Hogs need time to find cure at quarterback

BOB HOLT
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt plans to spend this week figuring out how healthy sophomore Robby Hampton and freshman Zak Clark are and which one should start at quarterback when the Razorbacks resume play at Auburn on Oct. 28 after having an open date this Saturday.
"I don't like open dates," Nutt said. "But this one is a must for us. It's really perfect timing."
The Razorbacks (4-2, 1-2) are beat up at a lot of positions, but none more than quarterback.
Three quarterbacks suffered injuries in Arkansas' 27-7 loss at South Carolina on Saturday.
Sophomore starter Robby Hampton sprained his right thumb. Freshman Zak Clark started the second half in Hampton's place, but Clark had to leave the game early in the fourth quarter when he suffered a sprained right ankle.
Junior Jared McBride replaced Clark, but lasted just two plays before suffering a season-ending injury when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. McBride likely will undergo reconstructive surgery in the next two weeks.
Hampton, despite having trouble gripping the ball because of his thumb injury, had to go back in and finish the game after Clark and McBride went down because the Razorbacks had just three quarterbacks on their 70-man travel roster.
Nutt said if Hampton had been injured more seriously and couldn't play, the Razorbacks probably would have used either sophomore wide receiver Gerald Howard or redshirt freshman defensive back Jimmy Beasley at quarterback.
Both played quarterback as high school seniors, Beasley at North Little Rock and Howard at Dallas South Oak Cliff.
"We might have had to run the Wishbone," Nutt said.
The Razorbacks' fourth-string quarterback, walk-on junior college transfer Chris Link, didn't make the trip to South Carolina.
Nutt said Link will make the remainder of the Razorbacks' road games, and he may take snaps with the first-team offense in practice today depending on whether Hampton or Clark can work.
Nutt wouldn't say Sunday if Hampton, who has started all six games this season, definitely will keep the starting job if he's healthy. He left open the possibility that Clark could start.
"It's up in the air," Nutt said. "We'll probably go two weeks here of evaluating things, look at things real hard and see the health of everybody.
"I don't know if Zak's going to be out there or not, or if Robby is going to be out there. It might be Chris Link."
Hampton, who has a strained neck and left shoulder and bruised left knee to go along with his thumb injury, is listed as day-to-day by trainer Dean Weber.
It isn't known when Clark may be able to practice, but he likely won't be able to go today. X-rays of his ankle taken Saturday were negative, meaning there wasn't a fracture evident. But more x-rays are planned for later this week after the swelling in Clark's ankle goes down.
Before the South Carolina game, Clark's only playing time this season had come in the Razorbacks' 38-0 opening victory over Southwest Missouri State, in which he took 19 snaps in two series and completed 2 of 5 passes for 17 yards.
Against the Gamecocks, Clark was in for 22 snaps on four series and completed 7 of 12 passes for 79 yards before being injured.
"Zak did a great job," Nutt said. "He had great composure, you can tell, the guy can play."
Nutt said Clark's focus in practice enabled him to play well off the bench.
"He's a guy that stays ready," Nutt said. "And he was ready when his number was called."
Nutt praised Clark's decision-making and quick release.
"The thing that Zak did, is that when he hit his fifth step, he was firing," Nutt said. "That's what you have to do when you're getting a little heat."

This article was published on Monday, October 16, 2000

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