Senior quarterback Tyler Wilson was back on the field Tuesday after being involved in a motor vehicle accident earlier in the day, and offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said it was a “typical Tuesday” as far as what Wilson did in practice.
Tyler Wilson's head injury suffered against Louisiana-Monroe kept him sidelined for the Alabama game.
“He looked good. He probably will be a little bit sore tomorrow, but he threw the ball good, had a good practice,” Petrino said. “He looked fine.”
Wilson had the wreck on I-540 in Northwest Arkansas, and according to a UA official, the accident occurred when an 18-wheeler pumped its brakes and stopped in traffic. We were told Wilson stopped to avoid hitting the truck, but was rear-ended by another vehicle and went into the median.
A UA official said Wilson – who suffered a concussion Sept. 8 and missed the next six quarters – was checked out after the accident and was physically fine.
Petrino missed a phone call from Wilson after the accident, but was informed about it by trainer Matt Summers. And then Petrino talked to Wilson on the phone. He said it was “a huge relief” that Wilson was OK after the accident.
“You don’t want to answer your phone this year. When your phone rings, you just run from it,” Petrino said, apparently referencing his brother Bobby’s motorcycle wreck in April.
“First of all, you’re just thankful that they’re OK, as a person and that they’re healthy and that everything’s fine. Secondly, you’re thankful that he’s OK as a player, and that he was fine, that he’ll be able to practice, be able to play.”
Wilson did everything Petrino wanted him to do in practice, and junior center Travis Swanson said Wilson looked good.
“You would have thought he didn’t have a car crash,” Swanson said.
Thoughts on Kentucky
Paul Petrino was part of a heated rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville when he worked for the Cardinals under John L. Smith and then Bobby Petrino, and he was asked about the rivalry on Tuesday.
Smith seems to get excited the idea of playing Kentucky. Bobby Petrino’s distaste for the Wildcats was well known. What about Paul Petrino? He said “once a team’s a rivalry, they kind of always stick in your mind as a rivalry.”
“It was always a big rivalry. Probably, especially when we first got there with John L. because of the city of Louisville, with so many Kentucky fans,” Paul Petrino said. “You’d have so many of them on your street and they’d have their flags hanging and they’re always talking about ’em.
“Really by the time we left with Bob we kind of changed the city. The city was more Lousiville so it wasn’t as bad. It’s just because there’s so many fans for both teams right in every neighborhood, everywhere you go, everybody talks about it. That’s all they talk about. It was a huge rivalry.”
The Arkansas offense has one starter from Louisville – true freshman wide receiver Mekale McKay – but Petrino talked like McKay doesn’t have any feelings about Kentucky.
“If you asked him that, he always says he’s from Houston, cause I asked him that earlier in the year one day. I said what did you think of this. He said, ‘Coach I’m from Houston.’ He grew up there (in Houston). He moved to Louisville in high school . I don’t know if it’s as big for him. He always says he’s from Houston.”
On the Wildcats’ D
We asked Paul Petrino what he thought about the Wildcats’ defense this year. He called them a talented bunch and pointed to two areas that stood out.
“They’ve got some really talented linebackers, good-looking guys,” Petrino said. “They look like they’re supposed to look. They’ve got some young guys in the secondary and they run around and they play hard. The first half against South Carolina they got after them. First half against Florida they got after them pretty well.
“It’s just a matter of going out there and executing. Most of the time it’s more about ourselves, executing and make sure we do what we need to do as much as it is about the opponent.”
Kentucky ranks 11th in the SEC in total defense and 13th – or next to last – in scoring defense, rushing defense and pass efficiency defense. They’re seventh in pass defense.
Injury updates
• Petrino said he doubted that senior tight end Chris Gragg (deep bruise) would be able to play Saturday night vs. visiting Kentucky, but noted that Gragg was still day-to-day. Gragg dressed out Tuesday, but during the portion of practice open to the media, he worked with the trainer off to the side.
• Senior defensive end/linebacker Tenarius Wright (shoulder) did not dress out Tuesday after having an MRI on his injured shoulder Monday. Wright did not play in Saturday’s 24-7 win at Auburn. With Wright out along with senior starting linebacker Alonzo Highsmith (foot), senior Terrell Williams slid to the middle, and true freshman A.J. Turner was getting first-team reps at weakside linebacker.
• Cornerback Tevin Mitchel (gall bladder) did dress out Tuesday, but he wasn’t getting first-team reps when the media was allowed to watch. Freshmen Davyon McKinney and Will Hines were getting first-team reps.
- Robert Turbeville
- Arkansas Insider - Hawgs247