Arkansas Wins In Wild One
Last updated Sunday, November 4, 2007 12:46 AM CDT in Columns
By Harry King
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- Without a word, Steve Spurrier fessed up. The South Carolina coach admitted that his defense couldn't stop Arkansas when he asked Ryan Succop to try a second onside kick.
The Gamecocks had just reduced Arkansas' lead to 35-27 and there was still more than 19 minutes to play.
Need more evidence? Arkansas led 42-27 when the Gamecocks went for fourth-and-one at their own 37 with 96 seconds left in the third quarter. They made that and scored a few plays later.
Arkansas fans will latch onto a couple of big touchdown pass plays as game-deciding calls, but neither was a quarterback to receiver throw. The first was one of those once-a-year things from Darren McFadden to Felix Jones to Casey Dick to Lucas Miller. The second was a more simple three-player deal, Dick to McFadden to Robert Johnson.
The Razorbacks won because they could run the ball, and it didn't matter what Spurrier asked of Succop. For instance, when the Gamecocks closed to 42-36 in the fourth quarter, Spurrier surprised everybody, including McFadden, by kicking the ball over No. 5 and into the end zone. From the 20, Dick took the snap and handed to McFadden heading right. His teammates sealed off the defenders coming from the inside and McFadden hit the crease at full speed, reminiscent of some 2006 highlights. Eleven seconds later, it was 48-36.
Arkansas ran for 292 in the first half, 106 in the third quarter, and 143 in the final period. In fact, McFadden's pass to Johnson was Arkansas' only throw of the second half.
South Carolina attempted 51 passes and completed 27 for 364 yards, but Blake Mitchell missed some open receivers in the end zone, including back-to-back plays in the first quarter.
The team comes first and the 12-point victory was mighty important on many levels, including the fact that South Carolina was No. 6 in the country three weeks ago and there has been plenty of carping about Arkansas' lack of a quality win since Tennessee last Nov. 11.
But McFadden made a Southeastern Conference record 323 yards on 35 carries on ESPN2, keeping him in the Heisman Trophy talk. And, it was the fake to McFadden that was the first step in Felix Jones' 72-yard run.
"The bigger the game, the bigger playmaker he is," said Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.
When it ended, Spurrier shook McFadden's hand and might have whispered good riddance. In three games against South Carolina, McFadden has rushed for 729 yards.
In a game with 1,139 yards and 84 points, some unlikely defenders denied the Gamecocks a touchdown on one of those rare second-half occasions when one team stopped the other. The sequence began when Jerell Norton never gave up on Mike Davis and chased him down at the end of a 57-yard run that reached the Arkansas 5. On second down, Kenny McKinley caught one across the middle but Rashaad Johnson lifted him up and planted him at the 2. Marcus Harrison rushed Mitchell into a bad pass on third down and Wainer Leandre covered Cory Boyd in the right flat on fourth down to preserve 42-27.
"That was huge," Nutt said.
He didn't mention it, but the Razorbacks lost fourth-quarter leads against Alabama, Kentucky, and Auburn.
This one couldn't end easy. From third-and-two at the Arkansas 10, the snap sailed by McFadden's left shoulder. Nutt said South Carolina called out the Arkansas snap count. McFadden ushered the ball out of the end zone and threw a right cross at the air at the thought of the safety.
Even though the Gamecocks made 489 yards, they punted five times to once for Arkansas. Defensive coordinator Reggie Herring used at least 20 players in the first half alone, subbing a handful at a time, and outguessing Spurrier as often as not. During the first 30 minutes, 18 different players had a tackle on plays from scrimmage.
Once, he pressured Mitchell with linebacker Freddie Fairchild and safeties Walner Leandre and Kevin Woods. The first time the Gamecocks faced third down, Arkansas rushed three. Malcolm Sheppard spun inside the offensive tackle and swatted down the pass about a foot out of Mitchell's hand.
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
About this columnist
The dean of Arkansas sports writers, Harry King updates his column five days per week with the latest on the Razorbacks. A 35-year veteran of The Associated Press, King joined the Arkansas News Bureau in May of 2002. He's covered the Razorbacks since the Arkansas-Texas game dubbed the Big Shootout in 1969.
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
