ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL
Arkansas Game Report
Razorbacks run wild, force three turnovers to stun No. 9 South Carolina 21-14
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium | Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Arkansas didn't need KJ Jackson to throw the football to beat No. 9 South Carolina.
In fact, the Razorbacks barely needed to throw it at all.
Arkansas ran for 323 yards, intercepted LaNorris Sellers three times and rode a dominant performance from Braylen Russell to a surprising 21-14 victory over the ninth-ranked Gamecocks.
Russell was the centerpiece of an Arkansas offense that committed almost completely to the ground. The junior carried 25 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt while repeatedly breaking through a South Carolina defense that entered Fayetteville as the favorite.
Jackson added another 75 yards on 13 carries and Sutton Smith rushed 13 times for 53 yards as Arkansas piled up 323 yards on 52 rushing attempts.
The Razorbacks attempted only 13 passes all afternoon.
They completed six.
And they won anyway.
That was possible because Arkansas controlled the line of scrimmage, converted enough critical downs to keep drives alive and received another outstanding performance from Porter Davis' defense.
South Carolina finished with 264 yards of offense and only 15 first downs. The Gamecocks converted just three of 11 third downs and, most importantly, turned the football over three times.
All three came on interceptions of Sellers.
John Howse IV picked him off twice, returning the interceptions for a combined 44 yards, while Miguel Mitchell added another interception as Arkansas continually frustrated one of the SEC's most dangerous quarterbacks.
Sellers completed 16 of 30 passes for only 151 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. He added 37 yards on eight carries, but the Gamecocks never found the explosive offensive rhythm they needed.
Arkansas set the tone immediately.
Russell broke through for a 14-yard touchdown with 4:39 remaining in the first quarter, giving the Razorbacks a 7-0 lead and providing an early indication of what Arkansas intended to do offensively.
Run the football.
Then run it again.
South Carolina finally answered late in the second quarter when Sellers found Nitro Tuggle for a 19-yard touchdown with 2:19 remaining, tying the game at seven.
Arkansas needed less than two minutes to respond.
Russell finished another drive with a three-yard touchdown run with 51 seconds left before halftime, sending the Razorbacks into the locker room with a 14-7 advantage.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, and the game remained a one-possession fight deep into the fourth.
Then Arkansas made its lone major mistake.
Justin Okoronkwo intercepted Jackson and returned it 38 yards for a South Carolina touchdown with 7:18 remaining. The pick-six erased Arkansas' lead and tied the game at 14 despite the Razorbacks having controlled much of the afternoon.
It could have been the moment the game turned.
Instead, Arkansas' defense responded.
After an incompletion on third down and a missed field goal the Arkansas gave the ball back to South Carolina. A few plays later John Howse IV took it back, picking off a Sellers pass over the middle and nearly returning it for a touchdown.
Two plays later, with 2:07 remaining, AJ Hill scored on a two yard run, tricking the South Carolina defense with a fake handoff to Smith before he rolled right and ran into the endzone untouched. Max Gilbert's extra point gave Arkansas a 21-14 lead.
This time, the defense made it stand as Howse recorded his second pick of the game to secure the win, watching as Jackson led out the offense to take a knee.
The final numbers showed just how unusual Arkansas' path to victory had been.
The Razorbacks outgained South Carolina 350-264 despite producing only 27 passing yards. Arkansas ran 65 offensive plays to South Carolina's 53, picked up 23 first downs and averaged 6.2 yards per rushing attempt.
Jackson finished just 5-of-12 for 27 yards with an interception. Hill attempted one pass and did not complete it.
Arkansas' leading receiver was Russell, who caught two passes for 24 yards. Smith had one catch for three yards, while CJ Brown and Jamari Hawkins were each credited with a reception but no receiving yards.
None of it mattered because South Carolina simply could not stop the Razorbacks on the ground.
Russell was particularly devastating. His 193 rushing yards accounted for more than half of Arkansas' total offense, and his two first-half touchdowns gave the Razorbacks the cushion they needed while the defense attacked Sellers.
Arkansas was also considerably better in the game's situational moments.
The Razorbacks converted seven of 14 third downs compared to South Carolina's three of 11. Arkansas finished with a 21:43 to 18:17 advantage in possession time and reached the end zone on three of its four red-zone trips.
Defensively, La'Khi Roland and Mitchell led Arkansas with six tackles apiece. Howse finished with five tackles, one tackle for loss and his two interceptions. Quincy Rhodes Jr. provided Arkansas' only sack and had two tackles for loss.
For South Carolina, Isaiah Augustave led the rushing attack with 61 yards on 12 carries. Sellers added 37 yards, while Matt Fuller had 12 yards on two attempts.
Jayden Sellers led the Gamecocks with three receptions for 51 yards, while Tuggle caught four passes for 47 yards and South Carolina's only offensive touchdown.
The Gamecock defense had its moments. Okoronkwo's 38-yard interception return briefly changed the entire game, while Quay'sheed Scott and Kelby Collins each recorded sacks.
But South Carolina never solved Russell.
And Sellers never solved Arkansas' secondary.
The result was one of Arkansas' biggest wins of the season and another major statement from a defense that has found its footing.
After holding Auburn to 14 points, Arkansas did it again against a top-10 opponent, this time forcing three turnovers and holding South Carolina's offense to only seven points.
For a Razorback team that has endured its share of uneven performances, this one looked different.
Arkansas didn't win because everything went right. Its passing game was virtually nonexistent. Jackson threw a pick-six that tied the game midway through the fourth quarter. South Carolina had every opportunity to take control.
The Razorbacks simply refused to give it away.
Russell carried them.
The defense kept taking the football away.
And when Arkansas needed one final drive, the Razorbacks put the ball back on the ground and took the lead for good.
No. 9 South Carolina came to Fayetteville with a chance to continue its climb.
Instead, Arkansas sent the Gamecocks home with a 21-14 loss, and gave the Razorbacks their most surprising win of the season.
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER
ARK — Braylen Russell 14-yard run (Max Gilbert kick), 4:39
SECOND QUARTER
SCAR — Nitro Tuggle 19-yard pass from LaNorris Sellers (Upton Bellenfant kick), 2:19
ARK — Braylen Russell 3-yard run (Max Gilbert kick), 0:51
THIRD QUARTER
No scoring
FOURTH QUARTER
SCAR — Justin Okoronkwo 38-yard interception return (Upton Bellenfant kick), 7:18
ARK — AJ Hill 2-yard run (Max Gilbert kick), 2:07
Arkansas Stat Leaders
Passing
K. Jackson – 5/12 27 Yds 1 INT
A. Hill – 0/1 0 Yds
Rushing
B. Russell – 25 Car 193 Yds 2 TD
K. Jackson – 13 Car 75 Yds
S. Smith – 13 Car 53 Yds
A. Hill – 1 Car 2 Yds 1 TD
Receiving
B. Russell – 2 Rec 24 Yds
S. Smith – 1 Rec 3 Yds
C. Brown – 1 Rec 0 Yds
J. Hawkins – 1 Rec 0 Yds
Defense
L. Roland – 6 Tkl
M. Mitchell – 6 Tkl 1 INT
J. Howse IV – 5 Tkl 1 TFL 2 INT
J. Johnson – 5 Tkl
J. Smith – 5 Tkl
C. Stoutmire – 4 Tkl
C. Harrison – 3 Tkl
D. Oke – 3 Tkl
Q. Rhodes Jr. – 2 Tkl 2 TFL 1.0 Sck
South Carolina Stat Leaders
Passing
L. Sellers – 16/30 151 Yds 1 TD 3 INT
Rushing
I. Augustave – 12 Car 61 Yds
L. Sellers – 8 Car 37 Yds
M. Fuller – 2 Car 12 Yds
N. Tuggle – 1 Car 3 Yds
Receiving
J. Sellers – 3 Rec 51 Yds
N. Tuggle – 4 Rec 47 Yds 1 TD
N. Harbor – 3 Rec 24 Yds
B. Hunt – 3 Rec 14 Yds
D. Black – 1 Rec 9 Yds
J. Bolden – 1 Rec 7 Yds
M. Fuller – 1 Rec -1 Yd
Defense
G. Kilgore – 12 Tkl 1 TFL
P. Williams – 9 Tkl
S. Murphy – 8 Tkl 2 TFL
J. Collier – 7 Tkl
J. Currence – 7 Tkl
J. Okoronkwo – 6 Tkl 1 TFL 1 INT 38 Yds 1 TD
K. Collins – 5 Tkl 1 TFL 1.0 Sck
Q. Scott – 4 Tkl 1 TFL 1.0 Sck
| Team Stats | Arkansas | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 21 | 14 |
| First Downs | 23 | 15 |
| Total Offense | 350 | 264 |
| Total Plays | 65 | 53 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| Rushes | Yards | TDs | 52 | 323 | 3 | 23 | 113 | 0 |
| Yards Per Rush | 6.2 | 4.9 |
| Comp | Att | TDs | 6 | 13 | 0 | 18 | 30 | 1 |
| Passing Yards | 27 | 151 |
| Yards Per Pass | 2.1 | 5.0 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 7 | 14 (50%) | 3 | 11 (27%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 1 | 2 (50%) | 2 | 2 (100%) |
| 2-Point Conv. | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 (0%) |
| Red Zone TD | FG | % | 3 | 0 | 75% | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Turnovers | 1 (+2) | 3 (-2) |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 3 |
| PR Yards | 11 | 9 |
| KR Yards | 34 | 16 |
| Total Yards | 395 | 289 |
| Punt Average | 52.0 | 48.0 |
| Penalties | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Possession Time | 21:43 | 18:17 |
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