FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Cobi Hamilton, the SEC’s leading receiver, didn’t get in the end zone in the Razorbacks’ most recent game.
A bunch of his teammates did, however, as receivers Javontee Herndon and Julian Horton and tailbacks Dennis Johnson and Jonathan Williams combined for five receiving touchdowns in the Razorbacks’ 49-7 rout of Kentucky on Oct. 13.
With tight end Chris Gragg rejoining the fold in his return from a deep knee and leg bruise, the Razorbacks would seemingly have a full array of offensive talent on hand Saturday against Ole Miss for the first time in more than a month.
“It’s important, obviously, that they feel everybody’s a threat at every spot on the field at receiver,” Arkansas receivers coach Kris Cinkovich said. “Guys like Javontee Herndon, we’ve been trying to find him more of a role. He’s practiced to make us find him more of a role and he’s done so.”
Herndon has touchdown catches in each of the past two games in Arkansas’ modest winning streak.
“I think it’s good to have balance,” Herndon said. “Cobi’s a great receiver, so he’s going to get a lot more attention. We need to have other guys who can step up and make plays when it’s on the line.”
Fayette-chill
With a rainstorm followed by a cold front dropping temperatures into the mid-40s in Fayetteville on Thursday, the Razorbacks worked in the Walker Pavilion ahead of Saturday’s game in Little Rock.
“We just went indoors because of the rain,” Coach John L. Smith said. “We’re not expecting rain down there, so we didn’t think we needed to get out in it. Saturday is supposed to be OK, a little bit cooler, but that’s fine.”
Dry spell
Ole Miss broke its 16-game losing streak in SEC play with a 41-20 victory over Auburn on Oct. 13, but the Rebels have another dubious streak on their hands.
The last conference road victory for Ole Miss came more than three years ago, in a 23-7 victory at Vanderbilt on Oct. 3, 2009. The Rebels’ road losing streak in SEC games stands at 11 games heading into Saturday’s game in Little Rock against the Razorbacks.
Holding the Hogs
Ole Miss should have a measure of confidence against Arkansas after holding quarterback Tyler Wilson to 13-of-28 passing for 232 yards and no touchdowns in last year’s 29-24 loss to the Razorbacks.
Receiver Cobi Hamilton had one catch for 20 yards in that game.
“Last year, the defensive backs played them pretty well,” Ole Miss cornerback Charles Sawyer said. “He’s a great quarterback. He has good receivers. Hamilton’s a good receiver, and I respect him a lot. He’s a ball player.”
Bo knows Tyler
Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace attended the Manning Passing Academy last summer, an event which Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson worked the past two years.
“Hanging out with him at Manning camp and watching the way he throws and stuff, you know I was definitely comparing myself to all the guys from the SEC at that camp,” Wallace said. “Obviously we’re two different players. I think I run around a little more than he does, but obviously he’s a great player and a first-round pick and someone I even look up to and want to play like.”
Hog ground game
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Dave Wommack has been around the SEC long enough to provide this frank assessment of the Arkansas running game and tailback Knile Davis.
“They were turning the ball over a bunch,” he said. “I think they’d put the ball on the ground 23 times and lost nine of them, and I think any time you’re doing that it’s hard to establish any type of run.
“I think they lost confidence in Davis for a while, if they were being honest, but I think it’s come back.”
Sports, Pages 24 on 10/26/2012