State of the Hogs: Allen will play 'if healthy'

Austin Allen, Arkansas quarterback, walks off after Arkansas's loss to South Carolina Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

— Austin Allen threw in warm-ups, but he's still day-to-day and hopeful of playing against Alabama on Saturday.

Allen definitely wants to play. He doesn't want the game at No. 1 Alabama to go down as the first game he's ever missed since “beginning football in the second grade.”

Allen told the media Tuesday after practice that he has no structural damage in his shoulder, according to an MRI from Monday. He won't sit out if he's cleared to play. He threw some in Tuesday's warm-ups, but not much.

“I'm still sore,” he said. “I think it will loosen up as the week goes along. I've gotten a lot better in two days.”

Asked if it might be good to take a seat and give redshirt freshman Cole Kelley a turn so as not to get beat up by the SEC's best defense, Allen seemed indignant. That's not him.

“I don't agree with that,” Allen said. “If I'm healthy, I will be out there. I'm a competitor.”

Allen did say that Kelley “played really well” in his limited time against South Carolina. Kelley said after the game that Allen is clearly the team's No. 1 quarterback.

But, it remains to be seen if Allen can play against Alabama. He said, “I'm taking it slowly. I ran around today, took some snaps and made some hand offs. I threw in warm-ups. It's day by day.”

The fifth-year senior said he's hopeful that he's “a quick healer.”

Allen said the team's mindset is good despite the 48-22 beating at the hand's of underdog South Carolina last week. He said coach Bret Bielema has a knack for picking a team up.

“We were disappointed in how we played,” he said. “But we have to turn the page and Coach Bielema is good with that.

“That wasn't anything like how we expected to play. We can't redo it. We have to move forward. We practiced well today.

“We watched the film and got pissed off. We have to learn from it.”

They know turnovers will sink the ship on the road, or any place. The Hogs lost the turnover battle, 4-0. Alabama has only one turnover on the season. The Hogs were plagued by turnovers against Alabama last year, too.

Allen and Kelley both gave up pick sixes against South Carolina. Allen said his was a poor decision.

“I was trying to do too much,” he said. “On third down, you throw it away and live to play another down. You can't throw that one. That was one was bad.”

He had a strip for a scoop and score, a hit from behind that he never saw. He did see a hit that was first ruled targeting, but the flag was negated by replay.

“That's twice this year that we've had a targeting flag picked up,” said Allen, who admitted it was a frustrating play. “The other was against A&M on a hit against Jonathan Nance. I don't know the rules. I'll leave that to (SEC supervisor of officials) Steve Shaw.”

Everyone is trying to improve this week, including the offensive line. But Allen said he knows part of the issue is to get the ball out quicker. He wasn't aware of a stat that indicates he's been hit more than any quarterback in college football the last two seasons.

“I know I have to get the ball out,” he said, then noted, “This is what I signed up for.”

And, there was the thought that the Hogs are happy to get the chance to play at Alabama, the best team in the nation.

“That's why we signed up for,” he said. “That's why we came to the SEC. We know it's us against the world this week. We know we are about to play a great team, but we are excited.”

Running backs coach Reggie Mitchell said the Hogs worked Tuesday on ball security. The running backs didn't lose a fumble, but Chase Hayden was fortunate a review wiped out a scoop and score on a spin and loose ball.

“We work a drill just like that play,” Mitchell said. “We worked on ball security drills again today. We do every week.”

Mitchell said the top three running backs would all get touches early in the game, with the hot runner getting more.

“We'll see how does well,” he said.

Mitchell knows the challenge.

“It's a long, fast defense,” Mitchell said. “It's an Alabama team that is well coached, talented. It's a typical Nick Saban-coached team.”

Mitchell walked off the field with his arm around Hayden. He said he was telling the freshman running back that coaches still were confident in his ability.

“I told him that we put him back in the game because we believed in him,” Mitchell said. “But I told him to look at the scoreboard and not to forget it.”

Allen said all the backs have to fight hard for extra yardage, but that the backs have to block better, too.

“That's what you have to do, fight as a team,” Allen said. “I know the line understands that they have to do more and the backs have to fight for that extra yard. If we all do that, we can get into a better situation with the chains.”