Razorbacks Report

Jared Cornelius apologetic for output

Arkansas receiver Jared Cornelius drops a pass in front of TCU's Ridwan Issahaku during a game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas receiver Jared Cornelius drops a pass in front of TCU's Ridwan Issahaku during a game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks receiver Jared Cornelius sent out a text to Coach Bret Bielema, receivers coach Michael Smith and offensive coordinator Dan Enos after a rusty performance in the team's 28-7 loss to TCU.

Cornelius, the Razorbacks' most experienced wideout who missed almost all of training camp with a sore back, said he underestimated how much time and practice it would take to get back into a groove. He dropped a short pass on Arkansas' first offensive snap, had a second drop and finished with one catch for 2 yards.

"Jared was very, very disappointed in his play," Smith said Tuesday. "The great thing about Jared being a leader, being the type of kid he is ... immediately after that game myself, Coach B and coach Enos got a text from him saying that would never happen again. So I'm looking forward to watching him play this weekend."

Cornelius, a senior from Shreveport, said he caught 200 passes a day from a ball machine during last week's open date.

"I wasn't happy with the way I played," Cornelius said. "I don't say I rushed into playing a game, but I definitely didn't take enough time on my own catching balls, running routes to get the dust off. I took the blame for it. The receivers didn't live up to what we're supposed to do. We let a lot of people down, let the team down, and that's on me."

Cornelius said he lost 10 pounds over the course of the week by eating smaller portions at meals. He now weighs 205 pounds.

"I just feel good," he said. "I'm moving around better. The coaches think so. Just trying to burn as many calories as I can."

Quarterback Austin Allen said Cornelius is on the upswing.

"He's caught the ball well and run really good routes," Allen said. "He's just coming along. He was out fall camp, so he's not going to be 100 percent right away. He's coming along, and he's a really big part of our game plan this week."

Cornelius caught seven passes for 126 yards with a touchdown against Texas A&M last season.

Fish story

Offensive captains Austin Allen and Frank Ragnow went bass fishing on a pond near Goshen last weekend.

The invitation came from Ragnow.

"That wasn't like some therapeutic idea I had," Ragnow said. "We just happened to go fishing. And then I talked to him about 'Hey man, just go be yourself. Go be Austin Allen.' That's all."

Allen smiled when asked about the trip.

"Yeah, I caught more fish than Frank," Allen said. "Slight jab. We hang out all the time. We went to dinner last night. So we're always just hanging out and talking. He has my back, I have his back."

Red zone

Quarterback Austin Allen said the Razorbacks spent about 30 minutes working on goal-line and red-zone plays Tuesday.

The inability to punch drives in from inside the 20-yard line has lingered from parts of the 2016 season into the start of this year.

"We're doing some different things, trying out some different things," Allen said. "It's one of those critical areas where we can't lose that battle."

Sleek uniforms

The offensive players in Tuesday's interviews touted the look and feel of the special game jerseys modeled after the Dallas Cowboys that the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville will wear in honor of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a former Razorback, on Saturday in AT&T Stadium.

"First of all, the Cowboys are my favorite team so I was almost star-struck seeing the jerseys," offensive tackle Johnny Gibson said. "Everybody was excited seeing them. It's going to be an honor to play in Cowboys Stadium in their type of jerseys to honor Jerry Jones and everything he's done."

The Razorbacks practiced in the new jerseys Sunday to make sure they fit properly.

"I think they're pretty wild," center Frank Ragnow said.

"They're sweet," receiver Jared Cornelius said. "I've never been a Cowboys fan, but it's a great thing going down to Jerry's World and playing in those uniforms."

Said quarterback Austin Allen: "We were kind of taken aback by how good they looked and how good they felt. They're sleek. They look just like the Cowboys uniform, a replica-type deal. I'm excited to put it on and play in it."

2018 slate

The Arkansas Razorbacks will open their SEC schedule in 2018 at Auburn on Sept. 22 and will play all four of their conference home games in between two sets of road games, the SEC office announced Tuesday.

The Razorbacks host Alabama, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, LSU and a nonconference game against Tulsa between Oct. 6 and Nov. 10. That stretch also includes a late open date on Nov. 3, prior to a home game against LSU.

The Razorbacks are contractually obligated to play a conference game in Little Rock in 2018, but it has yet to be designated.

Arkansas does not have a nonconference game against a Power 5 opponent in 2018 as mandated by the SEC. The Hogs were given a waiver by the SEC office for 2018 and 2019 due to Michigan's breaking of the contract on games in those two seasons last summer. Arkansas scheduled a road game against Colorado State in 2018, and it will face the Rams on Sept. 8 in Fort Collins, Colo., after opening the season with a home game against Eastern Illinois of the FCS on Sept. 1.

After the conference opener at Auburn, the Razorbacks will be the visitor for their Southwest Classic game against Texas A&M on Sept. 29. Arkansas does not play another SEC road game until finishing the year with trips to Mississippi State on Nov. 17 and to Missouri on Nov. 24. The regular-season finale at Missouri is scheduled for a Saturday, although it is a candidate for moving up a day to the Friday after Thanksgiving, as it has since the Razorbacks and Tigers became permanent SEC crossover opponents in 2014.

Punch line

A reporter at Texas A&M Coach Kevin Sumlin's Tuesday news conference began asking a question about Sumlin's friendship with Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema, which included a reference to Bielema saying after the 2015 game that he felt like punching his buddy Sumlin.

"Who doesn't?" Sumlin remarked, causing laughter among the reporters. "There's a few of those around ,too. He's not the only one."

Sumlin's remarks were in reference to fans' reaction to the Aggies' blown 44-10 lead in a 45-44 loss at UCLA in their season opener. After the game, an A&M board of regent member lashed out at Sumlin, saying it was time for him to go.

Take that ball

Texas A&M leads the nation with a plus-2.67 turnover margin. The Aggies have turned the ball over twice in three games and have 10 takeaways for a plus-8 margin. The Aggies have recovered six opponent fumbles and intercepted four passes.

ADVERTISEMENT

More headlines

Sports on 09/20/2017

Date;Opponent;Site

Sept. 1;Eastern Illinois;Fayetteville

Sept. 8;at Colorado State;Fort Collins, Colo.

Sept. 15;North Texas;Fayetteville

Sept. 22;at Auburn;Auburn, Ala.

Sept. 29;Texas A&M;Arlington, Texas

Oct. 6;Alabama;Fayetteville

Oct. 13;Ole Miss;Fayetteville

Oct. 20;Tulsa;Fayetteville

Oct. 27;Vanderbilt;Fayetteville

Nov. 3;Open

Nov. 10;LSU;Fayetteville

Nov. 17;at Mississippi State;Starkville, Miss.

Nov. 24;at Missouri;Columbia, Mo.

Upcoming Events