Dominique Reed failing to catch on

Arkansas receiver Dominique Reed runs during a game against Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas receiver Dominique Reed runs during a game against Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- On this weekend last year, Dominique Reed caught a little pressure-relief pass coming back toward Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen at the 22-yard line at Tennessee.

Reed whirled to run, accelerating past a corner and juking a safety, then left behind three other defenders for a 33-yard game-tying touchdown, his first of the season.

Reed regressing?

After ranking third on the team in receptions and yards last season, Dominique Reed has fallen to sixth in a deeper group of receivers. A look at the game-by-game production for the Razorbacks’ top six pass catchers

Opponent;Hatcher;Morgan;Cornelius;Sprinkle;Hollister;Reed

La.Tech;6-86-0;5-47-0;1-13-1;3-19-1;0-0-0;1-6-0

@TCU;2-22-1;7-93-1;2-17-0;3-58-1;0-0;1-11-0

Tex.St.;3-96-1;3-28-0;DNP;3-20-1;3-38-0;2-36

A&M;3-77-1;9-86-0;7-126-1;4-46;3-39;0-0-0

Totals;14-281-3;24-254-1;10-156-2;13-143-3;6-77-0;4-53-0

The 6-3 Reed's deceptive speed was a huge asset for Arkansas down the stretch, with wideouts Keon Hatcher and Cody Hollister missing 11 games due to season-ending injuries and Jared Cornelius missing four.

By the end of the season, the 175-pound Reed was pairing with top targets Drew Morgan, Hunter Henry, Jeremy Sprinkle and Cornelius to form a productive, touchdown-making pack of pass catchers. His sprinter's speed led to his selection as the lead kickoff returner.

Reed's catch, pivot and acceleration to the end zone without being touched also produced a 52-yard touchdown that opened the scoring in Arkansas' 31-14 victory at LSU. He also had a tackle-breaking catch-and-run 54-yard touchdown at Alabama en route to scoring touchdowns in six consecutive games, including an 11-yard run against Auburn.

Arkansas fans preparing to watch today's 11 a.m. game against Alcorn State at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock are wondering where that electrifying Reed has gone.

The Camden native has not scored this season. Reed did not have a catch against Texas A&M last week, and he was pulled off kickoff returns after losing a fumble on an end around at the Aggies' 43 with Arkansas leading 7-0 late in the first quarter. Texas A&M cashed in on the turnover with a tying touchdown three plays later.

"He's a kid that has very, very special talents," Coach Bret Bielema said. "But I don't care if you're as fast as Usian Bolt, if you're not going to do it the way we ask you to do it, if you're not going to hang onto the football, you're not going to be on the field."

Reed, who was not made available for interviews this week, ranks sixth on the team with four catches for 53 yards, and he doesn't have a touchdown.

Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said there's still time for Reed to make an impact.

"It's been disappointing. Keon [Hatcher], Jared [Cornelius], Drew [Morgan] and Cody [Hollister] have all had moments where they made big plays this year, and he just hasn't gotten untracked," Enos said. "It's been disappointing because he could be a factor."

Receivers coach Michael Smith said Reed had back-to-back strong practices earlier this week.

"I was hard on him Saturday, because I expect so much out of him," Smith said. "He's responded well. I think he's going to have a breakout game this weekend."

Quarterback Austin Allen said Reed has been running his routes hard all week.

"He hasn't really had any 'poor me' or anything like that," Allen said. "He wants to get back on the field. He wants to show everyone what he's capable of. We all know inside the building what he's capable of, and I think one of these Saturdays he's going to show out and he's going to be right back on track."

Reed ranked third on the team with 28 catches for 535 yards last season, and he tied Sprinkle for second on the team with six touchdown catches.

Now, in a more crowded receiving group with a new quarterback, Reed is tasked with finding his way back as a preferred target.

Sports on 10/01/2016

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