FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas worked without some of its top talent, including tailback Trelon Smith and wideout Treylon Burks, in Saturday's final major scrimmage of camp.
Some of the missing players were held out by design, and some did not participate due to minor injuries.
Coach Sam Pittman said all the players on the list are expected to be ready for the season opener against Rice on Sept. 4.
Pittman specified the injuries for the quartet of Smith (turf toe), receiver De'Vion Warren (hamstring), center Ricky Stromberg (knee) and safety Jalen Catalon (shoulder).
Smith has missed all week after participating in the first scrimmage of camp. Stromberg has been wearing a green no-contact jersey all week and is expected to return soon.
Warren, who is coming off knee surgery, likely would have been held out or limited on Saturday anyway. Catalon, who had a couple of major hits in the first scrimmage, wore a non-contact jersey most of the week and was not cleared for live tackling.
Burks, skill player T.J. Hammonds, tailback AJ Green and punter Sam Loy were held out for unspecified reasons.
"I expect all of them to be ready for the Rice game," Pittman said.
'Cat' crush
Last week, safety Jalen Catalon said he'll have to be smarter about some of his hits, which led to targeting ejections in games against Texas A&M and LSU last season.
"The one thing I've always lived by was never live with any regret," Catalon said. "The one regret I will have is if I don't give it my 100, so however I'm going, that's how I'm going to go.
"At the end of the day I've got to live with the decision, but of course Coach told me I've got to be a little smarter and understand different situations I can put myself in to not be there to have to make that."
Catalon missed Saturday's scrimmage with a dinged-up shoulder, a common issue for hard-hitting safeties.
Coach Sam Pittman was asked whether there is any cause to ask Catalon to "dial it back" a little to avoid injuries or the risk of future targeting calls.
"You just explain the rule," Pittman said. "I think everybody thought [targeting] was helmet-to-helmet. It's not. It's anything to helmet, you know. And I think a lot of our guys don't understand that ... it could be shoulder-to-helmet. If you hit a guy in the head, that's targeting.
"You know, he did a lot better after he got his first one last year and then had an unfortunate one, and I forget the game. Maybe LSU. And that was unfortunate."
Pittman said Catalon has to be careful not to land on the radars of referees.
"Remember when we had Dan Skipper here, and every time he did anything, you know?" Pittman said, referencing the 6-10 tackle who was often penalized. "We just have to watch out for that with Jalen."
Major battle
Brady Latham has been the first-team left guard in recent camp practices, but Coach Sam Pittman said Luke Jones continues to compete for the job.
"I would say that there's still a major battle between [Latham] and Jones," Pittman said after Saturday's scrimmage. "I mean major."
Jones went into a camp as the starter, but Latham got first-team reps last week during the media viewing periods.
"Obviously, us as a coaching staff think that Latham has played a little bit better," Pittman said.
Latham, a redshirt sophomore, started all 10 games last season at left guard.
"I think just our chemistry has gotten better," senior left tackle Myron Cunningham said. "We played a lot together last year, but for him, I think he's learning the offense a lot better this year.
"He's not taking as much time to get through his reads, he's a lot more physical this year in our run game, and I think he's going to be great."
Jones, a redshirt sophomore who transferred from Notre Dame, played in 10 games off the bench last season.
Pittman said the coaching staff will have a better idea of where the competition between Latham and Jones stands after watching tape of the scrimmage.
"Really get another full live, Let's go sic 'em' type deal to figure it out," Pittman said.
Fewer flags
Coach Sam Pittman said the Razorbacks had fewer penalties Saturday than in their first preseason scrimmage.
"Our jumping offsides on defense and our illegal procedures on offense were much better," Pittman said. "That was kind of one of the goals that we gave to the team going into the scrimmage.
"I'm not telling you that we didn't have them, I'm telling you we certainly cut that situation down."
Offensive tackle Myron Cunningham said there might have been a holding call or one offsides penalty on the offense.
"I think the leadership stepped up and made it an emphasis not to have those penalties," Cunningham said. "Because game time it's just going to hurt us, no matter if it's on offense or defense."
Field goals
Coach Sam Pittman said the Razorbacks need to get better on their field goal accuracy after Saturday's scrimmage.
Pittman wasn't specific about misses, but he said the kickers weren't as good as they have been.
Cam Little hit field goals of 49 and 35 yards, Matthew Phillips hit from 52 and Vito Calvaruso hit from 37, according to statistics provided by the UA media relations staff.
Week ahead
Saturday was the two-week mark of preseason camp as well as two weeks before the Sept. 4 opener against Rice.
Coach Sam Pittman said the Razorbacks will begin working on preparation for Rice on Thursday. Practices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be focused on continuing to improve.
"Of course, Thursday, that's when the real excitement for the kids comes because we will start for Rice," he said.
Classes begin on Monday, which could be a potential distraction for the players.
"Monday is going to be the telltale of how good and how mature our football team is, in my opinion," Pittman said. "I expect it to be one of the best practices we have all year. I expect that because we have a mature team."
Super 16 foes
The Football Writers of America Association's Super 16 poll released this week has four Arkansas opponents: No. 1 Alabama, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 14 LSU.
Three other Arkansas opponents received votes, with Texas finishing No. 22 in the balloting from the 52 FWAA voters, Ole Miss No. 23 and Auburn No. 33.
Teams receiving first-place votes were Alabama (35), No. 2 Clemson (3), No. 3 Oklahoma (9), No. 4 Ohio State (1) and No. 5 Georgia (4).
