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FAYETTEVILLE — The importance of Saturday’s game is not lost on Arkansas’ players.

Many of them were on the team when the Razorbacks blew an 18-point lead at Colorado State last year, sending them into a tailspin that ended with the first 10-loss season in school history.

Coming off their recent loss to Ole Miss, Arkansas is trying to right the ship and avoid another disastrous season with the Rams coming to town for Saturday’s 3 p.m. kickoff on the SEC Network.

“We think this is going to be a game that’s going to decide the season,” tight end Cheyenne O’Grady said. “If we don’t capitalize on this next opportunity then it might be a rough season again, so that’s everybody’s mindset. We’ve got to win this game.”

The fact that it would be against the team that got things rolling the wrong way last season is an added incentive, even though a few players declined to use the word “revenge.”

Quarterback Nick Starkel said they’re treating Colorado State like any other opponent, but they do want to “give it to them,” despite not being on the team at the time.

“I know that was one they really shouldn't have let slip away,” Starkel said. “In the eyes of all the players that's just what I've been hearing. This is important for us to settle things this game.”

Other players have also hit on just how important a victory would be Saturday, especially considering what happened last year…

Linebacker De’Jon Harris: “It kind of did kill our momentum in the beginning of the season. We lost last week, so it’s kind of the same situation. It feels like it’s the perfect time right now to use it as motivation.”

Defensive end Gabe Richardson: “People don’t understand exactly what we went through this fall, this winter and stuff like that. They don’t understand what we went through. We owe it to ourselves to go out here and be at our best.”

Defensive end Mataio Soli: “I kind of turned to the TV I guess when the game was ending because I was doing something. I just know that I was thinking, ‘When we get there it’s going to be a different story.’”

Injury Updates

Arkansas is slowly getting healthier, but it will likely be without defensive end Jamario Bell against Colorado State. It sounds encouraging that left guard Austin Capps will be able to play.

Despite being limited at practice Tuesday and Wednesday, Capps is expected to return to the starting lineup after missing the Ole Miss game. That doesn’t mean true freshman Ricky Stromberg - who started in his place - won’t play, though.