FIRST DOWN: Injury, Fights Mar Practice

First, Arkansas wide receiver Lucas Miller broke his collarbone while diving to make a catch. Then, two fights broke out, further disrupting a nearly three-hour practice that was moved indoors because of heavy rain on Thursday morning.

It was that kind of day for the Razorbacks.

Not long after Miller broke his collarbone, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino put his players through a goal-line drill that had the defense trying to stop the offense from scoring. The drill got competitive and tempers soon flared.

A small fight broke out, but an even larger one erupted a few minutes later when offensive tackle DeMarcus Love and defensive end Tenarius Wright exchanged punches. The fight spilled over into the rest of the team, and after a few heated moments, it was broken up.

Love had to be separated by at least three individuals. He and Wright were forced to spend the rest of practice doing conditioning exercises like pushing heavy rocks and doing crunches.

After the fight, Petrino scolded the rest of the team. He said fighting wouldn’t be tolerated at practice and then had all the players run sprints for a few minutes as punishment.



TWO-MINUTE DRILL

• A new running back has joined Arkansas’ roster. Freshman Garry Grace has walked onto the team after recently being academically cleared to play. Grace, who played at Chattahoochee (Ga.) High with Arkansas safety Elton Ford, took part in his first practice Thursday. He wore No. 42, which belonged to tailback Adrian Moore before he decided to transfer.

• Cornerback Rudell Crim missed practice after suffering an apparent neck injury on Wednesday. Running back Broderick Green, who has been sick, and offensive lineman Kareem Crowell continued to be held out of practice.

• Arkansas has made a late change and will now make Saturday’s scrimmage open to the public. Initially the scrimmage was closed to the public and the media.



INSIDE SCOOP

What happens after Arkansas’ practice is marred by a couple of skirmishes and runs much longer than expected?

The team goes out and does community service.

At least, that’s the approach the Razorbacks followed Thursday, when the afternoon practice was abruptly canceled. Instead, three groups of players visited three locations — the Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club, the Yvonne Richardson Center and the Jones Center — and spent time reading, playing dodgeball and talking with children.

“We found out about it right after practice,” tight end D.J. Williams said. “But we’re not going to take that time off. We’re going to come out and do something good for the community. I think it’s huge for our program. Hopefully, we can put some smiles on some faces.”

Williams was one of several players available for comment at each location, but no one was permitted to answer questions about football or the morning practice.

At one point, defensive end Adrian Davis was asked if visiting with the children could help “mend the fences” from the on-field incidents earlier in the day. He didn’t get to respond. A media relations official intervened and said, “Guy, we’ll take the next question.”