Razorbacks Report

Practice bumping for Hogs

Arkansas assistant coach Barry Lunney Jr. directs his players Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, during practice at the university's practice facility in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas added music back to its practice ambience Tuesday, but the volume was considerably lower than it had been previously this season.

The loudest sound during Tuesday's work on split fields at the Razorbacks' practice facility was the crowd noise blaring through the speakers when the scout teams began their work.

Crowd noise will be an issue Saturday when the Razorbacks (2-8, 0-6 SEC) try to break their seven-game losing streak at No. 1 LSU (10-0, 6-0) before a crowd expected to approach sell-out status at 102,321-seat Tiger Stadium. The Tigers have the inside track on the top seed for the College Football Playoff.

Arkansas' top offense worked inside Walker Pavilion, and its activities were closed off to the media. The first-team defense worked outside on the grass field with Ben Hicks operating as scout-team quarterback.

[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLoPiLhIE-g]

Sophomore Bumper Pool, who missed at least two days of practice last week with a muscle injury, was back in his white No. 10 jersey working alongside fellow linebacker De'Jon Harris on the top defense.

Receiver De'Vion Warren, who has been out since the Mississippi State game with an injured ankle, was not seen at the practice. Nor was offensive guard Kirby Adcock, who has missed two consecutive games while in concussion protocol.

The rest of the starting defense remained much the same as it's been all year, with tackles McTelvin Agim and T.J. Smith, ends Gabe Richardson and Mataio Soli, cornerbacks Montaric Brown and Jarques McClellion, safeties Kamren Curl and Joe Foucha, and nickel back Greg Brooks.

Foucha had the top play of the early team period with an interception over the middle on a pass by Hicks.

The Razorbacks started practice early, cutting down on the open viewing portion for the media.

Interim Coach Barry Lunney Jr. eliminated music at last week's practices in an effort to hone the team's focus and communication.

Lunney has curtailed player and assistant coach interviews this week. He held the team's weekly news conference Monday and will be on the SEC teleconference this morning before meeting with local reporters this afternoon.

Vs. No. 1, again

The Razorbacks have played the No. 1 team in the country twice in a calendar year before, but never in the same season until now.

LSU is the current No. 1 in all three major polls -- the College Football Playoff, Associated Press and USA Today coaches -- as the Tigers prepare to host Arkansas. Alabama was the AP No. 1 team on Oct. 26 when the Razorbacks lost 48-7 to the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The Razorbacks played two No. 1 teams in 1962, falling 10-3 to Alabama on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl to cap the 1961 season, and losing 7-3 at Texas on Oct. 20 for the Hogs' only regular-season loss during the 1962 season.

Red-zone rave

LSU has scored on 96.4% of its red-zone excursions this year. That is not the best conversion rate in the country -- with Georgia (97.5%), Navy (96.9%) and Iowa (96.9%) -- but it is fourth in the country and is very impressive since the Tigers have 55 red-zone trips and scored on 53 of them.

That count includes 41 touchdowns and 12 field goals.

By contrast, Arkansas is No. 120 in the FBS with 71.4% scoring in the red zone on 20 of 28 chances. The Razorbacks have 14 touchdowns and six field goals.

Radio guys

Interim Coach Barry Lunney Jr. will be joined by senior defensive tackle T.J. Smith and senior tight end Hayden Johnson tonight for the team's weekly radio show. The show, On the Air with Barry Lunney, will air tonight and on Tuesday next week from the Catfish Hole Restaurant in Fayetteville.

No regular Joe

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is not only the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy now that Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out for the rest of the season after hip surgery, but he's also the favorite to be the top pick in the NFL Draft.

The site SportsBetting.ag has installed Burrow as the favorite to be taken over Ohio State defensive end Chase Young and Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas.

Top 10 wins

LSU is 4-0 against AP top 10 teams this season, the top win total for the Tigers in school history.

LSU downed No. 9 Texas 45-38 on Sept. 7, No. 7 Florida 42-28 on Oct. 12, No. 9 Auburn 23-20 on Oct. 26 and No. 2 Alabama 46-41 on Nov. 9.

Series update

LSU leads the all-time series by a count of 40-22-2. The Razorbacks and Tigers have played at six different venues, two each in Arkansas and Louisiana, along with Dallas and Memphis.

The Tigers lead 11-3-1 in games played in Baton Rouge, and 16-9 in Shreveport.

LSU also holds a 3-2 edge in games played in Fayetteville, and a 9-7 advantage in Little Rock.

Arkansas won the lone game in Memphis, a 16-0 decision in 1909. LSU leads 1-0-1 in Dallas, with a 14-7 win in the 1966 Cotton Bowl that broke Arkansas' 22-game winning streak, and a 0-0 tie in the 1947 Cotton Bowl in an ice storm.

Divinity on hold

LSU linebacker Michael Divinity was back at practice this week, a few weeks after he announced he was leaving the team to focus on a personal matter.

Divinity missed two of LSU's first three games, due to what Coach Ed Orgeron called "coach's decisions," and he also has missed the Tigers' most recent road wins over Alabama and Ole Miss.

"We love Michael being back on the team," Orgeron said on FM 104.5 in south Louisiana on Tuesday. "Michael's a great member of our football team that brings a lot of energy ... to our practice. He's still unable to play, but he's able to practice with the football team as of now."

An LSU player told reporters in Louisiana this week Orgeron had suspended Divinity.

Record spread

According to the site sportsbetting.ag, the 43-point spread by which LSU is favored over Arkansas is the largest in the SEC since 1985.

According to the site, the previous largest line in the Arkansas vs. LSU series was when the Tigers were favored by a 19-point spread in 1997 in a game won 31-21 by LSU.

LSU's largest previous spread since 1985 was as a 34-point favorite against Mississippi State in 2006.

Sports on 11/20/2019