By Nate Allen
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - By design, Arkansas’ most veteran quarterback who did not play while three others quarterbacked in last Saturday’s 44-17 loss in Fayetteville to North Texas will start the Razorbacks’ SEC opener against the nationally No. 9 defending SEC West champion Auburn Tigers Saturday night in Auburn, Ala.
Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. and televised by the SEC Network.
Fourth-year junior Ty Storey of Charleston starts against Auburn, Arkansas first-year Coach Chad Morris asserted Monday.
“Ty Storey will start for us as we take this thing forward,” Morris said prefacing explaining why Storey vaults from DNP 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.
With neither asserting complete command during spring drills and the August preseason Storey and third-year junior Cole Kelley were preordained to split time Arkansas’ first two games.
Kelley started the season opener, but Storey shined the most. Storey threw three touchdown passes during the 55-20 victory in Fayetteville over lower division Eastern Illinois.
Storey started the next game against Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo., and had a 13-9 halftime lead, but threw two interceptions.
On came Kelley, responding with two third-quarter touchdown passes building a 27-9 lead that Arkansas would lose in a 34-27 defeat.
Kelley was allowed to solo last Saturday until after his fourth interception led to a field goal for a 37-10 UNT third-quarter bulge.
Morris then relieved Kelley with true freshman quarterbacks Connor Noland of Greenwood and John Stephen Jones while already having Storey in mind to open at Auburn.
“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/quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock, calling plays from the press box, said Morris before pulling Kelley informed him of the revised pecking order for finishing against North Texas and starting against Auburn.
“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 in the third quarter,” Craddock said. “He thought that was a good time to get those freshmen work and see what they could do. And that’s what we did.”
Noland and Jones showed promise, as each reeled off a good run. Jones’ was called back by a holding penalty, but each threw an interception. Jones’ was returned for a touchdown.
Craddock said both freshmen shrugged off nervousness and were quite poised for their impromptu debuts, but joined Morris saying Storey is their guy against Auburn.
“One thing about Ty, like I said all along, is he works really hard every day and gives his teammates the best,” Craddock said. “I’ve seen him really push other guys and lead and I think that the games he’s gotten in, obviously he did some good things for us.”
Regarding Razorbacks ailing from injuries, Morris said first-team senior weakside linebacker Dre Greenlaw (out with sprained ankle since the first quarter of the Eastern Illinois game) and backup defensive end Dorian Gerald (missing the North Texas game with a sprained ankle) and receiver-kick returner D’Vion Warren, also missing the North Texas game, are “day to day” whether they can play against Auburn.
Starting sophomore cornerback Chevin Calloway missed the North Texas game for “personal reasons,” Morris said after Saturday’s game. Calloway’s status for Saturday’s game seemed unclear Monday.
“He’s out on some personal family issues that he’s dealing with and we’re helping him through,” Morris said.
Kick returner Gary Cross is “doubtful” for this Saturday because of an ankle injury last Saturday, Morris said.
However the coach said he believes freshman receiver Michael Woods, who had four catches for 61 yards against North Texas with a long catch of 25 before getting injured, will be recovered to play against Auburn.
Morris was pleased that fourth-year junior left tackle Colton Jackson of Conway and senior defensive end Randy Ramsey, made their season debuts against North Texas.
Jackson had been idled by July back surgery while Ramsey was hamstrung by an August preseason hamstring strain.
The Razorbacks use Monday as their NCAA mandated off day and wage their most physical practice of the week today.
Arkansas’ Sept. 29 SEC West game with the nationally No. 22 Texas A&M Aggies at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium will be an early-bird special.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. televised by ESPN.