Lunney, Lashlee old pals

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. has a good relationship with several coaches on the Auburn staff, but especially offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, the former Shiloh Christian quarterback whose career at Arkansas was derailed by injury.

The two will get a chance to visit Saturday morning at Reynolds Razorback Stadium when Arkansas hosts the Tigers at 11 a.m.

" I recruited Rhett when he was in high school and I was coaching quarterbacks at Tulsa," Lunney said. "We tried to get him and ended up not getting him and he came here instead, but obviously I got to know him and his family during that time. I knew his family a little bit before then, but I got to know them more in depth and formed a relationship with them."

"I have a lot of respect for his family and for Rhett and the things he stands for and the way he carries himself.

Lashlee recalled his memories of Lunney earlier this week.

"I remember when I was really young watching him tear the state apart at Fort Smith Southside when he was playing for his dad," Lashlee said. "I watched him when I was young when he was playing for Arkansas.

"I believe he was the first [Arkansas] quarterback to beat Alabama. That was a big deal at the time. He had a really good career. He actually offered me my first scholarship when he was at the University of Tulsa. ... I know his dad really well. Great family. Great people."

Kerryon luggage

Auburn, which has had quarterback struggles through the first half of the season, has put the Wildcat formation to use with freshman running back Kerryon Johnson taking snaps.

Johnson has rushed for 107 yards, third-best on the team, and some of his carries have come from that formation.

"It's been productive for them in terms of efficient runs, and I'm sure there will be some aspect of it in our football game," Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "The thing they do is they run it out of a variety of different personnel groupings, so we've got to make sure that we can adjust to the formations they've shown in those groupings and get lined up and hopefully be gap sound when and if they do use it."

Hogs vs. Tigers

Auburn leads the all-time series against Arkansas 13-10-1, including an active two-game winning streak and a 6-4 mark in games at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The tie occurred in the first conference meeting between the programs, 24-24, at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium on Halloween in 1992. The road team has an 11-11-1 record in the series, including a stretch from 2002-2008 in which the road team won 6 of 7 games.

Return of Felix

Former two-time All-American Felix Jones will serve as the A-Club honorary captain for Arkansas' game Saturday.

Jones, a three-time All-SEC player and a Tulsa native, ranks third at Arkansas with 5,099 career all-purpose yards and seventh with 27 touchdowns. He is the SEC's all-time leader with a kickoff return average of 28.2 yards.

Jones was the first true freshman at Arkansas to earn All-America honors when he made the team as a kickoff returner with a 31.9-yard average in 2005. He was a consensus All-America choice as a kickoff returner his junior year, when he rushed for 1,162 yards and 11 touchdowns and led the country with an average of 9.1 yards per carry. He also rushed for 1,168 yards as a sophomore and teamed with Darren McFadden as the third SEC tandem to top 1,000 rushing yards that season.

Jones was selected with the No. 22 pick of the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft by Dallas and spent five seasons with the Cowboys before going on to the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Moore show

The Justin Moore concert tonight, which is part of the weekend festivities, has been moved to the Wal Mart AMP in Rogers because of the potential for rain. The show, which includes performances by Moore, Jon Pardi, the Brothers Osborne and others, will open its gates at 3:45 p.m.

Hog tempo?

Arkansas briefly tried an up-tempo approach in its 27-14 loss at Alabama two weeks ago as the Razorbacks looked for ways to keep drives alive.

"We were looking for a change," offensive coordinator Dan Enos said. "In the other five games we were moving the ball and doing things and we were liking the way we were going. Obviously against Alabama we were having trouble and we were just trying to change something. Change the tempo, change the picture that they were looking at and try create a spark a little bit. It's certainly in there if we need to use it."

Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said the Tigers have practiced for it and that it looks a little weird coming from the Hogs.

"When you're playing a no-huddle team, you're on the ball, whether it's fast or it's look back or whatever it is, but as long as they're on the ball, you're on the ball," Muschamp said. "As opposed to a team that's huddling, huddling and huddling and then they're sitting on the ball and you've got to be ready to go play. That's what's different. It's just a different sense of urgency."

Open hoops

Arkansas fans can attend a basketball-football doubleheader Saturday on campus.

The Arkansas men's basketball team will hold an open practice from 8:30 a.m. to 1o a.m. in Walton Arena, which leads right into kickoff time further up Razorback Road for the Auburn-Arkansas football game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The only access to Walton Arena will be at the atrium entrance on the building's south side.

What wrinkles?

Bret Bielema and Gus Malzahn have hinted this week that their arsenals for Saturday's game could include plays and packages the other team has yet to see.

"We always are trying to add things we think will hurt an opposing scheme on offense, defense," Bielema said. "I think during our bye week -- offensively, defensively, special teams -- you get a chance to continue to build on some things.

"We've practiced some things offensively that we've never shown. We've practiced things defensively and packages that we haven't shown."

Hog chalk

Arkansas' four losses have come against teams with a combined 22-4 record, and three of those losses have come against teams currently among the top 25.

The Razorbacks have lost to Toledo (6-0), Texas Tech (5-2), Alabama (6-1) and Texas A&M (5-1). Alabama beat Texas A&M 41-23 last week. Only Texas Tech is not in the top 25.

Ex-mates

Arkansas defensive end Jeremiah Ledbetter was teammates at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College with two current Auburn players, Kenny Flowers and Devonte Danzey.

Sports on 10/23/2015