ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Arkansas freshman Will linebacker Jelani Smith, left, and senior nose guard Ernest Mitchell hurry Western Illinois senior quarterback Mike McEachern during the first half of the Hogs ’ 28-24 win Aug. 30 in Razorback Stadium.

The first turnover is out there somewhere for the Razorbacks. And they’re not hard to find, Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino said last week. Plenty of loose balls have been available for the Razorbacks’ choosing in the first two games, as well as more than one interception and possible return for a defensive touchdown.

“ We want to see it every week, ” UA defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “ That’s what we strive for. We drill it. We stress it. ”

But the first two games for Arkansas have proven to be a defensive drought. The Hogs rank near the bottom nationally in turnover margin and turnovers gained. In fact, Arkansas is one of two teams in the nation without a forced turnover entering this week. The Hogs also ranked 110 th in turnover margin.

But, again, the opportunities have been there to rectify those numbers. Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe committed six fumbles combined, and the Razorbacks had at least two opportunities in those games, Petrino said, to return interceptions for touchdowns.

“ Shoot, we couldn’t ask for anything more than that, ” Robinson said. “ But we didn’t take advantage of it. ”

At least three Arkansas defenders have dropped an opponents’ pass in the first two games, including back-to-back opportunities during Western Illinois ’ final possession on Aug. 31.

It’s been a disturbing trend for the play- ers, coaches and the fans. Turnovers are needed in games, and dropped interception attempts aren’t welcomed in practice, either. A defender guilty of not securing an interception during practice sessions do a “ couple of pushups” on the sideline, senior linebacker Elston Forte said last week.

So, despite the intense scrutiny faced for dropping interceptions in practice, why the lack of turnovers in game situations ?

“ Just luck of the draw, ” defensive tackle Malcom Sheppard said. “ We have been working on getting turnovers. We practice it, but that’s something we haven’t been able to accomplish. As a defense we definitely want to force turnovers. ”

Arkansas almost had an opportunity Saturday against then-No. 8 Texas, but the game was postponed and moved to Sept. 27 in anticipation of the landfall of Hurricane Ike on the Texas coast. Texas, however, has proven to be careful with the football in its first two games this season. The Longhorns have turned the ball over just once this season.

The task of forcing a second or even third Longhorns turnover would have been daunting.

“ It’s tough to win games, especially against top 10 teams, without forcing turnovers, ” redshirt freshman Jake Bequette said. “ If we can make a big play, especially early, that could go a long way toward really helping us. ”

Arkansas will get its first shot at forcing a turnover against Alabama, one week later than expected thanks to Ike. The Crimson Tide has given up three turnovers this season in three games, the 22 nd best mark in the nation. Alabama ended a similar Razorbacks turnover-less stretch in 2006, when the Hogs failed to force a turnover until the fourth game of the season.

“ We’ve got to work hard at making the plays, ” Petrino said. “ When we’re in position to make the plays, we’ve got to make them. A lot of times turnovers come in bunches, so I’m being positive. They’re going to start coming our way and we’ve got to keep taking care of the ball. ”

There’s also the task of shoring up the Razorbacks ’ defense inside the red zone. Going into Saturday’s schedule of games last week, the Razorbacks had allowed an SEC-high six touchdowns in the red zone. More frustrating might be the fact that the two opponents — a Division I-AA squad and a Sun Belt conference team — converted six out of seven opportunities for touchdowns inside the Hogs’ 20-yard line.

“ We’ve got to stiffen up, ” Petrino said. “ We’ve got to be able to make the play on the third downs. ”

Arkansas also ranks last in the SEC in opponent third-down conversions (40. 6 percent ). Part of the red zone problems is the youth on defense, Petrino said. That can be fixed, he explained last week, with the return of veteran players in the second-tier level of the defense.

Linebackers Elston Forte, Ryan Powers, Freddy Burton and Wendel Davis could all be back in action this week in time for the Alabama game. The foursome had been limited because of injuries and suspension ( Burton ). Powers and Forte were the lone men amongst the group to record limited playing time against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 6. Before their returns this week, four true freshmen were listed at the three linebacker slots on the Razorbacks’ two-deep chart.

And maybe their returns can help with the Hogs’ lack of turnovers.

“ You know, the thing about it is, it’s feast or famine, ” Robinson said last Wednesday. “ This might be the week, all of the sudden, we get a bunch of them. If that’s the case, let’s keep rolling with it. ”