FAYETTEVILLE -- True freshman Mataio Soli is likely to start at defensive end for the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday at Ole Miss, Coach Chad Morris said Wednesday.
Soli, playing with a heavy wrap on his right hand, is with the ones because senior Dorian Gerald suffered a season-ending neck injury and senior Jamario Bell is questionable due to a knee injury.
Soli, who broke a bone in his hand during Saturday's 20-13 victory over Portland State, worked with the first-team defense on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bell has not practiced this week.
"He's kind of day to day right now," Morris said of Bell.
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Soli, an early enrollee in January who went through spring practice, played extensively against Portland State and made one tackle.
"He's done everything we've asked him to do," Morris said. "He was definitely a difference-maker in the spring and added some weight and bulk and some strength during the summer. He's really progressed through fall camp."
Personnel report
Austin Capps, who had a walking boot on his left foot earlier in the week to rehab the ankle injury he suffered in the second half of the opener, was back at practice Wednesday. So was left tackle Colton Jackson, who is given rest time for his injured foot occasionally during the week.
Capps, a senior, did not participate in Tuesday's practice, but he did group drills Wednesday. During team periods, freshman Ricky Stromberg took first-team reps at right guard, while Kirby Adcock worked at left guard and Myron Cunningham at left tackle for Jackson.
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Coach Chad Morris said Capps would be a game-time decision, as would defensive end Jamario Bell.
Linebacker D'Vone McClure, who suffered a thumb injury Saturday, had surgery on it Monday and was back at practice in a green (no-contact) jersey Tuesday.
Rush lanes
Chad Morris generally was complimentary of his team's defense in the season opener, but he lamented the team's inability to keep Portland State quarterback Davis Alexander from breaking a few scrambles for first downs.
"Losing the rush lane hurt us more than anything on Saturday," Morris said on the weekly SEC teleconference.
Later, speaking on his show "On the Air with Chad Morris," he suggested the Razorbacks would have limited Portland State to somewhere around 75 to 100 yards had they corralled Alexander.
Portland State was credited with 230 yards of total offense in the opener. Alexander ran for 56 positive yards and had 27 negated by sacks.
White on white
The Razorbacks' regulars wore white helmets to practice Wednesday, prompting a reporter to ask Chad Morris whether Arkansas would wear a white jersey-white helmet combo Saturday at Ole Miss.
"We are," Morris said. "I just think that's just something we decided to do. Our players like it, and so that was the message behind it."
The Razorbacks wore white jerseys, white pants and white helmets in two games last year: the opener against Eastern Illinois and the closer at Missouri.
Country, Westerns
Freshman receivers Treylon Burks and Trey Knox are roommates who have interesting connections to country music and Westerns.
"Love country music, big influence," Knox said Tuesday. "Nashville is really down the street from where I live, so we up up there all the time, hang out. Luke Bryan just shows up sometimes and just plays, so I'm a big Luke Bryan guy. So, I mean, I love country music."
Knox is from Murfreesboro, Tenn..
Burks grew up in Warren with an affection for Westerns.
"He has a weird love for Western films that I've gotten to notice," Knox said. "Like he wakes up early in the morning and watches them. I'm like, 'Bro, you should be sleeping right now.'
"He'll put on a story, it'll be like four or five in the morning before a workout, and he's watching Westerns. I'm like, 'OK, I guess that's how you get your day started.' But he's a cool guy to get to know because not too many people are like Treylon Burks."
Henry on Henry
Freshman tight end Hudson Henry blocked his brother, junior linebacker Hayden Henry, on the second play for the second units during the opening team period on Wednesday.
On the next play, Hudson Henry dropped a slant pass from Nick Starkel on the right flank. Two plays later, Hayden Henry dropped into coverage over the middle and intercepted a Nick Starkel pass.
Get down!
Joe Foucha picked off a tipped pass in the waning seconds Saturday to seal the Hogs' 20-13 win over Portland State, but the sophomore was racing toward the Vikings' offensive players instead of sliding down after the interception. The exact scenario in camp got a harsh critique from Coach Chad Morris, who joked Saturday he was about to go tackle Foucha himself.
"We talked about that, and we practice that a lot," Foucha said. "I was just excited. I'm still kind of young, but that won't happen again."
Fellow safety Kamren Curl, who was running with the intended receiver over the middle on that play, said he was yelling for Foucha to get down.
"I was because he really stole my interception," Curl said. "I was on the ground, and I was tired and I was trying to tell him to get down, but he didn't see me. He played offense in high school so ... I'm not worried about the ball in his hands."]
On the pick
Nick Starkel completed 4 of 5 passes for 48 yards, but he also was intercepted by Portland State linebacker Robert Holt on third and 6 from the Vikings' 14.
"On the interception, it was a play we had looked at and knew, had a good idea of what they were going to do," offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said. "I'm not going to single anybody out, but there was a depth issue there [with a receiver].
"Obviously, throwing the ball low in the red zone down the middle is not what you want. You want to miss high if you miss. Nick told me he didn't see that guy."
Craddock said the Razorbacks will focus on sharper execution in the red zone.
"We've got to put the ball in the end zone," he said. "It was there. It was what we thought. We just have to execute better."
Extra points
• Sophomore receiver Mike Woods will serve as the rotating offensive captain Saturday with permanent senior defensive captains McTelvin Agim, De'Jon Harris and T.J. Smith.
• Kickers Connor Limpert and Matthew Phillips each drilled a 47-yard field goal to cap the first two racks of five-play series Wednesday.
Sports on 09/05/2019