Dominique Johnson to miss remainder of season with torn ACL
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman revealed that running back Dominique Johnson will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL.
Johnson had surgery on his right knee after suffering an ACL injury in last season's Outback Bowl win over Penn State. Pittman said that Johnson injured the same knee in a non-contact situation during practice last week.
"I believe it might have been Tuesday, he made a cut on air and tore his ACL again," Pittman said. "So, it's really unfortunate for the team, certainly for him. We found out ... He actually practiced the next day, and then he did not practice on Thursday and we found out Thursday. He went and got the MRI and we found that out."
Johnson missed time during fall camp while still recovering from the previous injury, and the team eased him back into action during the early parts of the season.
He did not see the field until Week 4 against Texas A&M, when he gained 32 yards on five carries. Since then, Johnson saw three carries for 11 yards.
"The silver lining, if there is one, and there is one, is you can use this as a redshirt year for him, and we've kind of approached it that way," Pittman said. "By the time he got healthy, he would be ready for fall camp, which we certainly found that it didn't help him this year missing fall camp. So, we're going with all the positives out of certainly a negative situation."
After rushing for 575 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns last season, Johnson was primed to be a factor in Arkansas' rushing attack this season. Things never came together, though, and now the injury will keep him from seeing the field for the rest of the season.