QB Storey named starter for Auburn
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ most veteran quarterback will start the team’s Southeastern Conference opener Saturday on the road at No. 9 Auburn, the defending SEC West champion.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to be televised on the SEC Network (Resort Channel 79). The Tigers (2-1, 0-1) lost a top-12 matchup on Saturday, 22-21, against LSU (3-0).
Fourth-year junior Ty Storey, of Charleston did not play during a 44-17 loss to North Texas (3-0), of Conference USA, Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Thirdyear sophomore Cole Kelley started and played until midway through the third quarter. He was relieved in the second half by true freshmen Connor Noland, of Greenwood, and John Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ grandson.
“Ty Storey will start for us as we take this thing forward,” said Arkansas head coach Chad Morris, prefacing explaining why Storey vaults from not playing to starting. “We’re going with Ty this week regardless of the practice, regardless of the way things go. I wanted him to know straight up from yesterday (Sunday) that, ‘Look, we’re going to go with you, and let’s respond.’” How did Storey respond?
“His exact words to me were, ‘Let’s go, coach,’” Morris said. Storey and Kelley were preordained to split time in the first two games after neither asserted complete command during spring drills and the August preseason.
Kelley started the season-opener but Storey shined the most, throwing three touchdown passes during the 55-20 victory in Fayetteville over lower division Eastern Illinois (0-3). Storey started the next game against Colorado State (1-3) in Fort Collins, Colo. and had a 13-9 halftime lead, but he threw two interceptions on 5 of 13 passing.
On came Kelley, who responded with two third-quarter touchdown passes to build a 27-9 lead. Arkansas (1-2) would not score again in a 34-27 defeat.
Kelley was allowed to go solo on Saturday until his fourth interception led to a third field goal by former Razorback Cole Hedlund. The kick gave North Texas a 37-10 lead in the third quarter.
“I’ve been saying all along I wanted to get the freshmen some reps and that was an opportunity for us to do that,” Morris said Monday. “I just thought that it’s time to go with Ty and give him an even slate as he starts the (Auburn) game.”
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock, calling plays from the press box, said Morris before pulling Kelley informed him of the revised pecking order before pulling Kelley.
“Coach Morris told me on the headset he didn’t feel it was gonna be fair to put Ty in when we were obviously down late