Oct. 30, 2007

Opening Statement
“We came out of the Tennessee game very healthy. Everybody that was ready to play last week should be ready to play this week. Arkansas is a very good team that lost three close games. They lost to Alabama and Auburn and lost to Kentucky in a game that they were ahead. Some things happened (for them) to lose that one. They have three losses just like us. They still have four games left and they certainly have a chance for a big year. A lot can happen.”

“We’re excited about going out there. We went out there three years ago and had a lot of big breaks. Somehow or another we found a way to win the game and hopefully we can do that this year. Arkansas leads the conference in offense, leads in rushing offense. They are a good running team and the defense is pretty good. They’re ranked right near us in the conference defensively. They have their own scheme of things and do it well. It will be a difficult assignment but we’re looking forward to seeing what we can do out there.”

“We’ll let Blake (Mitchell) start at quarterback. Hopefully he will have a big game for us. Hopefully we’ll play well. In all likelihood it will be a close game. We have to play well in crunch time if we’re going to have a chance to beat these guys, most likely.”

On encouragement from offensive production in second half
“I don’t get much encouragement out of losing a game we had so many opportunities to win. But it’s history. We don’t need to dwell on it. It’s just like the Vandy game; we don’t need to dwell on it. Hopefully someday we can do well with games on the line. Offensively we didn’t quite do that. Hopefully we can move the ball some. Cory Boyd had an excellent game. Blake had a lot of good plays here and there.”

On offensive line improvement
“They played a little bit better. We had leaks here an there but overall I think the line did play better than its played most of the year.”

On growing into a great team
“We have a chance to grow into a really great team I believe. We’re just not quite there right now. Hopefully in the near future the same quarterback can go most of the year. That’s just not quite how it’s happened this year.”

On quarterbacks
“We might put (Tommy Beecher) in a few plays here and there. Looking back, we think Blake is probably our best guy to go play. He’s very capable. If we pass block very well he has a chance to do well back there. He and (Chris) Smelley will do most of the playing. Hopefully Blake will do most of the playing.”

On last weekend’s tragedy
“It was a terrible tragedy for our university and the families involved. For parents who have had teenagers go to college – I’ve had four now – you trust that they’ll be safe and make good decisions. Who knows how this fire started. It’s a terrible tragedy any time a family has to bury one of their children. We’ll remember these students and hopefully we can recover, but for the families it will be forever.”

“We talked briefly about it. We’re going to wear a sticker on our helmet. There’s a phrase in our alma mater, `Forever To Thee.’ That will be on the back of our helmets.”

On Arkansas running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones
“They’re by far the best running attack in the SEC. They led the conference the last couple of years in rush offense. Two years ago when we beat them out there, McFadden I think ran for 187. That was our total yards for the game, 187. I remember that one exact. We had three scoring chances and scored two touchdowns. They had a bunch of scoring chances. Somehow or another they had first down on about the one or two-yard line and we made them kick a field goal near the end of the first half. So our guys, even though we gave up a bunch of guys in the middle of the field, we were good down at the goal line and they only got 10. If we’re going to beat these guys, hopefully it won’t be a high scoring game.”

On preparing for a running attack
“Offensively you try to stay out there and make first downs and try to score. We have to trust our defense is going to slow them down.”

“It is what it is, and we are where we are. We’re 6-3. We need to get together and win us a ballgame. We’re capable of beating Arkansas. We’re capable of beating everybody we play. We have to play a lot smarter and don’t have those careless penalties we’ve had.”

On the SEC race
“We still have a chance for an excellent season. We’re not out of the SEC. We only have two conference games left while most teams still have three left.”