FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas could potentially be without a pair of starting offensive linemen for Saturday’s top-25 showdown at AT&T Stadium.
After both players left the Georgia Southern game with injuries, the status of right tackle Dalton Wagner and center Ricky Stromberg is up in the air for the No. 16 Razorbacks' matchup with No. 7 Texas A&M.
Head coach Sam Pittman didn’t provide any details on either player’s specific injury, but didn’t give a particularly optimistic answer when asked about them Monday.
“I’m positive neither one of them will practice today (and) then we’ll kind of go on with Tuesday, Wednesday,” Pittman said. “I told Coach (Cody) Kennedy we’d better get ready as if neither of them will be able to play, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Wagner was the first player to go down. He was seen leaving the injury tent and walking slowly down the sideline before gingerly sitting down on the bench during the first half. It appeared to be a back issue.
Stromberg suffered an apparent knee injury when he got rolled up on the second play after halftime. He limped off the field after being tended to by trainers. He missed time in fall camp with an MCL strain.
As a result, Arkansas used several different combinations along the offensive line. Ty Clary did not start, but he went in at right tackle in Wagner’s place in the first half and then moved to his usual right guard spot to start the second half before ending up at center in Stromberg’s place.
Brady Latham moved to right tackle to start the second half, allowing Luke Jones to play left guard. Beaux Limmer and Myron Cunningham started at right guard and left tackle, respectively. It was the first time offensive line coach Cody Kennedy’s cross-training during the offseason was put to the test in a real game.
“I was so proud of Cody and that group, because he had them ready last week,” Pittman said. “We’re going to go back to that mentality of, ‘All we’ve got is all we need.’ If they can play, we sure as heck want them to, but we’re going to be prepared if they’re not able to.”
Here are a few other quick injury notes…
TE Hudson Henry
Although he eventually played nine offensive snaps late in the blowout, Henry was the fourth tight end to see the field against Georgia Southern. Blake Kern started and played a majority of the snaps, but he was followed by Nathan Bax and Trey Knox.
That was due to Henry’s lack of practice leading up to the game, as he rolled his ankle early in the week and didn’t return to practice until Thursday.
“As a matter of fact, there was a question of it we were going to (dress) him or not,” Pittman said. “We decided to go with Kern, then Bax, then Knox, then Henry.”
RB Trelon Smith
Although he’s the team’s leading rusher with 216 yards and averaging 5.1 yards per carry through three games, Smith has yet to be fully healthy, Pittman said.
In addition to missing time with turf toe in fall camp, the Razorbacks’ starting running back left Saturday’s game with some sort of upper-body injury. He was seen doing to the locker room with his shoulder pads off during the first half, but eventually returned to the game.
“He is an inspiring guy in that room and on our team,” Pittman said. “We need him to get healthy. We need him to be a strong leader on our football team. That’s what he’s doing, but he’s just been a little beat up this year.”
S Myles Slusher
Despite being listed on the depth chart as a backup safety in Arkansas’ dime package, Slusher didn’t make his season debut until Georgia Southern’s final possession Saturday.
After missing time with a high-ankle sprain his true freshman year, he has been dealing with what Pittman described as a hamstring/quad injury. It sounds like he is finally healthy and could see his role expand as the season progresses.
“I think Myles Slusher can be almost as good as anybody we have on defense,” Pittman said. “He’s not playing right now, even any special teams, because he’s been injured. … If he can get healthy, he’s a really good football player, and I think all of you will see that.”
