Is it time to hit the panic button for the Arkansas Razorbacks after Brandon Allen went down with a shoulder injury? Or should Hogs fans be patient?
Those are the questions that continue to be brought up as Arkansas prepares for their first road game of the season.
Allen did not practice on Tuesday, meaning A.J. Derby took all the first team reps. Heading into Saturday’s game at Rutgers, where is the confidence level with the junior college transfer? Derby was the third string quarterback in spring drills behind Allen and Brandon Mitchell.
Mitchell transferred and head coach Bret Bielema allowed that to happen because he was confident in his depth at the position. Fast forward to last weekend’s 24-3 win against Southern Miss, Derby attempted just six passes in more than three quarters of playing time.
Was that the Arkansas offense staying vanilla against a bad Southern Miss team? Keeping a inexperienced quarterback out of harms way? Show a lack of confidence in Derby?
Those are the questions that continue to be brought up. The Arkansas coaching staff has said all the right things, as expected. They have full confidence in Derby.
Arkansas expects to run the football and have success doing so. Rutgers has allowed less than two yards a carry though its first three games (178 yards on 90 attempts). What happens if Arkansas doesn’t have success in the ground game?
Do you have patience with Derby or Allen? Or is it time to hit the panic button?