Special teams get special time every practice day, but no area gets more last-minute attention the last gameweek practice than they do.

So the Razorbacks, opening the season at 6 p. m. Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium against Troy University, spent their tune-up practice Thursday in shorts stressing special teams, where many things can go wrong to undo what might be achieved offensively and defensively.

“ On special teams, we hit every situation just trying to get all of it, ” Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. “ We spent a lot of time on kickoff and kickoff return. ”

With the NCAA moving the kickoff from the 35 back to the 30, Arkansas All-American running backs / kick returners Felix Jones and Darren McFadden would seem to be more dangerous than ever.

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However, all it takes is a clip or other penalty to undo a big McFadden or Jones return.

Plus, as Nutt notes, when the Razorbacks are kicking off to Troy return men / starting cornerbacks Leodis McKelvin and Elbert Mack, the shoe’s suddenly on the other foot.

“ Their two starting corners on returns have no fear and are very good, ” Nutt said.

The Razorbacks on special teams debut reserve running back Michael Smith as a punt returner along with returning return men Reggie Fish, and in some situations, fullback Peyton Hillis.

Also debuting are freshman placekicker Alex Tejada of Springdale and deep snappers Rhett Richardson and Barrett Reynolds.

Razorbacks who began preseason drills expecting to play this season opener but won’t now because of injuries are senior split end Marcus Monk (two arthroscopic knee surgeries in August ), sophomore tight end Ben Cleveland (injured nerve in his neck called a brachial plexsis stretch ) and redshirt freshman backup offensive guard DeMarcus Love (dislocated knee cap ).

Also missing is senior defensive end Marcus Harrison (disciplinary suspension ).

Harrison’s suspension is indefinite. Cleveland’s injury-induced absence seems indefinite, too. Doctors report it may take weeks of rest for him to heal.

Cleveland was the best receiver, and starter Andrew Davie the best blocker, among Arkansas’ tight ends.

True freshman D. J. Williams now backs Davie at tight end and likely will be asked to take up some receiving slack during Cleveland’s prolonged absence.

Conceivably, Cleveland could redshirt if the convalescence goes into midseason, but for now, the training staff and Cleveland will proceed like the prescribed rest will enable him to play this season.

Bill Gray on the mend

Friends of Bill Gray, the Razorbacks’ West Helena born associate athletics director and former Razorback quarterback-safety and baseball star in the 1960 s, will be pleased to note he’s feeling well enough to attend Saturday’s game. Gray recently underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery. He has started coming into the office this week for brief periods and will do more as he continues to improve.

Friendly rivals

Arkansas defensive line coach Tracy Rocker was an All-American Auburn defensive lineman while Troy head coach Larry Blakeney was an Auburn receivers coach. Rocker was also the defensive line coach at Troy under Blakeney from 1997-2001 before moving one year to the University of Cincinnati and then in 2003 to be Arkansas ’ defensive line coach.

“ He was a player’s coach, a lot like Coach Nutt, ” Rocker said of Blakeney. “ When I left there for Cincinnati, I always hoped to get in another situation like I had with Coach Blakeney, and I got here with Coach Nutt and had the same type of relationship. I knew what Coach Blakeney expected, but he let me grow up and be a coach. He wasn’t there micro-managing me. ”

Any of the other 51 weeks of the year, and Rocker and Blakeney might be exchanging phone calls.

Not this week, though.

“ It’s game week, ” Rocker said. “ I don’t talk with my opponent. They got their deal and I got my deal. ”