FOUR DOWNS — ARKANSAS BOWL NOTES
1. Hardware Removed
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said running back Knile Davis recently underwent surgery to have hardware removed from his repaired ankle.
Davis waited until after final exams to have a screw, which was inserted in the ankle during his initial surgery, taken out. Now that it has been removed, Petrino said Davis is one step closer to being back to normal after suffering the season-ending injury early in preseason camp.
“Knile will be back to full speed in a hurry, actually,” Petrino said Wednesday.
That doesn’t mean Davis — whose plans for the bowl game and next season remain unknown — is cleared to play against Kansas State on Jan. 6.
Davis has not been available for comment since August. Petrino has maintained he doesn’t believe the junior would be ready when Arkansas plays in the Cotton Bowl. The running back has participated in practices since early November, but was limited to non-contact work until the screw in his ankle was removed.
Arkansas held its final practice before Christmas on Wednesday. The Razorbacks will practice again on campus from Dec. 27-30 before leaving for Arlington, Texas, for bowl week.
“He went through some of the run timing that we do,” Petrino said about Davis. “He went through all the individual drills. He did some of the (pass skeletons) that we do. So he did a lot of practice. He just wasn’t in any contact.”
2. Salary Figures
Petrino was the sixth-highest paid coach in the country in 2011, earning $3.6 million according to a USA Today database on salaries. Mack Brown was the highest paid coach, earning $5.2 million. He’s followed by Alabama’s Nick Saban ($4.8), Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops ($4.1), LSU’s Les Miles ($3.8) and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz ($3.7).
The database also considered the total salary pool for football coaching staffs. Arkansas paid Petrino and his assistants $5.9 million in 2011, which was the seventh-highest total in the NCAA and fifth in the Southeastern Conference behind football staffs at Alabama ($8.5 million), Auburn ($7.7), LSU ($7.6) and Florida ($6.3).
Arkansas’ nine assistants earned $2.3 million last season, averaging $259,844 each. But that total will likely rise in 2012 with new coordinators Paul Petrino and Paul Haynes.
The combined salary for the two new coaches ($950,000) is more than 2011 coordinators Garrick McGee and Willy Robinson ($800,000).
3. Smooth Transition
Arkansas wrapped up its second week of preparation for the Cotton Bowl. And Petrino said the transition to new offensive and defensive coordinators has been a smooth one.
“It’s been full steam ahead,” Petrino said.
It helps that Petrino’s brother, Paul Petrino, is Arkansas’ offensive coordinator. But Petrino said the defensive staff and special teams coordinator Steve Caldwell have done well, too.
Petrino said Haynes, despite being the newcomer to the staff, will handle play-calling duties for Arkansas’ defense in the bowl. He said each coach has had a hand in gameplanning, though.
“He’s gong to call it,” Petrino said about Haynes. “He’s been working hard at it. They’ve been doing a lot of things together, you know, and doing all the game planning together.”
4. Hogs Sign DE
Los Angeles Harbor College defensive end Austin Flynn signed with Arkansas on Wednesday, according to Hawgs Illustrated.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Flynn, who is rated as a three-star prospect by Scout.com, chose Arkansas over Oregon State. He is planning to enroll next month and will have a chance to participate in spring practice, according to Hawgs Illustrated.
“It is just the right fit for me and I can’t wait to start playing for the best against the best of the rest,” Flynn told Hawgs Illustrated.
Arkansas also received a verbal commitment from Manvel (Texas) High defensive end Taiwan Johnson, according to Hawgs Illustrated. Johnson also is rated as a three-star prospect by Scout.com.
Quotable
“Uh … probably going to do whatever my wife (Becky) tells me I’m going to do. Just like all of you.” — Petrino on his Christmas plans.
— Robbie Neiswanger • Arkansas News Bureau
