Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

This week in the Notebook, we look at Florida's turnaround under Will Muschamp, as the Gators have a leg up on the rest of the SEC East with two road victories. Also, John L. Smith addressed some of the Razorbacks' struggles and changes this week. We look at some of the top performances from last Saturday and revise the power poll, sending Arkansas plummeting after the embarrassing loss at home to Alabama. (Truthfully, we could probably have a "With Tyler Wilson Poll" and a "Without Tyler Wilson Poll"; the Hogs need the senior quarterback this week against Rutgers, as Smith told the league's media on Wednesday.)

SECOND-HALF GATORS
Last year, in a disappointing first season at the helm of the Florida Gators, Will Muschamp saw his team unable to rally after trailing at the half in five games. With outstanding defensive talent, the biggest problem for the Gators was on offense, especially when veteran quarterback John Brantley was lost for the season and two freshmen shared the job.

However, one of those freshmen, Jeff Driskel, has steadily improved and taken control in leading the Gators to second-half comebacks at Texas A&M and Tennessee, two of the toughest places to play in the SEC. Driskel earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for last Saturday's performance as the 6-foot-4, 237-pound sophomore helped guide the Gators past Tennessee 37-20 in Knoxville.

Driskel completed 14 of 20 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 81 yards as Florida piled up 555 total yards, the most for the Gators in an SEC game since 2001.

Most important, Driskel directed a 27-point surge in the second half after Florida trailed the upstart Vols  14-10 at the half.

"We emphasized the fourth quarter and winning the second half because that turns out to be so important in our league. There are so many close games," Muschamp said on the SEC's coaches teleconference Wednesday.

While Muschamp will gladly take a 2-0 road start in the league, he reminded the media, "We're still just 2-0, not 4-0. It is what it is ... We talked to our guys [in the offseason] about starting fast, about getting ahead of the curve offensively. Our players did a great job reporting in August ready schematically ... No question our players approached the summer the right way and we've gotten the results we needed."

The back-to-back results have "been a nice shot of confidence" for Driskel, Muschamp said, as well as for the players around him. "They have the understanding of how he'll play that's not always there with a freshman. Now, everyone on our staff, everyone in our locker room expects him to play well, and he has."

FINGERS CROSSED
Arkansas Coach John L. Smith told the media that senior quarterback Tyler Wilson has returned to practice although he still hasn't been cleared to play Saturday night against Rutgers.

"We have at least been preparing like Tyler will be here," Smith said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed that he'll get cleared. With Tyler out there, just like yesterday, what a great spark he brought to our football team and our practice. When he's out there he's definitely the leader and the spokesman. Hopefully we can have him out there and ready to go."

Smith confirmed that a schedule of the entire 2012 season was torn down from the team's weight room this week, with only Rutgers left up where the schedule was affixed. Smith said senior linebacker Alonzo Highsmith tore the board down with the help of strength coach Jason Veltkampt.

"The kids are symbolically saying we're only looking at the Rutgers game," Smith saiid. "It's a great statement for [Highsmith] to make, that we don't want to be looking at any team but them."

Smith, quizzed about the performance of running back Knile Davis in the Hogs' first three games, said his struggles were a combination of Davis trying to return from sitting out a season with a broken ankle and needing more help from his blockers up front.