LITTLE ROCK, Ark. --- One team is trying to prove it will be threat in the Southeastern Conference. The other hopes to avoid another late-season swoon.

When Arkansas plays host to South Carolina today in Fayetteville, both coaches will have plenty to be anxious about. The Razorbacks are playing well offensively but have only one SEC win to show for it. The Gamecocks started 5-1 before losing two of their past three games.

"It is a must-win for us," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "We need to go out and execute and perform on the field on Saturday. I'm looking forward to it."

The Razorbacks were expected to improve after missing the postseason in 2008, and in many ways they have. Ryan Mallett leads the SEC in passing, and Arkansas has scored more than 40 points in every home game. Still, the Hogs (4-4, 1-4 SEC) have work to do if they want to assure themselves a bowl bid.

South Carolina (6-3, 3-3) started strong, but the Gamecocks could use a victory this weekend to avoid a familiar November feeling. South Carolina was 7-3 before losing its final three games of last season and dropped its final five games of 2007 to finish 6-6.

"Right now we're just focused," receiver Tori Gurley said. "Some people like bringing up the past, but we can only worry about the present and that's Arkansas."

South Carolina lost to Tennessee 31-13 last week, but Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia threw for 300 yards. He is second in the league in passing behind Mallett.

"Hopefully we can play a lot better with fewer mistakes and take care of the ball a lot better and give ourselves a chance to win," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. "We've won a lot of games this year when the other team messed up and had touchdowns called back. That's sort of what happened to us last game."

Arkansas welcomed back wide receiver Joe Adams last weekend. Adams had missed three games because of a mild stroke, but he returned to catch two touchdown passes against Eastern Michigan.

The Razorbacks expect running back Michael Smith, who missed the Eastern Michigan game with a bad hamstring, to play against South Carolina.

Both teams are in the midst of grueling schedules. Arkansas' open date was after its first game, so the Razorbacks are playing 11 in 11 weeks to finish the regular season. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, play their first 11 games in 11 weeks before finally enjoying a break.

"You have to play them all. Sometimes it happens however it happens," Spurrier said.