2:49 p.m. — There are no changes or surprises in Arkansas’ roster today. Everybody is good to go. Auburn, as we’ve known, will start Jeremy Johnson at quarterback in place of last year’s star, Nick Marshall, who will miss some of this game due to an arrest earlier this summer. Regular Jonathan Mincy also will not start, giving way to Joshua Holsey, because of an academic situation. Highly touted Montravius Adams will start in place of the depth chart’s listed starter, Elijah Daniel, at one AU defensive end. At running back, replacing the graduated Tre Smith, is Cameron Artis-Payne, who was highly recruited out of high school.
2:47 pm — There’s nothing in college football quite like Nova, the golden eagle, circling the west side of the stadium and landing at midfield, as the full house here just witnessed. Everybody is nearly in there seats with still a few more minutes left before kickoff.
2:14 pm. I believe Auburn’s student body turnout at Jordan Hare Stadium, well ahead of all the other fans expected to fill 89,000 seats here, could fill the lower east side of Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Very impressive turnout.
Yes, we’re back with the live blog from the site to open the 2014 Arkansas Razorback season, at No. 6 Auburn. Kickoff is 45 minutes away.
In case you were wondering, and a lot of fans to keep up with type of miniutia, Arkansas is wearing ALL WHITE today — white helmets, white jerseys and white pants. Being two days before Labor Day, that seems appropos, as well is making it suitable for today’s sticky heat. A hard rain hit for a few minutes just after noon here, and when it quit and the skies cleared, it heated up around here like a sauna: 84 degrees feeling, according to Accuweather, like 97.
You’re welcome to join in the conversation here, whether you’re back home watching the Saturday debut of the SEC Network, or if you listening in, or if you’re here and with a smart phone. Comment here, or email me at jim@arktimes.com to let me and everybody else know what you think (or we can keep it between us). Let me know what you want to know from here at Jordan Hare. As the game goes along, the blog will have the most recent items up top and work backward. Enjoy the game, and enjoy the blog.