FAYETTEVILLE — Ringing his hands together and making strong eye contact with those in the interview room of the Fred W. Smith Center on Tuesday, safety Santos Ramirez was doing his best to keep his emotions in check.
Ramirez's senior season has gone anything but according to plan, and with a loss at Missouri on Friday, he and his teammates would be on the wrong side of history as the first 10-loss team in program history.
Of course there have been frustrations along the way, he said, but it's about trying to channel those emotions – the anger – into a positive one last time.
"Who wouldn’t be upset with this record? Who would be happy with this right now? I’m angry," Ramirez said. "A lot of guys are angry, and that’s why I was like, ‘Just go out there and let it fly. You know, we don’t have anything to lose, man. Just take out everything we’ve been through this season on these guys.'
"I feel like that plays a major factor with the way we’re going to play (on Friday)."
Ranked 12th in the SEC in total defense allowing 413.6 yards per game and six yards per play, Arkansas' defense will need all available hands on deck as it faces quarterback Drew Lock, one of six SEC quarterbacks to ever throw for 11,000 yards in a career. The Tigers rank third in the league in passing at 275 yards per game.
Already without cornerback Ryan Pulley and safety Kamren Curl this week because of a suspension, the Razorbacks' secondary took another hit Tuesday in terms of depth as sophomore defensive back Derrick Munson announced on Twitter he will be moving on from the program, leaving Arkansas with even less experience in the back end.
Kevin Richardson, who took second-team reps at cornerback in Tuesday's practice, said it will be, as always, next man up Friday. Freshman safeties Joe Foucha and Myles Mason, who have backed up Ramirez and Curl throughout the season, will gain valuable experience and carry what they have learned this year into the season finale.
"They wouldn’t be running with the ones if they didn’t have the talent and the mental capability to go out there and do it," Richardson said of Foucha and Mason. They’ve shown it all year long. Those guys will be prepared to go out there and play."
Ramirez said Foucha will start at free safety and he will move to strong safety. Mason and Ryder Lucas would replace them if needed. The lone player in the secondary to start each game this season, Ramirez said getting to play one last time means everything to him.
"I want to be remembered for not giving up, man, and just putting my best foot forward every time I step on the field," he added. "I’m going to do just that and go out and give it everything I’ve got and leave this last impression on this team. "
Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady, one of the few bright spots on offense for the Razorbacks this season, said the fact Arkansas hasn't beaten Missouri since 2015 should light a fire under the team this week as well.
"That’s another reason for us to play our best and play as hard as we can to get the (win)," O'Grady said. "We’re trying to get as many wins as we can this season. If we can get that last one, that would be great. There’s a trophy involved, too, so we can play for that.
"There’s still great emotion and everybody’s excited to be out there."