FAYETTEVILLE -- Dan Skipper is tired of seeing Austin Allen peeling himself off the ground.
Skipper, Arkansas' senior left tackle, spoke passionately about the need to keep Allen upright if the Arkansas Razorbacks (5-3, 1-3 SEC) expect to rebound and finish strong after a 56-3 loss at Auburn on Oct. 22.
"That kid over there is one of the toughest guys I have ever met," Skipper said of Allen. "He proved that week in and week out.
"Personally, I am embarrassed and ashamed that he has to get knocked around every week. It shouldn't be like that. We need to have enough intestinal fortitude to step up and body up and be a man and protect someone that does his best every day to step up in the pocket and deliver a good ball. And he shouldn't get knocked off."
Allen has been knocked down repeatedly during his first eight games as a starter.
In addition to the 11 sacks he's taken during losses to SEC West rivals Texas A&M, Alabama and Auburn, Allen has been hit numerous other times.
One of the latest was the most dangerous.
Auburn's Carl Lawson dove into the back of Allen's right leg in the second quarter Oct. 22. The low shot gave Allen a sprained knee, which could have been much worse.
"I didn't know what it was, but I thought it was pretty bad at first," Allen said Tuesday.
After a stint in the medical tent, he came back on the next series with a brace on his knee. About an hour later, the knee was swelling and tightening, and Allen headed to the locker room with the Tigers in charge during their landslide victory.
Allen, who was held out of practice last week to rehab the knee, predicted he'd be ready to play when the Razorbacks face Florida on Saturday.
Offensive coordinator Dan Enos has his fingers crossed.
"Obviously, we're a different team without him in there," Enos said. "He's really the guy that kind of makes us go offensively. He has made so many plays this year, especially on third down, in critical situations. I know he's tough and he'll do whatever he can to make sure he's back in there to help us next week."
Allen's cool hand has helped deliver in clutch moments, beginning in his first game as a starter.
Allen led a fourth-quarter touchdown drive that helped the Razorbacks squeak past Louisiana Tech 21-20 in the season opener. The next week, he directed a four-play touchdown drive in the two-minute drill, then caught the tying two-point conversion to force overtime at No. 15 TCU.
Allen's 5-yard keeper around right end on a third-and-goal snap was the game-ender in Arkansas' 41-38 double-overtime victory over TCU.
With Arkansas' run game producing 160 yards per game -- below historical standards for a Bret Bielema team and ranked No. 83 in the country before this weekend -- the Razorbacks have had to pass more.
"Any time that you don't get push, any time that we can't run the ball effectively, it's going to affect everything," Bielema said of Arkansas' 25 rushing yards at Auburn.
Allen ranks No. 32 with 256 passing yards per game, No. 27 in passer efficiency and tied for No. 14 with 18 touchdown passes.
The flip side are the hits he's taken due to his willingness to hold on to the ball and let routes develop. Arkansas has allowed 21 sacks, the highest total in the SEC, and No. 108 in the nation. It's more than the Razorbacks gave up each of the past three seasons when they led the SEC in fewest sacks allowed.
"He's willing to make the play go a little bit longer and get hit, so the [sack] numbers are going to get skewed," Bielema said. "The outside world doesn't realize that, but we as coaches understand it. And that's one of the things we've talked to him about, obviously."
Enos said his play-calling against Auburn was limited.
"We just got overwhelmed up front," he said. "When that's happening to you, there's really not a lot you can do. Their linebackers and D-line was much more physical and beat us to the punch.
"When we did have opportunities to make plays, we weren't able to execute or make them. We had receivers open at times down the field for big plays, and we got pressure and couldn't throw it on time. One thing after another. It was just one of those nights and it got away from us."
With another tough defensive front on tap against Florida, the Razorbacks are likely to look for more productivity on shorter routes, such as receiver screens and slants.
"Anything you can do in the quick game would be positive," Bielema said.
Redshirt freshman Ty Storey and true freshman Cole Kelley have gotten much needed repetitions in practice during Allen's absence.
Enos said he felt Storey or Kelley could run the offense if needed.
"Whoever we think gives us the best chance to win at that time, we'll go with that guy," Enos said. "Certainly we'll have to do what we have to do to win the game."
Arkansas (5-3, 1-3 SEC)
DATE OPPONENT RESULTS
Sept. 3 Louisiana Tech W, 21-20
Sept. 10 at TCU, 2OT W, 41-38
Sept. 17 Texas St. W, 42-3
Sept. 24 Texas A&M L, 45-24
Oct. 1 Alcorn St. W, 52-10
Oct. 8 Alabama L, 49-30
Oct. 15 Mississippi W, 34-30
Oct. 22 at Auburn L, 56-3
Nov. 5 Florida 2:30 p.m.
Nov. 12 LSU TBA
Nov. 19 at Mississippi St. TBA
Nov. 26 at Missouri 1:30 p.m
Sports on 10/30/2016