Sprains drain Hogs as quarterbacks take beating

BOB HOLT
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Arkansas center Josh Melton found himself snapping the ball to three quarterbacks on the Razorbacks' lone touchdown drive Saturday against South Carolina.
"That pretty much sums up our day," Melton said after the Gamecocks beat the Razorbacks 27-7. "Things didn't go right for us, especially for our quarterbacks."
Sophomore quarterback Robby Hampton, who has started every game this season, suffered a sprained right thumb on his throwing hand on his first pass attempt.
"I don't know what I hit, but I hit my hand on a South Carolina player and hurt my thumb," Hampton said. "It got tight and stiffened up as the game went on."
Freshman quarterback Zak Clark started the second half and played four series. He opened the Razorbacks' touchdown drive at their 36 and moved them to the South Carolina 24 before suffering a sprained right ankle. The injury came when he was hit by nose guard Cleveland Pinkney while throwing an 11-yard completion to Richard Smith.
Junior Jared McBride went in for Clark, but he lasted just two plays before going down with a sprained right knee when he was sacked by defensive tackle Cecil Caldwell.
"I asked them if they threw a grenade over there," Arkansas trainer Dean Weber said. "It all happened in about two minutes."
With no other quarterbacks available on the 70-man travel roster, Hampton went back into the game.
With his hand throbbing from pain, Hampton managed to complete two passes to get the Razorbacks to the South Carolina 9. Freshman tailback Brandon Holmes finished off the drive with a touchdown run with 9:25 left.
"We may have had three quarterbacks get hurt in a game before, but I can't recall it happening," said Weber, who has been Arkansas' trainer for 28 years. "There's a first time for everything, if this is the first time."
Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt had talked about the possibility of seeking a medical redshirt for Clark -- who had not played since the opener against Southwest Missouri State -- because he had some pain in his right shoulder.
Nutt also had said that if Hampton were injured in the middle of a game, McBride would be the next quarterback to play.
But Nutt called Clark off the bench first Saturday, with Arkansas trailing 13-0 going into the second half.
"We had to come from behind and I wanted our best thrower in there," Nutt said.
Clark has shown the Razorbacks' strongest passing arm -- even when Nutt said his shoulder was bothering him -- and against South Carolina, he completed 7 of 12 passes for 79 yards with 1 interception before being injured.
Clark drove Arkansas to the South Carolina 5 late in the third quarter, but that scoring opportunity ended when tailback Fred Talley fumbled.
"I made some mistakes and the receivers bailed me out on some plays, but I was starting to feel comfortable out there," Clark said. "Things were starting to come together before I got hurt."
Clark had been waiting to show what he could do in a game.
"I don't wish to be getting a chance because Robby's hurt, but you want a chance to play," Clark said. "And when you get a chance and then get hurt, it's frustrating."
Playing against South Carolina means that Clark cannot redshirt this season.
"That's fine, I was planning on playing this season anyway," Clark said. "I think I've got some confidence in the couple games I have played."
Clark could have played in a couple more games -- in a loss to Georgia and a victory over Louisiana-Monroe -- but Nutt chose to keep him on the bench as a redshirt candidate.
"At the times I would have gone in during those games, we probably would have been running basic stuff," Clark said. "So, I don't think it really made that much difference."
Nutt said the coaches gave Clark two reads on passing plays, "just basically throw it to A or B, that's it, and he did some good things."
Clark was walking on crutches after the game, but said he hopes to be ready to play in Arkansas' next game on Oct. 28 at Auburn, after the Razorbacks have an open date. Hampton said he will be ready, too.
"I think I got some valuable experience out there," Clark said. "I just wish we could have gotten more going on offense. But we couldn't seem to get any breaks."
Just sprains.

This article was published on Sunday, October 15, 2000

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