WR CORNELIUS back in the mix for Arkansas.
FAYETTEVILLE — Six weeks after Arkansas receiver Jared Cornelius suffered two fractures in his left arm, the sophomore was back catching passes and punts Saturday in the Razorbacks’ 63-28 victory over Tennessee-Martin.
“I thought I was out for the season for sure,” Cornelius said of the injury he sustained when he was tackled against Texas Tech on Sept. 19. “The training staff did a wonderful job of starting me at zero and working my way back. We were just really aggressive with it and didn’t baby it that much coming back.”
Cornelius had 4 catches for 33 yards and a 33-yard punt return.
“I was just trying to get back into the offense,” he said. “I felt a little rust here and there. I ran a couple routes that were wrong.”
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said he was surprised by how well Cornelius played.
“You’re always concerned when someone has been sitting out for so long, but he’s been able to practice the last couple of weeks fairly well,” Bielema said. “Even when he wasn’t officially cleared to play in a game, he’d been catching balls in team periods.”
Arkansas resumes SEC play at Ole Miss next week.
“I’m ready to go,” Cornelius said. “This game was kind of to move me back into the offense. Now that SEC play is here I’ve got to step it up.”
Injury report
Arkansas receiver Drew Morgan left the game in the second half to have a shoulder injury evaluated, but Coach Bret Bielema said it was more of a precautionary move and Morgan should be ready to play at Ole Miss.
Bielema said Morgan injured the shoulder earlier this season and aggravated it Saturday.
“It was good for us to get him out of there,” Bielema said.
Cornerback Jared Collins sat out the game because of what Bielema called a “turf toe” injury. Bielema said he expects Collins to return to practice Tuesday.
Starting offensive tackle Dan Skipper missed a few plays because of an apparent right arm injury, but he returned to the game. He had ice on his arm during the fourth quarter when the backups were playing.
Fullback Kendrick Jackson played Saturday after missing last week’s game against Auburn because of a concussion.
Tailback Rawleigh Williams, who underwent season-ending neck surgery last week, watched Saturday’s game from the Arkansas sideline. He wore a neck brace but was smiling as he walked off the field.
Ramirez out
Arkansas backup free safety Santos Ramirez missed the game for an undisclosed disciplinary reason.
“We made a decision this week he wasn’t going to be with us,” Coach Bret Bielema said. “He will be full go next week.”
2 Hogs released
Bret Bielema said receivers Jojo Robinson and Kendrick Edwards are no longer on the team and have been given their scholarship releases so they can find new schools.
Bielema said he won’t release them to sign with teams the Razorbacks are playing in the future.
“The good news is they’ve got five official visits to take a look at some other programs,” Bielema said. “We’ll do everything we can to help them so their story ends positive.”
Bielema has said previously Robinson and Edwards have been suspended for missing classes to the extent that it jeopardizes their eligibility at Arkansas.
Senior award
Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen received the Crip Hall Award, as voted on by the media, for being the team’s outstanding senior in the homecoming game.
Allen completed 14 of 19 passes for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception.
Pulley starts
Freshman cornerback Ryan Pulley made his first career start and played throughout the first half. He started in place of junior D.J. Dean, who sat out because of a toe injury.
In the third quarter nickel back Henre Toliver moved over to the outside in place of Pulley and Kevin Richardson played at nickel back.
Pulley was back at cornerback in the fourth quarter.
Many firsts
The Razorbacks had a lot of firsts Saturday, including:
Damon “Duwop” Mitchell scoring his first touchdown for the Razorbacks when Brandon Allen connected with him on a 49-yard pass play.
Backup quarterback Austin Allen throwing his first touchdown pass, 35 yards to tight end Jeremy Sprinkle.
Tailback Juan Day getting his first carries and gaining 17 yards on 4 attempts.
Benny back
Former Arkansas center fielder Andrew Benintendi, who helped lead the Razorbacks to the College World Series last season, was presented with the Golden Spikes Award on the field during a break in the first quarter.
The Golden Spikes Award was among several national honors of Benintendi, who also won the Dick Howser Trophy and was named player of the year by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball magazines. Benintendi is playing in the minor leagues for the Boston Red Sox, who made him the seventh overall pick in last year’s draft.
Playing 54 games for Class A Short Season Lowell (Mass.) and Class A Greenville (S.C.) last season, Benintendi hit .313 with 11 home runs and 31 run batted in.
High five