Allen, Skipper Earn SEC Props
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Arkansas junior quarterback Austin Allen has been named the SEC Player of the Week while senior offensive lineman Dan Skipper earned the league’s Offensive Lineman of the Week, announced by the conference office on Monday morning.
Allen not only completed 17-of-29 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns in the win at No. 15 TCU, but also ran in the game-winning touchdown during the second overtime and caught the game-tying two-point conversion to force overtime. Skipper helped pave the way for 400 yards on offense and used his entire 6-foot-10 frame to block TCU’s game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left to earn his second career SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week award.
The pair of weekly SEC awards gives Arkansas three honorees through the first two weeks, as senior Deatrich Wise earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week following the opener.
Making just his second career start, Allen orchestrated a critical fourth quarter touchdown drive for the second week, connecting with senior Keon Hatcher for a 16-yard touchdown with 1:03 remaining before hauling in the two-point conversion on a pass from Hatcher. Allen continued his hot play in overtime, delivering a perfect strike to tight end Jeremy Sprinkle for a 19-yard touchdown in the first extra frame before plowing through defenders into the end zone from five yards out in the second overtime for the game-winning score.
Protecting Allen’s blindside at left tackle, Skipper made his 36th consecutive start along the offensive line. The Arvada, Colorado product graded out at a team-best 90 percent as sophomore running back Rawleigh Williams III eclipsed the 100-yard mark on the ground. Williams’ longest run of the day was a 37-yard gain in the first quarter that opened up right behind Skipper.
Following Arkansas’ late touchdown and two-point conversion that tied the game at 28-28, TCU was able to get into field goal range for a game-winning attempt, but Skipper was able to come up with his sixth career block.
Ranked for the first time since the second week of 2015, No. 24 Arkansas will face Texas State at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network Alternate channel.
