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FAYETTEVILLE — To borrow a phrase from Sam Pittman, Arkansas is pretty beat up through three weeks of the season.
The first-year coach doesn’t like discussing injuries with the media, but he admitted during Monday afternoon’s weekly Zoom videoconference that the Razorbacks need to get some players healthy.
That includes Arkansas’ top two offensive weapons: running back Rakeem Boyd and wide receiver Treylon Burks. They are dealing with lower leg and knee injuries, respectively, that forced them out of the Mississippi State game and kept them from play at Auburn.
Boyd was not on the travel roster, while Burks made the trip and dressed out before the decision was made not to play him. It remains unclear if they’ll be available for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss.
“I think, hopefully, we'll be close to full speed as much as we can be, but, again, I don't want you to think I'm lying to you,” Pittman said. “I’m just telling you what I know on Monday. I feel like we'll have a chance to be pretty close to full speed.”
Also on offense, tight end Hudson Henry made the trip, but did not play because of an undisclosed injury. He was coming off a four-catch, 20-yard performance at Mississippi State that included his first career touchdown.
During the game, right tackle Noah Gatlin went down with a lower left leg injury and had to be helped off the field following the Razorbacks’ first offensive play. Pittman said he’s “going to be okay,” but didn’t go into detail about the injury.
Arkansas also made a switch at right guard during the second quarter, inserting Ty Clary for Beaux Limmer. However, “nothing’s wrong” with Limmer, Pittman said. Instead, it was a move they had planned throughout the week because of how Clary had looked in practice.
Defensively, the Razorbacks were without both of their starting cornerbacks for most of the Auburn game.
Montaric Brown didn’t make the trip because of an upper-body injury he suffered against Mississippi State a week earlier, while Jerry Jacobs suffered an injury late in the first half.
Pittman said he’s “hoping” to get both players back this week, as well as freshman safety Myles Slusher, who made the trip but didn’t play because of an undisclosed injury.
Starting linebackers Bumper Pool and Grant Morgan are also dealing with injuries. Pittman revealed after the game that both players practiced in shells - helmets and shoulder pads only - and had limited contact during the week leading up to the game.
Playing with his left arm heavily wrapped because of an elbow injury suffered against Mississippi State, Morgan didn’t miss a single defensive snap at Auburn. Pool, who told reporters he had a stinger a week earlier, missed a handful of snaps, but still played a majority of the game.
They’ll have similar practice prep leading up to the Ole Miss game.
“They're both beat up, so we're not going to hit either one of them before Saturday,” Pittman said. “Hopefully we can get them both ready to play.”
Pittman didn’t provide an update on defensive end Dorian Gerald, who hasn’t played since going down with an ankle injury in Week 1.
With the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Razorbacks routinely practiced four deep in camp to prepare for players missing time. However, injuries have proven to be Arkansas’ biggest problem.
“Right now, we're getting hit and we're getting hurt,” Pittman said. “We have to obviously get in the weight room and get bigger, get stronger, because we're breaking up a little bit. Teams are just much bigger than we are.
“I’m not saying they're more physical, because half of our injuries is us injuring ourself by hitting somebody so hard. But obviously it's a big man's league and we have to continue to get a little bit bigger in the weight room and also in recruiting.”
Kickoff against Ole Miss is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
