ALLEN SAYS he will be ready for Alabama game.
Allen says he’s likely vs. Bama
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Austin Allen said his MRI on Monday showed no structural damage and he’s optimistic he’ll be under center for Saturday’s 6:15 p.m. game at No. 1 Alabama.
Allen took some shots to his right throwing shoulder in a 48-22 loss at South Carolina and came out of the game in the third quarter.
“I like to think of myself as a quick healer,” Allen said after Tuesday’s practice. “I like to think I’ll be feeling pretty good by Saturday.”
Allen said he rehabbed “all day” Monday but was still a little sore for Tuesday’s practice.
“It feels a lot better today than it did yesterday, so it’ll just continue to get better,” he said.
Allen said he threw a few passes in warmups Tuesday, then “did handoffs and just kind of ran around and did some stuff” while taking it slowly on the shoulder.
Allen said the first shot to his shoulder came late in the first quarter on a play in which South Carolina’s D.J. Wonnum was originally flagged for targeting before the replay booth reversed the call.
“Whenever it was targeting, or something that wasn’t targeting,” Allen said. “And then the last play I was in my arm kind of rolled back a little bit.”
Allen said the original hit caused him to deliver some sidearm passes through the middle portion of the game.
“It was just kind of like a dead-arm type of deal, where you feel it kind of pinches, but it’s all good,” Allen said.
Allen was harsh on himself for his third-quarter interception, which was returned 34 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Skai Moore, and for holding on to the ball too long.
“I’ve got to get the ball out. I’ve got to do some other things,” he said when told he led the nation in the most hits on a quarterback since the start of 2016. “It’s my job. I signed up for it. Stand in there and make the throws and take the hits. It’s my job.”
Allen disregarded the notion that it might be better for him to let the shoulder recover for a week rather
than subject himself to the fierce Alabama pass rush.
“I don’t agree with that at all,” Allen said. “If I’m healthy, I’m going to be out there. I’m a competitor and that’s just — I would never do that.”
Senior center Frank Ragnow said he knows Allen will play if he can.
“I know how tough of a son of a gun he is,” Ragnow said. “We’ll see.”