Razorbacks Report

QB Kelley gets boot over toe

Cole Kelley, Arkansas quarterback, goes down in the backfield with Marcus Williamson (3), Coastal Carolina defensive end, and Shane Johnson (9), Coastal Carolina linebacker, on the tackle, in the second quarter Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Cole Kelley, Arkansas quarterback, goes down in the backfield with Marcus Williamson (3), Coastal Carolina defensive end, and Shane Johnson (9), Coastal Carolina linebacker, on the tackle, in the second quarter Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Add quarterback Cole Kelley to the injury report for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Kelley had his toe stepped on by a Coastal Carolina defender during the second quarter Saturday. He woke up with soreness in the toe Sunday and has been fitted for a walking boot.

"Cole got his toe stepped on and got extreme turf toe," Coach Bret Bielema said. "So he's in a little bit of a boot, but is fully functional. Shouldn't be an issue for him during the course of practice and preparation for the game. Just real sore, nothing structural."

Kelley was visibly favoring the foot late in the second quarter.

"I had rolled out and a guy tackled me, and it just kind of shoved my toe in the ground," Kelley said Saturday. "It's nothing too serious."

Kelley and senior captain Austin Allen are expected to split first-team reps this week in preparation for Saturday's 11 a.m. game at LSU, starting with today's first practice of the week.

"We're going to see where they're both at [today] pre-practice and then take it from there," Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said.

Allen has rested his right shoulder the past four weeks, with Kelley leading the Hogs to a 2-2 record against No. 1 Alabama, No. 21 Auburn, Ole Miss and Coastal Carolina.

Bielema reiterated Monday he doesn't plan to announce his starter for the LSU game.

"Anything that could be a strategic advantage for us -- whether it's the quarterback or how much T.J. [Hammonds] is going to play or whether or not we've done certain things with him -- better staying in-house and showing up on Saturday," Bielema said.

Injury update

Bret Bielema said he's hopeful safety De'Andre Coley (ankle) and cornerback Britto Tutt (knee) will play against LSU on defense and special teams after being out with injuries.

"When we don't have those guys, then our safeties and corners have to play the whole game as well as they're tapping into their special teams," Bielema said. "So when we've lost some of the key injuries that we've had to affect our overall depth, it's just a trickle-down effect."

Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady, who suffered a tailbone injury in the first quarter against Coastal Carolina and didn't return, should be ready to practice today, Bielema said.

Tube talk

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville home game against Mississippi State on Nov. 18 will kick off at either 11 a.m. as part of a doubleheader on CBS or at 6 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2.

The Texas A&M at Ole Miss game on that date has the same options, while the LSU at Tennessee game will kick off at 6 p.m. on either ESPN or ESPN2.

CBS has chosen the Kentucky at Georgia game that day for its 2:30 p.m. slot.

Screen fumble

A fumble return for a touchdown by Coastal Carolina should have been an incomplete pass rather than a lateral based on the play call, offensive coordinator Dan Enos said.

The play is designed to be a screen pass from Cole Kelley to Jonathan Nance, but it became a lateral, Enos said, when Nance got too deep on his route.

"We're not supposed to give ground back to the backfield," Enos said. "We're supposed to be moving toward the line of scrimmage."

Deon Stewart missed a block and Dontay Hears hit Nance to force the fumble, which Nicholas Clark recovered and returned 31 yards for a touchdown to put the Chanticleers ahead 28-17 with 10:31 left in the third quarter.

The fumble was credited to Kelley, his fifth in four starts. The Razorbacks lost four of Kelley's fumbles, including two in their 52-20 loss to Auburn.

Reynolds light

The announced crowd of 61,476 for Saturday's 39-38 victory over Coastal Carolina on homecoming, which reflects tickets sold, was considerably less than that in actuality.

Coach Bret Bielema said the crowd size did not come up in his discussions with the team.

"We talked about playing in front of our home crowd," Bielema said. "Didn't really address anything about crowd size, whether we were thinking it was going to be a full stadium or if we were concerned about it.

"All we do is play at home and get a chance to get our crowd going. I appreciate all the people who stayed and obviously they saw a good game in the end and a celebration."

Asked whether he was frustrated by the attendance, Bielema said he didn't really take notice of the undercapacity crowd.

"Obviously it's something that we overall do," he said. "I knew we were going to play a non-SEC opponent, and it was the homecoming game and everything that goes into it. But as a head coach you've got to worry about the 11 guys on the field, not the guys that are up in the stands."

Top players

The Arkansas coaching staff named tailback T.J. Hammonds, defensive end Jake Hall, and special-teamers Connor Limpert and Ryder Lucas as their players of the week.

Hammonds rushed for a career-high 119 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown, on 7 carries. The sophomore from Joe T. Robinson also had a 60-yard touchdown on a screen pass on his first catch of the season. Hammonds is the only FBS player this season to score rushing and receiving touchdowns of 60-plus yards in the same game.

Hall, a junior from Springdale Har-Ber, picked up extra playing time after the ejection of McTelvin Agim for targeting early in the second quarter, and he notched three tackles, two hurries and a pass breakup. Hall's breakup was the first third-down stop for the Hogs in the second quarter. One of his hurries came when he pushed a Coastal Carolina tackle into quarterback Kilton Anderson on his incomplete fourth-down pass on the Chanticleers' final offensive snap.

"Jake Hall played the best game of his career," Coach Bret Bielema said. "Was very, very active."

Limpert had six touchbacks among his seven kickoffs, made a 46-yard field goal and hit all four of his extra-point attempts. Lucas notched a pair of tackles, including a stop on kick returner Ky'Jon Tyler at the Coastal Carolina 19 after the Razorbacks had taken a 39-38 lead with 1:55 remaining.

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Sports on 11/07/2017

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