Not having Jonathan Luigs at a Razorback practice Tuesday seemed like an old Baltimore Orioles team minus Cal Ripken.

" Yeah, Luigs is the heart of your offensive line, " senior Robert Felton said. " When he goes down, your heart skips a beat. You don't want ever for that to happen. You just hope to God he comes back. "

Actually, Luigs didn't go down. Arkansas' All-SEC fourth-year junior center and iron man was just sick with a virus.

" I really didn't know what happened to him, " Felton said. " I just looked up and saw he wasn't out here. "

And that made Felton the center of attention. Arkansas' senior right guard, who has also played left guard and both offensive tackle spots at Arkansas, becomes the center those rare occasions that iron man Luigs gets a day off.

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" He did great, " Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said of Felton. " Not a ball on the ground. He's valuable. He can play every position on the line. "

Especially after playing center, Felton said.

" Any good lineman has to know all the positions, " Felton said. " What better way to learn them than playing center where you have to know what everybody does. At another position you might know what the guy next to you does, but at center you've got to point out things to your guards and tackles. You are the quarterback of the offensive line. It's a lot of responsibility, but I think I am up for the challenge. "

Speaking of quarterbacks, it seems freshman Nathan Dick has all but officially supplanted veteran Missouri Southern State College transfer Nathan Emert as the No. 2 to junior starter Casey Dick, Nathan Dick's older brother.

" I am putting him in there right now with the second unit to see if he can get the signal properly and deliver the play properly before the 25-second clock goes off, " offensive coordinator David Lee said of Nathan Dick. " See if he can do that, then get the snap. He's been a shotgun guy all his life. See if he can get the snap, get back at the proper depth, take the read and deliver the ball accurately.

" Nathan Emert is going to sit this week so we can see if Nathan Dick can handle the mechanics properly. "

Nathan Dick has passed well throughout the preseason.

Both Casey Dick and Nathan Dick passed muster with Nutt and Lee during last Saturday night's scrimmage, the final full-scale scrimmage before the Sept. 1 season opener at Reynolds Razorback Stadium against Troy University.

Nutt has placed all three quarterbacks off limits to media this final preseason week.

" I want them concentrating on what to do and not having to concentrate on what to say, " Nutt said.

Senior starting fullback Peyton Hillis said daily chiropractic visits and keeping hydrated have healed up his ailing hamstring.

Hillis returned Tuesday after a week absence as did senior starting right offensive tackle Nate Garner (concussion ).

Garner said he's heard plenty about concussions today being treated altogether differently than football days of yore.

" My grandpa told me they used to throw you back out there as soon you got a concussion, " Garner said. " Now they want to take the time. If you have any kind of headache at all, they sit you out until it's gone. "

Garner said he's feeling fine now other than missing a week's conditioning work.

To no one's surprise, freshman Alex Tejada's eight field goals in nine attempts last Saturday, including one make from 55 yards, sealed the Springdale High grad the placekicking job against Troy.

Nutt proclaimed him the kicker after Tuesday's practice.

Jeremy Davis, back Tuesday after missing several days with an injured foot, will punt, while Bentonville's Brian Vavra will kick off for a third straight year, special teams coach James Shibest said.

Still out this week are injured starting split end Marcus Monk (he will miss the Troy game after arthroscopic knee surgery ), tight end Ben Cleveland, visiting a specialist Friday in Houston about the painfully stretched nerve in his neck, and redshirt freshman backup left offensive guard DeMarcus Love (dislocated kneecap ).

True freshman split end and Shiloh Christian alum Crosby Tuck also shined at last Saturday night's scrimmage, reeling in four catches for 97 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown.

When asked what the scrimmage film confirmed, other than the productive play of Tejada and Tuck, Nutt cited JC transfer safety Walner Leandre, backup defensive end Adrian Davis, starting outside linebacker Ryan Powers and Harrison freshman offensive guard Wade Grayson.

Barring injuries on the line, Grayson and all true freshman offensive linemen are set to redshirt.

Harrison High coach Tommy Tice visited Grayson Tuesday, and brought the entire Harrison team to watch practice.

Former Razorback running back great James Rouse, now with Merrill Lynch in Little Rock, and former Razorback receivers coach / recruiting coordinator Fitz Hill, now the president of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, also watched Tuesday's workout.