COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A tough season for Arkansas Razorbacks senior quarterback Austin Allen got a lot tougher Saturday.
Allen and the offense struggled throughout the game as South Carolina beat the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 48-22 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Allen completed 12 of 24 passes for 84 yards -- his fewest yards in 18 career starts -- and committed two turnovers that led to South Carolina touchdowns. His previous low for passing yards was 135 vs. Florida A&M in the season-opener on Aug. 31.
The Gamecocks sacked Austin twice, but he was hit numerous times and didn't play in the fourth quarter because he wasn't cleared medically, Coach Bret Bielema said.
Bielema wasn't specific about the injury, but confirmed the training staff was working on Allen's right passing shoulder during the game.
Redshirt freshman backup quarterback Cole Kelley played in the fourth quarter after South Carolina took a 41-10 lead.
"I don't know the status of Austin," Bielema said. "I just know he wasn't cleared to go anymore. So we'll see where that goes."
The Razorbacks go to No. 1-ranked Alabama next Saturday.
"I am prepared, but knowing Austin he'll probably be ready to go," Kelley said when asked about the possibility of starting against the Crimson Tide.
South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore had a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown against Allen and linebacker T.J. Brunson returned a fumble by Allen -- as he was attempting to pass -- 73 yards for a touchdown.
Both scores came in the third quarter and pushed the Gamecocks' lead to 34-10.
"Nobody was great out there," Bielema said. "I think he [Allen] probably actually had his best week of preparation. He threw the ball really, really, really well. He got flustered today and threw the ball a couple times up for grabs.
"The good news about him is he's a great competitor. He's tough kid. If he can go, he will."
Kelley said Allen remains the Razorbacks' unquestioned No. 1 quarterback and team leader.
"He took some hits tonight," Kelley said. "You could see from his jersey. I mean, he was green from the grass. He just kept getting back up and playing like a warrior.
"I think he's extremely tough ... I've always said I'm extremely happy to have him to look up to and learn from."
Kelley completed 8 of 13 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, but also had an interception returned for a touchdown by safety Keisean Nixon.
Some fans may be in favor of Kelley getting a chance to start after he helped spark the offense Saturday.
"We have great fans, but at the same time, that's why they're fans and not coaches," Kelley said. "If a team isn't doing as well people think they should be doing -- as well as we feel we should be doing -- they try and make a quarterback controversy and there is none.
"Quarterbacks get too much credit and too much criticism. We know that coming into it. Austin Allen did not lose the game. We lost as a team. As an offense, as a defense and as special teams.
"People just like to make controversies out of nothing. Austin is QB 1 like everybody knows, and like I know. There's no controversy."
Allen has completed 66 of 117 passes (56.4 percent) for 850 yards and 8 touchdowns with 4 interceptions through five games.
This isn't the season expected for Allen, who was voted the third-team All-SEC quarterback at the conference's media days after he completed 61 percent of his passes for 3,430 yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season.
Allen came into Saturday's game after completing 19 of 26 passes for 264 passes and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception against New Mexico State last week, his best game of the season.
"I think we need to protect him better," Arkansas senior center Frank Ragnow said. "I've got so much respect for Austin Allen. We need to rally around him as an offense because he's proven, man.
"Even when he's not protected, he's proven that he's such a competitor. He can make every throw and he can do everything. We've just got to help him out. We've got to pick him up."
Sports on 10/08/2017