Game day has finally arrived for the 21st-ranked team in the nation. An offseason full of transfers and e-mails, lawsuits and accusations, has finally given way to football. Razorback Nation, or most of it anyhow, is surely grateful.

The Razorbacks open their season tonight against the most difficult of their four nonconference foes, the Troy Trojans. And close to 70,000 sets of eyes in Reynolds Razorback Stadium will focus in on several key areas.

Among them, a Heisman Trophy campaign will commence. A new offensive coordinator will show off his system. And a new kicker will showcase his powerful right leg.

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt has tried to warn against overlooking the team considered by many experts to be the Sun Belt Conference favorites. "Troy, watch out now," were the first four words to come out of Nutt's mouth at Arkansas' media day when addressing tonight's opponent.

Darren McFadden

Impossible not to start with the strong, speedy running back from Little Rock. He tops many preseason Heisman Trophy lists. He has graced the covers of publications such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. Simply put, from a local and national perspective, he is Arkansas football. Troy knows this and will focus its primary defensive efforts on stopping the 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior. "He's a Bo Jackson-type guy ... a Herschel Walker," Troy coach Larry Blakeney said. "He can do all the things that they could do." And unlike last season, when a toe injury slowed him, McFadden will start out at full strength in week 1. He'll do it all tonight -- take handoffs, receive pitches, line up in the WildHog and return kickoffs.

Efficient Start

McFadden can thrive without a consistent passing game. He proved that last season against LSU when he rushed for 182 yards and Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick passed for just 29 yards. But that's not ideal. Arkansas needs better balance offensively. So early on tonight, the Razorbacks will need an efficient start from Dick, who makes his first start in a season-opener. Dick says he feels comfortable in the new system installed by first-year offensive coordinator David Lee. And while Lee surely won't open up the entire playbook tonight, expect to see Dick make throws to a variety of targets. Troy likely will dare Dick to win the game, as eight, maybe even nine Trojan defenders will set up close to the line of scrimmage.

Defensive Line

These guys are the Hogs' first line of defense tonight against the Troy's quick, elusive quarterback, Omar Haugabook. A pretty tough task when you consider Haugabook's abilities and the collective lack of experience between the four big Razorbacks up front. When preseason camp opened up, starting defensive ends Chris Wade and Adrian Davis were second-team. Starting defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard was an end. Only tackle Ernest Mitchell brings extensive starting experience from last season. As Jamaal Anderson has shown, you don't need to be a marquee name to quickly become a stud on the D-Line at Arkansas.

Get 'Wild'

A name alteration wasn't the only change made to the offensive formation with McFadden as the quarterback in the shotgun. Before and after WildCat became WildHog, it received a makeover. Just how much of a makeover is unknown, however. During preseason camp, glimpses were revealed. Most plays still involve Felix Jones going in motion and either receiving the ball from McFadden or playing a decoy. But Lee has installed other variations. The offense was used in moderation last season, never more than a couple handfuls per game. But what if Dick fails to improve on his accuracy? What then? "I know we probably would never do it, but we'd be pretty good I think if we ran (the WildHog) the whole game," running back Michael Smith said.

Wide Receivers

Dick's favorite receiver won't be in uniform tonight. In fact, Marcus Monk won't be available for at least Arkansas' first two games. A rangy 6-foot-6, Monk brings an element to Arkansas' passing game that no other Razorback receiver can. Regardless, the Hogs' other receivers must replace Monk, must at least manage to shake free from Troy's talented secondary and hold on to Dick's passes. Monk's injury has sped up the maturation process for several of Arkansas pass catchers. At the top that list is sophomore London Crawford. As a much-hyped freshman, Crawford struggled. But with an improved attitude, Crawford slides into Monk's split end spot. Reggie Fish, Robert Johnson and true freshman Crosby Tuck all figure to see passes tossed in their direction.