Nov. 9, 2002
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GAME NOTES
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. ARKANSAS – Nov. 9, 2002
SOUTH CAROLINA GAME NOTES
The announced attendance of 79,307 increased season home attendance for six games to 492,828. The average home attendance this season was 82,138, or 102% of capacity (80,250).
The 23-0 Arkansas win gives the Razorbacks a 7-4 lead in the series with South Carolina. All games have been played since the Gamecocks and Razorbacks became members of the Southeastern Conference in 1992. The series is now even at 3-3 in games played a6t Columbia. Arkansas has won two of three games played at Little Rock and is 2-0 over South Carolina in games played at Fayetteville.
South Carolina was shut out for the first time since Sept. 25, 1999 when Mississippi State defeated the Gamecocks 17-0 at Starkville. South Carolina’s last shut out at home was 38-0, Sept. 26, 1998, also by Mississippi State.
The shut out was the second in the 11 game South Carolina-Arkansas series, one by each team. South Carolina shut out Arkansas 14-0 at Columbia in 1994.
Injured South Carolina wide receiver Ryan Brewer entered the game for one play to return a punt. The punt resulted in a touchback. Brewer’s consecutive streak of at least one pass reception was broken aat 32 games.
ARKANSAS GAME NOTES
At 6-3, Arkansas is now bowl-eligible for the fifth time in five years under head coach Houston Nutt.
Arkansas is now 2-1 against USC head coach Lou Hotlz, who was the coach at Arkansas from 1977-83.
Arkansas has won two road games this year, the first time the Razorbacks have won twice outside the state of Arkansas since 1998 when the Hogs recorded consecutive road wins at Memphis, South Carolina and Auburn.
The shutout in conference play is the first for Arkansas since blanking Ole Miss, 38-0, in Fayetteville on Nov. 7, 1998, and the first road shutout in league play since the Nov. 23, 1991, 20-0 victory at Rice.
The shutouts of Troy State and South Carolina give Arkansas two shutouts in the same season for the first time since 1986 when the Razorbacks beat Ole Miss on Sept. 13 in Little Rock, 21-0, and SMU in Dallas on Nov. 22, 41-0.
UA has recorded shutouts in back-to-back games for the first time since 1974 when Arkansas beat Tulsa on Sept. 28, 60-0, and Oct. 5 at TCU, 49-0.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Clarke Moore made his first career start. He had seen action in seven of the first eight games as a reserve prior to the start against USC. Coming into the game, he was tied for ninth on the club with 25 tackles.
Right guard Mark Bokermann made his first start since the third game of the season against Alabama. He missed the Tennessee, Auburn and Kentucky games with a high right ankle sprain, and played against Ole Miss and Troy State as a reserve.
Gavin Walls’ interception in the second quarter was his first of the season and of his career. Lawrence Richardson’s third-quarter interception was his first of the season and the fourth of his career. Eddie Jackson’s interception was his first of the season and the fourth of his career. The three turnovers give Arkansas 29 take-aways this season. UA entered the game with a +1.88 turnover margin, the best in the nation.
Jason Peters’ 22-yard reception in the second quarter was his third catch of the year, which matches last year’s season total.
He also had two receptions in the first half, marking the first time a UA tight end had two catches in the same game since Peters had two against Auburn in 2001.
George Wilson’s four-yard TD reception in the second quarter was his fifth score of the year. Wilson has now caught a touchdown pass in three straight games.
Arkansas is now 4-0 when scoring first this season.
Junior linebacker Tony Bua returned to the starting lineup after missing the Troy State game with a shoulder injury.
David Carlton’s 43-yard field goal in the second quarter makes him two-of-two from 40-49 yards out. His first career field goal was a 47-yarder in overtime at Tennessee. He is now nine of 12 on the year with the misses coming from 50 yards against Auburn, 51 against Kentucky and 50 against USC.
Carlton had three field goals against USC, the first three-field goal effort for an Arkansas kicker since Brennan O’Donohoe made three last year against Georgia.
Cedric Cobbs’ two-yard gain in the second quarter was his first carry since gaining 84 yards on 16 carries at Tennessee. He missed the Auburn, Kentucky and Ole Miss games with a turf toe injury and saw limited action against Troy State without a rushing attempt.
The USC game marked the fourth time this season the Razorbacks have shut out an opponent in the first half and the first against an SEC opponent. The other three first half blankings came against UA’s non-conference opponents: Boise State, South Florida and Troy State. The first half shutout marked the first time the Hogs held an SEC opponent scoreless through the first half since the South Carolina game last year, a 10-7 Arkansas victory in Little Rock.
The first half shutout marked the first time the Razorbacks held an SEC opponent scoreless in the first half on the road since the 1996 game at Mississippi State when UA led 13-0 at the break and won 16-13 in overtime.
Arkansas produced 126 yards of total offense in the first half against South Carolina, one yard more than the Hogs had for the game the previous week in the 23-0 victory over Troy State.
Carlos Ousley’s 47-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the first career reception for Ousley, a freshman transfer from Wake Forest.
Arkansas is now 7-2 in games when Matt Jones does not throw an interception.
