FAYETTEVILLE – Junior tight end D.J. Williams caught seven passes for 137 yards and Broderick Green scored two touchdowns as the University of Arkansas handed South Carolina a 33-16 defeat in Southeastern Conference play.
The victory moved Arkansas to 5-4 on the season, 2-4 in SEC games, while the Gamecocks dropped to 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the SEC.
Sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett had a near-perfect day, hitting 23 of 27 passes with no interceptions and 329 yards.
His most consistant target was Williams, who pulled a game best for Arkansas 69-yarder.
The game was a back-and-forth battle in the open half, with the two teams going to intermission tied at 10-10. After a momentary lapse on the opening play of the second half, the Razorback defense shut out the Gamecocks the rest of the game.
Meanwhile Arkansas put together 23 unanswered points following the one-play scoring drive of USC at the beginning of the third quarter.
Stephen Garcia took the momentum back for the Gamecocks on the first play of the second half, play faking the dive out of the shotgun then dropping the ball deep to Alshon Jeffery at the Razorback 30. Jeffery evaded the Razorback secondary’s pursuit for the touchdown. The snap on the ensuing PAT was mishandled, and the Gamecocks settled for a six-point, 16-10, lead.
Arkansas responded quickly, moving across midfield on an 18-yard completion to London Crawford followed by a clutch play fake from Mallett on third and short. Selling the handoff up the middle, Mallett calmly pull the ball from behind his back to find Williams wide open to the Carolina nine. Michael Smith took it down to the two on the next play, setting up a sneak for Mallett on third down from the one. Alex Tejada’s PAT was good for the 17-16 lead.
Garcia marched the Gamecocks back down the field, but faltered on his attempt to find Jeffrey in the endzone. Jerrell Norton won the jump ball for the interception in the corner of the endzone to stop the drive. Mallett put together a seven play drive that featured a pair of Williams’ receptions, including one that put the ball on the Gamecock one. Green punched it in for the 24-16 lead.
A poor snap to Garcia sent the Carolina quarterback scurring 20 yards downfield in pursuit of the loose ball. He reached it at the two, but could not keep it away from the Razorback pressure, knocking it into the end zone where Brian Maddox covered it for a safety, 26-16. It was the first safety for Arkansas since the 2007 Kentucky game.
Arkansas defense sent Carolina reeling backward, then used a 38-yard punt return from Norton to set up a short-field drive to score with just under five minutes left in the game. Another clutch Williams catch set the Hogs with a first down deep in Carolina territory. Green took over with a rush to the left for three yards, then to the right for five before going straight up the gut three yards for the touchdown and a 33-16 lead.
Garcia marched USC down the field after the ensuing kickoff, but the clock became Arkansas’ greatest ally as the Gamecocks reached the Razorback four yard line on fourth down with 1:49 left. His pass was incomplete and the Hogs ran out the clock.
Arkansas’ first drive ended after a 14-yard first-down run by Green. The punt set the Gamecocks on their own 29-yard-line. Garcia worked the longest drive of the first half, taking almost six minutes off the clock and converting three third downs and a fourth down to get within the Razorback 10.
A series of miscommunications led to USC calling two time outs inside the Arkansas 10. Carolina converted a fourth down to push the ball to the Razorback one, but the defense held again and after a delay of game, USC settled for a 23-yard field goal from Spencer Lanning.
The 3-0 lead lasted just under 90 seconds as the Razorbacks paired a 39-yard screen pass to Green with an 18-yard end sweep for Adams. Adams’ touchdown run closed the four-play, 60-yard drive and a 7-3 lead with 1:24 left.
Arkansas stopped Carolina’s next drive, but the Razorbacks went with a fake punt on fourth and two on their own 26. Ronnie Wingo, Jr., never had a chance as the Gamecock rush caught him in the backfield. Four plays later, Garcia’s 1-yard quarterback sneak put Carolina back ahead, 10-10.
The teams traded drives and field position until the final 22 seconds of the half. Carolina ran down the clock on its final possession, knowing they would open the second half with the ball, and punted to Arkansas at the Hogs’ 24.
Mallett made a short pass to Williams near the 30 yard line, and the big tight end slipped the first Carolina tackler near the 35. Forcing two more to miss, Williams headed for the far sideline to pickup blocking. Cutting back near the USC 15 yard line, Williams lunged away from the pursuit to put Arkansas at the Gamecock six. Arkansas had time for one shot at the end zone before Tejada came on for a 24-yard field goal to send the teams to the lockerroom tied, 10-10.

( By www.arkansasrazorbacks.com)

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