Auburn RB Kamryn Pettway out for 'extended period of time'
It’s been a rough season for Auburn’s Kamryn Pettway.
Coming off 1,224 yards in 2016, Pettway and Kerryon Johnson were supposed to be a tremendous 1-2 punch at running back in the SEC for a second straight year. But Pettway has been limited to five games because of injuries, and against Arkansas on Oct. 21 he suffered a serious one.
Tigers coach Gus Malzahn revealed Tuesday that Pettway fractured his scapula (shoulder blade) late in the win over the Razorbacks. It was an injury that the team discovered several days after it occurred. Malzahn didn’t rule him out for the year, but the prognosis isn’t good.
“Kam Pettway suffered a fracture in his scapula late in the game against Arkansas. We did not know that until last Friday,” Malzahn said. “We were trying to heal our guys up, and it was sore, and we thought it would get better, but it didn’t get any better.”
Malzahn said the injury won’t require surgery, but Pettway, who has 305 yards and six touchdowns, will be out “for an extended period of time.”
“I’m hoping we get him back before the end of the year. That’s one of those things we will have to see how it goes,” Malzahn said. “He’s a competitor, and it’s a tough blow to him. He’s had a lot of injuries. I know that’s frustrating for him; he’s a great competitor. But you’ve got to deal with it and he’ll respond OK.”
With Pettway in and out of the lineup this year, Johnson has been leading the way and playing well. Through eight games, he has 723 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Behind Johnson, Malzahn said Kam Martin (264 yards, TD), Malik Miller (115 yards) and Devan Barrett (61 yards) all could see increased playing time.
The Tigers, 6-2 overall and ranked No. 16 in the country, are coming off a bye week. They return to action at Texas A&M on Saturday.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
