Razorbacks report

Bielema reinstates QB Kelley

Cole Kelley (15), Arkansas quarterback, looks for a receiver in the fourth quarter against LSU Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
Cole Kelley (15), Arkansas quarterback, looks for a receiver in the fourth quarter against LSU Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks freshman quarterback Cole Kelley was reinstated to the program Sunday by Coach Bret Bielema one week after Bielema put him on an indefinite suspension.

Bielema said Kelley texted him Saturday night to ask whether he was back on the team, and Bielema said he had to check if the 6-7 freshman from Lafayette, La., had done everything that was required of him during the suspension.

When that check came back positive, Bielema met with Kelley and cleared him to attend Sunday's team weightlifting session and meetings.

Kelley was arrested by Fayetteville police about 4 a.m. on Nov. 12 and charged with suspicion of DWI after his vehicle's passenger-side tires went up on a curb on Wedington Drive.

Kelley, who was not allowed on the sideline for Saturday's 28-21 loss to Mississippi State, was photographed in a line at the concession stand at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. He had used one of his four complimentary tickets to attend the game.

"I thought the definition of Cole happened Saturday," Bielema said. "I didn't know if he was going to be at the game.

"I think all the time about how a player is going to respond. That probably showed me the love that he had for his guys. He could not go to that stadium and know that somebody wasn't going to take a shot at him. He could've easily stayed home at his apartment or watched the game on TV. He went to the game to support his brothers."

Injury update

Bret Bielema said injured offensive linemen Hjalte Froholdt (ankle) and Zach Rogers (knee) would be limited for Monday's evening practice but expected to handle more work today. Both linemen missed chunks of Saturday's game in what Bielema termed a second half "just insane" with injuries.

Receiver Jonathan Nance injured his knee and ankle while running with a WildHog snap late in the game last week and is questionable for Friday, Bielema said.

Kick returner and receiver De'Vion Warren (concussion) is also questionable.

"No guarantees he'll be back, but every indication, he keeps passing hurdles each day," Bielema said.

Best yet

Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said Saturday's defensive performance was the best of the season for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville against an SEC opponent.

Arkansas held Mississippi State to 348 total yards, 71 yards below the Bulldogs' season average of 419 yards, in the 28-21 loss. The Bulldogs had short-field touchdown drives of 17 and 44 yards after a botched punt snap and a failed fourth-down try, respectively. Their other two touchdown drives covered 50 and 55 yards.

"I thought it was our best outing as far as SEC football games go," Rhoads said. "I was proud of our kids. I thought our preparation was exceptional.

"I thought the execution on game day was as high as it's been. Their effort was phenomenal. When we graded it out, it was the highest it has been all season."

Rhoads said the Hogs defended quarterback Nick Fitzgerald's designed runs as they drew it up.

"He got some what I would call cheap stuff as a result of ad-libbing and scrambles, but as far as the quarterback run game, we were where we were supposed to be and had him bottled up," Rhoads said.

Fitzgerald rushed for 101 yards and 1 touchdown on 22 carries, including a 25-yard scramble.

Perfect storm

Offensive coordinator Dan Enos said the Razorbacks' failed fourth and 2 from their own 44 late in a tie game Saturday wound up being "kind of the perfect storm in a negative way."

Quarterback Austin Allen threw over the head of receiver La'Michael Pettway, who was tangled with Bulldogs defensive back Lashard Durr, in what Allen termed a miscommunication.

The receiver on the play was originally going to be junior Jonathan Nance, who had gotten hurt on the third and 3 play that preceded it.

"We started calling the play immediately before we knew anybody was hurt," Enos said. "Then we were all lined up and we got it substituted quickly, which was good.

"Again, we've repped this play for a long time, not just for a week, and all of the guys have had reps at it. We've repped all the flankers at that play. Overstating the obvious, we didn't do a very good job and it wasn't successful."

Enos said he tells the quarterbacks, "You can live in your hopes or you can live in your fears. We try to live in our hopes and we try to win games. We had a play ready to go and guys didn't execute it. Sometimes that happens and sometimes you do it. In hindsight, we'd do it all over again."

Senior walks

The football program has announced 16 players will be recognized Friday for Senior Day. In addition to the listed seniors Austin Allen, De'Andre Coley, Robert Decker, Dwayne Eugene, Bijhon Jackson, Connor McPherson, Frank Ragnow, Paul Ramirez, Jake Raulerson, Kevin Richardson, Karl Roesler, Josh Liddell, Henre Toliver and David Williams, two other players will take part in the pre-game ceremony.

Bret Bielema said junior linebacker Josh Harris, who recovered from a broken foot this season, and junior offensive lineman Jackson Hannah would graduate and seek transfers via graduate-transfer rules.

Home 'Dog'

Missouri is a 10½-point favorite over Arkansas. Missouri has been a double-digit road favorite in an SEC game only once before. The Tigers were favored by 14½ points for a game at Kentucky in 2013, won 48-17 by the Tigers.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri is 8-1 as a double-digit road favorite since 2000, with six of those games at either Baylor or Iowa State.

Tight losses

Arkansas' past four losses to Mississippi State have come by a touchdown or less, helping contribute to Coach Bret Bielema's record of 8-13 in one-possession games. Saturday's 28-21 victory by the Bulldogs was their fifth in the past six games in the series.

After Mississippi State thumped the Hogs 45-14 in the 2012 game under interim coach John L. Smith, the Bulldogs won in Arkansas for the first time with a 24-17 victory in overtime in Little Rock in 2013. Coach Dan Mullen's Bulldogs also won 17-10 as the nation's No. 1 team in 2014 and edged the Razorbacks 51-50 in Fayetteville the next season.

Arkansas snapped its four-game losing streak in the series with a 58-42 victory last year in Starkville, Miss.

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Sports on 11/21/2017

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