Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman announced Monday that junior running back Rocket Sanders will miss Saturday's game against Mississippi State as he continues to nurse a knee injury he suffered in Week 1 against Western Carolina.
When asked if Sanders is going to miss the remainder of the season, Pittman said he didn't know.
"I really don't," Pittman said. "He's not going to play Saturday. I really don't know. It just depends on how he feels and the progression of his rehab."
Sanders missed three weeks after suffering the injury and he was able to return on Sept. 30 against Texas A&M. He carried the ball 19 times for 49 rushing yards combined in the A&M and Ole Miss games.
After practicing Monday and Tuesday of last week, Sanders had discomfort with his knee, according to Pittman. That resulted in him not making the trip to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama game.
"I found out Tuesday that he wasn't confident in his knee yet," Pittman said. "So that's when I found out."
Pittman said after the Alabama game that Sanders needed to get more rehab on his knee.
"Rocket went to get some more rehab," Pittman said Saturday. "Obviously, he didn't feel like his knee was 100 percent. So, I have no idea when he'll be back.”
After rushing for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, Sanders has just 91 rushing yards and two scores on 34 carries this year. Pittman said Sanders' availability for the remainder of the season is in doubt.
In Sanders' absence, sophomore Rashod Dubinion and junior AJ Green have fill in as the go-to backs. Green leads the team with 239 rushing yards on 38 attempts, while Dubinion has carried the ball 65 times for 213 yards.
"We believe in both of them and we'll probably split the difference this week with them," Pittman said.
Arkansas and Mississippi State will meet at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
