While the Razorbacks prepare for a football game, their opponent prepares for a hurricane.

Hurricane Gustav wasn't projected Monday to hit Monroe, La. the campus site of the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks traveling to Little Rock for Saturday's 6 p.m. nonconference game at War Memorial Stadium.

However from the past experience of Hurricane Katrina devastating New Orleans and the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast, ULM coach Charlie Weatherbie knows life changes for Monroe and Northern Louisiana even if it's the southern part of the state absorbing the brunt of the hurricane's hit. " They've been busing people up here, " Weatherbie said during Monday morning's Sun Belt Conference media teleconference. " They're staying in our Coliseum as we speak. " Some of those busing to Monroe likely will be related to some of Weatherbie's Warhawks. At least that's what happened before and after Katrina. " The issues we dealt with were family members from South Louisiana coming to North Louisiana and being with our players, " Weatherbie said. " It changed their lifestyles. We had to kind of deal with it on an individual basis. Life is the most important thing we are dealing with and football has to take a back seat to that. " On the football field, the Warhawks last Saturday ran into the defensive buzzsaw describing the nationally 10 th-ranked Auburn Tigers. Opening with a fumblecausing quarterback sack and returning the bobble for a touchdown, Auburn beat ULM, 34-0 last Saturday at Auburn, Ala. Though ULM was stumped offensively, ULM's defense bowed up. Auburn's offense only netted two touchdowns. " I thought the defense played real well, " Weatherbie said, " and did some really good things. They only converted 5 of 15 third downs which is really good for our defense to hold them to 33 percent there. But I think we got a little tired stopping the run in the third quarter. They had 10 minutes possession time in the third quarter and we had five. A lot of that was due to three and out, three and out by our offense. " After his Razorbacks only netted 76 yards rushing on 21 carries in last Saturday's 28-24 season-opening victory over Western Illinois in Fayetteville, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has chal them to the ball well enough that he can balance the offense rather than rely on 41 Casey Dick passes as he did against WIU.

However it was Arkansas' veteran defensive line, both against the run and pressuring the passer, that Petrino most bluntly challenged during Monday's press conference.

" I learned I had a higher opinion of our defensive front than I should have, " Petrino said Ouch ! So, defensive end Adrian Davis, how does the D-line respond ?

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" I think that's a challenge to us, " Davis said. " I know we can be a lot better than what we played on Saturday. We've got to just stop making mistakes and play harder. "

All coaches always think their teams should play harder, but Petrino didn't place the blame on effort. He placed it on being in the right place.

" Defensively our emphasis all week is going to be making sure we're where we need to be in the run game and rushing the quarterback, " Petrino said. " That's where we really need to improve. We really caused our linebackers and our safeties more ground to cover and bigger holes to fill than we need to. "

Special teams will get special attention in this week's Tuesday through Thursday practices.

" I learned our special teams aren't good enough, " Petrino said. " We need to do a better job, we need to practice better, and kick the ball where we need to kick it. I'm not real happy with our special teams. We're going to improve on that this week and spend the time getting that done. "

Junior wide receiver London Crawford appeared to be feeling better Monday, but Petrino said it's too early to determine if that means he'll be sufficiently recovered from a concussion to play against ULM.

Linebacker Ryan Powers, missing the first game with injuries, should be back against ULM, Petrino said.

Middle linebacker Wendel Davis' rehab from major offseason knee surgery apparently is closer to game ready.

" We're going to take a good look at Wendel Davis this week, " Petrino said Monday. " Last week he looked good, he got everybody excited the way he ran around. But it was one week of practice, so you couldn't stick him in the game there. "

Senior linebacker Elston Forte, injured in preseason, is still " a week away" from playing, Petrino said.