LITTLE ROCK — Ryan Mallett doesn’t flip through the record books, panning the pages with his index finger and circling records he’d like to shatter.

But late in the fourth quarter Saturday, Mallett knew he was close to breaking another record during Arkansas’ 42-21 win over Mississippi State in War Memorial Stadium.

Strolling off the field after a 2-yard Broderick Green touchdown, Mallett made a passing comment to his coach.

Bobby Petrino scratched his head.

“I wondered why he came off the field and said he needed one more,” Petrino said.

Mallett completed 18 of 34 passes for 313 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions against the run-focused Mississippi State defense. The five touchdown passes tied his own school record for touchdown tosses in a game. But he wanted more.

If not for a pass interference call on second-and-9 from the 10-yard line, Mallett would have most likely thrown a sixth touchdown and broken his own record with a touch pass to Greg Childs in the corner of the end zone on the final scoring drive.

Mallett, admittedly, knew he had thrown for five touchdowns twice earlier this season.

“That’s the only one [record] of the year I’ll tell you that I knew about,” Mallett smiled. “That’s just because I had it in [two] other games. That’s the only one I’ve known about all year.”

Even if he did scheme next to a warm fire, put on a pair of reading glasses and closely examined the record books every night, it would be understandable if Mallett couldn’t keep up with his record-setting year. After all, he’s set or tied 12 records at Arkansas, including two against Mississippi State (4-7, 2-5 SEC) for touchdown responsibility (30) and touchdown passes (28) in a season.

Mallett, who set the record for passing yards in a season last week against Troy, passed the 3,000-mark plateau against the Bulldogs as well. His 3,195 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions is head-turning, for sure.

And, yes, the prospect of the redshirt sophomore leaving Arkansas (7-4, 3-4) early for the NFL after the season should be a concern for Razorback fans. That decision will be reached after the Hogs’ bowl game, and the Texarkana native will have plenty of time to contemplate his bright future.

Whether that future is in the NFL or at Arkansas, where the Hogs have a favorable 2010 schedule, remains to be seen.

What is very clear this season is Mallett’s sudden emergence within the Razorbacks’ offensive system. Sure, Mallett has had the arm, the accuracy and the brains but it wasn’t until this four-game winning streak that the 6-foot-7 quarterback has spread the ball around as prolifically as any quarterback in the SEC.

Mallett threw touchdown passes to four different receivers Saturday, with the only multiple-touchdown day coming from Cobi Hamilton. And Hamilton, a true freshman, hadn’t caught a touchdown pass since the Hogs’ season opener on Sept. 5.

There were wide-open touchdown tosses, yards after the catch for scores and then there was the Brett Favre-like touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Rolling to his right, Mallett strong-armed the ball off one foot and threw partially across his body.

It was a broken play and Mallett was looking to create something on the run.

Streaking across the back of the end zone, like a shooting guard running the baseline in basketball, was Greg Childs. The speedster out-hustled the Bulldogs defensive back, jumped up and made the 11-yard touchdown catch to give the Hogs a 35-21 lead.

“That was one of those, ‘Oh, good job!’,” Offensive Coordinator Paul Petrino said. “... Right when he lets it go, you’re like, ‘Oh, don't throw a pick.’ But he saw him and he snapped his wrist and made a big throw, and Childs jumped up and made the catch.”

For a quarterback many see as immobile, Mallett certainly has found more success than not when rolling out of the pocket.

“He’s made a couple of throws like that this year on the run,” Bobby Petrino said. “... He’s a big buy and has big feet, but he does a nice job of moving and throwing on the run and that’s something that’s helped us the last five weeks.”

The Hogs run scramble drills in practice, which has certainly helped Mallett down the stretch.

“But sometimes things like that you can either do it or you can’t,” Paul Petrino said. “That’s a special throw and a great catch.”

Mallett tossed touchdowns to five different receivers last week against Troy. Most impressive is that he’s completed 72.8 percent of his passes for 1,295 yards during the Hogs’ four-game winning streak, which has included 13 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions.

Mallett also has 39 pass completions of 25 yards or more this season.

Spouting numbers, statistics and superlatives may grow tiresome for Mallett.

But there is some criticism to be shared after the Hogs’ win over the Bulldogs, which should be more beneficial than not heading into the regular season finale at LSU next week. Bobby Petrino definitely didn’t see the home closer in Little Rock as Arkansas’ best offensive performance of the season. Still, the Hogs put up 396 yards of offense and Mallett had another remarkable day throwing the ball.

“It’s nice when you kind of walk out of the [press] box going, ‘Gah, that was a hard day. That was bad,’” said Paul Petrino, who sits in the press box on game days. “But then you have 42 points.

“That’s when you know you’re getting to be pretty good.”

Brandon Marcello is the online editor of WholeHogSports.com