FAYETTEVILLE -- First things first.
Senior Ben Hicks will continue to be the University of Arkansas' starting quarterback when the Razorbacks open SEC play at Ole Miss next week.
Some fans might have been wondering about that after the Razorbacks struggled offensively but hung on to beat Portland State 20-13 on Saturday.
Arkansas Coach Chad Morris said after the game that Hicks will remain the starter.
Saturday was the Arkansas debut for Hicks, a graduate transfer from SMU, where he started for Morris in 2016 and 2017.
Hicks set SMU career records for passing yards (9,081) and touchdowns (71) in 37 games, including 33 starts.
The passing numbers for Hicks against Portland State weren't nearly as impressive.
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Hicks completed 14 of 29 passes for 143 yards.
On the plus side, Hicks didn't suffer any turnovers while taking snaps on 70 of Arkansas' 77 offensive plays.
"I thought Ben managed the game," Morris said. "He got us in some right calls in certain situations.
"We weren't in all the right calls. I thought he was just OK."
Hicks made some passes that were off target. He also was the victim of some dropped passes.
"I thought I played OK, nothing spectacular," Hicks said. "I tried to go out there and do my job."
The Razorbacks had 395 yards of total offense, including 114 rushing yards by Rakeem Boyd.
"I thought we moved the ball well," Hicks said. "We just didn't punch it in the end zone enough. We'll go back and watch film [today] and figure out what we need to do going into Week Two."
Boyd said Hicks did a good job leading the offense.
"I thought Ben played really good," Boyd said. "I think he made some impressive throws. We just have to come up with the catches."
Quarterback Nick Starkel, a junior graduate transfer from Texas A&M, replaced Hicks for seven snaps in the second quarter.
Starkel's first pass went for a 1-yard loss to tight end Grayson Gunter. His second pass was intercepted by Portland State linebacker Robert Holt.
Starkel then got the final series of the first half and had a 38-yard completion to Trey Knox, but time expired before the Razorbacks could get a chance to attempt a field goal.
"Nick knew he was going in," Morris said. "We didn't sit down and say, 'You're going to play in two series.' We wouldn't do that. We did tell him -- he knew that all week long -- that he was going to go in, and he would go in some time in the first half in some meaningful moments.
"I wanted to see how he would respond. That was it."
Morris was asked if he considered playing Starkel in the second half.
"I didn't," Morris said. "[I] thought that our possessions were limited in the second half."
Morris said while Hicks will start at Ole Miss, the quarterbacks will continue to be evaluated.
"We've got to get those guys ready," Morris said. "This is a long season. ... And right now you get them ready in ballgames."
Hicks said he wasn't surprised Starkel played.
"I expected it at some point," Hicks said. "I wasn't really thinking about it, but I figured they'd get him some reps at some point.
"It didn't really throw me off my rhythm. I just tried to do my job and lead the offense."
Hicks, informed of Morris' comments he will be the starter against Ole Miss, said he was hopeful that would be the case.
"I've got to do my job in preparation for Ole Miss this week," he said. "Then we'll go out Saturday and play our tails off."
Hicks had third-down completions for first downs on three of Arkansas' four scoring drives. He hit Treylon Burks for 12 yards on third and 4; Tyson Morris for 13 yards on third and 9; and Mike Woods for 15 yards on third and 13.
"I thought I made plays on third down," Hicks said. "I could have done better on the deep ball. I was trying to give them too much of a chance and not putting enough on it."
Hicks also had a 10-yard run on a fourth-and-2 play. He was sacked once, but avoided the rush on other plays.
"Ben Hicks, he doesn't really show it, but that dude can run," Boyd said. "He can run."
Morris said he expects Hicks to have a better game at Ole Miss.
"Ben's a veteran," Morris said. "He's been in this situation before. As a starter, he's 1-0 and he knows he has to improve.
"They all have to improve. We all have to improve, all our coaches have to improve."
Sports on 09/01/2019