Out of Money, lots of change is being made

SCOTT CAIN
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

An ankle injury to left tackle Shannon Money has triggered a chain reaction in personnel moves affecting four other players.
Money will not play Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe, offensive line coach Mike Markuson said Monday. Money aggravated a sprained ankle in the Georgia game and will rest it this week.
Redshirt freshman Mark Bokermann, the backup left tackle, will work in Money's place but he also will share time with left guard La'Zerius White. White will split time between the two positions. When White's at tackle, redshirt freshman Scott Davenport will play left guard.
"I think Scott is probably out of all of [the reserves], besides Mark, the next guy inside I would feel comfortable to play," Markuson said. "It's time for him to step up. I've seen him do some awfully good things in practice."
When he reported as a true freshman, Davenport already was one of the strongest players on the team. That combined with his squat frame at 6-2, 300 pounds, makes it difficult for defensive linemen to budge him.
Davenport has been the No. 2 right guard most recently. Redshirt freshman Caleb Perry will move to backup right guard, with Davenport expected to take some snaps on the left side, Markuson said.
Jim Peters had been the backup right guard until he sprained his knee two weeks ago.
HARRIS NOT DONE JUST YET
It would seem a long shot at this point for two reasons, but cornerback Harold Harris still could return to the field this season, co-defensive coordinator John Thompson and trainer Dean Weber said.
Harris broke his arm Sept. 2 in the opener against Southwest Missouri State, had surgery to screw a plate into the arm to help the bone heal and has been out of action since.
The recovery time was projected at six to eight weeks, and four weeks have passed. In about two weeks, a doctor will examine Harris' arm to determine where it is in the healing process. If it has mended, then the medical staff, coaches and Harris would decide whether he should try to play in the final five games.
Sticking points: One, the arm might not be ready; and two, he meets the qualifications for a medical hardship that would give him an extra year of eligibility in 2002 but only if he does not play the rest of this season.
Even if the break has healed and they want to forgo the medical hardship, coaches would have to weigh whether Harris could knock off the rust and regain his conditioning quick enough to contribute in games.
JACKSON EARNS TIME
Eddie Jackson moved into the starting lineup three games ago thanks to injuries to Harold Harris and Orlando Green, and now the redshirt freshman is receiving the most playing time among the cornerbacks.
Jackson played 63 of the 71 snaps Saturday against Georgia. D'Andre Berry is holding down the other cornerback spot with Green working in occasionally.
Keep in mind that the depth is diluted. Harris is still out, Lawrence Richardson is not eligible and Green has struggled since returning from a pulled hamstring. But Jackson's play has been encouraging nonetheless.
"He really has played sound," co-defensive coordinator John Thompson said of Jackson. "I think he's gotten better every week. He's getting more and more confident."
Jackson has broken up four passes and returned an interception for a touchdown.
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS
Even if common sense didn't already favor Arkansas over Louisiana-Monroe this week -- roughly half of the Indians' team is true or redshirt freshmen -- then history would.
Arkansas holds a 19-1-2 record against teams from Louisiana not named LSU.
The Razorbacks have three victories each over Tulane, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State, Centenary and what are now Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana-Lafeyette. They also beat Barksdale Field once, a military-affiliated team in 1945 in Shreveport.
Tulane is the program that gave Arkansas trouble, winning 7-6 in 1930 and tying 0-0 in 1932 and 7-7 in 1933.
TD STREAK ENDS
Arkansas' streak of scoring at least one touchdown per quarter ended at 11 when it failed to score in the first quarter against Georgia. The Razorbacks then went three quarters without scoring a touchdown until they moved 98 yards against reserve defenders to score in the fourth quarter.
BLAME IT ON TRANS LUX
When the clock on Arkansas' new video display board at Reynolds Razorback Stadium malfunctioned before kickoff of Saturday's game against Georgia, it wasn't a problem with the SACO Smartvision, according to Susan-Anne Cosgrove, a marketing vice president for the company. She said the clock is manufactured and marketed by Trans Lux, not SACO.
SIDELINES
Receiver George Wilson wasn't released from the hospital until Saturday, three days after surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder, because of concerns about his blood pressure.... The Louisiana-Monroe game will mark the third consecutive in Fayetteville, the first time three consecutive games have been played on campus since 1933.

This article was published on Tuesday, October 3, 2000

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