FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas sophomore Josh Williams will enter the biggest spotlight of his young career this week, likely moving into a starting role at middle linebacker with Brooks Ellis recovering from a bruised knee.
"He's doing fine," linebackers coach Randy Shannon said of Williams, who has six tackles and a sack in limited duty. "It's like we don't miss a beat in practice, and I think that comes from him playing a lot in certain games. He has confidence.
"As a coaching staff, we feel like we can call our defense and not miss a beat on what we've been calling."
Coach Bret Bielema said he has been encouraged by how fast Ellis is recovering from what he called a deep bone bruise suffered in the fourth quarter against Alabama.
"He's coming around very, very quickly," Bielema said. "The most genetic freaks on the football field are also genetic freaks when they get injured."
Bielema said Ellis is still questionable at best heading into Saturday's game against Georgia at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Linebacker Martrell Spaight said Williams, 6-1, 240 pounds, has looked solid in practice this week.
"He's been going out there and catching on real good to the game plan," Spaight said. "He's always going hard to the football."
Top 10 again
Georgia is ranked No. 10 in The Associated Press poll, meaning Arkansas will play its third consecutive game against a team ranked in the top 10 when it hosts the Bulldogs on Saturday.
The Razorbacks have played three consecutive top 10 teams only one other time. Arkansas finished the 2006 season by losing three consecutive games to top-10 teams: 31-26 to No. 9 LSU, 38-28 to No. 4 Florida in the SEC Championship Game and 17-14 to No. 6 Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema was Wisconsin's coach at the time.
Tickets left
Arkansas officials said Wednesday afternoon that about 2,400 tickets are available for Saturday's game against Georgia at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, which seats 53,955.
Tickets are available at ArkansasRazorbacks.com, at the Razorback Ticket Center at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville (8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.) and the War Memorial Stadium box office (9 a.m.-4 p.m. today and Friday).
According to a UA news release, available tickets in the north end zone cost $65 per ticket, plus a $35 donation for non-Razorback Foundation members for a total of $100.
Attendance for last year's games in Little Rock against Samford and Mississippi State drew crowds of 47,358 and 45,198, respectively.
Battle at 40
Georgia is the only team in the nation that hasn't allowed a 40-yard gain from scrimmage.
The longest pass play allowed by the Bulldogs has been a 38-yard gain by Clemson, and the longest run they've allowed was a 24-yarder by South Carolina.
Rocker on Rock
Georgia Coach Mark Richt, who will make his first appearance at War Memorial Stadium, said he's been briefed on the venue by defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, a former Arkansas assistant and former Outland Trophy winner.
"He says even though it's not quite as big as some of the places we go to, it's very, very spirited and the crowd is definitely a factor," Richt said. "So we've got to be prepared for that."
Hunger chain
Former Ole Miss Coach Ed Orgeron, who got his start in major college football at Arkansas under Ken Hatfield in 1986-1987, told a story involving Arkansas linebackers coach Randy Shannon during his talk Wednesday to the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club.
Orgeron said Shannon once chained a refrigerator shut to keep former Miami defensive lineman Cortez Kennedy, a Pro Football Hall of Famer from Wilson, from late-night snacking.
Shannon chuckled when recalling the incident Wednesday.
"I did do that," Shannon said. "Cortez ... had eating habits and at night I would sleep on the coach and chain the refrigerator up . He lost weight and became what he is today."
Two talk
Bret Bielema explained further this week his decision to kick an extra point with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter to put Arkansas ahead 13-7 rather than try for a two-point conversion.
"It's really just statistical," Bielema said. "Coaches are all driven by numbers. ... That's a common coaching thought: don't play the [two-point] card until the fourth quarter.
"To me, when you're down by three scores or more, you play the card in the third quarter or whenever you want to begin to do it. Now I will say this ... I was going to go for two no matter what if they were ahead of us. But if we were in a leading position, I was going to kick the PAT and play good defense, then go for it in the fourth quarter if we had the same situation arise."
Sports on 10/16/2014