FAYETTEVILLE — Tonight’s Rutgers game arrived on Arkansas’ schedule in February as a moderately attractive nonconference game and a respite between defending national champion Alabama and SEC road games at Texas A&M and Auburn.
Now the 6 p.m. game features a reeling Arkansas (1-2) team taking on the unbeaten Scarlet Knights (3-0), who can become the only Football Bowl Subdivision team with three road victories this September.
Arkansas, despite coming off a 52-0 home loss to Alabama, is favored by nine points.
“We’re hungry, we’re thirsty and we’re all of the above,” Arkansas assistant head coach Taver Johnson said.
Arkansas Coach John L. Smith has called for Hogs fans to fill Reynolds Razorback Stadium with the home team in crisis mode.
Losses to Louisiana-Monroe and No. 1 Alabama dropped the Hogs from No. 8 to zero votes in The Associated Press Top 25 poll.
A UA official said Friday afternoon that Rutgers returned some tickets late in the week and the game was fewer than 500 tickets away from a sellout.
Arkansas should be buoyed by the return of quarterback Tyler Wilson, who practiced all week and was cleared to play Thursday after missing last week with post-concussion symptoms.
Wilson addressed the media last Saturday and suggested there were moments in which the Razorbacks “gave up” against the Crimson Tide, and he vowed Monday he would return as soon as he could to help provide leadership, without concern over his long-term health.
“The deal is you’ve got to play football, that’s why I came back,” said Wilson, who bypassed the 2012 NFL Draft to return for his senior season. “I’m not going to risk my complete health, but when I feel good enough to play ... I’m going to be out there on the field, period.”
The Razorbacks are expected to wear their new white and gray helmets, which they wore in practice this week, for the first time today.
There are a myriad of problems for the Razorbacks to shore up, starting with a 10-2 turnover deficit, run game issues and problems with tackling and pass coverage on defense.
Rutgers has tried to build on its promising start under first-year Coach Kyle Flood without worrying about Arkansas’ troubles.
“We kind of live in a bubble in our facilities and in dark rooms game planning,” Flood said. “This game is not lost on us in any way, I can tell you that.
“This is an extremely talented football team. I don’t think their record and their scores are indicative of what they can do, and it’s going to be a great challenge for us to ... come back with a win.”
Junior cornerback Logan Ryan said the Razorbacks are a dangerous 1-2 team because of their talent.
“I don’t know how the adversity, or whatever it is they’re going through, is going to affect them, but I know they’re going to be ready to play,” Ryan told The Star Ledger of Newark, N.J. “They’re backed into a corner. That makes them even more dangerous.”The Razorbacks, who were projected as a national championship contender by many analysts and a BCS title game participant by a couple, understand they’re in the national glare for all the wrong reasons.
“It’s just a time for everyone to step up and do their job,” offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said. “You know there comes a time when the talking is done. You’ve got to go out and do it.”
Linebacker Alonzo Highsmith and strength and conditioning coach Jason Veltkamp took down all the team names on the weight room’s magnetic schedule board except for Rutgers to help the Hogs focus.
“This game is the most important game we’re playing this season,” Highsmith said. “That’s how we’re going to approach every game from here on out.”
Rutgers, with victories over Tulane, Howard and South Florida, rides a defense that ranks No. 12 overall and No. 5 in points allowed per game (8.3), the running of tailback Jawan Jamison and a solid passing game with quarterback Gary Nova and a pack of big, physical receivers.
The Razorbacks’ offense has fallen off course without Wilson, who will be challenged by Rutgers’ variety of blitzes and strong secondary play.
“We’re really motivated,” linebacker Kevin Snyder told The Star-Ledger. “It’s an opportunity for us to show people what we can do. We’re on the national stage. It should be fun.”
Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Haynes, asked about an impromptu student pep rally that greeted the Razorbacks on Wednesday, said, “That’s awesome. Hog nation is strong. We’ve got to put a better product on the field for them. That’s our job, to make sure.”
Arkansas vs. Rutgers
WHEN 6 tonight WHERE Reynolds Razorback Stadium (72,000) Fayetteville RECORDS Rutgers 3-0; Arkansas 1-2 RANKINGS Neither team is ranked
BETTING LINE Arkansas by 9 COACHES Kyle Flood (3-0 in 1st year at Rutgers and overall);
John L. Smith (1-2 in 1st year at Arkansas, 133-88 in 19th year overall) SERIES First meeting
TELEVISION ESPNU RADIO Razorbacks Sports Network, including KABZ FM103.7, in Little Rock; and KQSM-FM, 92.1, KEZA-FM, 107.9, KUOA-AM, 1290 and KUOA-FM, 105.3, in Fayetteville. XM-Radio 192, Sirius 137
Sports, Pages 19 on 09/22/2012