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Tyler Wilson didn't hesitate to label Saturday's game against Mississippi a must win for No. 21 Arkansas.
For a change, Wilson's urgency - and the urgency of all the Razorbacks - has little to do with coach Houston Nutt, now in his third season with the Rebels after leaving Arkansas.
When Arkansas (4-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) hosts Ole Miss (3-3, 1-2), it will do so with a season once filled with high expectations hanging in the balance. Both of the Razorbacks' losses this season have come to teams ranked in the Top 10 (Alabama and Auburn), but the sting of a 65-43 loss to the Tigers last week is still fresh.
''It's a must-win situation at this point,'' said Wilson, the sophomore backup quarterback who threw for 332 yards last week after replacing injured starter Ryan Mallett. ''I think one win will propel us to another, so we'll definitely approach this week with a good mindset and move forward from there.''
Mallett, who suffered a concussion during the first half against Auburn, returned to practice on Tuesday and didn't miss any time this week. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said Thursday that Mallett has had ''zero headaches'' since the injury and the junior is expected to start against the Rebels, barring a setback.
''He's practiced well; his focus has been good,'' Petrino said.
Ole Miss has defeated the Razorbacks in each of the past two seasons, Nutt's first two games against his former team. It's a fact that isn't lost on the Arkansas upperclassmen who were recruited by Nutt.
Despite the lingering ties to their former coach, the Razorbacks downplayed the significance of Nutt's second trip back to Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Senior cornerback Ramon Broadway admitted emotions were higher than usual during his first return two years ago, a game which the Rebels won 23-21.
''It was really weird to see a guy who came and sat down in your living room and told you he wanted you at the University of Arkansas,'' Broadway said. ''And the next thing you know, he's on the other sideline, really trying to embarrass you with everything he can possibly do.''
However, Broadway said many of those emotions surrounding Nutt dulled before the Razorbacks traveled to Ole Miss last season, a game the Rebels won 30-17. With so many teammates who never played for Nutt, Broadway said he expects the bigger focus to be on regrouping from the Auburn loss.
That said, he hasn't shied away from reminding his teammates just how important he expects Nutt to treat the game.
''The third time is the charm,'' Broadway said. ''It's my last year, so I've got to beat him.''
For Ole Miss, Saturday is about continuing to play better after opening the season with home losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt.
Since then, the Rebels have rebounded behind senior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to defeat Fresno State and Kentucky. They played Alabama close in a 23-10 loss last week.
Nutt shrugged off his return to Arkansas while acknowledging the game does carry extra significance for some. He watched the Razorbacks struggle on defense last week against Auburn, but Arkansas did gain 566 yards in the loss - a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Nutt.
''What we have to do is do a good job of knowing who to block, be ready for their blitzes, run blitz, pass blitz and we've got to catch the ball,'' Nutt said. ''We've got to stay on the field.''
