Welcome to Oxford.

We’ve arrived to Ole Miss, and after eating some bread pudding and what I believe is pork, I’ve taken my seat in the press box of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Arkansas went through warm-ups a few minutes ago, and running back Michael Smith was taking part. The senior missed last week’s game at Florida because of a hamstring injury, and he was limited in practice this week.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said Smith would be a game-time decision, but the tailback appeared to be trying to get warmed up on the field. We’ll have to see if he’s able to play. If not, look for sophomore Dennis Johnson to get his second consecutive start.

Other than that, it’s pretty quiet. There are still plenty of seats available 14 minutes before the game. And unlike many of the Houston Nutt games I’ve covered over the years, there are no banners flying overhead.

Make sure to follow us on the blog and on Twitter (@NWAAlex and NWARobbie) for frequent updates during the game.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino spoke to the media for a few minutes following Thursday’s practice, which ended earlier than usual.

The biggest news to come out of Petrino’s news conference is that Arkansas running back Michael Smith (hamstring) was able to practice at full speed for the first time this week. The senior has made progress over the past few days, but Petrino indicated that Smith is still a game-time decision for Saturday’s showdown at Ole Miss.

“He was running full speed. He probably took 30 percent of the reps, which is a lot of reps for a running back,” Petrino said of Smith. “The thing will be how he responds to it and how is (Friday), whether it swells.

“This is really the first day he’s burst and went full speed. If nothing happens as far as his response to pushing it that hard, then he should be ready to go. If he has a setback, then he won’t be ready to go.”

Petrino said wide receiver Joe Adams, who has been sidelined since suffering a mild stroke, was able to get some limited work in during Thursday’s practice. Petrino said he should know more about the sophomore’s status after he meets with experts in Little Rock next week.

“He came out this week, and (the doctors) allowed him to run around on Tuesday. Wednesday they let him catch some balls. He didn’t do a whole lot out there today,” Petrino said of Adams. “I think he got to catch a few balls, but we don’t do as much individual work. He did some stuff on the sideline. He’s got a trip to Little Rock next week, and we’ll know more after he goes down there.”

That’s about the gist of it, but we’ll have plenty more in Friday’s newspaper and on the blog. And again, you can follow me on Twitter (@NWAAlex).

I just came back from watching the first few minutes of today’s practice. The Razorbacks are practicing inside their indoor facility because, well, why not? A few things stood out immediately.

Wide receiver Joe Adams appears to be making progress. He ran routes and caught passes with the rest of the receivers during position drills. That was more than the sophomore did Tuesday, when he mostly caught passes from a ball-throwing machine. Adams has missed the past two games because a mild stroke, and it’s uncertain when he’ll be able to return to the lineup. But at least he’s showing signs of improvement.

Meanwhile, fellow wide receiver Lucas Miller was back at practice after missing Tuesday for an undisclosed reason. A few yards away, running back Michael Smith took part in position drills with the rest of Arkansas’ tailbacks. Smith continues to be bothered by a hamstring injury, and his status for Saturday’s game at Ole Miss is up in the air.

Cornerback Rudell Crim wasn’t wearing a yellow, no-contact jersey at practice, a sign that he’s getting over whatever injury has been bothering him lately. And finally, reserve quarterback Brandon Mitchell – who recently had surgery for a hernia – was watching practice. The freshman wasn’t dressed out, but stood nearby in shorts and a T-shirt.

Well, that’s it for now. But check back later for more information after practice. Also, you can follow me on Twitter (@NWAAlex).

Lots and lots and lots of stuff to talk about after Tuesday’s practice. Offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and offensive players were available (well, most of them anyway — see below) and there was plenty to cover.

The biggest topic? WR Joe Adams return to practice.

Adams practiced on a limited basis for the first time since suffering the minor stroke the week of the Auburn game. He caught passes with other receivers off the machine at the start of the workout, then did some work with the trainers. Players also told us that Adams, apparently, caught some punts later in the workout when it was closed to the media.

Either way, the fact Adams was back in some capacity was good sign to the Razorbacks.

“It was kind of a start to his recovery I guess you could say,” receiver Jarius Wright said. “He has to start somewhere, so putting back on the pads coming out to practice with us today, it meant a real lot for the team.”

There’s still no timetable for Adams’ return to full speed at both practice and on gameday. Paul Petrino was asked about the potential for Adams’ return and said he’s not the guy to comment on that. However, Petrino said “I’m just happy to see him happy.”

“I hope every day that he’s going to be back,” Petrino said. “But more importantly, I just hope that he’s healthy and fine. So whenever they tell us he’s fine, I’ll be jumping up and down happy as can be. Until then, I just wish him the best and hope he keeps getting better.”

Let’s rundown a couple of other items of interest:

1. Alex Tejada spoke with the media for the first time since Saturday, when he missed two critical field goals in the 23-20 loss. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Tejada, but Alex Abrams did. Look for more from the kicker in tomorrow’s paper.

Tight end D.J. Williams did have a few things to say about Tejada, though. It includes a message to fans.

“That’s my boy,” Williams said. “I can’t understand how hard it could be for a kicker. Everybody says that’s what they do all day, but those are the people saying it. They’re in the stands watching it. They’re not out there doing it. He’s a great character kid. I know he’s going to bounce back. Hopefully we can get our fan support and not everybody bashing them because he is on our team and he’s a part of our family. Hopefully we can get our whole state to back him up and he’ll be just fine.”

2. RB Michael Smith was back on the practice field, but still limited to some extent. In fact, running backs coach Tim Horton said he doubted Smith would’ve been able to play if Tuesday had been Saturday. Smith wasn’t available for comment today to tell us how he’s feeling. But Arkansas will continue to monitor his progress on a day-to-day basis the rest of the week.

3. Paul Petrino said the Razorbacks continue to work hard on their third-down success. Arkansas was 2 of 13 at Florida. The Hogs are 20 of 76 (26.3 percent) this season, which ranks 116th in the nation.

“It’s something we always work hard on, we’ve always game planned,” Petrino said. “We’ve always taken great pride in being real good at it. It’s just something that right now we’re not as good as we need to be and hopefully it will be our coming out week and we light it up on third down.”

Make sure you check out RazorbackCentral.com for more in tomorrow’s paper.

We just returned to the media room after watching the portion of practice open to the media.

There’s a couple of things worth mentioning:

• RB Michael Smith is out on the field practicing after missing Saturday’s game with the hamstring injury. Smith was out on the field last week, but looks much closer to full speed now than he did preparing for Florida. We saw him get in the mix in some early blocking drills for the running backs. I don’t think he did anything like that last week.

• Another return – of sorts — for the offense. WR Joe Adams is in his helment and pads today. Adams wasn’t doing anything on the field. He was catching passes off to the side and working with a member of the training staff. But it was a good sign for the sophomore, who is trying to bounce back after suffering a minor stroke the week of the Auburn game.

• A few more tidbits — 1. CB Rudell Crim is wearing a yellow, non-contact jersey out on the practice field today. Not sure what the exact injury is, but I didn’t see him sit out any of the open portion of the practice. 2. I did not see WR Lucas Miller out there. I know Miller collided with receiver Cobi Hamilton on crossing routes late in the first half, but he did play after that. Not sure what is wrong, if anything, right now. 3. RB Dennis Johnson is practicing after missing the final minutes of the Florida game after having his bell rung. He seems fine.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino and several players finished answering questions from the media a few minutes ago. And while they all admitted how tough last week’s 23-20 loss to second-ranked Florida was to swallow, they’re anxious to move on and prepare for Saturday’s much anticipated game at Ole Miss.

Here’s what we learned from today’s news conferences:

-Petrino said he doesn’t have any other options at kicker other than Alex Tejada, who had two costly missed field-goal attempts in the second half of the Florida loss. Petrino said the former Springdale High star simply has to boot the football through the uprights. It’s as simple as that. It appears the Razorbacks are going to live or die by Tejada, who has been shaky during his time at Arkansas.

-Petrino said there’s really nothing Arkansas can do about some of questionable officiating in Florida. He said the team submits questionable calls to the SEC’s office on a seemingly weekly basis, but there’s no recourse that can come from that. Petrino seemed hesitant to talk about the officiating because, of course, it can never go well for a coach. But he said he was disappointed that an offensive pass interference penalty wasn’t called against Florida when wide receiver Riley Cooper appeared to take out cornerback Andru Stewart in the end zone.

-Petrino said running back Michael Smith is improving, but he won’t know more about the senior’s status until tonight. Smith missed the Florida game with a hamstring injury, allowing sophomore Dennis Johnson to get the bulk of the carries. Johnson wasn’t able to finish the game because he took a hit to the head, but he should be fine. Finally, Petrino said there’s hope that wide receiver Joe Adams could return this season, but he’s just not sure. The sophomore has been sidelined since suffering what was described as a minor stroke.

There’s the Cliff Note version of what was said. I’ll have more in Tuesday’s newspaper, as well as perhaps on the blog and/or Twitter (@NWAAlex).

Usually, my notebook is loaded with football leftovers. But this hasn’t been a normal week.

Basketball duty pulled me away from football practice on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Alex Abrams was there for the entire week, but it has left me searching for some leftover stuff worth sharing here on the blog. The good news? I think I found some.

• We all know that Arkansas running back Michael Smith will be a gametime decision before of his hamstring injury. It’s a situation Florida has been keeping track of, apparently. Florida coach Urban Meyer said earlier this week the Gators are paying attention to Smith, especially since he played so well against the Florida defense last season.

“I guess he’s got a little hamstring injury that we’re keeping an eye on because that’s how much respect we have,” Meyer said. “He ripped us apart last year. I’d never really heard of him until we played him, and I saw firsthand a hard guy to tackle, has great acceleration through the hole. They’re a big zone running team, and he’s perfect for it. No, we think he’s one of the top five backs in the league, no question.”

• Remember what Arkansas did with its punt return team last week? The Razorbacks dropped both Jerell Norton and Michael Smith back deep to catch the ball the entire game. Well, I asked John L. Smith about it on Wednesday night and he said it was something the Razorbacks came up with because of what the Tigers did. Auburn’s punter shaded the ball to the side and was getting extra yards on the roll.

“If we can eliminate the 10-, 20- and 15-yard rolls, then that’s going to save us and make us a lot of ground,” Smith said. “I told them our goal this week for us is to not let a ball hit the ground and we did that. Even though it doesn’t show in the stat as a 10-yard return or whatever, it shows up.”

No word on if the Razorbacks will try the same thing Saturday. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

• Arkansas LB Jerico Nelson has gotten plenty of publicity this week. And he deserves it, too, after his performance against Auburn. But there’s another reason for Arkansas’ defensive resurgence the past couple weeks. S Elton Ford has been back in the lineup and playing well. Defensive coordinator Willy Robinson was asked about Ford on Wednesday night.

“I think he’s done a great job tackling,” Robinson said. “There’s still some liability with him in pass coverage. But I think he’s doing a great job of tackling the catch, showing up on the run. He’s starting to stay on his feet when he tackles and great tacklers do do that. They stay on their feet when they tackle. That’s something he’s made great strides in since these last two games as opposed to the last couple of games he played”

• It doesn’t really need to be said that Robinson and the Razorbacks have plenty of respect for Florida QB Tim Tebow. Who doesn’t, right? Well, here’s what Robinson had to say about Tebow and the way he leads the Gators’ offense even after the concussion.

“He runs that offense and he loves being the leader of that offense,” Robinson said. “So regardless of his injury or what it once was, he’s still going to be that competitor. So even though they might say, handoff, or be cautious here, that’s not part of his nature. His nature is to compete and compete and compete until the final bell.”

• Arkansas WR Greg Childs has really played well this season. His performance against Auburn was even more important because the Razorbacks were without Joe Adams and Jarius Wright. Childs will be needed once again against Florida. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino explained how much confidence Childs has and how important he will be against the Gators.

“Childs right now, he’s begging guys to come up and press him,” Petrino said. “That’s how you want it. You want to have that type of confidence. Come on and play me man and I’ll get the opportunity to make plays. More times than not he’s made the play and we’ve been pretty accurate with the throws. It balances out and opens up your run game. That’s kind of the balance you see. When you run the ball better, you can throw it better. When you can beat man coverage and beat one-on-one coverage, then that allows you to be able to run the ball better because they have to get out of the man coverage.”

• Finally, how does Arkansas feel about playing the No. 1 team on the road? The Razorbacks are looking forward to it, of course. Here is QB Ryan Mallett’s take from Monday’s press conference.

“I mean, there’s always a little bit extra when you’re playing a ranked team, getting ready to prepare for it,” Mallett said. “And then coming in No. 1 and playing the No. 1 team, it’s a big deal for our program. We need to go out there and come home with a win.”

If all goes as planned, this will be the last you hear from me today. I’m hoping to take the rest of the day off after a busy, two-sport week.

If that’s the case, I’ll check back in with you from Gainesville, Fla., tomorrow.

Make sure you follow us here on the Blog and also on Twitter (@NWARobbie, @NWAAlex and @NWAOnlineHogs)

Arkansas wrapped up its week of preparations for Saturday’s game at top-ranked Florida. There was quite of bit of news to come out of Thursday’s practice.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said running back Michael Smith (hamstring) is a game-time decision. The senior has continued to practice this week, but he’s been limited because of the injury suffered in last week’s win over Auburn.

“Michael got out there today and did some work. Right now, I’d say it’ll probably be a game-time decision,” Petrino said. “But I’m encouraged in the fact that he did get some work yesterday and more today.”

Petrino didn’t want to say who would start at tailback if Smith is unable to go against the Gators. However, Petrino said wide receiver Jarius Wright (concussion) has looked good in practice and has shown no “ill effects” from the head injury. Expect Wright to play.

Petrino said freshman quarterback Brandon Mitchell, who hasn’t played this season, will be sidelined for awhile with what’s believed to be an inguinal hernia. In the meantime, redshirt freshman Jim Youngblood is working at both quarterback and tight end.

“He’s been able to do both,” Petrino said of Youngblood.

Finally, Petrino said wide receiver Joe Adams will make the trip to Florida, even though he’s out indefinitely with what’s being called a mild stroke.

There wasn’t much news out of Arkansas’ practice tonight. But we can still find three things worth talking about, right?

Of course. So here we go.

• Injury updates: RB Michael Smith was on the field again Wednesday, but didn’t do much in the portion of practice open to the media. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said earlier Wednesday that the hope was that Smith could do more in practice. Maybe he did after we left. WR Jarius Wright was on the field practicing, but did wear a yellow, non-contact jersey. Wright was running well and should be ready. Another guy that was dinged up Saturday, S Elton Ford, was on the field Wednesday and said he’s doing fine. Ford hurt his ankle when teammate Matt Harris collided with him in the second half. Ford missed some time, but did return to the field later.

• Tim Tebow talk: Since it was defensive day, plenty was said about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. The Razorbacks will get their second crack at trying to beat the Tebow-led Gators, but know it’s a big, big challenge. Defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said no matter what happened to Tebow at Kentucky, the quarterback’s game won’t change. “His nature is to compete and compete and compete until the final bell.” Robinson, who typically refers to players by their numbers, said Tebow has his respect, too. “He’s No. 15, but with great respect. I know who the young man is. He’s a fabulous football player. I admire the heck out of him. I think we all do.”

• Jerico Nelson a hot topic: LB Jerico Nelson was a popular guy, doing plenty of interviews after his 10-tackle performance against Auburn. We’ll have a feature on Nelson in tomorrow’s paper, but here’s a good quote from Willy Robinson on the sophomore’s big hit against Auburn: “He’s one of those guys that, all of a sudden, you say, ‘Woah,’ to after he’s hit you. That play that he made on saturday, it ignited us on defense.” And here’s one more from position coach, John L. Smith. “After you watch Jerico and you watch his work ethic and you watch him work out a little bit, pretty soon, it doesn’t take you long to say, ‘Yeah, we can find a spot for this guy in a lot of places because he’s got a great attitude and a great work ethic.’ He just goes to the field and gives you what he has.”

Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino spoke following Tuesday’s practice, and naturally several questions were about three of his top offensive weapons – running back Michael Smith (hamstring) and wide receivers Joe Adams (mild stroke) and Jarius Wright (concussion).

Smith and Wright took part in Tuesday’s practice, and neither of them showed any signs that won’t be able to play Saturday at top-ranked Florida. Still, Petrino said it’s day-to-day with both players.

“They moved around good. It was good to see them out there, good to see them dressed out and I think it’s just a day-to-day thing,” Petrino said. “But they look good.”

Adams’ status is a bit more complicated. The sophomore has been sidelined since suffering what Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has described as a “mild concussion.”

Adams attended Tuesday’s practice, wearing his jersey and shorts while watching his fellow wide receivers catch passes. During position drills, he stood a few yards off the line of scrimmage to mimic a defensive back.

“His spirits are good. Joe’s a great kid,” Petrino said. “He really cares about his team and about his teammates, and he just likes to be around and helping them out. And his spirits seem real good, real upbeat, and it’s great just to have him out there and be around everybody.”