Razorbacks Report: Need at QB leads walk-on back on field

SCOTT CAIN
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

One day John Rutledge was just another student, the next he was working as Arkansas' backup quarterback.
It's not quite that simple but Rutledge, a former Razorbacks walk-on, did join the team Tuesday and took one-third of the practice snaps as the No. 2 quarterback.
Coach Houston Nutt called Rutledge and asked him to return after starting quarterback Robby Hampton sprained his shoulder Saturday against Auburn. Hampton's injury, which likely will keep him from playing against Ole Miss on Saturday, is the latest loss at quarterback that has left just one scholarship player standing, true freshman Zak Clark.
Clark will start against Ole Miss.
Rutledge, a junior in eligibility from Searcy, originally walked on in 1997 and spent the next three seasons practicing in a logjam of quarterbacks. He left the team after last season but stayed in school.
Working those three seasons gives Rutledge enough knowledge of the offense that he immediately moved ahead of walk-ons Chris Link and Dowell Loggains.
"He's smart enough to run the offense, he gets the signals from the sideline, just things you take for granted," Coach Houston Nutt said. "He knows every play that we run except for maybe a couple of new wrinkles we have in the passing game. He's just real sharp and he can help us if something happens.
"Today with Robby not in pads, [Rutledge] is the backup. Now if Robby is back and let's say he's looking good Saturday, Robby would probably be the first [reserve] to enter the game if he felt like he could go, which hopefully we're going to get that. He's a relief pitcher.
"Chris Link has done a great job. Dowell has done a great job. But there you have John Rutledge with three years of experience who's been around the system, so he can help us."
Clark took the majority of the snaps Tuesday. This is his third week with a high ankle sprain. He did not run sprints with the rest of the team but did jog without limping.
"Zak Clark looks like he's getting pretty close to a hundred percent," Nutt said. "I won't say a hundred percent, but pretty close."
The priority in preparing Clark for his first start is to make sure he knows a simplified game plan thoroughly.
"We want him to feel very, very good with our checks and audibles and just let him get a feel for what we're doing and with a comfort zone where he's able to go out and perform at the level we know he can perform at," Nutt said. "We know he's very talented. We know he's going to be an excellent quarterback. It's just tough to put on a true freshman a big, big plan when you know you're playing these teams in the SEC."
The quarterbacks went into a meeting right after practice and were unavailable for comment.

HOBBS A BACKUP FOR NOW
Sophomore Gary Hobbs is working as the backup left tackle after serving a one-game suspension for breaking team rules Saturday.
Hobbs could be used as the backup on either side, but for the time being will not reclaim the starting job at right tackle. Assistant coach Mike Markuson moved sophomore Nathan Ball from left to right tackle to play against Auburn. Ball started the year as a tight end.
"It's just hard to take Nathan Ball out of the lineup, as much as we've moved him," Coach Houston Nutt said. "He fights so hard. It's just not fair to keep moving him, so [Hobbs] will have to work his way back into the lineup."

DIFFERING OPINIONS
Arkansas and Ole Miss dispute the series record.
Arkansas claims a 24-21-1 edge and Ole Miss lists it as 23-22-1.
The disagreement is over the 1914 game that the Rebels won 13-7. The Razorbacks accused them of using an ineligible player and counted it as a forfeit. Ole Miss has won two of the last three meetings, including a 38-16 whipping last year that was more dominant than the score indicates.

INJURY REPORT
PLAYER POS INJURY STATUS
Robby Hampton QB Sprained shoulder DNP
Kenny Sandlin RG Sick DNP

This article was published on Wednesday, November 1, 2000

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