Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino had plenty of news at his afternoon press conference. Here it is:

• RB Michael Smith isn’t expected to play in the season finale because of a hamstring injury. If that proves true he finishes the year with 1,072 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 2 scores. It was a great season for Smith, but the injuries took their toll.

• LB Wendel Davis probably won’t play, either, because of the leg injury. That means Jerry Franklin will likely start at middle linebacker and Elston Forte will get more time at the other spot. Just like Satuday. However, Davis’ absence will hurt a defense that couldn’t stop anyone without him.

• In other personnel issues, DT Ernest Mitchell and DE Antwain Robinson have played the final games of their careers. Both were suspended for team reasons against Mississippi State. Neither player will be reinstated for the LSU game. It ends a frustrating season and career for both players who had good moments and very, very bad ones for the Hogs. If we learn more we’ll let you know.

• One more thing, Petrino once again said that Nathan Dick will start against the Tigers. No word on whether he plans to play Casey Dick in his final game or not.

We’ve kind of let this slide lately, but the pregame Q&A is back for Florida week:

Q: How’s the weather?

A: Well, I wasn’t sure when I heard a loud boom at 7 a.m. But the rain this morning has gone away. It’s still overcast, but great football weather right now. So there’s no excuse for staying home because of the weather.

Q: Are there any lineup changes today?

A: It looks and sounds like there will be. Wendel Davis is out there working with the first-team defense in pregame drills. So is strong safety Dallas Washington. Those two will be replacing Elston Forte (a team captain) and Jerico Nelson, respectively. Oh, and don’t forget: Freshman Zach Stadther is starting in place of Ernest Mitchell, who is out for the next few weeks after undergoing knee surgery.

Q: Is Tim Tebow here?

A: Uh. Yes. And he looks very fired up. I just watched him run an option play during warmups. After handing the ball off, Tebow sprinted down the field, stepped on the goal line, turned and head butted his teammate. I think it’s safe to say the Razorbacks are going to see the Heisman Trophy winner at his best today.

Q: Will Arkansas score in the first quarter?

A: That I cannot answer. But I will say this: The Razorbacks better or else it could be a long, long day.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino and several players wrapped up their weekly news conference not too long ago. Here are a few tidbits:

Petrino said offensive guard Mitch Petrus will redshirt this season because of an undisclosed issue believed to involve academics. Petrus will still be able to practice with the team, but he won’t be eligible to play in any games.

The loss of Petrus is a severe blow to Arkansas’ offensive line, which already lacks quality depth. Petrus was one of three Razorbacks named to the coaches All-SEC preseason team, but he has lost his starting job to sophomore Wade Grayson.

Petrino indicated that weakside linebacker Elston Forte will play Saturday against No. 8 Texas after missing the first two games because of an undisclosed injury, likely his knee. Forte’s return comes at the right time. The senior was voted a defensive captain before the start of the season, and he’ll give the Razorbacks a proven playmaker when they head to Austin, Texas this weekend.

At the same time, sophomore strongside linebacker Freddy Burton will return this week from a two-game suspension, and there is a chance junior middle linebacker Wendel Davis could be back from a hand and knee injury.

Petrino said backup wide receiver Marques Wade will also return this week from a two-game suspension, along with Burton. Both players will be used on special teams and could provide depth at their respective positions.

Finally, starting running back Michael Smith said he got an IV at halftime of last Saturday’s 28-27 win over Louisiana-Monroe because he was feeling drained, adding that he was bothered by cramps throughout the second half. He still finished with a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.

That’s it for now. But there will be a lot more in Tuesday’s edition of The Morning News.

Arkansas finished practice not too long ago, and here are a few tidbits that stood out:

Nose tackle Ernest Mitchell spoke to the media for the first time in months, and he gave an update on his status. He said he’s feeling around 90 percent, which is a reason to be optimistic considering he has been limited since the spring because of offseason knee surgery.

Mitchell said he has a bit of a sinus problem at the moment, but expects to be fine for Saturday’s season opener against Western Illinois. The senior is listed as Arkansas’ starting nose tackle.

Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, meanwhile, said he doesn’t expect any of his injured linebackers to return in time for Saturday. The list of injured linebackers includes senior Elston Forte and junior Wendel Davis.

Robinson said the first-team defense tackled much better in last Friday’s final preseason scrimmage. He noted that starting middle linebacker Jerry Franklin stood out when it came to hitting and making plays. But Robinson admits he’s still nervous about the overall inexperience and youth on defense.

That’s a quick rundown of what came out of practice, but there will be more in tomorrow’s Morning News.

Arkansas has wrapped up its first practice of the day and will be back on the field at 3 p.m.

Here are some tidbits from the first practice:

Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said that freshman Jarius Wright is making a strong case for the starting wide receiver job opposite junior London Crawford. Wright already looks like he might have the punt return job secured, so this would be two big roles for the freshman.

Meanwhile, fellow wide receivers Marques Wade was not at practice and Rod Coleman was working with the other injured players. Linebacker Elston Forte, who continues to be bothered by an undisclosed injury, was also a no-show.

Safety Elton Ford was back at practice after missing Monday because he was at freshman orientation. He appears to be pushing Matt Harris for the starting free safety job.

That was about it. Check back with us after the second practice for more updates.