How Hogs could replace Boyd, Burks if they can't go vs. Auburn
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FAYETTEVILLE — There is a chance Arkansas could be without at least one of its top two offensive weapons at Auburn.
Running back Rakeem Boyd and wide receiver Treylon Burks are among three starters who missed most of the Razorbacks’ upset win at No. 16 Mississippi State and whose availability for Saturday’s game remains up in the air. Cornerback Montaric Brown is the other.
Head coach Sam Pittman hasn’t dealt with many injuries during his young tenure, but he has typically played them close to the vest and that has been the case this week.
“They’re fine,” Pittman said when asked about them during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday morning. “I anticipate at least two of the three being able to play. We hope all three will.”
On Monday, the first-year coach told reporters that Boyd and Burks would return to practice later that day. While he was unsure if Brown would, too, he said felt like the cornerback would be ready by Saturday.
Coupled with his comments on the teleconference, that seems to indicate one of the offensive stars could miss the Auburn game.
Boyd, a preseason second-team All-SEC selection, had to be carted to the locker room after limping off the field early in the second quarter with an apparent lower leg injury. He was later spotted in a boot.
In his place, backup Trelon Smith ran for 48 yards on 14 carries and added a team-high five receptions for 22 yards in the win. It’s still a small sample size, but the Arizona State transfer who sat out last season has shown some flashes in the first two games of the season.
Including his performance against Georgia, Smith has 86 yards on 20 carries - a 4.3-yard average - and is tied for the team lead with eight receptions, which have totaled just 35 yards.
“We’ll have to wait and see on Rakeem, but I’m very confident (in Smith),” Pittman said. “He’s a hard runner, nice blocker. I mean, the guy plays hard. More importantly, our team believes in him, so if that’s the case, then we’ll be just fine with him.”
If Boyd is unable to play, Smith will likely make his first career start Saturday. What remains to be seen is who will be the next running back. Redshirt freshman A’Montae Spivey - who didn’t travel to Starkville because of undisclosed non-injury reasons - and true freshman Dominique Johnson are the two candidates, with both likely to play if Boyd can’t.
The weather could play a factor in Pittman’s decision, too, as Hurricane Delta is expected to bring rain into the area during the game.
“I think it's going to be dictated on is it muddy?” Pittman said. “If it's a muddier game, it might be better for a bigger guy, which would be Dominique. I'm not positive who we'd go with first. I'll know Saturday morning.”
Burks - who left the game after playing just 12 snaps - is dealing with a knee injury that required an MRI earlier in the week, according to a post he shared on Instagram. However, Pittman declined to share those results and told reporters Thursday that he’s “improving.”
In his absence last week, senior De’Vion Warren stepped up as the Razorbacks’ slot receiver with a career game. He more than doubled his yardage total from the previous three-plus years with a 100-yard, four-reception performance that included a touchdown.
Pittman praised Warren for doing a really good job since the start of camp in August, as he’s displayed the speed and quickness needed to separate from defenders on his breaks.
“Coming in here, I didn't know where he would be on the depth chart, even coming in to fall camp,” Pittman said. “In my eyes, he's a starter because when he's out there I'm happy he's out there.
“A lot of times you get someone out there and you go, 'Oh man where's the starter,’ and that's not the case with him out there. (I’m) very, very confident in him.”
On the other side of the ball, Brown is “getting better,” Pittman said Thursday. If for some reason he can’t play, the Razorbacks will likely turn to younger options at cornerback.
True freshman Khari Johnson has been listed as the backup behind Jerry Jacobs at the opposite corner all season, while redshirt freshman Malik Chavis is new to the depth chart this week. He replaced veteran Jarques McClellion - who opted out of the 2020 season last Thursday - as Brown’s backup.
Both of those players traveled to Mississippi State, but the Razorbacks instead went with redshirt freshman walk-on Hudson Clark when Brown went down. He ended up playing 49 snaps and earning a solid 70.9 grade from Pro Football Focus, which led to Pittman singling him out after Wednesday’s practice as a player who stayed focused and ready for his moment.
Arkansas was also without starting defensive ends Dorian Gerald (ankle) and Julius Coates (undisclosed, non-injury) the entire game, allowing Zach Williams and Eric Gregory to make the first starts of their careers. An elbow injury forced starting linebacker Grant Morgan to miss a handful of snaps, as well, before returning to the game.
Considering the Razorbacks still managed to come away with the victory, it was the kind of game that left Pittman feeling even better about his depth. More importantly, though, it helped convey his message that they’ll need everyone this season.
“I think the team believes that if we take 70 kids - 67 kids last week - then that’s who we need to win the game,” Pittman said. “That sure helps our kids believe that. … I think the kids proved it even a little bit more than what we did by just talking about it.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and the broadcast of the game has been moved from the SEC Network to ESPN because of time changes to other games in response to Hurricane Delta.