Razorbacks report

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia, who has thrown for 1,904 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, has drawn a great deal of praise from Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson.

— Trio has Arkansas’ attention

Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson dished out some top-flight adjectives to describe South Carolina’s skill position talent.

“They’re explosive,” Robinson said, launching into praise of running back Marcus Lattimore, quarterback Stephen Garcia and a receiving corps headed by Alshon Jeffery.

“Lattimore is a tremendous running back. ... He could end up being one of the best the conference has had in a long time. He’s that good.”

On Garcia, “I think he’s really matured. He’s a competitive guy. You watch him and he’s not a slider.

He’s going to continue to work for positive yards.”

Robinson said it has been very difficult for the Razorbacks to simulate the play of Jeffery, who burned Arkansas for an 80-yard touchdown deep pass last year, and the other tall Gamecocks receivers.

“He works hard,” Robinson said. “He can press you. He can knock you around. I mean, he’s a power forward when he goes up for the football.”

Personnel report

Defensive tackle Byran Jones (ankle) did not practice for a second consecutive day Wednesday, casting doubt on his ability to be 100 percent for Saturday’s game at South Carolina. Fellow tackle D.D. Jones worked with the second unit again, but Coach Bobby Petrino did not clear up his playing status after his suspension for last week’s game against Vanderbilt.

“He’s back practicing,” Petrino said. “I’m going to evaluate the week, see how things go and then make a decision late in the week.”

D.D. Jones was suspended after his Oct. 27 arrest for misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Receiver Joe Adams continued to favor his ankle slightly, but he practiced a second consecutive day.

Running back Dennis Johnson, out since suffering a severe bowel injury against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept.

11, was jogging at decent speed around Reynolds Razorback Stadium during practice Wednesday.

Admiration game

For three years running at Arkansas, Razorbacks Coach Bobby Petrino has expressed his career-long admiration for South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and his offensive innovations over the years.

Spurrier returned the favor a bit Wednesday, after reiterating his prediction for how long Petrino would last in the NFL.

“When he went to the Falcons, I originally gave him two years,” Spurrier said. “He didn’t last two. I lasted at least two and found that league wasn’t for me.

“I think he found out in less than one year that league wasn’t for him either.

But he’s done a super job. I always admire those head coaches that call the plays and run the offense, and that’s what he does. He does it extremely well.” Eastern pride

South Carolina will not only try to complete a 4-0 home season against the SEC when it plays Arkansas on Saturday, it will also try to salvage a speck of pride for the SEC East, which has been destroyed in headto-head games against the West.

With a 1-1 mark against the West, South Carolina is the only team in the East that can still post a winning record in interdivisional play.

The West has a 13-2 record in head-to-head games, with LSU and Mississippi State both going 3-0, and Florida and Kentucky both going 0-3.

Arkansas (2-0) and Auburn (2-0) can join the unbeaten West teams, while Georgia (0-2) and Tennessee (0-2) can still go winless.

Ole Miss (1-1) faces Tennessee next week in Knoxville, Tenn., as the only Western Division team that can have a losing record against the SEC.

Turnover move

Arkansas won the turnover battle in last Saturday’s 49-14 victory over Vanderbilt by a 2-0 margin,marking the Razorbacks’ second turnover-free game of the season. Arkansas won the turnover count for the third time this season - Georgia (1-0) and Texas A&M (4-2).

The Razorbacks now trail in turnover margin 16-11, an average of minus-0.38 per game that ranks tied for 84th in the country. That’s up from a minus-0.71 margin last week that ranked No. 97 in the FBS.

South Carolina has the exact same margin, minus-3, with 15 turnovers and 12 takeaways this season.

Worth noting

South Carolina is wearing a No. 11 decal on its helmets in memory of former receiver Kenny McKinley, who died Sept.

20 in Denver.

The Chick-fil-A Bowl will have representative Frank Upchurch in attendance at Saturday’s Arkansas-South Carolina game. Arkansas has never played in the Atlantabased bowl, which will be played Dec. 31.

Sports, Pages 24 on 11/04/2010