FAYETTEVILLE — There's been an uptick is Arkansas' total offensive production, especially on the ground, since Kash Courtney replaced Caden Kitler at center in the second half of Arkansas' loss to Tennessee on Oct. 10.
That second half saw Arkansas run wild in the third quarter and put up 17 points in the second half after being shut out in the first half. With Kitler nursing a broken toe, Courtney got the start against Vanderbilt, a game in which Arkansas put up 31 points and a season-high 187 rushing yards. Courtney played so well against the Commodores that he was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
When the depth chart for Saturday's game against No. 23 Missouri was released on Monday, Kitler was listed above Courtney, and there was no "or" designation listed as there has been for many players this year.
"I think for a lot of those guys, as the season goes on, it's probably you could put ‘or’ on a lot of those guys," Silverfield said. "Those guys get nicked up, banged up, they're fighting through it, Again, like I've mentioned all along, Caden has battled and fought through an injury even early in the season, and just kept playing and toughing things out.
"We think the injury is getting a little bit better, but he'll never be 100% until the day he stops playing football, and hopefully that's many years from now. But he's going to continue to fight and finding ways to improve and take care of his body, and we'll see whether him or Kash get the start. But I have great confidence in both of them.”
It's important to note that, in the Silverfield era, the depth chart can't be taken at face value. Sutton Smith is still listed as the No. 1 RB with no "or" designation despite the fact that he only got four carries against Vanderbilt. By and large, it hasn't been an accurate tool for predicting which Razorbacks will start or receive the most playing time.
Courtney, however, has looked far better than Kitler in his game-and-a-half of action this year, and there's no doubt that Arkansas' offense, especially the run game, has flowed much better when Courtney is in the game. Courtney hasn't been perfect, but he hasn't made as many noticeable mistakes, such as consistently snapping the ball low to QB KJ Jackson, as Kitler did through the first five games.
It'd be surprising if Kitler got the start over Courtney on Saturday, but Silverfield not ruling it out is notable.
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