RAZORBACKS REPORT: Apology accepted over Mizzou linebacker's comments about Arkansas

Missouri head coach Barry Odom, right, talks with a fan on the sideline before the start of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Missouri head coach Barry Odom, right, talks with a fan on the sideline before the start of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Missouri Coach Barry Odom got on the phone early Tuesday morning with Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema to extend an olive branch over the brash comments from junior linebacker Eric Beisel late Monday.

Beisel mispronounced Arkansas three times, questioned whether the Razorbacks really wanted to show up for the game on Friday and declared Missouri would "dominate" Arkansas during a seven-minute interview with local reporters.

Odom said Beisel wanted to get on the phone personally with Bielema to apologize for the provocative comments.

"Just with my schedule and his schedule, I said 'Hey, we fully accept and understand,' " Bielema said on Wednesday's SEC teleconference. "It's not the first time this has happened. I did tell Barry, I said, 'Hey, tell him that the Razorbacks accept the apology fully as long as he learns how to pronounce Arkansas.' It's something that strikes a chord with everybody here in the state. ... He agreed wholeheartedly, so I think it's water under the bridge and obviously a game gets played on Friday."

Odom spoke of the respect he has for Bielema and the Arkansas program on the teleconference, adding that he has relatives in Northwest Arkansas.

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"Obviously Eric and I have had a few conversations on this," Odom said. "It's not something I'm real interested in, making bold statements by anybody. ... Anyway, he said it. Can't get it back. We've apologized and that doesn't reflect our feelings, making statements like that."

Turkey meal

The Razorbacks are playing a day earlier this week, so Bret Bielema said the team's activities this week have been moved up a day accordingly.

Therefore Wednesday played the part of Thanksgiving Day for the Razorbacks.

"With that being said, since it's Thursday of Thanksgiving week, we're having a turkey dinner here at 3:15 after our meetings and after our practice," Bielema said. "Tomorrow will be our normal routine. We'll have our normal menu that we do the day before the game as well as the game. The only unusual one will be the one we have here today with family and administration and players that are here on campus."

Missouri Coach Barry Odom said the Tigers were also celebrating their Thanksgiving meal together on Wednesday.

Home folks

Missouri Coach Barry Odom said he has relatives living in Rogers who cheer for the Razorbacks but also have "plenty of Missouri gear."

Odom says he has traveled to Northwest Arkansas on many occasions to fish for trout and visit with different groups of relatives.

"I think when Mizzou and Arkansas aren't playing, they're cheering pretty hard for them, but I know who they're cheering for on Friday," Odom said. "If not, there's no Thanksgiving dinner for them, I know that."

Lock step

Missouri quarterback Drew Lock has made big strides this season under coordinator Josh Heupel after a rugged first year as a starter in 2015. Lock completed 49 percent of his passes (129 of 263) in 12 games last season for 1,332 yards, and he threw twice as many interceptions (8) as touchdown passes (4).

Lock, a 6-4, 220-pounder from Lee's Summit (Mo.) High, was thrown into the fray as a true freshman after Maty Mauk's suspension and ultimate dismissal. In the season finale in a cold rain at Arkansas, Lock was 9 of 27 for 83 yards and he was picked off by safety Josh Liddell.

Lock got off to a roaring start this season, with 1,508 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through four games, a robust average of 377 yards per game. Most of that damage was done against Eastern Michigan and Delaware State, but he also ripped Georgia for 376 yards and three touchdowns.

After a two-game lull in which he passed for 167 yards against LSU and 39 yards against Florida, with no touchdowns, 38 percent completions and three interceptions, Lock has rebounded.

He has passed for 1,417 yards and 8 touchdowns in the last five games.

"A lot of their passing game early on was RPO [run-pass option] stuff," Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "I think people have done some things to take away the RPO and that's maybe why some of the rush numbers have gone up. ... It's going to be on us to get the right amount of people in the box and stop the run, but still put guys in great position to defend the perimeter pass game as well."

Bowl projections

CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm would like to see Arkansas face Bret Bielema's alma mater in the postseason. Palm has consistently projected an Arkansas-Iowa matchup in the Music City Bowl the last several weeks, including in this, the final week of the regular season. The Music City Bowl will be played on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn.

ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and Brett McMurphy are both projecting Arkansas to face North Carolina in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 29 in Charlotte.

SI.com projects Arkansas to play Miami in the TaxSlayer Bowl (formerly the Gator Bowl) in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 31. FoxSports.com also projects Arkansas in the TaxSlayer Bowl, but against North Carolina.

Coat recommended

The projected high temperature for Columbia, Mo., on Friday is 52 degrees, according to the Weather Channel, with winds out of the northwest at about 10 mph. The temperature will begin dropping as the sun descends as it heads to an overnight low of 33 degrees. There is currently no predicted rainfall for the Arkansas-Missouri game.

Battle Line series

Missouri holds a 4-3 lead in the all-time series against Arkansas. The Razorbacks have played the Tigers, their permanent crossover opponent in the SEC East, fewer times than any other SEC team.

The Tigers lead the series 2-1 in games played in Columbia, Mo. Arkansas leads the series 1-0 in Fayetteville. Missouri won the only game in the series played in Little Rock (7-6 on Sept. 28, 1963), and the teams have split two bowl games, with Arkansas winning 27-14 in the 2003 Independence Bowl and Missouri winning 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl after the 2007 season.

Turnover talk

The needle didn't move on Arkansas' turnover margin figure after the Razorbacks and Mississippi State engaged in a turnover-free game last week.

Arkansas ranks No. 75 in the FBS with a minus 0.09 margin per game on 18 takeaways and 19 turnovers. The Razorbacks played one other turnover-free game.

Turnovers have been an issue for Missouri, which ranks No. 98 with a minus 0.36 margin on 18 takeaways and 22 giveaways.

Home boy

Grayson Gunter, playing his first college game in his home state, turned his first catch for the Razorbacks into a 29-yard gain midway through the first quarter at Mississippi State. The long gain for the Madison, Miss., native came on the first snap of Arkansas' third possession, and Rawleigh Williams broke through the line for a 42-yard touchdown on the next play.

"For Grayson to have that play over here ... I asked him on Friday, 'How many tickets did you get?' And I think he had 10 here, but he goes, 'Coach, all my family has tickets anyway,' " Coach Bret Bielema said.

"I just wanted to make sure they're wearing Razorback colors. But he's a great kid and to see him have that big play in the first quarter was huge. It was a fun day."

Said tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr., "To see Grayson ... catch his first career pass was great, and then it was just icing on the cake that it happened in his home state ... and against a school he probably grew up not really liking that much."

Gunter's father, Bubba, played at Ole Miss.

A Michigan thing

Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos praised and picked on offensive line coach Kurt Anderson this week.

"He's really, really sharp," Enos said. "He's a really bright guy. I shouldn't say this, being a Michigan State grad and he went to Michigan, but he's up there pretty good on the intelligence quotient.

"Sometimes I have to slow him down when he's telling me stuff. ... He's seen a lot of football for being a young guy."

Enos said he and Anderson have developed a great working relationship and that Anderson's ideas as a former NFL assistant in Buffalo have lent a lot to the Razorbacks' offensive game plans.

Hogs v. East

Arkansas has won its last three games against SEC East competition. The Razorbacks beat Tennessee 24-20 on the road and Missouri 28-3 in Fayetteville last season.

Arkansas extended its streak to 3-0 with a 31-10 rout of No. 11 Florida three weeks ago.

Call crew

The CBS crew working the Arkansas at Missouri game will be Brad Nessler on play by play, Gary Danielson as color analyst and John Schiffren as the sideline reporter. Missouri will be honoring 16 seniors during its season finale.

Sports on 11/24/2016

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