Razorbacks football report

outbreak on campus that featured nine confirmed cases by the Arkansas Department of Health earlier this week.

“This is one of those weeks you wish you had a normal week,” Lunney said on Tuesday. “One day could make a difference here as far as his ability to help us on game day, but we still have several days left before we get to that point. We’re holding out hope that he gets to the point where he’s ready to go with us.”

Arkansas quarterbacks KJ Jefferson and Nick Starkel are both questionable after entering the week on concussion protocol. Linebacker Deon Edwards, who did not travel to LSU, is also questionable with an unspecified illness.

For Missouri, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (shoulder) is expected to play after missing last week’s 24-20 home loss to Tennessee, while cornerback DeMarkus Acy is day to day with a hamstring injury and cornerback Jarvis Ware was expected to return from an above-the-shoulder injury last week.

Tigers wide receiver Johnathon Johnson is questionable after missing the last three games with a shoulder injury.

Turkey Day plan

The Razorbacks practiced earlier than normal on Wednesday to allow the players not on the 70-man travel squad a little extra time to make it home for Thanksgiving.

“We’re going to have Thanksgiving lunch here with all of our families and our players,” interim Coach Barry Lunney Jr. said. “Then we’re going to load up and go to Little Rock.”

Deuces wild

Arkansas junior safety Kam Curl, who wears jersey No. 2, has a packed stat sheet with twos in a lot of categories.

Curl, who led the team in tackling earlier this season, is currently third with 76 stops behind linebackers De’Jon Harris (90) and Bumper Pool (81).

Curl’s rip-away forced fumble and recovery against LSU wideout Ja’Marr Chase last week was his second such play of the season, joining a 69-yard forced fumble and scoop-and-score against Ole Miss tight end Octavious Cooley in Week 2.

Curl has two each in sacks, interceptions (for 22 yards in returns, of course), pass breakups, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries.

Tucker tout

Missouri kicker Tucker McCann is nearing significant milestones in what has been mostly a banner senior season.

McCann needs 11 points to become Missouri’s all-time leading scorer. He is currently in third place with 352 points, trailing fellow kickers Jeff Wolfert (362 points, 2006-08) and Andrew Baggett (355, 2012-15).

McCannbecame the first kicker/ punter this century to post three made field goals of 40-plus yards and four punts of 50-plus yards in the same game when he did it in a 50-0 victory over Southeast Missouri State this season.

2 of 18

LSU has gone three and out on just 18 of its 137 offensive possessions, but Arkansas can take credit for two of those. The Razorbacks held for three and outs on the Tigers’ second series and their last series among 12 possessions on Saturday.

Alumnus Barrys

The Razorbacks and Tigers both have former players as head coaches, with Barry Lunney Jr. directing Arkansas and Barry Odom coaching Missouri.

Arkansas has not played in a game with that same connection since 2007, when Houston Nutt and the Razorbacks fell 34-13 at Tennessee, which was coached by former Volunteer Phillip Fulmer.

Nearing 500

Treylon Burks had three catches for 80 yards at LSU and now has team-high 469 receiving yards for the Razorbacks. It’s the most receiving yards by a true freshman at Arkansas since 2004 Marcus Monk notched 569 yards in 2004.

Second ‘Rock’

Missouri leads the short-lived series with the Razorbacks by a 7-3 count. The teams will play in Little Rock for the second time on Friday, with Missouri holding a 1-0 edge in Arkansas’ capital city.

The Tigers notched a 7-6 upset of the No. 8 Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium on Sept. 28, 1963.

Since the Battle Line Rivalry was created in 2014 with an annual meeting on Thanksgiving weekend, the Tigers hold a 4-1 advantage as an SEC member.

The Razorbacks three wins: 7-6 in Columbia, Mo., on Sept. 23, 1944; 27-14 at the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 31, 2003; and 28-3 on Nov. 27, 2015 in Fayetteville.

The teams have split two bowl games, with Arkansas winning in 2003 and No. 7 Missouri lashing the Hogs 38-7 at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 2008, in Reggie Herring’s lone game as the Arkansas interim coach.

13 in a row

Missouri has turned its last 13 interceptions into touchdowns, including an FBS-best four pick six returns this year.

The streak dates back to last season after a 76-yard interception return by cornerback DeMarkus Acy in a road win at Tennessee set up an offensive touchdown.

The Tigers have a jaw-dropping 266 return yards on their eight interceptions, an average of 33.3 yards per return.

Missouri’s pick six defensive scores came in four consecutive games early this season. Linebacker Nick Bolton had a 20-yard interception return touchdown in a 38-7 win over West Virginia; linebacker Cale Garrett had a 27-yard pick six in a 50-0 win over Southeast Missouri; safety Ronnell Perkins had a 100-yard interception return touchdown in a 34-14 win over South Carolina; and Garrett had a 33-yard scoring return in a 42-10 win over Troy.

The Tigers have not posted an interception in their last three games.

Common opponents

The Razorbacks and Tigers have played two common opponents this season in Ole Miss and Kentucky.

Missouri went 1-1 against those teams, with a 38-27 victory over Ole Miss at homecoming on Oct. 12, and a 29-7 loss at Kentucky on Oct. 26.

The Razorbacks are 0-2 against those teams. Arkansas fell 31-17 at Ole Miss in its conference opener and dropped a 24-20 decision at Kentucky on Oct. 12.

White catches on

John David White, a freshman walk-on receiver from Pulaski Academy, made his first two career catches for 27 yards at LSU on Saturday.

“Man, I couldn’t be prouder of John David White,” Coach Barry Lunney said. “He epitomizes what it means to have Razorback spirit and legacy, and we can’t get enough of guys like that.”

White’s father, David, played golf at Arkansas and his great grandfather, Harold “Greasy” Rees played football for the Razorbacks, as did his grandfather, John Rees, and his uncle, John Aaron Rees.

Tackle gap

Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton leads Missouri with 98 tackles, more than twice as many as any of his teammates. Safeties Joshuah Bledsoe and Tyree Gillespie are tied for second on the team with 45 tackles each.

Linebacker Cale Garrett, who was lost for the season during the Tigers’ fifth game, a 42-10 win over Troy, is still fourth on the club with his 43 tackles. Missouri is 1-5 since Garrett suffered a torn pectoral tendon injury. Garrett had two defensive touchdowns in a three-week span during the Tigers’ 4-1 start.