FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema announced redshirt junior defensive back Kevin Richardson of Jacksonville underwent surgery on Monday for a torn pectoral muscle that will end his season.
"It was a tough day yesterday for players and coaches," Bielema said, regarding hearing about the extent of Richardson's injury. "He's a very calm presence on the sidelines.
"We just talked about how he would watch film with the younger guys, teach and prepare them the right way and do some things during the course of the week with those younger guys. I think he'll just naturally do it because of the way he is with leadership."
Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said the presence of Richardson and play will be missed.
"No. 1, he's a great teammate, so the players really respect him and enjoy having him around," Smith said. "Kevin is a favorite of mine. He does everything you ask him."
Smith said cornerbacks Ryan Pulley and DJ Dean will log more playing time with Richardson's loss, while Henre Toliver will probably draw more slot coverage.
Converge on QB
Ends Deatrich Wise and Jeremiah Ledbetter were given credit for a 10-yard sack on Louisiana Tech's J'mar Smith on the Bulldogs' final offensive play of the game. Truth is, it could have been credited three ways, as Randy Ramsey was smacking Smith from up the middle at virtually the same time Ledbetter and Wise sandwiched him from the edges.
Ramsey started the play as a stand-up linebacker in the gap between the guard and center, and he and defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson both defeated blockers up the middle to give Smith nowhere to run.
Average Allen
Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said junior quarterback Austin Allen had an "average" performance in his debut.
"One of the keys to victory for him was to play within himself, and I thought a couple of times he didn't do that. Meaning I thought he kind of invented some things that were going on out there that weren't really going on."
Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, one to end the first series of the game, and another when a receiver ran the wrong route and drew his defender too close to the intended target. Coach Bret Bielema didn't ding Allen for that pass, but Enos said it was ultimately Allen's decision.
"One thing I tell quarterbacks all the time ... is at this position you can't let somebody else's mistake lead to your mistake.
"There were two guys standing right next to each other. Throw the thing away. Let's live to see third down. That's one play that Austin I know would love to have back, but that's got to be a great learning moment for him."
Scoring 1,000
TCU Coach Gary Patterson accepted blame for the Horned Frogs' defensive showing in a season-opening 59-41 victory over South Dakota Sate.
"To be honest with you, I just really did a poor job of getting them ready to play," he said. "We didn't tackle very well and schematically we didn't do a very good job of lining up against what they did. When you do that, you're not going to give you kids a very good chance of being successful."
South Dakota State gained 461 yards and had seven plays or 20 or more yards.
"Hopefully, we'll do a lot better job as a coaching staff getting them in position against Arkansas," Patterson said. "If not, they'll have a thousand yards and a thousand points."
From Conway
Bret Bielema said one of the plays that will not get as much attention as it should was the tackle made by Colton Jackson on an interception return by Louisiana Tech cornerback Prince Sam in the second quarter. Sam intercepted at the Bulldogs' 18 on a pass from the 24, and Jackson, a redshirt freshman from Conway, knocked him out of bounds at the Arkansas 48 after a 34-yard return.
"Colton Jackson, maybe the play of the day was his play to save the touchdown, which showed his athleticism, the way he can run," Bielema said.
"He flew out of there as fast as any man has run out of Conway to get out there and make that tackle."
Bret and Gary
Bret Bielema and Gary Patterson know each other pretty well.
"We get a chance to go on Nike trips together where we hang out, but I've known Bret before then," Patterson said. "I've always respected the job he's done every place that he's been."
Patterson, like Bielema, was a defensive coordinator before becoming a head coach.
"Big fan of Gary Patterson ... and what he's built at TCU, the culture he's created," Bielema said. "He's a good dude. One of those guys you like to be around, except for maybe this Saturday."
7 of 8
Arkansas has won seven of its last eight games, dating back to its 54-46 victory over Auburn in four overtimes last October.
The last time the Razorbacks won seven of eight games?
Arkansas won eight of its last nine games under Bobby Petrino in 2011, then the Razorbacks won in John L. Smith's debut to open 2012 for nine victories in a 10-game span.
5 in 4
Jeremy Sprinkle's game-winning 4-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against Louisiana Tech was the tight end's fifth touchdown catch in his past four games.
Sprinkle scored three touchdowns against Mississippi State in game 11 last year and one in the Razorbacks' Liberty Bowl victory against Kansas State.
It's not hoops
TCU Coach Gary Patterson took exception to a question about Arkansas "struggling" to beat Louisiana Tech.
"I didn't think they struggled," Patterson said. "I thought Louisiana Tech was a pretty good football team."
Patterson said Arkansas looked like a typical Bret Bielema-coached team, and he praised the Razorbacks' physical style.
"They just do a great job of making you be a football player," Patterson said. "They don't let you play basketball. If you want to beat them, you've got to be able to match that physicality and then also be very smart about what you do."
Safety dance
Arkansas coaches have promoted junior De'Andre Coley into a co-starter's role with sophomore Santos Ramirez after the season opener. Ramirez tied for the team high with seven tackles, while Coley had one. Both players missed tackles.
"De'Andre Coley is a guy that has progressively gotten better since last spring," Smith said. "I thought he did some good things in coverage. ... We want guys that play good football for us. We still think Santos is a heck of a football player, and competition brings out the best in us and everybody."
Players of the week
OFFENSE
RB Rawleigh Williams
Williams, a 5-10, 226-pound sophomore from Dallas, ran 24 times for 96 yards. Williams capped Arkansas' second possession with a 6-yard touchdown run up the middle for his second collegiate score.
DEFENSE
DE Deatrich Wise
Wise, a 6-5, 27-pound senior from Carrollton, Texas, was credited with 7 tackles, 3 quarterback hurries and 1 pass breakup. Wise also had half of a sack on the Bulldogs' final offensive snap.
Sports on 09/06/2016