OK, so now that Arkansas is about to kick off its season,  let’s try something that I attempted last year. I’m calling it Over-Under, though I’m not encouraging gambling in any way. (But if you’re betting, I like Charleston Southern to cover the 73-point spread against top-ranked Florida.)

  Anyway, here’s how Over-Under will go. I’ll throw out a statistic and then try to predict whether that number will fall short in Arkansas’ season opener against Missouri State. In case you’re not a gambler (which of course none of us are), it’s sounds more complicated than it actually is.

  So let’s begin…

  285 (Numbers of yards quarterback Ryan Mallett passes for in his Arkansas debut): I’m going to take the over. After all, Casey Dick threw for more than 300 yards in last year’s season opener against Western Illinois, which plays in the same conference as Missouri State. Now the only thing that could keep Mallett from passing for more than 285 yards is if he gets pulled early. After all, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said this week that backup quarterback Tyler Wilson will play. Still, I’m taking the over.

  98 (Number of yards running back Michael Smith rushes for in his first game back from a hamstring injury): Again, I’ll take the over. But this one could be a little tougher to predict because the Razorbacks now have a stable of tailbacks waiting behind Smith. The days of the shifty running back getting 35 carries a game are likely over, and guys like Broderick Green, Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo Jr. will take some yards away from Smith. Still, the senior is good for at least 100 yards against Missouri State.

  1 (Number of field-goal or extra-point attempts kicker Alex Tejada misses on Saturday): I’m going to go out on a limb and take the under. Even though the former Springdale High star has been shaky during his career, I think he’ll get the job done against Missouri State. Tejada will make all of his field-goal and extra-point attempts, and one reason for that is because I don’t think he’ll have to attempt any long kicks. Arkansas’ offense should move the ball against the Bears, so even if Tejada is needed, it won’t be for a 40-yarder. So here’s to Tejada coming through.

  38.0 (Average yardage per punt by freshman Dylan Breeding in what will be his Arkansas debut and first start): This is a tough one. Here’s why: If Breeding struggles, Petrino will have  a quick hook and go with junior Briton Forester. That said, does Breeding show off his strong long and attempt enough punts to surpass 38.0 yards per punt? After all, how many times will the Razorbacks punt against Missouri State? I’m going to take the under, but I don’t think Breeding struggles enough for Petrino to pull him. Breeding will boot some nice punts and then maybe have one shank to end a relatively good debut.

  3 (Number of turnovers Arkansas’ defense forces against Missouri State): I say push, meaning that the Razorbacks will get exactly three turnovers. Of course, Arkansas’ defense had their share of problems against Western Illinois last year. A matter of fact, the defense struggled all of last season, which explains why it finished last in the SEC in most statistical categories. But defensive end Adrian Davis and defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard will apply plenty of pressure upfront, leading to several interceptions and fumbles. And I think cornerback Ramon Broadway will get Arkansas’ first interception of the season.

  Well, there you go. Do you agree with my predictions? If not, where do we disagree? I’m going to make Over-Under a weekly Friday feature on the blog. (However, there won’t be one next week since Arkansas has a bye).

  And again, I’m not encouraging gambling on college football in anyway. So, who do you like: Miami or Florida State? Just kidding.

  Talk about an interesting day.

  I’m sure by now you’ve heard all about The Morning News and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette joining forces in some fashion. So I won’t touch that one.

  As far as the Razorbacks are concerned, today was a relatively uneventful one. Still, there was some news to come out of Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s news conference a little while ago.

  The biggest news is that freshman Dylan Breeding will get the nod at punter over junior Briton Forester, who was considered the favorite because of his experience kicking at Hawaii. According to Petrino, Breeding was more consistent in practice, so he’ll get the first chance to punt in Saturday’s season opener against Missouri State.

  “He’s going to start out, and he’ll be our first guy out there to punt,” Petrino said of Breeding. “I like them both, but he had a little bit better last two weeks, more consistent and got more hang time. So we’re going to through him out there in the fire and see how he does.” 

  Petrino said wide receiver Joe Adams continues to show that he’s no longer bothered by the right hamstring injury that sidelined him last week. As a result, the sophomore is scheduled to being the starting “W” receiver and the team’s primary punter returner on Saturday.

  Petrino said earlier in the week that he wanted to wait until Thursday to see how Adams was progressing, but apparently, he liked what he saw.

  ”He was full speed. He ran down the field, made a lot of good catches,” Petrino said. “I was happy with what we saw. He’ll be ready to go.”

  And finally, Petrino reaffirmed that backup quarterback Tyler Wilson will see some playing time against Missouri State, though Petrino didn’t provide any details about when we can expect to see the redshirt freshman.

  Well, that’s it for now. I’m going to finish up writing and then soak everything that happened today. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter (@NWAAlex).

We got a lot of info from special teams coordinator John L. Smith last night. Some of it made it in the notebook in today’s paper, some of it did not. But it’s worthwhile to break down how things are shaping up a little more.

Smith said Arkansas is about “80 percent solid” in regard to personnel decisions on special teams. He said there still are some changes that will be made, however. So at this point, here’s a look at which direction Smith and the Razorbacks seem to be leaning at a few of the most-talked about spots.

Place Kicker: Alex Tejada — This is no surprise because Tejada is the most talented of Arkansas’ kickers. The question is whether or not Tejada will deliver. He had a better day last Saturday. One that Tejada said gave him some more confidence as the season gets closer. But he knows it’s just one day. So he’s not dwelling on it.

Punter: Briton Forester — John L. Smith has been up front from the start about his punters. Forester has some Division I experience and that means a lot to the Razorbacks right now. They don’t want to lean on true freshman Dylan Breeding if they don’t have to. But both punters have been inconsistent this preseason.

Punt Returner: Joe Adams — The receiver REALLY wants to return punts. He’s hoping his 85-yard TD on Saturday convinced Smith he should. Adams told Smith after the big return he was the man for the job. Smith’s response – “As quick as he looked, he kind of looked like the guy.” Don’t count out Michael Smith yet.

Kick Returner: Dennis Johnson — Johnson returned kicks last season and did it well. It didn’t look like he was going to be the man again early in camp because so many were trying out, but he may have gained the edge. Smith Smith indicated his resume makes him the leader. “He’s a nice looking body coming downhill at you,” Smith said. “That’s what you want, coming downhill and not wavering much. It’s not a dance deal, it’s a hit it deal.”