It’s that time of week again — with a twist.

Instead of just giving you the five keys review, we’re also going to close out each game week with a new feature here on the blog. We’ll be awarded offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week awards. Why? Just because. So here we go.

1. Run the Football: The Razorbacks had trouble getting their run game going in the first half, but finished with a season-high 163 yards on the ground. More important, Arkansas averaged 5.3 yards a carry. Most of the rushing total came on Ronnie Wingo’s 62-yard touchdown run late in the game. Clearly, the run game needs more work. But for one night … KEY ACCOMPLISHED

2. Beware of Johnson: Jerrod Johnson’s ability to scramble and buy time was a big concern of Arkansas’ in practice last week. Johnson proved to be dangerous, too, throwing a 60-yard touchdown pass after scrambling around in the first quarter. But the Razorbacks did a good job keeping a close eye on the quarterback, chasing him from sideline to sideline. He finished with 21 rushing yards. … KEY ACCOMPLISHED

3. Make Early Statement: The goal was to get off to a great start, putting Texas A&M on its heels in its first big test. Well, it was the Aggies who came out firing. Texas A&M jumped out to a 10-o lead and could’ve done even more if not for an ill-timed drop ball. The good news for Arkansas is that it recovered from the shaky start. But the start was not pretty … KEY NOT ACCOMPLISHED

4. Win in the Trenches: Once again, this was a pretty one-sided key in the first quarter. But after struggling up front early on, Arkansas’ offensive and defensive lines took over the game. Especially the defensive front, which pressured Johnson off the edge nearly every snap. The offensive line did a good job, too, adjusting after Von Miller created havoc in the first quarter … KEY ACCOMPLISHED

5. Solid Special Teams: Give punter Dylan Breeding some credit. The true freshman had his best week as a Razorback, averaging 43.5 yards a punt Saturday. Alex Tejada made a couple of field goals, too, to improve to 6-for-6 this season. But Tejada missed an extra point and Jerell Norton fumbled a punt that could’ve been a killer if not for a defensive stand … KEY NOT ACCOMPLISHED

As for the Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: WR Joe Adams — The sophomore turned in one of the biggest plays of the game when he hauled in a pass from Ryan Mallett and beat Texas A&M for a 67-yard catch and run in the first quarter. The Razorbacks had been awful on offense until that point, but the catch led to a touchdown. Arkansas rolled after that. Adams finished with 3 catches for 110 yards.

Defensive Player of the Week: DE Tenarius Wright — Don’t get me wrong, DE Jake Bequette was impressive all night. But so was Wright. The redshirt freshman continues to improve and produced, arguably, the play of the game when he knocked the ball out of Jerrod Johnson’s hands. Jerry Franklin scooped it up and scored to give the Hogs a 21-10 lead. Wright finished with 1 sack and 2 forced fumbles.

Special Teams Player of the Week: P Dylan Breeding — You could count on one thing with Breeding in the first three games. Inconsistency. The freshman would boot a good punt, then shank one. But there weren’t any 9-yard punts Saturday. Breeding was consistent throughout, averaging 43.5 yards on his four attempts. His shortest was a 35-yarder. His best was a season-best, 54 yarder.

Good morning from NW Arkansas. The Morning News/Hawgs Illustrated crew had a late night, getting in from Dallas at about 1:30 a.m. But after getting some sleep, we’re back to work today to recap the Razorbacks’ 47-19 win over Texas A&M in Cowboys Stadium.

Let’s start with some links. Here are the stories we wrote from the press box in Arlington:

• Alex’s game story focuses on the offense rebounding from the Alabama loss to overwhelm the Aggies.

• I wrote a sidebar on Jerry Franklin’s 85-yard fumble recovery and how important it was in the game.

• Ryan Malashock explored Arkansas’ efforts to neutralize A&M’s Von Miller after his dominant start.

• Kurt Voigt covered a variety of things in notes, including DE Jake Bequette’s impressive performance.

Had to shift my attention to basketball yesterday afternoon, but haven’t forgotten there’s a little football game coming up tomorrow night in Razorback Stadium. I’m finishing up work for tomorrow’s paper, so you know what that means: There’s plenty of extra notes and quotes about the Georgia game that won’t make it in print.

So it’s time to clean out the notebook:

1. First up, got a little note from our interview with Arkansas safety Matt Harris on Monday. He was asked if the defense was a little disappointed they never got to face former Georgia QB Matt Stafford. Harris told us he did play against Stafford in high school.

“We’re both from the Dallas area,” Harris said. “I played him when he was at Highland Park. When I played him, he was a sophomore and I knew he was going to go to the NFL. I committed to Arkansas, he committed to Georgia that next year and I figured I might have another shot at him. I was one year off if he didn’t leave. It’s kind of disappointing, but to not play against a guy like Stafford does take a little pressure off of you.”

2. CB Rudell Crim has his first game as a Razorback under his belt. But Crim – a JUCO transfer – is getting ready for his first taste of SEC ball Saturday. I talked to Crim for a few minutes Wednesday and the last question I asked was this: Are you getting any sleep?

Apparently, he isn’t. There may be some visions of Georgia WR A.J. Green dancing in his head.

“It’s not easy to sleep, honestly,” Crim said. “You just have to try to stay humble to yourself and try to get as much rest as you can. Right now everybody is so excited and pumped up about this big first SEC game, conference game. It can be overwhelming but you have to force yourself to stay calm and get some sleep.”

3. Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said some funny things Wednesday. Like his “they don’t know who the hell I am” response to a question about whether he knew anyone on Georgia’s staff. But one thing that didn’t create a laugh is worth nothing. Robinson was asked what he thought was different about the ‘Dawgs offense in their second game. Short answer: Quick screens.

“Their run game hasn’t changed much, but their pass game became more accessible for their quarterback to be able to manage it,” Robinson said. “A lot of screens to a lot of different players. A lot of quick game. You can make explosive gains off of quick game. You’ve got to be able to tackle the catch. … The quick game, the screens, it made it so much easier for the quarterback to manage it.”

4. It didn’t really fit into anything I was writing, but Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was asked about Ryan Mallett on the SEC Teleconference on Wednesday. Specifically, he was asked if he could compare Mallett to any other quarterback he has coached.

“It’s hard to compare him because he’s so different,” Petrino said. “I’ve never coached a guy this tall before or a guy that has the arm strength that he has. I’ve been happy with his progress. He’s done a nice job. He’s a great student of game. He works extremely hard at it. Since he’s been here, he’s dropped from 265 pounds down to 238 so he’s really taken a lot of responsility in getting his body ready to play. And he came out and had a good game the first game.”

5. Well Rested vs. Battle Tested. It’s a topic we explored in a story we wrote earlier this week. Petrino was asked about it a little more on the teleconference Wednesday. Petrino said advantage Georgia. He said Arkansas must adjust quickly to the speed of the game.

“There’s a concern,” Petrino said. “When we see what we opened up with and the opponent that we played, we did play well. They’re not same quality teams as an Oklahoma State and a South Carolina. I think that gives Georgia the advantage in the fact that they’ve been in hard fought game and very fast and physical game. What we have to do is make sure we understand what getting ourselves into and we come out and be aggressive early and adjust to speed quickly.”

6. We know that Georgia has been impressive on the road in SEC games under Richt. Honestly, you can’t ask for anything more than a 24-4 record in an eight-year span. So why is Georgia so good in road games? Richt said it has to do with quarterback play.

“The one player who has to weather the storm is your quarterback,” Richt said. “Your defense doesn’t have to worry about it much. Not only handle noise and communication, but feeling if something goes a little bad the whole world is against him.”

Richt has had some pretty good ones in David Greene, D.J. Shockley and Stafford. How will Joe Cox fare?

7. A lot has been said about Green already. Clearly, the matchup with Arkansas’ DBs will be one to watch. But defensive end Jake Bequette said the defensive line will have plenty of responsibilities, too, knowing there’s a big-play threat outside.

“It gives us extra motivation to get back there because we know what an excellent player he is,” Bequette said. “It’s very obvious when you turn on the film who No. 8 is and what he can do. As defensive ends and defensive tackles, we’re going to have get back and put some pressure on No. 14.”

8. Finally, the last thing I’ll write is a quote I didn’t get to use from running back Michael Smith. Clearly, everybody realizes this is a big game for Arkansas’ season. Win this and the goal of winning every home game becomes more legitimate. Lose it and you just might have to be kicking and clawing to make sure you’re bowl eligible at the end of the year.

Smith was asked about his thoughts on Saturday’s stakes for the Razorbacks.

“If we’re going to have a big year we need to come out and win every game,” Smith said. “Making sure that we win every game. It starts right here with Georgia. There’s a lot riding on it. We have to make sure we come out and execute, we come out and compete, and most of all, just finish and come out with a win.”

I posted a Q&A with QB Ryan Mallett earlier this week and want to be fair to the defense.

So it’s time to post a Q&A with DE Jake Bequette.

The sophomore spoke to the media Wednesday’s practice about a variety of topics (including Arkansas’ run defense, Georgia’s offensive line, ESPN and its sideline reporter Erin Andrews). So here’s some of the highlights of his conversation with all of us.

Q: Coach Robinson said last year you got hit in the mouth and didn’t respond. What makes you feel like you’re ready and more able to respond this year?
A: “That’s the trademark of a good defense, being able to say next play, next play no matter what happens. I think that we gave up a couple big plays against Missouri State, but we were able to rally around ourselves and shut them out in the second half and that gave us a lot of momentum going into this week.”

Q: Georgia lost a starting tackle, but what does their line still look like?
A: He was their starter last year, but his replacement is a big, athletic guy. He played a lot last year. With Georgia, there’s going to be no drop off when it comes to replacements. We look at it as the same solid offensive lines before. We’re looking to play well against them.”

Q: Does a receiver like A.J. Green put pressure on a pass rusher to get to the quarterback?
A: It’s not really pressure, but it gives us extra motivation to get back there because we know what an excellent player he is. It’s very obvious when you turn on the film who No. 8 is and what he can do. As defensive ends and defensive tackles, we’re going to have get back and put some pressure on No. 14.”

Q: You got the off week in the second week, now you’ve got Georgia, Alabama, A&M, Florida, Auburn, does that help having an off week beforehand?
A: I don’t really know if it helps or hurts. It was kind of weird having a bye week so early in the season, but I think we’ve got a lot of stuff done last week that is really going to be beneficial late in the year. We got a lot of work in the weight room, it’s going to pay dividends later in the year. In the SEC, every game is a big game. We take it one week at a time.”

Q: In a way, do you feel like one of the last SEC teams to really get going this season?
A: I guess so. We took Missouri State very seriously. We didn’t look at that as a preseason game. But it definitely starts on Saturday.”

Q: Can the defense stop the run?
A: “It’s a challenge. We definitely were not very good against the run last year. Until we prove otherwise, that’s going to be our reputation. We just want to go out and first and foremost, stop the run. Hopefully we can get off to a good start.”

Q: How much more amped up do you get because you’re on ESPN?
A: Well, I’m not going to lie. It really does help. National TV is like none other. It’s going to be a great environment here. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Q: Is (ESPN’s) Erin Andrews on the sideline a positive or a distraction?
A: “I hope it’s not a distraction. I’m going to have to keep my eyes focused on the field and not her.”

Wednesday is defensive day, so we just got done talking to defensive coordinator Willy Robinson and his group after practice.

The most interesting thing Robinson said came at the end of his six-minute press conference, when asked what he would tell his players before they leave the locker room and head to the field when they play Georgia on Saturday. His response:

“Play relentless for 60 minutes,” Robinson said. “This is a game for men. If we get punched in the mouth it will be interesting to see how we respond. We got punched in the mouth early last year and we didn’t respond very well at the beginning of the season. We’ve got to be the hammer. Let’s go get these guys. It’s still a game of fun and who is going to make who say, ‘Ouch,’ first.”

Good stuff from Willy. I asked defensive end Jake Bequette about getting hit in the mouth a few minutes later and he believes the Razorbacks are much more capable of putting a big play in the past and moving on to the next.

“That’s the trademark of a good defense, being able to say, ‘Next play. Next play,’ no matter what happens,” Bequette said. “I think that we gave up a couple big plays against Missouri State, but we were able to rally aorund ourselves and shut them out in the second half.”

A couple more things worth mentioning from practice:

• Robinson was also asked about Arkansas’ run defense and said it’s too early to tell if they can stop the run this season. But Arkansas will find out starting with Saturday’s game. “We fit our gaps a lot better, but I still don’t think you can take that first game as a barometer yet. I think this game is a benchmark for us to find out if we can do that or not.”

• Georgia QB Joe Cox has had an up-and-down start under center, but Robinson said he’s impressed by the senior so far. “He’s not the biggest guy in the world. He’s not the most accurate guy in the world. But the youngster just competes and he goes to the end.”

• Safety Elton Ford, who missed the opener with an ankle injury, has practiced the past two weeks. Robinson was asked if Ford was ready for the game. His response: “If they’re out there dressed, they’re practicing. So they’re getting reps. It’s a matter of what goes on in the game whether they play or not. That’s all of them.”

• Perhaps Robinson’s funniest quote came when he was asked if he knew anybody on Georgia’s staff. Short answer: Nope. But Robinson had more to say than just no. “I have no idea who they are. I only know Coach (Mark) Richt. I don’t know him, I just know him by name. I don’t know who those guys are. They don’t know who the hell I am.”

Just got back to the office after Arkansas’ game week press conference.

Paul Petrino was filling in for Bobby Petrino, who was down in Little Rock speaking to the Touchdown Club. We also got a chance to catch up with RB Michael Smith, QB Ryan Mallett and DE Jake Bequette. Lots to go over. So let’s just get to it:

• Arkansas remembers all too well what happened last year, when they survived a big scare in the 28-24 win against Western Illinois in the opener. Bequette said “no one wants a repeat performance of last year.” He said the Razorbacks are well ahead of where they were last year, but that “kind of a game will leave an impression in your mind for a long time.”

• Smith said he doesn’t know how many carries he’s getting in the opener. He doesn’t know if Bobby Petrino knows how many times he’ll touch it. But Smith is fine with it. With so many backs, Smith said he’s “looking forward to not being exhausted in the fourth quarter or having to get an IV at halftime.” I would look forward to not haing a halftime IV, too.

• The depth chart showed that sophomore De’Anthony Curtis is listed as Arkansas’ second-team fullback. Petrino said Curtis has done a nice job there in fall camp, has done a nice job blocking, and catching the ball out of the backfield. The Razorbacks have some personnel groups where Curtis will line up at tailback, others where he’ll be at fullback.

• Arkansas’ defense apparently had a pretty good scrimmage on Friday night. It was pointed out several times today. Bequette said coaches told them it was “one of our best defensive performances since they’ve been here.” Bequette said the group played with more energy and it went well. Good sign? Maybe. We’ll have to wait til Saturday.

• Paul Petrino said WR Joe Adams is doing just fine and is expected to practice this afternoon. Adams missed time last week with a hamstring injury, but Petrino said he probably could’ve scrimmaged last Friday. Adams is listed as the starter at the ‘W’ spot.

• Team chemistry was talked about a lot today. Petrino said it is “100 times better” than it was last season. He thinks this team is closer and really likes the chemistry right now. Smith said there were some disgruntled players last year, who complained about practice. However, he said none of that exists now.

  After three days of practicing in the afternoon, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino decided to change it up by going at 9 a.m. today. And for the first time during preseason camp, Petrino had the team practice on the new synthetic surface inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

  Here is what we learned:

  Running back Knile Davis returned to practice today after missing the first three days because of the death of his father. The freshman took part in individual drills, but he was held out of team drills. It’s good to see him back after going through what I imagine was a rough week personally.

  Defensive end Jake Bequette continued to miss practice because of an apparent left arm injury. But the sophomore had a scare this morning when it looked like he overheated while doing conditioning exercises by walking the stadium steps. Arkansas athletic trainers had to put bags of ice on Bequette to try to cool him down, but after several minutes slumped on a bench, he was able to walk off on his own.

  While Bequette misses practice, junior Damario Ambrose is getting work with the first-team defense.

  Cornerback Ramon Broadway and safety Matt Harris said the new stadium surface is a lot faster than the grass that was torn up after spring practice. Harris said there’s a little bit more “bounce” in the field, and Broadway said the speed of the field is something he’ll have to get used to. But so far, they like it.

  Last night, I stopped by Bentonville High School to speak with Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino before he addressed a large room of fans at a local Razorback Club event.

  Petrino spoke for around 12 minutes to several media members, including myself. I didn’t get a chance to post his answers last night. I apologize for that, but here is the bulk of what he said.

  He discusses injuries, players who stood out during the spring, and of course the quarterback competition between Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson.

  Petrino said he has reviewed the film of Saturday’s Red-White Game, and that nearly all of the coaches had finished grading out the scrimmage.

  “You always see a lot more when you watch the video,” Petrino said. “I actually thought maybe we played a little bit better than we did during the game when you come back and watch the video.”

  Petrino said he saw some good individual performances, particularly from the first-team offensive line and defensive linemen Patrick Jones and Jake Bequette. Now the coaches move on to recruiting and evaluating the spring.

  “We’re actually going to have a big personnel meeting Wednesday morning, so we can get everything done and everything right,” Petrino said.

  Petrino didn’t give any details about the quarterback race. He’s expected to meet with the media on Thursday to wrap up the spring, and of course the quarterbacks will be the big topic of discussion.

  In the meantime, Petrino said the competition between Mallett and Wilson has shown that Arkansas has depth under center. 

  “It’s a great thing to have the depth there and the competition. It’s made them both better throughout the entire spring, and they’re both doing things well at times and both struggling at times in other area,” Petrino said. “I thought they both threw the ball well the other night. … They still have a lot to learn, a lot to learn execution wise, but it was great experience.”

  Finally, I asked Petrino if he expected any of the players who missed most or all of the spring because of injuries to not be ready by the start of preseason practice in early August.

  Here is a quick rundown of the walking wounded: running back Michael Smith (hamstring surgery), wide receiver Lucas Miller (torn anterior cruciate ligament), running back Brandon Barnett (broken tibia) and running back Knile Davis (broken ankle).

  And this is what Petrino said about the injured players heading into the fall.

  “I think we’ll all be ready. Definitely Michael Smith will. He went through pregame, he practiced individual (drills) the last week of spring ball,” Petrino said. “Lucas Miller is way ahead of schedule. He’s doing great. We kind of have to hold the reigns back on him, so he doesn’t develop some tendinitis.

  ”Both other running backs, Brandon Barnett and Knile Davis, knock on wood, but we’re told from the doctors that they should be ready to go barring any setback.”

  Well, there you go. Sorry it took me until this morning to get this posted.

Arkansas’ defense knows it got pushed around against South Carolina.

It was obvious to everyone else, too.

After all, it’s not often the SEC’s worst rushing offense is able to dictate play by pounding the ball down your throat. But that’s exactly what happened in the 34-21 loss.

She got physical. Will Arkansas?

So getting more physical has been the Razorbacks’ goal the past two weeks. It’s something they know will be necessary when they play Mississippi State on Saturday. In fact, Arkansas believes it is preparing to play one of its most physical opponents of the season.

“I’m thinking it’s going to be one of the most physical games that we’ve played all season,” linebacker Jerry Franklin said. “When you watch them on film, their offensive line gets South. They’ve got big backs and they run hard. They run downhill.”

Franklin is talking about Anthony Dixon (6-1, 240) and Christian Ducre (6-0, 222). Mississippi State hasn’t had much success on offense, but its intentions are clear: Find a way to get those two backs the chance to pound the ball between the tackles.

So Arkansas has been preparing itself for that.

“You go into every game thinking they’re going to try to establish the running game,” defensive end Jake Bequette said. “This week in practice and the bye week has really helped us. We really got back to the basics and just really a lot of hitting and a lot of physical work.”