The Arkansas Razorbacks made it two in a row by defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks at Razorbacks Stadium by the score of 44-30. The game was a tale of two halves as the Hogs dominated the first half and misfired on both offense and defense to allow the Gamecocks back into the football game. But just as in Week One versus Cincinnati, Arkansas was able to overcome the mistakes and move on to secure the win. The victory over South Carolina improves Arkansas’s record to 2-0 overall, and 1-0 in Southeastern Conference play. Arkansas entered the game ranked number 16 nationally by some outlets, up three spots from their preseason ranking.
RNN Sports is pleased to share with you some comments and statistics from the game, courtesy of the University of Arkansas Office of Communications.
Raheim Sanders rush of 1 yard.TOUCHDOWN | 1Q | 6:42
Raheim Sanders rush of 11 yards.TOUCHDOWN | 2Q | 14:28
Rashod Dubinion rush of 1 yard.TOUCHDOWN | 2Q | 8:13KJ Jefferson rush of 2 yards.TOUCHDOWN | 4Q | 14:55
KJ Jefferson pass to Warren Thompson complete for 23 yards.TOUCHDOWN | 4Q | 12:09TOUCHDOWN | 4Q | 6:00
Arkansas has won consecutive SEC openers for first time since 2003 & 2004.
»RB Raheim Sanders recorded his third career multi-rushing TD game. Dating back to last season, Sanders has rushed for two TDs in three of the last four games.
»RB Raheim Sanders has rushed for 100+ yards in back-to-back games (117 in game 1 and 156 in game two). He’s the first Arkansas rusher to run for 100+ yards in back-to-back contests since RB Rakeem Boyd (2019).
»QB KJ Jefferson registered his fifth career game with at least one passing touchdown and at least one score on the ground.
»Jefferson completed 85.7 percent of his passes (18-of-21 passes) for 162 yards and one TD. His completion percent-age ranks second in school history (min of 20 att). The record is held by Ryan Mallett at .875 (21-of-24) vs Tennessee Tech in 2010. Jefferson and Mallett have combined for each of the top four single-game passing percentage marks.
»Since 2020, the Razorbacks have totaled 28 interceptions in 25 games – the most among all SEC teams in that span. »Arkansas scored on its first three possessions (TD, TD, TD). The last time Arkansas scored on its first three pos-sessions came in last season’s win against Texas A&M (FG, TD, TD). Last time Arkansas scored TDs on its first three possessions was 2019 vs Colorado State.
»Arkansas has scored 30+ points in 11 of QB KJ Jefferson’s 17 career starts: 48 at Missouri (2020), 38 vs. Rice (2021), 40 vs. Texas (2021), 45 vs. Georgia Southern (2021), 51 at Ole Miss (2021), 45 vs. UAPB (2021), 31 vs. Mississippi State (2021), 35 at Alabama (2021), 34 vs. Missouri (2021), 31 vs. Cincinnati (2022), TBD vs. South Carolina (2022).
»Dating back to the 2021 season, Arkansas has rushed for three or more touchdowns in three of the last four games.
»RB Raheim Sanders registered a career-long rush of 47 yards in the third quarter.
»RB Raheim Sanders became one of five Razorbacks who have rushed for 100+ yards with multiple scores in a game against South Carolina: : Madre Hill (1995 – 178 yards, 6 TD), Darren McFadden (2006 – 187 yards, 6 TD), Felix Jones (2007 – 166 yards, 3 TD), Knile Davis (2010 – 110 yards, 3 TD) and Raheim Sanders (2022).
»Four different Razorbacks rushed for a TD (Raheim Sanders, K.J. Jefferson, Rashod Dubinion and AJ Green). The last time Arkansas had three players rush for touchdowns was against Georgia Southern in 2021 (Telon Smith, Domi-nique Johnson and Malik Hornsby).
»The Razorbacks tallied their first five-rushing touchdown game since 2016 against Mississippi State.
»The Hogs have charted three straight games of 200+ rushing yards (295 vs USC) as a team and five-straight games of 400+ yards of total offense (457 vs USC).
»LB Drew Sanders logged career-highs in total tackles (11) and tackles for loss (3.0). Sanders’ 3.0 TFL are the most in a game by an Arkansas defender since Bumper Pool totaled 3.0 TFL against Texas A&M in 2020.
»Sanders added two forced fumbles to tie a school single-game record (based on available stats). 12 others have also forced two fumbles in a game since 2000 with the last being McTelvin Agim who did so in 2018 vs Colorado State and in 2017 vs Mississippi State. Overall, Arkansas forced five fumbles, tying for second-most in school history (dating back to 1998). The record is six forced fumbles vs Eastern Illinois in 2018.
»Arkansas recorded a safety with 1:33 left in the game. It was the Razorbacks’ first safety since 2015 vs Toledo
After the game, Arkansas head football coach, Sam Pittman said, “A lot of respect for South Carolina, their program and Coach Beamer. They play the game like it’s supposed to be played. I was really proud of our offensive line. We asked them to control the game and I felt like they did at least until the last series of the first half. We were a little slippery on pass protection but I think the offensive line wore them down. We made a lot of big plays on defense; a lot of sacks, hurries, this that and the other. We gave up a lot. Three hands to the face and things like that. We certainly haven’t had that in practice but we had it out here today and we’ve got to clean that up as well. I thought the defense made some big plays and (Raheim) Rocket Sanders and the backs ran well. I thought we used our wideouts a little bit better today. We used all of them and each one of them contributed certainly in the blocking aspect but to the win as well. It feels really good to be 2-0 and 1-0 in the SEC. It’s a line of scrimmage game in this league. It depends on if you want to make it that or not. We do. We want to make it a line of scrimmage game. It feels good to be honest with you. I think everyone in the stadium felt good on the first three possessions. We didn’t make a 4th and 1 in the third or the fourth quarter down there but we made close fourth downs and third down and ones. There weren’t really any great, big plays out there. It was really just churning four and five yards out. It feels really, really good. We have a lot of work to do but I’m really pleased with where we are as a coaching staff and as a team.”
When asked about the crowd and the early 11 a.m. kickoff time, Coach Pittman commented,
“I thought there were a lot of people here. It seemed like it. I love the student section. They here have a lot of fun. I think they pretty much sold out that area of the stadium both weeks. It’s a lot of fun for the kids to come, especially when we are winning. I have no idea what an 11 a.m. party would look like, but I hope they had a good time.”
Commenting on KJ Jefferson’s performance:“I thought he played better today than he did last week. I thought he was more accurate today. I thought he ran the ball well both times, but I thought he was more accurate and in total control. When it was third-and-two on the goal line, I told him… if we don’t make it here, I’m taking a field goal to go up eight. I was challenging him, but KJ looked up at me and said, ‘don’t worry about it, call the extra point team on.’ And he did. He can pretty much take over the game when he wants to. He ran the ball 19 times today and took a lot of big hits.
Quarterback K J Jefferson added, “Football is a physical sport. Playing the QB position, you’re gonna get hit whether you got the ball or not. You gotta have a dog mentality and then go in and get treated. Recovery is real big on my part, just making sure that I’m feeling 100%.”
On starting 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in SEC play, Jefferson said, “It’s real big, Coach Pittman put an emphasis on starting off SEC play. We knew it was gonna be a long, physical game. We just wanted to come out and be the more physical and dominant team and then just show the state that this program is still on the rise.”
Dalton Wagner shared that Coach Pittman put the responsibility of the game on the offensive line. “Absolutely, Coach Pittman pretty much called out the O-Line and said, ‘The game is on our backs. The game will be won in the trenches by us.’ O-Line took it really personally this week to make sure we could run the ball… Protection still has to get better still to make sure KJ’s comfortable back there throwing. I think for the run game, couldn’t have asked for a better game.”When you have a QB making runs like KJ and Jadon threw a guy down, is there a physicality that permeates throughout the whole team. Coach Pittman emphasizes it, we go pads 3 times a week. 3 days a week we’re getting after it and hitting each other and he emphasizes physicality. You got a runner like KJ who can throw a shoulder in there and you got the O-Line pushing a pile trying to knock it over and KJ’s still running after we knock the pile over, it’s just physicality. We love it, he loves it, and I think the whole state loves it.”
Yes, the whole state does love it, and the crowds at Razorbacks Stadium are a reflection of the success and enthusiasm the program has brought to the state of Arkansas. And now, the Hogs will return to non-conference play next week when they welcome former Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino back when he and the Missouri State Bears visit Razorbacks Stadium. It will be Petrino’s first appearance at Razorbacks Stadium since his firing in April of 2012. His dismissal sent the Arkansas football program into a tail spin that some have argued that it set the program back nearly ten years. Kickoff next Saturday is slated for 6 p.m.
Note to Our Readers: This story was sourced directly from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Mike Cawood, Associate Communications Director.
