Arkansas to test run receivers FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ banged-up wide receiving corps needs help. But receivers coach Alex Wood is reserving judgment on where that assistance will come from until after Saturday’s game against North Texas. Wood declined to say if anybody had caught his eye during practice. “I won’t know until we play the game,” Wood said. “We’ve had a great week of practice. I thought this was one of our better weeks of preparation in terms of catching the ball and trying to play fast.”

Marcus Monk, Arkansas’ top returning receiver with 24 career touchdown catches, is still recuperating from knee surgery. Fill-in Crosby Tuck is out for the season after breaking his elbow against Kentucky. Tuck had 3 catches, but for 103 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns.

No other Arkansas wide receiver has more than London Crawford’s two receptions for 47 yards.

The Razorbacks’ top passcatching threat has been fullback Peyton Hillis, who has 11 catches for 117 yards and 1 touchdown. On second thought

Maybe moving Marcus Harrison to defensive end wasn’t as good of an idea as defensive coordinator Reggie Herring originally thought.

Harrison, who has 25 career starts at end and tackle, has been moved back to tackle. He spent the bulk of the previous two years at tackle, but coaches hoped moving him to end would allow the Razorbacks to get their best 11 players on the field.

Harrison, who was suspended for the season opener, has been largely ineffective the past two games. He has three tackles.

“He was a fish out of water at defensive end,” Herring said. “We have to move him back inside where he’s more natural.” Point of emphasis The Razorbacks concentrated on special teams and the twominute drill in Thursday’s work. Arkansas has struggled in the punting game and in manufacturing a two-minute offense this season. A successful two-minute drill has eluded Arkansas in recent seasons. “You do it, work on it, you practice it,” Coach Houston Nutt said. “Communication. Know the time and score. Get the play communicated. Run your route. Protect. All those things and do it again and again and again.

Punt problems On the surface, Arkansas’ punting average of 41. 9 yards doesn’t look too bad. That figure ranks sixth in the SEC.

But Arkansas ranks No. 105 nationally in net punting with an average of 30. 9 yards per punt, which ranks 11 th in the SEC.

The Razorbacks lost badly in the hidden-yardage department against Kentucky last week, prompted by sloppy special teams play, and the punt team was a large part of that.

Arkansas’ net punting average of 27. 6 was nearly 10 yards fewer than the Wildcats’ net average of 37. 4 yards per punt. Punter Jeremy Davis had three punts go into the end zone from distances of 42, 35 and 41 yards. Those touchbacks cost the Razorbacks 20 yards apiece on their net punting. Davis did kick of a 45-yarder that was downed on the Kentucky 3 and led to a safety for the Razorbacks, sparking their early fourth-quarter surge. Davis’ five touchbacks are tied for the most in the SEC with LSU. Arkansas also isn’t doing much with its chances to return punts, ranking 119 th, last in the NCAA, at 0. 2 yards per return.

Scootin’ Nutt Coach Houston Nutt took a post-practice joy ride on a scooter usually driven by one of his daughters. Nutt cruised up and down the west side of Reynolds Razorback Stadium, waving to players and coaches as they walked from the practice field to their locker rooms inside the Broyles Athletic Complex.

Guarantee it Arkansas is paying North Texas a guarantee of $ 425, 000, the same as Troy received for the season opener. For Arkansas’ other nonconference games, Tennessee-Chattanooga is receiving $ 325, 000 and Florida International $ 625, 000. Worth noting Antwain Robinson’s touchdown on a fumble return against Kentucky was his second touchdown return in the past five games and the second of his career. Robinson brought back a fumble forced by Malcolm Sheppard 16 yards for a score on Kentucky’s second offensive snap. Robinson intercepted Florida’s Chris Leak and returned it 40 yards for a score in last year’s SEC Championship Game. Sophomore Brandon Barnett will be the third-team tailback against North Texas with Michael Smith on an indefinite suspension. “ I’m anxious to see how he handles the contact part of it,” Coach Houston Nutt said.

Freshman kicker Alex Tejada of Springdale has yet to miss a field goal in his college career. Tejada is 7 for 7, ranks second in the SEC and is tied for 14 th nationally in scoring with an average of 11 points per game. The Hogs’ honorary captain Saturday will be George Walker, a quarterback, kicker and kick returner who lettered in 1954, 1955 and 1957. Walker played on the famous “25 Little Pigs” team that won the Southwest Conference championship under Bowden Wyatt in 1954.

Kentucky is unbeaten in Fayetteville with a 2-0 record.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on the air Tuesday he still has Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden as his Heisman Trophy front-runner because no one has separated from the pack of candidates.