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Tennessee in spoiler role at Arkansas

Nov 7, 2006 - 9:41 PM No. 13 Tennessee (7-2) at No. 11 Arkansas (8-1), 7:00 pm EST

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (Ticker) - Tennessee no longer has a shot at winning the Southeastern Conference East Division, but it can help prevent Arkansas from claiming the West.

After another tough home loss, the 13th-ranked Volunteers are in a spoiler role when they visit the 11th-ranked Razorbacks on Saturday.

Tennessee (7-2, 3-2 SEC East) saw its slim chances of winning its division disappear with a 28-24 home loss to Louisiana State, which scored the go-ahead touchdown with nine seconds left.

Filling in for the ineffective and injured Erik Ainge, redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton threw a pair of touchdowns to Robert Meachem in the defeat. Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer announced after practice on Thursday that Crompton would make his first collegiate start vs. the Razorbacks.

Fulmer suspended safety Antonio Wardlow for two games, fullback David Holbert for one game and starting running back Arian Foster for the first half of the Arkansas game after they were arrested for disorderly conduct and underage drinking on Saturday night.

Arkansas (8-1, 5-0 West) needs to win two of its final three games to win its division and meet East champ Florida in the SEC title game in Atlanta.

Were the Razorbacks to win Saturday, they likely would clinch the division title next week at Mississippi State. If not, the title likely would come down to their home game vs. LSU on November 24.

Arkansas is coming off a 26-20 triumph at South Carolina in which star sophomore running back Darren McFadden rushed for a career-high 219 yards and two touchdowns.

Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt pulled true freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain after his first throw was intercepted, and Casey Dick played pretty well, throwing for 228 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Dick will start Saturday's contest as well.