Key offensive injuries slowing progress at Arkansas football practice
BY NATE ALLEN Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/56122/
Subtract Marcus Monk, Peyton Hillis and Ben Cleveland from practice and yeah, David Lee says, his offense is hampered.
The Arkansas offensive coordinator was asked after Tuesday night’s practice about the injury-related absences of his leading receiver, best receiving fullback / H-back and best receiving tight end maybe hampering his Razorback offensive plans.
Those are big cogs out of the machine even with All-American running backs Darren McFadden, this week’s Sports Illustrated cover subject, and Felix Jones and cat-quick reserve running back healthy and on hand.
“ Hampered ?! ” Lee exclaimed. “ Hampered !? Fellas, we came here with a Marcus Monk package and a Peyton Hillis package and Ben Cleveland moving to tight end. And that’s all on hold right now. So we are trying to find other ways to get Felix Jones on the field with Darren McFadden, even looking at Michael Smith. So what was Plan A has become Plan B due to three key injuries. ”
Hillis should be back in a couple of days after “ tweaking” his hamstring last Monday, head coach Houston Nutt said.
Split end Monk is out at least through the Sept. 1 season-opener with Troy and probably then some after undergoing arthroscopic surgery for cartilage damage in his right knee.
Cleveland has what football folks call a “ stinger” but the lingering pinched nerve between his shoulder and neck creates concern as he continues to be unable to practice.
Temporarily replacing Monk at split end continues to be “ throw somebody out there and hope they stick ” as sophomore London Crawford, Camden’s Rod Coleman, Osceola’s Chris Baker, Greenwood’s Lucas Miller and true freshman Crosby Tuck of Shiloh Christian keep experiencing various ups and downs, though the receivers have been trying to step up since Monk’s Monday’s surgery, Nutt said.
At flanker, little Reggie Fish is stepping up big and ranks ahead of senior Robert Johnson, receivers coach Alex Wood said Monday and Lee reiterated Tuesday.
“ Reggie is the best, ” Lee said Tuesday, “ at getting off the line of scrimmage and getting to the top of his route and separating. If he would just consistently finish the play and catch the ball, we would really have something. But Reggie Fish is the guy I trust to get open. ”
As for Johnson, Lee replied, “ Robert has struggled. We chart them every day and he’s dropping a few too many balls. ”
However Johnson did separate to catch a bomb from starting quarterback Casey Dick during Tuesday’s team period.
Nutt mentioned Johnson, Crawford and Tuck all making plays Tuesday.
Freshman Nathan Dick outperformed all the quarterbacks during last Saturday’s scrimmage but returning backup Nathan Emert has gotten more work this week behind junior starter Casey Dick.
There’s a reason for that, Lee explained while also explaining Nathan Dick’s practice time is due for an upgrade.
“ Nathan Dick had a really good scrimmage the other night, ” Lee said. “ He’s probably not getting enough work as the third quarterback only because his knowledge is limited of what we are trying to do right now. ”
Nathan Dick had never scrimmaged under center until last Saturday, Lee said, after being all shotgun all the time at Allen, Texas.
“ He didn’t do bad for the first time, ” Lee said. “ He had a real good scrimmage and likely will get more work. ”
In the meantime, Lee wants to scrutinize why Emert, who last week battled strep throat and some injuries, hasn’t matched in August the productivity he displayed last spring.
“ We wanted to get him at least semi-well, ” Lee said, “ and give him Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and give him some snaps and evaluate him because he hasn’t had a really good camp so far. ”
Junior defensive end Antwain Robinson, a starter last season and voted Preseason third-team All-SEC by the league’s coaches, started climbing out of the coaches’ doghouse Tuesday. Nagged both by injuries and by dissatisfaction expressed last week by defensive coordinator Reggie Herring and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, Robinson returned to practice Tuesday after being out since last Friday.
He worked second team as Adrian Davis and Van Stumon worked the firstteam flanks.
Chris Wade, recently promoted to first team, is still recovering from a concussion he suffered last week.
Star ting senior r ight offensive tackle Nate Garner also is concussion-idled.
Backup Mark Aguirre and versatile starting right guard Robert Felton took turns at right tackle Tuesday.
Playing Felton at tackle created more first-team time for redshirt freshman DeMarcus Love at guard.
Love pushes junior Mitch Petrus at first-team left guard.
Though still likely to be withheld from the season-opener, senior starting defensive tackle Marcus Harrison did test his surgically repaired knee with some contact drills Tuesday.
“ I still have to get in shape, ” Harrison said.
The Razorbacks are changing their nights-only practice routine with a 10 a. m. drill today at the Walker Pavilion.
