Arkansas is sticking close with Ole Miss here at Swayze Field (pictured, above) in Oxford as I write this. But if the Rebels could just field the baseball, the Razorbacks might be in serious trouble.

Ole Miss leads, 3-2, here in the top of the fifth. But both of Arkansas' runs have come thanks totally to some faulty defense by the Rebels.  So far, Ole Miss has dropped two pop flys in the infield (Well, not actually dropped them. They didn't even get a glove on them as wind and sun caused the Rebs problems) and also thrown a ball into the dugout, allowing the Razorbacks to stick close.

Stayed tuned for more... 

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 07:18 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  If Darren McFadden's mother, Mini Muhammad, had her way, the running back won't be drafted by the New York Jets or the Oakland Raiders.

  That's right. The L.A. Times caught up with Mini this week and asked where she wanted her son to play. Her answer: The Dallas Cowboys.

  But the most interesting part of the story were her reasons for not liking the the Jets or Raiders. It has to do with the size of the cities or areas:

  "I hate New York; it's too big," she said in the story.

  "The Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, whatever team they've got there in Tennessee," Muhammad said in reference to the places she'd like her son to end up. "But we want what's good for him, whatever they say. I'd rather particularly he'd go to Dallas, I really do."

  Oh boy. Not sure if Jets or Raiders fans like the sound of that.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 12:46 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

   If you haven't had the chance, check out the story on Willy Robinson that ran in today's paper.

  There was much more on Robinson that I didn't fit in the story. Some of the funnier stuff has to be about something that really isn't that funny: He's left leg injury.

  Robinson hasn’t had an easy time getting around this spring because of the quadriceps and tendon injury, which he sustained running off the field late last season. It's pretty gruesome looking. He had surgery and about 150 stitches on the inside and outside of his leg. But he is improving.

  In fact, Robinson promises he’ll look much like offensive coordinator Paul Petrino — who chases his receivers up and down the field — when he’s healthy. He said he'll outdo him.

  "If I was healthy, I'd be taking Paul and putting him under the table," Robinson said.

  Until then, the limp has been the subject of some fun.

  Coach Bobby Petrino said: "We need to video it."

  Robinson's response: "It's been shown quite a few times.”

  But in a way, Robinson's limp has been helping him get a little closer to the players.

  Robinson admitted he doesn't rehab as much as he'd like, but does spend some time in the training room with Arkansas' players. His message to them is simple: You think your injury is bad?

  “That’s pain," Robinson said, pointing to his leg. "Don’t tell me what pain is. You tell those players, suck it up. Come over here. You want that?” 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 09:03 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Casey Coon was back in the lineup the past two games for Arkansas, and that could prove to be critical as the Razorbacks reach the strech run of Southeastern Conference play.

  Coon — out for the past 12 games with an ankle injury — not only returned to the lineup, he also returned to his old hitting ways against Northern Colorado. Wednesday, the senior leftfielder was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and he finished the series 3-for-7 with 3 RBIs.

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 03:25 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Chris Dunivan at 03:05 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The NFL Draft is three days away, and Darren McFadden is already in New York City. And judging by the reports coming out of the Big Apple, the former Arkansas running back might be staying there for awhile.

Posted by Alex Abrams at 08:29 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

So let's try and put this Patrick Beverley firestorm to rest. The Arkansas sophomore guard created quite a buzz over the past week when he put some interesting status messages on his Facebook page.

That led to message boards going crazy over whether Beverley was contemplating a transfer from Arkansas. He was, in fact, but by last Friday, he said he had decided to stay when spoken to at the Real Deal on the Hill by a colleague of mine.

Now, we know some more details courtesy of Brett McMurphy of the Tampa Tribune. Beverley's mother told McMurphy that any rumors of Beverley transferring to South Florida, where former Arkansas coach Stan Heath landed last season, were false, that he would be stay at Arkansas.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 03:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas has quickly called a press conference for 4 p.m. this afternoon on campus.

  The subject of the press conference is John McDonnell. The press conference has been called for a "major announcement pertaining to Arkansas head cross country and track and field coach John McDonnell and the future of the University of Arkansas men's track and field program."

  All of the school's major players will be attending as well: Jeff Long, Frank Broyles and John White.

  Sounds like a retirement announcement to me. But no official word has been given, yet.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 08:55 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The manager in the movie Bull Durham had a great line....

It's a simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball....

Well, he forgot one thing. You know how to run the bases.....

Sunday, that's something Arkansas apparently forgot and it cost them dearly in a 7-6, 10-inning loss against Tennessee here at Baum Stadium. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Razorbacks' outfielder Chase Leavitt made a huge mistake when he forgot to advance on a ground ball to shortstop. Insteead of moving to third on the play, Leavitt froze and heading back towards second base which allowed Tennessee to throw home for one out and then onto third base for the double play.

The blunder proved super costly, as the Volunteers got out of the jam and then eventually won the game in the following frame.

For the Diamond Hogs, a game which seemed in their grasp instead now has Arkansas on the outside looking in in the race for the SEC Tournament. Through Sunday, the Razorbacks are now in ninth place in the overall standings, with only the top eight teams advancing to the tournament.

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 07:55 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  One thing that went unmentioned in my scrimmage story and notes, which will run in tomorrow's paper, was a little tidbit about the offense's success on third down this afternoon.

  Coach Bobby Petrino noted the group's third-down performance as one of the biggest improvements Saturday. In particular, he said: "Our third downs improved a lot from a week ago. The last time we went third downs, the defense really got after the offense. I think the offense won the third down battle today."

  I don't have the third down totals calculated, but did figure up some of the work the first-team offense put up during its first four series Saturday. Quarterback Casey Dick threw an interception on the first series, but led the first-team offense to three straight scores after that.

  Arkansas was 7-for-8 on third down those three drives. The one they missed didn't end the drive. Arkansas went for it on fourth down, converted, and scored a little later.

  Of course, I don't know what the plan was on third down Saturday. Chances are, the defense was playing a basic scheme so the offense could see what a play looked like. There was no hitting the quarterback. And it wasn't a live game. But, still, it is impressive to convert like that.

  Even more, I noticed that Michael Smith was being asked to carry the ball on a handful of third-down plays this afternoon. Some of them were third-and-1 situations. Others were a little longer like third-and-four. I asked if Smith noticed or if this was merely a coincidence. He laughed.

  "It's never a coincindence with Coach Petrino," Smith said. "He knows exactly what he’s doing every time. He just wants to see if I can get those tough yards. He wants to see who can get the tough yards."

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 07:43 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Yes, Arkansas' scrimmage ended roughly seven hours ago. But when you have to compile quotes, transcribe quotes, calculate stats, write three stories and pick up your wife from work, it can take awhile to blog.

  The scrimmage offensive stats are finally here, though. You know the rules. These numbers aren't official. Just take them for what they're worth in a 145-play scrimmage. And enjoy, of course.

  QUARTERBACKS

  Casey Dick: 26 of 39, 309 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs

  Nathan Dick: 10-17, 155, 2 TDs

  Alex Mortensen: 11-24, 129, 2 TDs, 1 INT

  RUNNING BACKS

  Michael Smith: 19 carries, 113 yards, 2 TDs

  Brandon Barnett: 10-34-1

  Torian Wilkins: 8-20-1

  Landon Williams: 7-21

  Taylor Huskisson: 3-1

  WIDE RECEIVERS

  London Crawford: 8 catches, 107 yards, 2 touchdowns

  Carlton Salters: 8-77-1

  D.J. Williams: 6-90

  Lucas Miller: 5-88-1

  Brandon Barnett: 3-60-1

  Reggie Fish: 3-35

  Michael Smith: 3-13

  Ben Cleveland: 2-22-1

  Crosby Tuck: 2-19-1

  Andrew Davie: 2-28

  Marques Wade: 1-27

  Rod Coleman: 1-18

  Taylor Huskisson: 1-18

  Landon Williams: 1-7

  Torian Wilkins: 1-6

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 06:59 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Arkansas won a thriller here at Baum Stadium this afternoon, edging its way past Tennessee, 5-4. And the Razorbacks did it the old-fashioned way by simply using a little hustle.

Junior second baseman Ben Tschepikow was able to score from first base on a routine pop fly that dropped in with two outs in the bottom of the 10th. But if Tschepikow hadn't been hustling all out the entire way, the Razorbacks and Volunteers might still be trying to settling this one out.

"That’s Ben to the fullest right there," Arkansas catcher Ryan Cisterna said. "Like I’ve said before, you talk about hustling hard and playing every play like it’s your last and he did it right there.
“Nobody else scores from first right there. Everybody else is jogging around the bases and thinking, alright we’ve got to get ready for the 11th inning and shut them down. But heck, we just won the game on a pop fly that almost hit the infield right there.”

Arkansas will go for a sweep against the Vols at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. The Razorbacks haven't swept an SEC series since Apr. 14-15, 2007 against Florida. 

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 06:46 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Don't blame Arkansas baseball fans if they were a little nervous in their seats at Baum Stadium during the ninth inning of tonight's game. With Tennessee loading the bases with no outs, it looked like it might be Georgia or Auburn all over again for the Diamond Hogs. But unlike in previous SEC games where Arkansas failed to hold leads, this time things worked out.

Stephen Richards pitched out of the jam — giving up just one run — and the Razorbacks got the timely hitting they needed from Ryan Cisterna and Aaron Murphree in a crucial, 5-4 win against the Vols. And with the victory, Arkansas has now somehow, someway moved all the way up to second place in the SEC West... despite just a 6-9 conference record.

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 09:56 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  If you're coming to Arkansas' football scrimmage tomorrow morning and plan to stick around for the whole thing, be forewarned: You could be there awhile. And you might look like this kitten if you do.

  Arkansas will hold its third scrimmage in Razorback Stadium tomorrow and there's no telling how long it could last. But, chances are, it might be long. Very long. After all, the Hogs worked in about 150 scrimmage plays last Saturday, shocking everybody but the coaching staff. 

  Offensive coordinator Paul Petrino was asked if he thought it would last just as long tomorrow and his response made me laugh:

  "Hopefully. Maybe. Maybe longer, hopefully."

  The truth is, the Razorbacks need the work. There's only four practice dates left in the spring after tomorrow's scrimmage and plenty left to prove. They need to see who is capable of making plays on both sides of the ball. The need to see who is getting their schemes and formations. They need to see who they can count on.

  So tomorrow will be, as Petrino put it, a "big day."

  Expect a very, very long one too.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 08:13 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  We've just been informed by Arkansas sports information that football practice will be held in the Walker Indoor Pavilion tonight.

  By now, you know what this means: The workout is closed to the public.

  The rain has held off most of the day around here, but the weather is pretty chilly. Arkansas plans to hold a lighter, abbreviated practice today anyway in anticipation of tomorrow morning's scrimmage.

  I'll let you know what happens at practice later on tonight.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 02:29 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Chris Dunivan at 03:10 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  This isn't exactly Arkansas related. But then again, maybe it is.

  Southern California has officially named their starting quarterback heading into the summer. And it's not former Arkansas quarterback/Springdale High star Mitch Mustain. Instead, the L.A. Times reports the Trojans have named Mark Sanchez as the man who will take over for John David Booty next season.

  USC coach Pete Carroll said one of the advantages for Sanchez is his experience. Mustain, of course, transfered there last year and practiced with the team in the fall. He sat out the season, but was part of a three-man competition for the job this spring.

  For his part, Mustain said in the article he is not giving up: "They didn't say it was over. Until they give me that, I'm going to keep playing."

  I wonder how well he would've fit in Bobby Petrino's offense at Arkansas?
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 01:36 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Oral Roberts has Arkansas' number on the baseball diamond this season, that much is clear.

One week after handing the Razorbacks a 9-4 setback at Baum Stadium, the Golden Eagles absolutely crushed the Hogs here in Tulsa tonight at J.L. Johnson Stadium, 12-2. The win was the third in a row in a series for ORU and gave the Golden Eagles their first-ever series sweep against Arkansas in a season where the teams played at least two regular season games.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn was obviously displeased with Tuesday's performance, particularly at the plate. The Razorbacks had their chances early to score runs but were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position in the early innings.

Now the Diamon Hogs up and down season continues at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday when it returns home to play host to Alcorn State. 

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 10:02 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  An interesting thing happened today: Alex and I got a chance to sit down with Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino for a few minutes before the start of practice. It was the first chance we've had to catch Petrino one-on-one since the coach was hired in December and we tried to squeeze as much in as possible.

  Of course, with spring football in full force, most of the questions dealt with personnel.

  Here are a few of the highlights we picked up:

  • First of all, QB Ryan Mallett is done for the spring. Officially. Mallett showed up at practice with a cast on his right thumb a little later. Hence the thumbs down photo in this blog. Petrino said the Hogs will move on without him. Read more about Mallett and the QBs in tomorrow's paper. Alex wrote a story on the situation.

  • Speaking of injuries, two RBs returned after missing time with bumps and bruises Saturday. Petrino told us about the RB situation today and said it was wide open. Michael Smith has been working with the first-team, but, chances are, Brandon Barnett, Chip Gregory and others will all get opportunities to carry the ball.

  • Petrino said he has no plans to change the format of the Red-White game despite the injuries that have occured this spring. The good news is, none of them are major. Several players returned to practice Tuesday. But plans for a full-fledged game are still a go. So look for that.

  That's all for now. We'll check back more if we think of it.
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 08:22 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The Arkansas baseball team got a big win here in Gainesville, Fla., on Sunday afternoon, beating Florida 10-4.

  It gave them their first SEC series win this season. It also snapped a streak of seven straight SEC series losses, which dated back to last season. And it was their first Sunday win since March 9.

  Of course, the Hogs were pretty happy about it. But I think Ben Tschepikow summed up the mood with the quote that appeared at the end of my game recap today:

  “It feels awesome,” Tschepikow said. “But what are we, 5-9 in the SEC? We haven’t done anything yet. It feels good to win one (series), but we’ve got to keep going. Until we get to the postseason, I don’t think anybody can be happy or satisfied. I know I won’t be.”

  He couldn't be more right. The Razorbacks still have much more work to do to qualify for the SEC Tournament and, in turn, reach an NCAA Regional. One series win doesn't do anything but give the team hope that it is on the right track. Now, they must take advantage of it and start stringing together wins.

  That starts Tuesday at Oral Roberts. The Razorbacks, of course, lost to ORU 9-4 last week. But as the season drags on, the mid-week games are becoming even more important. The Razorbacks play Alcorn State on Wednesday then open a three-game series against Tennessee at Baum Stadium on Friday.
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 09:05 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas, which lost 6-1 to the Gators last night, had scored three runs in the first two games of its series here in Gainesville, Fla., this weekend. But a new lineup seems to be working in Game Three.

  Chase Leavitt, Ben Tschepikow, Logan Forsythe, Jeff Nutt and Brett Eibner are the one-through-five hitters today and have helped the Razorbacks grab a 5-2 lead after five innings. The five have combined for eight hits, five runs and four RBIs so far. They've chased Florida pitcher Tommy Toledo from the game.

  The Razorbacks are searching for their first SEC series victory of the season and the offense is playing its part right now. Now it's up to the pitching — starter Justin Wells is still on the mound — to make sure Arkansas doesn't blow this lead in the late innings.
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 12:44 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas' weekend series against Florida got off to a great start here in Gainesville, Fla., last night after Dallas Keuchel pitched the Hogs to a 2-1 win.

  The win was important for a variety of reasons. First, it gave Arkansas hope that it does have a solid Friday night starter in Keuchel, who made his debut at the spot. It also featured a big hit by Jeff Nutt in the eighth inning and a solid job by reliever Stephen Richards, who closed the door on the Gators in the ninth.

  But more than anything, it gave the Razorbacks a little confidence. Arkansas won a series-opening game for the first time in four weeks. It means they have a chance to win their first SEC series of the season today.

  "It's definitely a momentum thing for us," coach Dave Van Horn said after the game. "We're going back to the hotel (Friday) with a 'W' and know you’re coming out (Saturday) with a little more bounce in your step.

  "We know where we’re at. Trust me. We had a long meeting after the ORU game in the locker room. Guys guys know where we’re at. It's do or die. We know we’ve got guys banged up. We've got to win with what we’ve got. Everybody’s got to hold their line and do their job and everybody's depending on each other."

  The Razorbacks have gotten off to a good start today, too. Logan Forsythe led the game off with a single and Brett Eibner drove him in with two outs to give Arkansas a 1-0 lead after the top half of the first.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 02:26 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas and Florida have kicked off a weekend series here in Gainesville, Fla.

  Right now, the game is tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth. Arkansas scored a run in the first inning. Florida got one in the third. Other than that, pitchers Dallas Keutchel and Billy Bullock have had few problems.

  The series will continue on Saturday in Sunday in a town that is bustling with activity this weekend. In addition to the baseball series, Florida will hold its spring game tomorrow afternoon which should bring at least 50,000 fans to town. That's not all: The O'Connell Center also is hosting an NCAA Regional gymnastics meet.

  Busy, busy, busy weekend for Florida fans. I'll check back after the game to let you know how this one ends.
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 06:01 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The second week of Arkansas' spring practices is underway and the biggest news probably comes from the injury front. Don't worry, it's nothing too severe.

  Cornerback Jerell Norton and running back Chip Gregory continue to be slowed by injuries they've sustained in practices. Norton is out with a hamstring injury. Gregory is limited by a high ankle sprain.

  The prognosis — as far as a healthy spring — isn't good for either player.

  Petrino on Gregory: "I'm afraid it’s going to be a little while. On video, it looked like a high ankle sprain. He's not able to get any push off yet so we’ll just have to wait and see how much work we can get him."

  Petrino on Norton: "The way it happened and the way he’s reacted to it, it’ll probably be a little bit of time.”

  The two figure to play important roles in Arkansas' plans on both sides of the ball, but Petrino said the Razorbacks simply have to move on until they're healed. That means others get more work.

  For instance, reserve running backs Torian Wilkins, Landon Williams and Cliff Moore are getting more carries. Defensively, Isaac Madison is working alongside Jamar Love with the first-team defense at cornerback. Shedrick Johnson and Ramon Broadway are in the mix as well.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 07:40 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The relationship between Arkansas and former basketball coach Nolan Richardson is on the mend.

  That has been well-documented the past month or so. New athletic director Jeff Long has expressed interest in honoring the national championship team. Richardson has expressed interest in being part of the school. It seems things are going to be working out in a good way for both parties in the near future.

  We found another sign that things are getting better today.

  It has to do with Richardson's election to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The university has issued a release on the honor and it is posted on their Web site.

  I know it sounds small, but think about it: When was the last time Richardson was featured on the university's Web site? My guess is back around the time he was fired.

  So, kudos for another small step in the right direction.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 01:53 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Arkansas has done it again, unfortunately.

The Diamond Hogs already blew a nine-run lead earlier this season against Georgia and now you can add a blown six-run lead as well. Leading 8-2 through seven innings, poor pitching and defense ultimately led to a 12-10 loss in 10 innings against Auburn here at Baum Stadium on Sunday.

Make no mistake, this one stings the Razorbacks even worse than the Georgia meltdown. Because now, Arkansas is reeling in every way. Just 17-13 overall and 3-8 in the Southeastern Conference, if the Hogs don't start winning soon the season could be over before you know it.

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 06:08 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The depth chart probably doesn't mean much to Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino this spring. Sure, he'd like to know who he is counting on in a starting role when the season opens next fall, but it's way, way, way, too early for a coach to start naming his starting lineup.

  But I can. I thought I'd take a stab at the guys that have spent most of the week in first-team roles. This isn't perfect. The offense is a little more unusual because there are so many different formations out there. Plus, things can and will change. But here's an attempt:
 

  OFFENSE 

  QB: Casey Dick

  RB: Michael Smith, Brandon Barnett

  WR: London Crawford, Marques Wade

  TE: D.J. Williams, Andrew Davie

  C: Jonathan Luigs

  G: DeMarcus Love, Mitch Petrus

  T: Ray Dominguez, Jose Valdez — Michael Aguirre, too, on Sunday

  DEFENSE

  DE: Adrian Davis, Damario Ambrose

  DT: Malcolm Sheppard, Cord Gray

  LB: Elston Forte, Ryan Powers, Jerry Franklin

  CB: Jamar Love, Isaac Madison

  S: Matt Harris, Dallas Washington 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 01:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas held its first scrimmage of the spring earlier today. In all, the Hogs got in about 80 plays. The football program kept statistics, but none of the numbers are being announced. So that left us media types doing what we typically don't do best:

  Math.

  With that said, keep in mind these numbers ARE NOT official. And I don't have any defensive stats other than the fact cornerback Jamar Love intercepted a pass. It's hard to keep stats on sacks since QBs aren't live. But this should give you a good idea of who did what on offense during Sunday's scrimmage.

  QUARTERBACKS

  Casey Dick: 13-18, 102 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

  Ryan Mallett: 7-13, 60 yards

  Nathan Dick: 3-6, 50 yards, 1 touchdown

  Alex Mortensen: 2-2, 9 yards

  RUNNING BACKS

  Michael Smith: 15 carries, 84 yards

  Brandon Barnett: 9-45, 2 touchdowns

  Taylor Huskisson: 1-8

  Seth Armbrust: 2-4, 1 touchdown

  Landon Williams: 1-2

  Cliff Moore: 2-8

  RECEIVERS

  London Crawford: 5 catches, 46 yards, 1 touchdown

  D.J. Williams: 5-36

  Brandon Barnett: 4-36

  Reggie Fish: 2-19

  Carlton Salters: 2-15

  Marques Wade: 2-15

  John Aaron Rees: 1-29, one touchdown

  Rod Coleman: 1-13

  John Durmon: 1-11

  Lucas Miller: 1-5

  Michael Smith: 1-3

 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 01:25 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Finally, finally. Some super nice weather at the baseball park.

And on clearly the most  gorgeous day of the season to date, the season-high crowd of 7,387 at Baum Stadium got what they came for. A much-needed win by the hometown Hogs, who held off Auburn, 5-4 on Saturday.

The best part about the victory — aside from the packed park — was the way Arkansas won. There was great pitching from Justin Wells and Stephen Richards, timely hitting from guys like Logan Forsythe and great defense. Add it all up and the Razorbacks now have a chance to win their first SEC series of the year with another victory Sunday. 

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 04:16 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Paul Petrino, Arkansas' offensive coordinator and receivers coach, spoke to the media for the first time this spring after Saturday's practice. He and defensive coordinator Willy Robinson were filling in for Bobby Petrino, who took the day off from us media types.

  I wasn't part of the Petrino huddle, but Alex Abrams was there and got a handful of comments from the entertaining coach. Here are some of the highlights from his conversation with the media:

  On his receivers: "After three days, London (Crawford) has probably had the best first three days. He’s been catching the ball well and attacking it. Probably him and Marques (Wade) have done a good job outside, and then Carlton (Salters) and Lucas (Miller) have probably done a good job inside.”

  On if anything bothers him about the WRs: "Yeah, any time they drop a ball, it bothers me. We had a few of those. It’s never going to be perfect after three days. We’ve just got to continue to work hard and continue to get better. We’re on course. We’ve just got to continue working.”

  On the quarterbacks and their progress: "They're all working hard and competing. I think they’re all improving. Casey has done a good job in trying to pick up the offense. You can obviously see Mallett’s talent, and he’s got a big-time arm. Just got to keep working on his feet. Mortensen has been working hard, just got to keep working on being accurate. And then Nathan’s just got to continue to learn the offense. I think for all of them, it’s just learning the offense and getting to our checks faster and the tempo of the offense. I think they’ve all in three days, each day, showing improvement in their accuracy and getting the ball out of their hands a little quicker.”

  On the playbook and how much has been introduced: "A little bit, not a whole lot. But it probably seems like a whole lot to them because it’s new. They didn’t have to do a lot of change in protections, change in running game or any of that kind of stuff. So it’s been a little portion. We kind of break it into eight sections and then insert an eighth of it each day. So we’ve done three days, and then after eight days we start back over and restart it.”

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 03:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Things aren't going so well — so far — at Baum Stadium this season.

Arkansas is officially off to its worst start in SEC play in the six years under coach Dave Van Horn after losing here Friday, 5-2, against Auburn. For the Razorbacks, it was the third consecutive conference series where they've dropped the weekend opener. And now, it has Arkansas reeling a bit as the Diamond Hogs are still looking to win their first SEC series of the season.

Tonight, the bats pretty much didn't show up. Arkansas managed seven hits but scored its only two runs on a Jeff Nutt two-run homer in the second inning. On the mound, Cliff Springston did fairly well and even worked eight innings. But the end result is what matters and right now, the Razorbacks are unfortunately at the end in the SEC race. 

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 09:51 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Once again, Arkansas football has announced it will be practicing indoors this afternoon.

  That means fans will not be permitted to watch the practice because of space constraints.

  The Razorbacks are scheduled to practice on Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., so there will be chances for fans to check out practice. You'll just have to wait again because of Mother Nature.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 01:50 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Guest judge, former NFL great Emmitt Smith, was particularly impressed with Weems' final dunk. 

Posted by Alex Abrams at 09:47 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)