FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks are not viewing Mississippi State like a 4-6 team.
Not with the Bulldogs owning a four-game winning streak in the series, and not with Mississippi State knocking off No. 4 Texas A&M 35-28 just two weeks ago.
"Don't let that [record] fool you," Arkansas linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves said. "They're a really good football team. There's quite a few games that could've gone the other way and their season could be totally different. We're not going in with the idea they're a 4-6 football team."
The Bulldogs essentially have three last-play losses: 21-20 to South Alabama in the season opener, 28-21 in double overtime at BYU and 40-38 at Kentucky.
"They've been getting a little bit of momentum ... they're opportunistic and I think they'll be hungry," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said.
"You'd never know their record as you look at the tape," defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads said. "This is a good football team that's very dangerous."
Injury update
Freshman defensive tackle McTelvin Agim was at practice Tuesday after tweaking an ankle against LSU.
"He practiced today, and we're expecting him to be fine," defensive line coach Rory Segrest said.
Segrest said Deatrich Wise, who has been battling a shoulder injury, "did a little bit more today."
Safety De'Andre Coley, who was knocked out in the third quarter against LSU and did not return, was held out of contact in Tuesday's practice.
"He was no-contact, but he was very much on the practice field," defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads said.
Comparison
Arkansas defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads compares Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald to Collin Klein, the former Kansas State quarterback who was third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2012.
Klein played at 6-5, 226 pounds, while Fitzgerald is 6-5, 230.
"He's a big, strong, physical dude," Arkansas defensive end Jeremiah Ledbetter said. "He's gonna be hard to take down."
Klein passed for 173 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown in a 29-16 loss to Arkansas in the 2012 Cotton Bowl.
Walk-on Carson Proctor, a 6-4, 211-pound freshman from Vero Beach, Fla., is playing the role of Fitzgerald in practice this week.
Bounce back
Arkansas players and coaches say they've processed the disappointing loss to LSU and moved forward.
"It was disappointing, but we still have another game," linebacker Brooks Ellis said. "We still have two games left in the regular season, so we're excited to play again and show what we can do. We could be 8-4 at the end of it, so that's definitely motivation."
Said defensive line coach Rory Segrest: "You can't dwell on what happened in the past. You have to look at the challenge in front of you, and I think our guys have done that."
Batter up
Arkansas defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads will make his second trip to Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday.
In his first visit, Rhoads was defensive coordinator for No. 9 Auburn for a 3-2 victory over Mississippi State on Sept. 13, 2008.
"We got the final out," Rhoads said.
Wes Byrum's 35-yard field goal in the second quarter turned out to be the winning points for the Tigers. Mississippi State's safety resulted from Auburn center Ryan Pugh being called for holding in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Top juniors
Coach Bret Bielema said he had conversations with center Frank Ragnow and receiver Jared Cornelius, juniors who are likely to consider filing paperwork to evaluate their stock with the NFL Draft advisory board. The talks came during Arkansas' bye week three weeks ago.
After a big performance against Florida, Ragnow was evaluated as the best center in the nation by Pro Football Focus.
"Frank's performed very, very well this year," Bielema said.
Bielema said he has told Cornelius and Ragnow he would re-engage on the issue soon.
"We'll put that kind of to rest until after the regular-season games, then we'll fill out the paperwork and we'll see where it goes," he said.
Devwah's push
Freshman tailback Devwah Whaley put an exclamation point on his best run of the night against LSU by delivering a big shove. As Whaley neared the end of his 34-yard run, safety Jamal Adams closed in to force Whaley out of bounds, but Adams went reeling on the LSU sideline as Whaley chucked him with a stiff right hand.
"I think for a personal moment, Devwah was very excited about that play," Coach Bret Bielema said. "You saw not only everybody on the field react, but also the stands and the crowd and everything."
That wasn't the only time Adams was shoved to the deck. At the end of his 54-yard gain on a screen pass, running back Rawleigh Williams delivered a chuck that sent Adams sprawling on the Arkansas sideline.
Baker cut
Arkansas' Toby Baker did not make the cut to 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, which recognizes the top punter in college football.
Baker ranks 17th in the country with a 44.5-yard punting average. Utah's Mitch Wishnowsky, who leads the FBS with a 48.8-yard average, leads the list of semifinalists. Florida's Johnny Townsend, who ranks fourth with a 47.3-yard average, is the only SEC player to make the cut. Alabama's JK Scott, who is second in the FBS (48.4), did not make the list of semifinalists.
Reed's run
Asked if Dominique Reed's 44-yard touchdown catch against LSU could earn the senior more playing time, Bret Bielema said, "Yeah, a little bit here and there, but he was late for a Sunday workout, so we had a little [come to] Jesus meeting yesterday. He's 50-50. Until he decides to buy in, it's probably gonna be the amount of reps he gets as well."
Bell practice
The Razorbacks will work with loud crowd noise this week to prepare for the incessant bell-ringing in store Saturday at Mississippi State.
"We will try to maximize the effect that we have for our players on Saturday and make them very well aware of it," Bret Bielema said.
Extra points
• The Razorbacks will play an unranked team for the first time since Oct. 1, breaking a streak of five consecutive games in which the Hogs went 2-3.
• Arkansas has won nine consecutive games after a loss in SEC play, dating back to a 45-32 loss to Georgia on Oct. 18, 2014.
Sports on 11/16/2016