The Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. Freshman Mitch Mustain will start at quarterback for Arkansas when the Razorbacks play Utah State next weekend, coach Houston Nutt announced Sunday.
Robert Johnson, who started Arkansas' 50-14 loss to No. 6 Southern California on Saturday night, will move to wide receiver.
"Mitch has done some good things all through camp," Nutt said. "He's been very accurate. He has shown some very good things under pressure. And then he gets in the game and can execute and take us down the field. I just feel like, at this time, you have to give him a shot."
Mustain entered the season opener against the Trojans with the Razorbacks trailing 44-7. Arkansas immediately drove down the field, and Mustain scored on a 4-yard run, but he threw an interception on the Razorbacks' next possession.
Mustain was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country last year while at Springdale High School in Arkansas.
Johnson started the first seven games in 2005 before Casey Dick took over. But Dick has been bothered by a bad back this preseason, and Johnson beat out Mustain for the starting job against USC.
Johnson went 12-of-25 for 110 yards with two interceptions against the Trojans. He completed seven consecutive passes on a second-quarter drive one he finished with a 1-yard touchdown run but aside from that, the Razorbacks struggled to move the ball against the USC defense.
