Arkansas confirmed this morning that its leading rusher in 2010 Knile Davis is expected to miss the season with an injury to his left ankle. Bobby Petrino issued this statement:
"I am extremely disappointed for Knile. He is a captain who was incredibly focused on the upcoming year."
CBS college football sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson called it a fractured ankle earlier this morning.
Davis was the conference's second-leading rusher in 2010 with 1,322 yards, behind only Cameron Newton. His average of 6.48 yards per carry was fifth in the league among rushers who averaged at least four carries a game. He was the breakout star for the Arkansas offense, perhaps the linchpin that helped propel the Razorbacks to the Sugar Bowl last year.
Davis is the second running back the Hogs have lost for the season after Broderick Green tore his ACL in the spring. The team will turn to Dennis Johnson, who missed much of 2010 to injury, and Ronnie Wingo to carry the load at running back this fall. Both are talented and have shown flashes of brilliance, but neither has anything on his resume like what Davis did in 2010.