FAYETTEVILLE - There was a youth movement on Arkansas’ offensive line against Texas A&M on Saturday night.
True freshmen Denver Kirkland and Dan Skipper,who have been working as the second-team offensive tackles, started at the guard spots in place of junior Brey Cook and redshirt sophomore Mitch Smothers.
Kirkland started at right guard and Skipper started at left guard. They are the first true freshman offensive linemen to start for the Razorbacks since Smothers started at tackle in the first four games in 2011.
The line change came after the Razorbacks were held to 283 yards in total offense - with backup quarter AJ Derby starting in place of injured Brandon Allen - in a 28-24 loss to Rutgers.
The Razorbacks finished with 483 yards of total offense against the Aggies with Allen back in the lineup.0 for Heisman
Arkansas fell to 0-5 against teams with reigning Heisman Trophy winners with the loss to Texas A&M and quarterback Johnny Manziel.
In other matchups against players who won the Heisman the previous season, Arkansas lost to Doak Walker and SMU 34-6 in 1949; to Matt Leinart and Southern California 70-17 in in 2005; to Tim Tebow and Florida 38-7 in 2008; and to Mark Ingram and Alabama 24-20 in 2010.
Marshall plays
Korliss Marshall returned a kickoff 38 yards on his first snap for the Razorbacks, knocking back Texas A&M defensive back Toney Hurd in the process.
Marshall, a defensive back from Osceola who apparently was moved to running back at some point this fall, added a 16-yard run in the second quarter.
Marshall became the eighth true freshman to play for Arkansas this season.
Wise, Gaines start
Arkansas started three defensive ends, with redshirt freshman Deatrich Wise joining senior Chris Smith and junior Trey Flowers in the lineup.
It was the first career start for Wise, who started in place of senior tackle Byran Jones.
Wise and Smith combined to sack Johnny Manziel in the first half.
Sophomore safety Rohan Gaines made his first start since the opener, starting at nickel back. Gaines missed two games because of a knee injury, then played a few snaps at Rutgers last week.
Pregame slip
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema slipped on a slick spot in the sidewalk during the Razorbacks’ “Hog Walk” to the stadium.
Bielema was only down for a couple of seconds as security officers helped him back to his feet.
Bielema smiled and gave fans a fist pump.
Look out ref!
Side judge Bobby Moreau wasn’t fast enough to get out of Arkansas freshman tailback Alex Collins’ way on a run in the second quarter.
Collins broke through the line for a 38-yard gain, then was forced out of bounds, where he ran into Moreau and knocked him down.
Sticking with 82
Arkansas deep snapper Alan D’Appollonio, who switched from No. 53 to 82 last week so he would be an eligible receiver, wore No. 82 again Saturday night.
D’Apollonio, who caught a pass from punter Sam Irwin-Hill for a 24-yard gain last week at Rutgers, likely will keep No. 82 the rest of the season so teams will have to be wary of fake punts.
They could play
Two of Arkansas’ all-time great defensive linemen were honored before the game and at halftime.
Loyd Phillips, the 1966 Outland Trophy winner and an All-American in 1965 and 1966, was introduced before the kickoff and served as Arkansas’ honorary captain for the coin toss.
Wayne Martin, an All-American in 1988, was honored at halftime for being the Razorbacks’ SEC Legend this year. Martin will be recognized at a banquet in Atlanta held in conduction with the SEC Championship Game.
It’s been a while
Texas A&M won at Fayetteville for the first time since 1990, when the Aggies beat the Razorbacks 20-16 when both teams were in the Southwest Conference. That also had been the Aggies’ last game at Fayetteville before Saturday.
Arkansas leads the alltime series 41-26-3 in a series that dates to 1903.
Rankled
Arkansas fell to 0-4 against nationally-ranked teams the past two seasons with its loss to the No. 10 Aggies.
Last season the Razorbacks lost to No. 1 Alabama 52-0, at No. 12 South Carolina 38-20 and to No. 8 LSU 2013.
Arkansas also lost 58-10 at Texas A&M last season, but the Aggies weren’t ranked at the time. The Aggies were No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll.
Road warriors
Texas A&M has won nine consecutive games away from home.
The Aggies ended the 2011 season by beating Northwestern in a bowl game in Houston, went 7-0 away from home last season, including a victory over Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, and beat Arkansas in their first road game this season.
Lots of maroon
The game was a sellout with an announced crowd of 72,613, and Texas A&M did its part to help fill up Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Texas A&M sold out its allotment of 6,000 tickets from Arkansas and, based on the number of fans wearing maroon, several thousand other Aggies fans bought tickets through the UA or other outlets.
Sports, Pages 34 on 09/29/2013