The Razorbacks weren't fooled and weren't whipped, Arkansas third-year sophomore linebacker Freddie Fairchild said Monday.

They just goofed up, Fairchild opined of Kentucky running over the Hogs in the second half of Kentucky's 42-29 SEC victory last Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Kentucky had 8 carries for 8 yards when trailing 20-14 at half. The Wildcats finished with 170 yards on 36 totes for the game they took over with a pounding rushing attack complementing Kentucky's renowned passing game.

Arkansas well defended Kentucky's passing in the first half but was vulnerable by land and air during the Wildcats' 21-point fourth quarter.

Kentucky, Fairchild said, executed what Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring warned the Razorbacks to combat.

" Coach Herring told us they would come out running the ball because they had been passing and he thought they were going to try and switch it up, " Fairchild said. " We were prepared for it. We just made mistakes as a team. It wasn't the issue of being whipped up front or behind. It was mental errors on the part of everybody out there on the field. "

At 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the SEC West, Arkansas can't do anything about its SEC plight until hosting Auburn, Oct. 13 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

In the meantime, these next two Saturdays are devoted to 6 p.m. nonconference games with North Texas at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and Tennessee-Chattanooga, Oct. 6 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

North Texas is 0-3 with 79-10, 45-31 and 30-20 losses to Oklahoma, SMU and Florida Atlantic.

On paper, as Fairchild remarked, for Arkansas this may appear that " it will be a good little game to get back into the swing of things. "

However, Arkansas coach Houston Nutt asserts this game can swing disastrously if the Razorbacks repeat mistakes committed in all phases of the game against Kentucky.

" I think the worst thing we can do is think not highly touted team, haven't won a game. I'm not concerned about that, " Nutt said. " As you all know, anything can happen on these crazy Saturdays. Anything ! You turn the ball over and you don't make good decisions and have foolish penalties, it will be a dogfight Saturday. The way we approach it is, ' Let's get better. Let's start playing smarter. And let's play four quarters. '"

Brandon Barnett, the sophomore junior college transfer and former Texarkana Razorback, will be the Razorbacks'third tailback Saturday night, Nutt said, behind All-Americans Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

Third-year sophomore tailback Michael Smith is suspended indefinitely, including Saturday's game at the least, Nutt said.

Smith's weekend went from bad (fumbling to Kentucky's Trevard Lindley who returned it for a 67-yard touchdown just 26 seconds before halftime ) to jail when he was arrested Sunday on forgery and theft by receiving charges regarding a credit card given to him that was allegedly stolen.

The arrest the day after the fumble obviously didn't sit well with Nutt.

" You are not doing right off the field, " Nutt said, " you are not going to be doing right on the field. It's a direct correlation. I don't have much sympathy for that. A terrible, terrible decision. "

McFadden's Heisman campaign, he was the 2006 Heisman r unner up and Doak Walker Award winner, marches on even with Arkansas, 1-2.

After all, McFadden averages 173 yards per game and 6. 0 per carry, 86 carries for 519 yards, against defenses stacked trying to stop him. Plus he's caught 7 passes for 56 yards and thrown a 42-yard TD pass and averages 23. 2 yards on 4 kickoff returns.

" We are always trying to win as many games as we can, " Nutt replied when asked if the team's record jeopardizes Heisman hopes. " But what is the trophy ? Is it for the best player or the best team ? It's about giving it to the best player, I think. "