Razorbacks Report

Hurt Hogs get chance to heal up

Arkansas defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. pressures Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said on Monday he rested a few players who could have participated in the team's 73-7 victory over Nicholls State and the roster should be healthier for Saturday's game at Texas Tech.

The list of injured players is lengthy.

Defensive end Deatrich Wise (knee) had soreness after practicing last Tuesday and the coaches and training staff elected to let him rest up for the Red Raiders.

Safeties Alan Turner, Davyon McKinney and De'Andre Coley are all expected to be part of the game plan for Saturday. Turner started his 14th consecutive game but was pulled out early after posting one tackle. Coley injured a hamstring in the first half against Auburn and did not play last week, while McKinney (heel) has not played this season.

Bielema said McKinney is an "incredibly tough kid" who wanted to play last week, but the coaching staff decided to hold him out to get ready for this week.

Freshman linebacker Randy Ramsey sprained his ankle on Wednesday and was limited to rehabilitation work for a couple of days, but he is expected back at today's practice.

Tailback Korliss Marshall, who did not play against Nicholls State, is expected to be available on Saturday.

Bielema mentioned the possibility of redshirting senior cornerback Tevin Mitchel for the second week in a row.

"We're getting to that point to be quite honest where the redshirt thing really becomes a tangible issue right now, to see where he's at," Bielema said. "I know he's gotten closer. He's probably as close as he's ever been this week.

"But as of right now, he's not involved in that game plan, and if he's not involved in this next week's game plan then it'd probably be a decision to redshirt unless something catastrophic happens at corner."

Freshman receiver Jojo Robinson projects to make his Arkansas debut this week after getting stepped on by a defender last week, , Bielema said.

Blackout

Texas Tech officials, who have dubbed Saturday's game as "Blackout Arkansas" and are encouraging their fans to wear black to the game, announced on their Web site on Monday that about 2,000 tickets remain for the game at Jones AT&T Stadium, which seats 60,434.

Kickoff time

Arkansas' next home game, Sept. 20 against Northern Illinois, will kick off at 6 p.m. and be broadcast by ESPNU.

It will be Arkansas' first night game of the year.

Arkansas defeated Northern Illinois 30-27 in the only other meeting between the teams on Nov. 12, 1994.

Top players

The Arkansas coaching staff selected guard Denver Kirkland as offensive MVP and nose guard Taiwan Johnson as defensive MVP in Saturday's 73-7 victory over Nicholls State. Tight end Jeremy Sprinkle and true freshmen Khalia Hackett and Dwayne Eugene were the special teams MVPs.

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said Keon Hatcher, Cody Hollister, Sebastian Tretola and Jonathan Williams were honorable mention choices on offense and D.J. Dean, Trey Flowers and Henre Toliver were honorable mention on defense.

Bielema said Sprinkle was a "war daddy" who suffered a minor injury in the second quarter but remained in the game and "was still a wrecking machine out there." He said Hackett had five of the team's 10 tackles on kickoff coverage and that Eugene had four or five knockdowns on kickoff coverage.

Bielema said the scout team MVPs were lineman Adam Deacon, linebacker Josh Harris and special teamer Garrett Krueger.

Red flags

Texas Tech ranks No. 123 out of 124 Football Bowl Subdivision teams with 12.5 penalties per game and No. 120 with 102 penalty yards per game.

The Red Raiders had 10 penalties for 90 yards in their 30-26 victory at Texas-El Paso on Saturday, including sideline interference and having two players with the same number on the field.

The Red Raiders had 15 penalties for 114 yards in their 42-35 season-opening victory against Central Arkansas.

Arkansas is tied for 46th with 5.5 penalties per game and tied for 68th with 54.5 penalty yards per game.

He's young

Former Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury, 35, jumped from Texas A&M offensive coordinator to the head coaching job at his alma mater for the 2013 season, making him the youngest coach among all the Power 5 conference schools.

Kingsbury, who will turn 36 on Dec. 12, is the third-youngest coach in the FBS ranks behind 33-year old P.J. Fleck of Western Michigan and 34-year old Matt Campbell of Toledo.

No Big 12

Coach Bret Bielema will face a Big 12 opponent for the first time as a head coach when the Razorbacks face Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas.

Bielema's final game as linebackers coach at his alma mater Iowa came against the Red Raiders in a 19-16 victory for the Hawkeyes in the 2001 Alamo Bowl.

The Razorbacks' last game against a Big 12 foe was its 29-16 victory over Kansas State in the 2012 Cotton Bowl.

Stat check

Nose guard Taiwan Johnson is tied for third nationally with 2 sacks per game.

Quarterback Brandon Allen rocketed to No. 11 nationally in passing efficiency with a 178.7 rating that was aided by having all four of his completed passes go for touchdowns last week. Allen is fourth in the SEC behind LSU's Anthony Jennings (201.1), Missouri's Maty Mauk (186.1) and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott (184.3).

Tailback Alex Collins is tied for No. 38 with Northern Illinois' Akeem Daniels at 99.5 rushing yards per game, and Jonathan Williams is No. 57 with 88.5 yards per game.

Punter Sam Irwin is third in the SEC and No. 34 nationally with an average of 43.8 yards per punt.

Worth noting

Martrell Spaight leads Arkansas with 13 tackles just ahead of Brooks Ellis (12), Alan Turner (11) and Trey Flowers (10).

• Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury is one of 12 FBS coaches who is leading his alma mater. The group includes former Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Haynes (Kent State), former Arkansas State Coach Bryan Harsin (Boise State), Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy and Tulsa's Bill Blankenship.

• Texas Tech is 59-6 at home against unranked opponents since 2000.

Sports on 09/09/2014