Arkansas tries to avoid letdown against SE Missouri St.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Reggie Herring was fired up, as usual.<br> <br> ``At some point in time, we&#39;ve got to start acting like a ranked team,&#39;&#39; Arkansas&#39; defensive coordinator said after practice earlier this week. ``And a ranked team takes care of business.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The No. 17 Razorbacks host Southeast Missouri State on Saturday in their first game since entering the Top 25. Before upsetting then-No. 2 Auburn last weekend, Arkansas hadn&#39;t been ranked since 2003.<br> <br> That victory changed the outlook of the entire season the Razorbacks now have a legitimate chance to make it to the Southeastern Conference title game. But first, coaches had a clear message for the team: No letdowns this week against the Division I-AA Redhawks.<br> <br> ``That&#39;s one of the first things we talked about,&#39;&#39; coach Houston Nutt said. ``For the last three or four or five weeks, we&#39;ve been really fighting for our lives. The reason we got to this point is because we had great work ethic, great focus. And good teams continue to focus.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Arkansas (4-1) has bounced back after losing 50-14 to Southern California in the season opener. The Razorbacks appear headed to the postseason after two straight years without a bowl. But September was a tense month that included a 21-19 win at Vanderbilt and a 24-23, double-overtime victory over Alabama.<br> <br> Now the Razorbacks have three straight home games homecoming day Saturday, then matchups with Ole Miss and Louisiana-Monroe. The schedule appears to be easing up for the immediate future, but the demanding Herring isn&#39;t taking anything for granted.<br> <br> ``We&#39;ve always played down to lesser competition&#39;s level,&#39;&#39; Herring said.<br> <br> The Razorbacks were sloppy at times in wins over Missouri State and Louisiana-Monroe in 2005 Herring&#39;s first season with the team. This year, Arkansas beat Utah State 20-0 in a dull game.<br> <br> Southeast Missouri State (3-2) became a I-AA team in 1991. Since then, the Redhawks are 1-9 against I-A teams. Tony Samuel, in his first season as coach of the Ohio Valley Conference team, admitted money is the primary reason this week&#39;s game is being played. Teams like Southeast Missouri State often take payouts to play on the road against more prominent football schools.<br> <br> Samuel doesn&#39;t sound optimistic about the possibility of a competitive game against Arkansas.<br> <br> ``I&#39;m not going to play the starters the whole game,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> Southeast Missouri State is led by 6-foot-5 defensive end Edgar Jones, who already has nine sacks this year. He&#39;ll present a challenge for Arkansas&#39; offensive line, which has allowed only four sacks.<br> <br> The Razorbacks&#39; offensive line was particularly dominant in the 27-10 win over Auburn. Darren McFadden rushed for 145 yards, and Felix Jones added 104. Both ran for touchdowns against a team that hadn&#39;t allowed any on the ground all season.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s a just a great feeling to be able to run behind an offensive line who&#39;s getting the job done,&#39;&#39; said McFadden, the SEC&#39;s leading rusher. ``They&#39;re doing what they&#39;re supposed to do, and they know their blocking schemes.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Arkansas ran the ball on 36 of its last 38 plays against Auburn, taking pressure off freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain. This week against an easier opponent the Razorbacks should have a good chance for fine tuning on both offense and defense.<br> <br> But the Razorbacks are trying not to think that way.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re trying to just stay focused,&#39;&#39; defensive end Jamaal Anderson said. ``We&#39;re just going to treat this as another SEC game.&#39;&#39;

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