Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

FAYETTEVILLE — OK, the new Razorback season starts now. The slate is 0-0 from this point. John L. Smith has won us over with the positive, "Smile" aporoach. We're not looking back on a stunning loss to Louisiana-Monroe followed by a home-field blasting at the hands of No. 1 Alabama.

It all starts anew this evening at Reynolds Razorback Stadium against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights of the Big East Conference. Rutgers is more than happy with the way its season has started: 3-0 and fresh off a road win at South Florida on national TV, 23-13.

Arkansas welcomes starting quarterback and team spokesman Tyler Wilson back after a week on the sidelines because of a concussion suffered against ULM. Without Wilson, the Hogs were abysmal offensively against Alabama in a 52-0 loss, but we're not looking back at that anymore.

And, if the pregame warmups are an indicator, the Razorbacks will wear new white helmets with a hog you can barely make out from this far away in the press conference, and the white bleeds into silver on the back of the helmet. The helmet does not match the Hogs' white pants. As veteran reporter Nate Allen just quipped to me, "they haven't looked like Razorbacks anyway so why should it matter that they wear white helmets."

Arkansas hasn't worn white helmets since the early 1950s, when Otis Douglas was losing as the head coach. They've worn red for 58 straight years.

Rutgers also has modernized uniforms with silver helmets and a little bit of scarlet in their uniforms. Don't you love it when Nike takes over a teams' uniforms.

In the end tonight the uniforms aren't going to matter. What will decide the out come is whether Arkansas' beleaguered defense can slow down Rutgers' running game and 5-8, 200-pounder Jawan Jamison. If the Hogs have to commit too much to the run defense, will that make them susceptible to Gary Nova's passing or the receiving of 6-6 Brandon Coleman, 6- 4 Tim Wright or 6-3 Mark Harrison.

Word is Arkansas will be without starting corner Darius Winston. The Hogs also realized the Tenarius Wright to linebacker experiment was a failure twofold, in that Wright couldn't adapt but that it also hurt their end play where Wright was so strong, so he'll play defensive end again and, it's hoped by the Hogs, boost the pass rush.

The Hogs need running back Knile Davis to return to 2010 form, but they also need the line and the backs in protection to keep the rush off Tyler Wilson. He doesn't deserve the pounding he's taken so far, and that's pretty much all on the protection up front.

We'll see also how the Hogs reaction to Wilson's calling some of them out for their lack of effort at times in last week's loss. But we're also not looking back at that.

Join in with the live blog. Feel free to comment in the comment section, or send me an email @jharris@abpg.com and get in on the discussion. Let us know how the coverage is on ESPNU.

If you're reading the blog post-game, note that entries are in reverse chronological order and start at the bottom. Let's get started:

10:04 p.m. 35-26 Rutgers, final — For the second time in three weeks, a Razorback nonconference opponent rolled up 500-plus yards of total offense. Rutgers had 525 total yards (ULM had 550 in Little Rock), including 397 through the air in stealing out of Fayetteville with a big win for the Big East.