Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

9/11/2011 at 9:28am

Image by Mark Wagner

Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson ran for 46 yards and a touchdown on five carries. He's proven a willing runner, but exhibited "concussion symptoms" after his touchdown run in the first half.

Tyler Wilson emerged from the home tunnel flanked by Arkansas athletic trainer Matt Summers with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter of Saturday’s game against New Mexico. Wilson didn’t have his helmet with him and watched from the sideline as the Razorbacks put the finishing touches on a 52-3 victory.

Wilson wouldn’t have likely seen much playing time in the second half, but the fact he spent much of the third quarter in the team locker room with medical personnel was concerning. There is a lot of season left to be played for No. 14 Arkansas (2-0) and Wilson figures to be an important piece of the team’s run for an SEC title.

Coaches noticed Wilson was a bit foggy while going through the second-half script at halftime. He exhibited mild concussion symptoms — the result of a seven-yard touchdown run just before halftime — and there was no reason to bring him back on the field.

Only a couple weeks into the 2011 season and you can’t help but wonder if maybe Wilson should cool it with the runs. Maybe selling out for a touchdown against one of the worst football teams in NCAA football isn’t the smartest thing to do or the surest way to guarantee a successful season when the games matter.

Don’t tell that to offensive coordinator Garrick McGee.

“He better not stop. He better not stop. He better sell out and get it for us,” McGee told me while heading out of the postgame interview room.

McGee doesn’t want his offensive guys playing scared. Wilson has seemed more than happy to oblige his offensive coordinator so far.

Arkansas fans that complained Ryan Mallett was a statue, can’t say the same for Wilson. Not only is he a strong passer, he’s athletic enough to move in the pocket and pick up yards on the run if a play breaks down.

Wilson completed 18 of 26 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown against New Mexico. But it was his running that was the most memorable of his contributions as Arkansas rolled up 632 yards of total offense and posted back-to-back 50-point games for the first time since 1928.

Arkansas had just 103 yards of rushing at halftime. Wilson put up 46 of those on five rushes, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. He had the highest rushing total on the team through two quarters.

No doubt Wilson is what Coach Bobby Petrino calls “a willing runner.”

A week ago Wilson dove toward the end zone, hoping to score. He didn’t get the touchdown and was somewhat left to defend himself, especially after Petrino questioned the run.

Wilson explained he was trying to set the tone. He wanted teammates — and opponents — to know he wasn’t the sort of quarterback that flopped or dove when pressure came. He was back at it against New Mexico (0-2).

Teammates love what they’ve seen from Wilson so far. He proved in the spring and summer he had what it took to lead the Razorbacks. On-field, in-game leadership, of course is something completely different. It’s the difference between taking a driving test on a residential street and being asked to navigate I-30 in Little Rock during a postgame traffic free-for-all.

Wilson has proven — at least in these early games — he’s willing to drive in traffic.

“It kind of pumps you up,” receiver Cobi Hamilton sad. “Tyler shows the competitor he has in him. It brings the team closer together, especially the offensive unit. You see your quarterback going to war for you, you see him put his body out there it makes you want to do it too.”

Now that that message has been sent, Wilson needs to play smarter. His fearless attitude is to be admired, but it can get him into trouble. In fact, the concussion symptoms and the interception he threw against New Mexico when forcing a pass are proof he has room to grow.

Petrino reminded Wilson of that room for improvement on Saturday. It was a softer tone than a week earlier when Petrino said Wilson showed his “toughness, competitive spirit and maybe his stupidity” against Missouri State.

“You’ve got to be smart enough to go and get the first down and keep yourself healthy. In that instance where he’s running the ball, at that point, he’s trying to score a touchdown,” Petrino said. “That’s the competitive spirit that allows your teammates to see you as a leader. It’s hard not to have somebody compete like that. That’s just his competitive spirit.”

Wilson has proven he’s a competitor. Now the Razorbacks need him to prove he can consistently make smart, championship-winning plays over the next 10 weeks.

Tagged: Arkansas Razorbacks, Tyler Wilson, Bobby Petrino, Garrick McGee