FAYETTEVILLE — A mock game tonight and then game week before the real deal is all that's left of preseason for these Razorbacks.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino situates the Hogs in a closed-to-the-public, closed-to-media dress rehearsal tonight at Reynolds Razorback Stadium to prep them for the official season-opener against Missouri State at 6 p.m. on Sept. 5 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

While much of tonight is purely dress rehearsal for game-situations, Petrino said the depth chart, which has been constantly changing on defense, will continue to be evaluated in to regards who starts against Missouri State.

"I think that tomorrow night will be a good thing for us," Petrino said after Thursday's practice. "We're getting closer to the game. This week in practice we did about half preparation for Missouri State and half competition 1s vs. 1s and 2s vs. 2s, which I still think we need to really solidify what our depth is and who will redshirt and who won't. I thought they did a nice job in practice today."

Offensively, Petrino says it's a depth chart and then some.

"The one thing about our offense," Petrino said, "is we have so many different personnel groups that I feel like we have maybe 14, 15 starters, not just 11, because we substitute so many guys in the game."

The offense was without one of its key playmakers Thursday. Sophomore wide receiver Joe Adams, also the top punt returner, missed his second practice because of a hamstring injury.

Petrino said Adams' injury is not severe and that while he won't scrimmage tonight, "he will be 100 percent ready to practice next week."

Wade Grayson, the junior from Harrison competing both at center and weakside offensive guard, missed the outset of Thursday's practice. Grayson attended a funeral in Harrison.

Petrino was asked his quarterback rotation plans for third-year sophomore starter Ryan Mallett, a 2007 starting quarterback at the University of Michigan, and second-year freshman backup Tyler Wilson of Greenwood.

"Ryan is the starter," Petrino said. "Tyler is a good quarterback and I certainly want to get him into the game. I haven't made a decision yet whether that will be the first series of the second quarter or not. We've got all the confidence in the world in Tyler. He's getting to the point almost where you need to be to execute the whole offense."

Sophomore wide receiver Jarius Wright of Warren sees only one big difference in Mallett and Wilson.

"The biggest difference to me is one is taller than the other," Wright said. "They both can make the throws."

Mallett is listed 6-foot-7 and Wilson is listed 6-3.

Arkansas seems a prohibitive favorite over Missouri State but last year's Hogs were billed over no-names Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe and barely squeaked by 28-24 and 28-27.

"We were probably supposed to blow them out last year, but I think we took it for granted and that's whatwe are not going to do this year," Wright said. "We are taking Missouri State really serious and not looking past to any other games."

There's no reason for Arkansas to hold back Sept. 5 with an intervening open date week after the seasonopener before opening the SEC season Sept. 19 against Georgia in Fayetteville.

Sports, Pages 7, 8 on 08/28/2009