Arkansas running back Darren McFadden said Saturday that he expects to play in Tuesday's AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic against Missouri, even as Arkansas continued an investigation into his eligibility.

"It's not a situation where I'm not going to be playing, because I haven't done anything wrong not to play," McFadden said as he met with the media at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas.

Arkansas, however, hasn't concluded looking into a report by Little Rock, Ark., TV station KARK-TV. The report questioned how McFadden came into possession of a new Cadillac Escalade.

The station apologized Friday for poor reporting standards and mistakes in its initial report but did not retract the entire story.

"I just hate the fact people go out saying things and don't get their facts and things straight," McFadden said. "It's something that's uncalled for."

Arkansas issued a statement that read in part: "While it would not be appropriate to comment specifically regarding the review at this time, it should be noted that the student-athlete has not been ruled ineligible. We will continue to work judiciously to review this matter."

McFadden said he had yet to sit down with officials as part of the investigation. When asked about the Escalade, McFadden declined to go into specifics.

The station's report claimed McFadden purchased the vehicle with the help of agent Mike Conley, an accusation Conley strongly denied. McFadden's mother, Mini Muhammad, reportedly claimed the truck belongs to McFadden's step-mother, Ella McFadden.

Arkansas interim coach Reggie Herring appeared confident McFadden would play.

"We feel very positive that at the end of the day, this thing has been nothing but just a rumor," Herring said.

Offensive coordinator David Lee had an even stronger take.

"He's playing," Lee said. "Darren McFadden didn't do anything wrong. One of these media outlets put the inaccurate information out."

McFadden, who hasn't missed practice, is expected to forego his senior season at Arkansas to enter the NFL draft, though he has yet to make an official announcement.

Reporters and camera crews swarmed McFadden's podium Saturday. His face lit up when the occasional question turned to football during the session that lasted nearly 30 minutes.

"It's really frustrating, those rumors," he said. "It's something we've been dealing with all year with [former] coach [Houston] Nutt. Guess since he's gone, the best thing to turn to is me."

McFadden's teammates jumped to his defense.

"There's haters everywhere; we can't move around that," said running back Felix Jones. "There's always going to be somebody saying something or doing something to mess up his career or name. It's not right."

McFadden, a two-time Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up, makes this Cotton Bowl one of the most intriquing in some time. His Razorbacks will face Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, a former Southlake Carroll star, who was also a Heisman finalist.