By Otis Kirk
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas is preparing for Saturday's game against Mississippi State with some distractions coming up, but are just doing the best they can to tend to the business at hand.
On Wednesday, Arkansas' athletic director Jeff Long was fired. That was news that caught some stunned, others happy and another group saddened by the events of the day. Arkansas defensive back Kevin Richardson took to Twitter to express support for Long and also talked to the media on Wednesday.
'He cares about everybody," Richardson said.
Can the uncertainty in the athletic department affect you guys as far as the final two games of the regular season, particularly this Saturday?
"Not really," Richardson said. "We have a game plan and we're going to go execute it regardless of what's going on with the administration. We're going to go out and play to the best of our ability. We love Jeff and Jeff loved the athletic program. We're going to go out and play to the best of our ability regardless of that situation."
Former Junction City standout Jamario Bell was injured in preseason and hasn't played yet. He's now at outside linebacker has fought back from his injury and is staying ready in case his number is called in these last two games.
“Just trying to get back where I was, just trying to focus on the smaller things, the smaller details," Bell said. “I’ve been working trying to get myself back, just trying to fight the fight I’m in. Just trying to get my self back. I’m ready to go.”
A player who has seen his number called more often of late is junior tight end Jeremy Patton. He has caught seven passes for 93 yards in the past two games. Patton is the only Razorback named to the Pro Football Focus SEC team of the week for his play against LSU when he grabbed four passes for 44 yards. Patton is another player who thinks this team can go out with a fight and make it to a bowl game.
"We're still trying to get everything going," Patton said. "We believe in our coaches. We believe in our system. We've shown flashes of what we can do in certain situations. We've just got to pull it together for four quarters and have that strain. We've got to play hard for four quarters without messing up.
"We've got to really pull it together for these last two games. We owe it to our seniors on this team who have put in the work for four and five years. We've got to."
Arkansas' inside linebackers coach is Vernon Hargreaves. He's in the middle of everything going on with the rumors of the future of Bret Bielema and Long's firing. How is practice going this week?
"It’s going good," Hargreaves said. "It’s going good, man. The guys are working like they always have. We have a great challenge this week, so they’re all up for it. (It’s) a great team coming in that played a great game last week and we’re looking forward to testing ourselves and seeing where we are."
Uncertainty around the program – can that affect things with players?
"I think if you let it, if you change what you’re doing, if you do different things or whatever it is," Hargreaves said.
"We’re staying the course, man. We’re doing what we do and practicing the same way we’ve always practiced and talking about the same things we’ve always talked about because there’s nothing you can change or do about it. It is what it is, so we just have to go about our business like we always do and expect to have success on Saturday."