Quarterback remained an Arkansas chapter of “All in the Family” Tuesday, while running back Michael Smith provided the inside story how he’s rolling along for the Razorbacks’ SEC game Saturday at Mississippi State.

A neck roll inside his jersey makes it much more comfortable for him to practice than the conventional outside neck roll he used in Sunday’s practice, said Smith, the junior 1, 000-yard running back who injured a shoulder during the Nov. 8 34-21 loss at South Carolina.

As for “All in the Family,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has thrown the quarterback job open between the Dick brothers.

Senior Casey has started 28 straight games, but redshirt freshman Nathan logged his first college game Nov. 8 in the loss at South Carolina after Casey suffered a concussion.

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Nathan, buoyed by quarterbacking an 80-yard touchdown drive against South Carolina even after throwing a TD pass voided by a penalty, quarterbacked last week’s open date practices while Casey recuperated.

Now, with Casey coming off an injury and throwing three interceptions at South Carolina and Nathan flashing promise in his debut, Petrino has them competing for Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. start in Starkville, Miss.

They split reps in Sunday night’s brief practice and split them again in Tuesday’s full practice in pads. Paul Petrino, the offensive coordinator/receivers coach and brother of the head coach, gave no hint which quarterbacking brother had the edge after Tuesday’s practice at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“They both had similar reps,” Paul Petrino said. “And they both had good nights. Pretty much the same.”

Casey claims clearance from the concussion’s cobwebs.

“I feel great,” Casey Dick said. “It just felt good to get back out here on Sunday and today. We will have to take it day by day and see what happens.”

Casey said competing with his younger brother is nothing new.

“We have had competition ever since we grew up together playing competition, we have from Day 1,” Casey Dick said. “We will have to see where it goes and see what coach decides and puts us in the best situation. No matter if it is your brother out there backing you up or another teammate, it just pushes you to get better.”

They were high school quarterbacking teammates for a year in Allen, Texas.

“In high school,” Nathan Dick said, “he was a senior and I got every third series. And then he got hurt his senior year in the playoffs and that’s when I went in.”

Yes, but this marks the first time they’ve competed deemed equals rather than elder starter and young backup.

“You know when I get out there, I don’t think, ‘My brother is right behind me,’” Nathan Dick said. “I just get out and play football like I’ve been doing for 12 years, enjoying it out there and loving football. Nothing has changed. We are brothers off the field and it’s going to continue that way.”

Smith, 1,012 yards and 7 touchdowns on 193 carries, exited late in the first half in Columbia, S.C. with a shoulder injury. He did not return to the game nor did he practice in the off week before last Sunday’s practice Sunday went well other than the protective neck roll out side doing more vexing than comforting.

So they took care of it inside out.

“This one they built inside of my pads,” Smith said Tuesday. “So you don’t see it. But it holds my neck in place and it’s more comfortable. Our jerseys are tight and it won’t pull up on my jersey. I like it a lot better.”

Smith, only 5-7, 173, said taking last week off helped his shoulder but most helped his legs. They’ve absorbed through 193 carries and 30 catches, not to mention all those times he’s hit blocking and carrying out fakes.

“My legs haven’t felt this good in a long time,” Smith said. “I feel like a kid again. So I am going to try to use that to my advantage on Saturday.”

How is the shoulder?

“It’s not 100 percent,” Smith said, “but neither is my left shoulder. I can do what I need to do. It feels a lot better than it did two weeks ago. It’s where it needs to be right now.”

Is he up to 25 to 30 carries?

Smith laughed.

“Hey you know,” he said still smiling broadly, “why not?”

At least he likely won’t have to go 35 like he did in successive weeks against Auburn and Kentucky.

Brandon Barnett, the junior and former Texarkana Razorback, nicely finished the South Carolina game in Smith’s place, and likely will ease some of Smith’s Saturday burden against the Bulldogs.

“He stepped up and ran the ball,” Smith said. “You can expect him in there. I believe when he’s in there the players trust him and right about now he trusts himself, which he may not have so much in the past. If he’s confident and the team is confident about him, good things can happen.”