Hogs' weak spot gets weaker

SCOTT CAIN
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- A broken wrist will keep junior cornerback Harold Harris out six weeks, poking another hole in Arkansas' secondary.
Harris was injured in the third quarter of the Razorbacks' 38-0 victory over Southwest Missouri State on Saturday.
Experience was already hard to come by in the secondary because the other starting cornerback, Orlando Green, missed last week with a strained hamstring. D'Andre Berry, who started in Green's place, will serve a one-game suspension against Boise State because he was ejected for swinging at a player during Saturday's game.
Arkansas also played the opener without freshman Lawrence Richardson, who was expected to contribute significantly. Richardson is awaiting word on an NCAA appeal to gain his eligibility. Failing that, he has retained two attorneys and is considering a lawsuit.
A reply on the appeal should come by Wednesday.
"Lawrence's eligibility would be very helpful," Coach Houston Nutt said.
Green is expected to practice this week but Nutt said he does not know whether Green will be full speed.
Harris' injury was hard to take for two reasons: He had been playing better and he was injured by teammate Ken Hamlin, a safety who was finishing off a tackle that Harris had started.
"He was so far ahead of where he was this time last year," Nutt said. "That hurts your secondary that he's going to be out."
Unless Harris can return sooner than six weeks, he probably will be held out the rest of the season and the university will petition the NCAA on his behalf for a medical redshirt season.
In the meantime, coaches must make some hard choices from a dwindling list of cornerbacks.
Redshirt freshmen Eddie Jackson and Kevin Baker and freshman Bo Mosley are next in line. Coaches would like to redshirt freshman Lee Hayes.
Coaches will consider moving Corey Harris, who shares time at rover with Derrick Johnson, to cornerback because he has enough speed to make the switch. Harris played cornerback in junior college.
Tailback Fred Talley played cornerback last year but will not be moved back to defense, Nutt said.

This article was published on Monday, September 4, 2000

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