Before reaching Texas, Hurricane Ike already has blown the Arkansas-Texas football game off course.

University of Texas and University of Arkansas officials announced Wednesday night the Razorbacks’ game originally scheduled for Saturday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin now will be played Sept. 27 in Austin.

Hurricane Ike is presently on course to hit near the Austin area Saturday. Even if it doesn’t hit Austin, Austin is gearing up to accommodate evacuees from Gulf Coast areas anticipated to be hard hit by the storm.

Sept. 27 became the convenient rescheduling date for Arkansas and Texas because both had open dates that weekend.

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Saturday’s game was scheduled for a 2: 30 p. m. kickoff and to be nationally televised by ABC.

According to a release Wednesday night by the University of Arkansas sports information department, the kickoff time and television arrangements for the Sept. 27 meeting will be determined later.

The release quoted Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long amplifying on the Arkansas and Texas agreement to postpone the game.

“ As we worked closely with the University of Texas, ” Long was quoted in the release, “ to consider the options, the safety and welfare of the studentathletes, coaches and fans was everyone’s top priority. In considering all of the factors, both institutions felt that postponing the game was the appropriate course of action. We appreciate the cooperation of the University of Texas and the various state and federal authorities monitoring the situation and working together to make the decision. Now we can turn our focus to the safety and well-being of the citizens of Texas and others affected by Hurricane Ike. ”

Sept. 27 likely won’t be ideal for many attending fans because a major music festival in Austin already has booked up much hotel space.

However, Sept. 27 was the only mutually open Saturday for both teams.

This marks Arkansas’ first football postponement since the Sept. 15, 2001 game against North Texas in Fayetteville was canceled following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Pennsylvania.

Arkansas made up that canceled Sept. 15 game by scheduling Weber State to visit Fayetteville on Oct. 6.

When the Razorbacks practiced Wednesday afternoon, the likelihood was strong Saturday’s game in Austin would be postponed.

Nevertheless players and coaches still took a Texas Week approach to Wednesday’s workout.

“ You approach it like you are playing, ” Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said after the practice, still several hours before the postponement was announced. “ You can’t take it with any other approach. That’s all we can do. We can’t control what the people up above us say. We are preparing as if we are playing on Saturday. ”

The Razorbacks, 2-0 with nonconference victories over Western Illinois and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, will practice today with head coach Bobby Petrino presumably switching gears towards preparing for their SEC opener against Alabama, Sept. 20 in Fayetteville.

Arkansas and Alabama kick off at 11: 30 a. m. at Frank Broyles Field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium to accommodate Raycom television.

Forte ready for action

Spectating isn’t Elston’s forte.

So aside from praying for the safety of those who could be affected if, as expected, Hurricane Ike barrels into Texas, Elston Forte had even more incentive than his Arkansas teammates that the Razorbacks play their game Saturday at the University of Texas.

The game was officially postponed Wednesday night, hours after Forte and Arkansas coaches had been interviewed after Wednesday afternoon’s practice.

Texas is always a big game for Arkansas but would have been an even bigger game Saturday for Forte, the Razorbacks’ senior team captain and linebacker from Little Rock Mills.

It would have been Forte’s first game after a dislocated kneecap benched him from the first week of the August preseason through the 2-0 Hogs’ narrow escapes in Fayetteville and Little Rock over Western Illinois and ULM (the University of Louisiana at Monroe ).

Now he’s physically cleared to play.

“ It was hard to be on the sideline for Western Illinois, ” Forte said after Wednesday’s practice, “ hard to be on sideline for ULM. It’s been hard being on the sidelines just watching them practice. Real hard. I want to go harder for my teammates because they’ve been out here grinding. ”

Forte started practicing last week, and knew right then he would soon be ready though it took another week for him to be pronounced gameready.

“ It feels real good, ” Forte said of his kneecap. “ I would say 100 percent. I worked hard on rehab and feel back to myself. ”

He admitted apprehension the first practice back.

“ The first day I didn’t know if I could take a step, but once I got over that fear, back to normal, ” Forte said. “ I came back to the locker room smiling because I knew I was back to myself. ”

Defensive coordinator Willy Robinson and linebackers coach Reggie Johnson count on Forte being himself.

Because with freshman Jelani Smith, the starter in Forte’s place the past two games, out with an injured hand, Forte and Ryan Powers, returning last week from preseason injuries, were set to alternate at Will linebacker in Austin.

Redshirt freshman Jerry Franklin of Marion continues starting at Mike middle linebacker.

Franklin gets more depth behind him as junior twoyear letterman Wendel Davis debuts after missing the first games rehabbing from knee and hand injuries and Freddy Burton, a sophomore linebacker and special-teamer deluxe, returns having fulfilled a two-game suspension.

“ We’re extremely happy to have all those guys back, ” Willy Robinson said.

Happy in several ways, Reggie Johnson added.

“ Elston, Wendel, Ryan, Freddy, they are all on special teams, too, ” Johnson said. “ The plan is to play all those guys and keep them fresh. Texas has got a bunch of great backs and their quarterback [Colt McCoy ] is a great player so we are going to need them all. ”

Or will when the game is played.

The Hogs knew well when they practiced Wednesday that postponement was possible (Texas officials initially announced a decision would be forthcoming today ) but didn’t take that approach at practice.

“ We just think about practicing, ” Forte said. “ We leave all that to the news, weatherman and our coaches. We just play football. I do keep my ears open [about Ike ] because I have teammates with families in that area. I keep an eye open and pray for them. ”