Razorbacks Report

Storey, Boyd both practice

Arkansas quarterback Ty Storey hugs running back Rakeem Boyd during a game against Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.
Arkansas quarterback Ty Storey hugs running back Rakeem Boyd during a game against Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.

FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas quarterback Ty Storey and tailback Rakeem Boyd were both actively practicing Tuesday, three days after being injured in a 37-33 loss in the rain to Ole Miss.

Boyd was working as the lead tailback in his position group, while Storey was alternating in the lead group with sophomore Cole Kelley and taking the first rack of plays at the closing of the media viewing period.

Boyd fell on his lower back and left the game in the second quarter, when he had already rushed for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Storey took a helmet-to-helmet shot that led to an ejection for Mississippi safety Vernon Dasher, and got hit in the ribs and had to come out in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter, he was upended at the end of a 10-yard run, hit his helmet on the turf and did not return.

Neither Boyd, Storey nor Kelley were brought in for post-practice interviews, despite requests.

However, tight end Cheyenne O'Grady said Storey worked all practice and looked good.

"It actually looked like there was nothing wrong with him," said O'Grady, who has three touchdown catches in the past two games. "He came out to practice ready to go and had a great day."

O'Grady said he was surprised by how quickly Storey has bounced back.

"Oh yeah, based off what happened last game. I mean, I was kind of scared for him," O'Grady said. "He got hit right in the ribs, and then the second time he got hit and smacked his head on the ground.

"I was kind of scared. I thought he was going to be out for a while, but to see him out there just speaks a lot to his character. He's a great guy."

O'Grady and linebacker De'Jon Harris said Boyd ran well.

"I saw Rakeem in a couple of drills," Harris said. "He looked 100 percent to me."

Arkansas offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said Storey was being monitored "by the hour" on Monday and was showing improvement.

Paycheck

The University of Arkansas will pay Tulsa a game guarantee of $1.085 million for Saturday's homecoming game, but that's not the entirety of the financial agreement.

The Razorbacks also agreed to pay a "scheduling fee" of $365,000 to the Golden Hurricane in June 2017 in an amendment to the original contract.

The original contract -- signed Feb. 16, 2017, by then-UA athletic director Jeff Long and Tulsa Athletic Director Derrick Gragg -- called for a game guarantee of $1.5 million.

However, after Tulsa asked that a portion of the guarantee be paid in the summer of 2017, the overall payment was reduced by $50,000 to equal $1.45 million, a source with knowledge of the deal said. That $1.45 million is believed to be the second-largest guarantee paid by Arkansas for a football game behind a $1.5 million payout to Coastal Carolina last season.

UA agreed to pay Tulsa $365,000 by June 30, 2017, as per the amended agreement, signed by Long on May 23 and by Gragg on June 7. The final payment of $1.085 million is due within 90 days of Saturday's game.

All of the monetary figures in the contract and the amendment obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette through public-records requests were redacted by the UA, which maintains that revealing the game guarantees puts the university at a competitive disadvantage.

The cost of game guarantees continues to escalate for Power 5 teams.

Arkansas State University received a reported $1.7 million to play at Alabama this year, and got $1.65 million for facing Nebraska last season.

Colorado State holds the record guarantee of $2 million for a game at Florida this season, which was part of the agreement when coach Jim McElwain left the Rams to take the Gators' reins in December 2014.

Personnel report

Defensive end McTelvin Agim was a full go Tuesday after tweaking his knee Saturday. Defensive lineman Briston Guidry also returned to work in a green, limited-contact jersey for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic cleanup work on a knee injury after the Hogs' 24-17 loss to Texas A&M on Sept. 29.

Two offensive linemen -- Johnny Gibson and Kirby Adcock -- wore green jerseys. Gibson had been limited through parts of last week with what he termed "soreness," but he played 61 of 71 offensive snaps Saturday. Adcock is recovering from a concussion.

Linebacker Giovanni LaFrance was in a yellow (no-contact) jersey on the sideline Tuesday for an undisclosed reason.

Pulley's part

Arkansas Coach Chad Morris did not announce any loss of playing time for cornerback Ryan Pulley, but he hinted it could happen after the defensive standout was ejected with 29 seconds left in the loss to Ole Miss.

Subsequently, the junior Pulley and redshirt freshman Montaric "Buster" Brown split work at cornerback opposite freshman Jarques McClellion on Tuesday.

"Yeah, they were splitting," safety Kamren Curl said. "They just want to get Buster in there a little bit more so he gets a little more experienced."

Bryant update

Former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant is headed to Arkansas this weekend after making his first official visit as a graduate transfer to the University of North Carolina last weekend.

College football reporter Brett McMurphy wrote Monday that playing at Arkansas "makes the most sense" for Bryant, who led Clemson to the 2017 College Football Playoff.

Coach Chad Morris recruited Bryant in his final season as offensive coordinator at Clemson in 2014. Bryant announced his intention to transfer shortly after Coach Dabo Swinney named freshman Trevor Lawrence the team's starter after the Tigers' fourth game.

Many other landing spots have been suggested for Bryant, including Auburn, Missouri, Louisville and West Virginia.

Baseball bash

Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady was happy about winding up amid the Arkansas baseball players after his second-quarter touchdown against Alabama two weeks ago, which came moments after the baseball team was honored for its runner-up finish at the College World Series.

O'Grady's momentum after the 8-yard touchdown catch on a corner route took him right into the corner of the end zone where the players were lined up.

"To hear the crowd and -- I actually didn't mean to do that, honestly," O'Grady said. "I had so much momentum from running the route and then catching the ball, I just kind of stumbled into them.

"I honestly don't know who I ran into. I just saw like a big crowd of guys. I didn't see who I ran into until after the game. I saw a picture of them. So it was a great feeling."

O'Grady ran right up into a group including Carson Shaddy, Isaiah Campbell, Luke Bonfield, Dominic Fletcher, Hunter Wilson and others, with many of the baseball players recording the play on their phones.

McClellion's guide

Freshman Jarques McClellion said he studied intensely under Ryan Pulley's wing last year when he was redshirting and Pulley was rehabbing from a pectoral injury.

"Ryan Pulley always gave me pointers, even last year coming into this year," McClellion said Tuesday in his first group interview.

McClellion got his first start opposite Pulley at Auburn and has steadily progressed until having his best game of the year last week, Coach Chad Morris said.

"I've progressed, most likely in my press [coverage]," McClellion said. "Just me being firm and opening up my hips and being sound and humble really."

Calling Hogs

Tulsa Coach Philip Montgomery said Tuesday he'd like to keep scheduling the Razorbacks.

"At least since I've been here, we've loved to have Arkansas on the schedule," Montgomery said. "Especially if we can get Arkansas to actually come here. It's a short drive.

"I think we've gone there quite a bit. I would love to see them come to our place. But I think it's a good game to have every couple of years and have the opportunity to kind of keep that part of it rolling. I think it would great for the fans and great for the players and their families to come up."

Sports on 10/17/2018

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