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Joe Adams didn't hear the boos raining down from the War Memorial Stadium crowd last week when the first New Mexico punt sailed out of bounds. The Arkansas punt returner didn't hear them when the second one went out of play, either.
Adams was too busy pleading with Lobos to give him at least run returnable kick, but they wouldn't have any part of it.
''They were just laughing and saying they weren't going to punt to me,'' Adams said.
Such is the life for the Arkansas senior these days. Return one punt for a touchdown and teams are aware of you. Return two in the same game - as Adams did in the season opener against Missouri State - and teams flat-out avoid you.
It's a strategy that Troy special teams coach Shayne Wasden saw New Mexico use last week, one he hopes to implement when the Trojans (0-1) travel to face the No. 14 Razorbacks (2-0) on Saturday.
''We'd like to be able to do that,'' Wasden said. ''We'd like to be able to keep it away from them if we can. I don't know if we can, but we'd certainly like to keep it out of their hands if we're able to do that.''
The plan worked for New Mexico, whose punter Ben Skaer allowed Adams to field only one punt - a kick near the sideline that Adams could only catch before stepping out of bounds for a 1-yard loss.
The only problem for the Lobos was that Adams is far from the only factor Arkansas has shown in the return game this season. For all of New Mexico's effort in defending punt returns, Razorbacks freshman Marquel Wade added to the special play of Arkansas' special teams this season when he returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.
It was the third return for a touchdown this season for the Razorbacks, who lead the Southeastern Conference in kickoff return average (40.7) and are second in punt return average (17.3).
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said what Adams and Wade have shown so far on returns has an impact on games, even when teams kick the ball out of bounds.
''Even if we don't get to touch the ball and they kick it out of bounds and it's a 32 (yard) net,'' Petrino said. ''We win the battle there.''
Adams' ability as a receiver was well known before this season. He entered the season ninth in career touchdown catches at Arkansas with 14 and 11th in catches with 110.
Adams' impact on the return game began to show itself last season, particularly when he returned a punt 97 yards for a touchdown against Mississippi.
Wade, on the other hand, has been somewhat of a surprise - even to himself. After signing with the Razorbacks out of high school, Wade attended prep school last season. He enrolled at Arkansas during the spring and quickly impressed the coaches with his speed and agility.
Wade's also shown the ability to block on returns - such as when he freed Adams three times during the first of his two returns for touchdowns in the opener. And as the big plays have continued to pile up, Wade's confidence has grown.
He guaranteed Arkansas special teams coach John L. Smith a touchdown during the game against New Mexico, and he plans on more promises the rest of the season.
''Every game of the season,'' Wade said. ''There's always guarantees.''
The Razorbacks expect to get another factor in the return game back this week when junior Dennis Johnson returns from a preseason hamstring injury. Johnson is the SEC's active leader in total return yards with 2,014.
While it's not clear if Johnson will be quite ready to return to the return game, his presence only adds to Arkansas' big-play ability.
It also likely adds up to more boos from the home crowd and punt out of bounds, something Smith fully expects.
''We want those guys to catch the ball, but you have to understand that's gonna happen and people are probably not going to kick to those guys,'' Smith said. ''At least some people are not going to kick to those guys.
''We just have to make fear what we're going to do when we do catch it.''
