ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Arkansas tailback Michael Smith, right, is hit at the line of scrimmage by members of the Florida defense during the Hogs ’ 38-7 loss Saturday in Razorback Stadium.

If you've lost your last two games 49-14 and 52-10 and trailed both by 28 at half, then losing 38-7 after a down 14-0 intermission is progress.

Not sarcastic progress. Actual progress.

That's how Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino sees his Razorbacks, 1-3, 0-2 in the SEC West, after following drubbings to secondranked Alabama in Fayetteville and at fifth-ranked Texas with Saturday's 38-7 loss to the 12 th-ranked Florida Gators, 4-1, 2-1 in the SEC East, before an announced 70, 072 at Frank Broyles Field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

" We're a better football team right now than we were a week ago at Texas, " Petrino said.

Petrino didn't sugar-coat the Hogs wilting in the fourth quarter under three Florida touchdowns, but these Gators, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow, were ranked fourth nationally until upset, 31-30, last week at home by Ole Miss.

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For a while the beleaguered Hogs had the Gators by the tail even while muffing a first-half punt (déja vu for Hog fans recalling a fumbled punt dooming Arkansas in the 2006 SEC Championship game loss to Florida in Atlanta ) and throwing a second-down interception in front of the end zone with 12 seconds left in the first half.

Only down 17-7 with 5: 50 left in the third quarter, these Hogs were still were making a game of it until Florida got the rout rolling starting with Tebow's 21-yard TD pass to Percy Harvin with 11: 58 left in the fourth quarter.

Big-play touchdown runs by running backs Chris Rainey of 75 yards at 5: 10 and 48 by Jeffrey Demps at 1: 04 netted a final score that should keep Florida in the polls and keep Arkansas' defensive stats (Florida netted 514 yards total offense ) rivaling the national debt.

Demps, 7 carries 103 yards, had netted a big 36-yard, second-quarter TD run after the fumbled punt at the Arkansas 16 and a Florida penalty.

" I would have felt better about the game if we had finished stronger and not given up those big plays in the fourth quarter, " Petrino said.

Still, the first-year coach was encouraged to see his team fight back, to watch a running game - held to 11 yards by Texas last week - spring tailback Michael Smith for 133 yards rushing on 20 carries. Smith netted Arkansas' lone TD, a 6-yard run with 5: 50 left in the third quarter while senior quarterback Casey Dick completed 20 of 38 for 220 yards.

Dick threw 6 to Smith for 43 yards, 6 to tight end D. J. Williams (literally held at least once by Florida in Petrino's view ) for 35 yards and 5 to freshman Joe Adams for a team-leading 68 yards.

Unfortunately for the Hogs, Smith flubbed the punt, and Dick threw the pick going for the end zone just before half.

Subbing for injured punt returner Jerell Norton, Smith fumbled the punt he tried to fair catch at the Arkansas 16.

It was recovered by Florida's Brandon James who had scored Florida's first touchdown at 6: 54 in the first quarter on Tebow's 2-yard shovel pass.

" I guess I just took my eye off of it for a second, " Smith said. " I lost focus. A veteran shouldn't make that mistake. I just tried to make up for it as much as I could afterward. "

He certainly did and did it behind a makeshift line. With starting tackle Ray Dominguez absent because of his seriously ailing grandmother and top backup Mike Aguirre injured the game's first play, third-team redshirt freshman Grant Freeman of Paris went every play thereafter at weakside tackle.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Grant Cook of Jonesboro started for injured incumbent DeMarcus Love at strong guard.

" I think Grant Freeman and Grant Cook stepped in and did as good a job as they could have done, " Dick said. " They stepped in and played real well. "

Dick aloud wished he could recall the pick. And there was a blocked field goal to lament and drives squandered starting with the game-opening drive to the Florida 32 ending with a fourth-down sack.

But the postgame vibes exuded positive thoughts.

" The offense is right there at the verge, " Cook said. " We are just waiting to bust out at the seams. "

Arkansas' defense played by far its best three quarters since this gauntlet of topranked teams, continuing with 13 th-ranked SEC West rival Auburn next Saturday at Auburn, Ala. began versus Alabama two weeks ago.

Thanks to linebacker Jerry Franklin of Marion, who dropped one would-be interception, Tebow (17 of 26 for 217 yards and 2 TDs ) saw his string of passes interception-free ended at 203.

Linebackers Wendel Davis (11 ) and Franklin had 20 tackles between them and the defensive line, with freshman Zach Stadther subbing for injured Ernest Mitchell, fared better led by tackle Malcolm Sheppard's five tackles with a sack.

" You can tell we've gone up another level, " Sheppard said. " We feel next week is the turning point for us. "