THREE RAZORBACK LINEBACKERS forced to sit out.
FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas played without its top three linebackers for parts of the Razorbacks’ 38-17 victory over Rice on Saturday.
The missing linebackers were because of targeting calls, which result in automatic ejections. Two of the calls were made on Saturday. One was made nine months ago.
It’s kind of complicated. Senior linebacker and team captain Grant Morgan was called for targeting in the first quarter against Rice and had to leave the game.
After Rice quarterback Wiley Green got away a pass that was caught by Jaeger Bull for a 4-yard gain, Morgan made contact with Wiley.
Officials penalized Morgan for targeting, and the initial call was upheld by the replay booth.
So with 8:16 left in the first quarter the Razorbacks lost Morgan, their vocal leader and All-SEC pick who had 111 tackles last season. He had one tackle Saturday before being ejected. Redshirt junior Andrew Parker replaced Morgan and played the rest of the half.
Senior Hayden Henry, listed as a costarter with Bumper Pool on the depth chart, didn’t get to play in the first half because he had been ejected for targeting in last season’s finale against Alabama.
Henry was called for targeting in the third quarter of Alabama’s 52-3 victory over the Razorbacks last season when he hit Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones after he released the ball.
It was expected that Henry would miss the first half of Arkansas’ game against TCU in the Texas Bowl, but that game was canceled when the Horned Frogs had a covid-19 outbreak.
So Henry had to serve his first-half suspension against Rice. He started the second half of Saturday’s game in place of Parker.
Pool, a senior, then was called for targeting when he tackled Jake Bailey after a reception with 8:15 left in the fourth quarter. Again the call was upheld after video review.