FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas regains a linebacker and adds a receiver for its first SEC road game.
Sophomore linebacker Jerry Franklin of Marion will play and likely start,Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said Monday, and senior wide receiver Lucas Miller is medically cleared for game-week duty going into the Razorbacks' Saturday visit to nationally third-ranked defending SEC West champion Alabama at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
Arkansas also will be on national TV Oct. 3 with Monday's announcement ESPN2 will televise the Razorbacks' nonconference game against Texas A&M at the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
Franklin was ejected from the game during the second quarter of Arkansas' SEC season-opening 52-41 loss to Georgia last Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Franklin already had been slapped with a personal foul for pushing two Georgia players after Arkansas safety Tramain Thomas' interception and then was ejected because he bumped into anofficial.
The Hogs got hit with a second personal foul penalty when Petrino protested Franklin's ejection, but the coach said Monday that video tape confirmed the official made the correct call.
"He should have been ejected," Petrino said. "When you look at the video, he did bump into the official and that is an ejection from the game. It doesn't carry over into the next game so he will play against Alabama."
Petrino said Franklin faces "discipline that will be kept in house" but should start against Alabama.
As a team, the Hogs were punished enough for Franklin's absence against Georgia.
Georgia running back Richard Samuel popped an 80-yard touchdown the first series that Franklin was absent during Georgia's 17-0 second quarter.
"He's a guy that makes a lot of the calls out there on the field," Petrino said,"and that's something that really hurt us. He feels like he let his teammates down, let himself down. But, it should be a learning situation. Something he needs to learn from and everyone will learn from."
Sophomore defensive end Jake Bequette was asked Monday if Franklin's absence was a big factor.
"Yeah, it was," Bequette said. "That's always unfortunate when you lose a player, especially one as good as Jerry is. But that's football. Sometimes guys go down and we have confidence in our second-string guys to back them up."
Given the 1-1 Razorbacks' 855 passing yards in two games, including a combined 562 yards and 5 touchdowns by sophomore wideouts Jar ius Wright, Greg Childs and Joe Adams, it might not seem they miss Miller.
But they do. Petrino, quarterback Ryan Mallett and the receivers welcome back the senior from Greenwood to practice today after he was idled upon breaking his collarbone during the August preseason.
Not only is Miller capable of a breakout game - against Mississippi State last year he had 10 catches for 201 yards including an 87-yard touchdown - but his presence in the rotation should keep the whole receiving corps fresher in the fourth quarter.
"Lucas will really help us," Petrino said, "because he's a guy that can make plays and he can really help keep them fresh. Like I said after the game, we should have rotated them more. We should have got [freshman] Cobi Hamilton more reps so we're fresher in the fourth quarter when we need to win the game."
Mallett knows he'll find room for him even with Wright, Childs, Adams and tight end D.J. Williams all starring.
"It's always good to have an older guy come back," Mallett said. "Youknow he's going to come out hungry and ready to go. He can make plays. He did last year. So with Lucas we've got another weapon."
Since running back Michael Smith bounced back from injuring his shoulder on last Saturday night's first play from scrimmage to net 59 yards on 8 carries and 33 yards on 3 catches, Petrino expects him to be full go against Alabama.
However since the fifth-year senior is the Hogs' most experienced player, Petrino said he'll likely withhold him from heavy contact this week.
Establishing Smith against Alabama is a key to balancing Arkansas' thus far pass heavy offense.
However both Smith's first-quarter injury and that Arkansas twice threw touchdown passes on first-play possessions factored in him not logging double-digit carries against Georgia.
"It's also probably the first time in my career," Petrino said, "where you've had two one-play touchdown drives and lose the game."
Sports, Pages 9, 10 on 09/22/2009