FAYETTEVILLE -- Austin Allen's first start will come against a team coached by Skip Holtz, a fellow graduate of Fayetteville High School and one of the first college coaches to offer him a scholarship.
Allen said Wednesday he initially had interest in South Florida, where Holtz was head coach from 2010-12, after assistant coach Peter Vaas got in touch with him during his junior year.
"At first I did because they were one of the first teams that offered me," Allen said. "I wanted to go check them out.
"But then once things really got rolling, got into baseball season, so I never really got around to it. And then I always kind of knew I was going to come here."
Allen also received offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and Stanford among other schools.
Holtz spoke about Allen at his Monday news conference.
"I know he throws a pretty ball," Holtz said. "I know how talented he is."
Allen said he's done a lot of preparing for his first start since signing with the Razorbacks in 2013.
"I'm definitely ready," he said. "If you don't get a little bit nervous, this is not the right place for you. I'm really excited about it. As long as you prepare, you play well. I feel like I've prepared a lot."
Watch for Keon
Arkansas receivers coach Michael Smith said he's pleased with Keon Hatcher's preparation for a second run at his senior season.
Hatcher had 13 receptions for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns through two games before a broken foot knocked him out for the year.
"He's been great," Smith said. "He's another one that I hope a lot of people have forgotten about because you know he's hungry. He's anxious to get back on the field and try to continue the success he had early in the season last year. I have full confidence that he's going to get that done."
Hatcher said he's been anticipating game day for a long time.
"It's been a minute since I've got to play live in a real game," Hatcher said. "I'm just excited, man. I'm excited for the opportunity and to see what comes."
Dogs over Hogs
Arkansas boasted having the largest offensive line in all of football last season, but that won't be the case in the Razorbacks' season opener Saturday.
The Arkansas starting front of Dan Skipper, Hjalte Froholdt, Frank Ragnow, Jake Raulerson and Colton Jackson are listed at a combined 1,557 pounds, for an average of 311.4 pounds per man.
Louisiana Tech's starting quintet of Darrell Brown, O'Shea Dugas, Joseph Brunson, Kirby Wixson and Shane Carpenter checks in at 1,578 pounds, an average of 315.6 pounds per player.
'Raw' tattoo
Tailback Rawleigh Williams is sporting a tattoo on his left bicep that has special meaning.
"It's the date I got injured, and it's Proverbs 3:5 and 6," said Williams, referencing the Oct. 24 game against Auburn when a face mask grab led to a collision that pushed a disk in his neck close to his spinal cord, requiring surgery.
"It's a verse that I've always held close to me with everything that I go through. It was kind of to show that I overcame something big. We're not really a tattoo family, but it's something I can always look to and refer to. If I can overcome this, I can overcome anything."
Two QBs
Louisiana Tech's Skip Holtz is quite familiar with two of Arkansas' top three quarterbacks, junior starter Austin Allen and freshman Cole Kelley, who is from Lafayette, La.
Holtz recruited Allen out of Fayetteville High School and also offered Kelley.
"I know they took a quarterback a year ago that we really liked from this state," Holtz said. "They've taken some really quality players from this state."
Danny's boots
Booger McFarland believed he'd be following Marvin Caston, his close friend and Winnsboro (La.) High School teammate, to Arkansas in 1995. McFarland signed with LSU instead.
Where then-Arkansas Coach Danny Ford put his feet during a home visit turned out to be the key factor in McFarland's decision.
"Danny Ford comes in, wearing cowboy boots, sits back and puts his boots on my momma's coffee table," McFarland told the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club on Wednesday. "She looked at me ... that's when I knew I wasn't coming to Arkansas."
Jackson Two
Arkansas fullback Kendrick Jackson will face his cousin, Louisiana Tech safety James Jackson, on Saturday.
The game would have featured three Jackson cousins from Haynesville, La., but Louisiana Tech Coach Skip Holtz dismissed cornerback Jarrell Jackson, a transfer from Hawaii, two weeks ago.
"This is the moment I've been waiting on ever since we signed," Kendrick Jackson said. "I knew we were going to play each other."
Jackson, who got a standing ovation in the offensive room when he switched back from linebacker, said he has yet to talk to James Jackson this week.
"I might hit him up before the game," he said.
Sports on 09/01/2016