This one's all Lou

SCOTT CAIN
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Blank stares outnumbered revelations in the locker room.
Explaining why so many parts of Arkansas' offense, defense and special teams disintegrated in a 27-7 loss to 24th-ranked South Carolina on Saturday would have to wait until the film review today, coaches said.
It should be rated R for graphic violence.
South Carolina brutalized Arkansas' offensive line, slashed its secondary on two scoring drives, sucker punched its defense with the run and then sent scads of Razorbacks hobbling to the sideline before 81,935 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Each time the Razorbacks had opportunities to claw back into the game, they squandered them with gaffes. The most damaging ones set up all four South Carolina touchdowns.
Witness a curious play call that led to a failed fourth down in the second quarter and a little later, a special teams penalty that bailed South Carolina out of bad field position. Then see a muffed punt by Richard Smith and a Fred Talley fumble near the Gamecocks' goal line bury Arkansas in the third quarter.
After each calamity, the defense reacted with shell shock. Three of South Carolina's four scoring drives happened in 63 seconds or less.
"At times, we were just out there and it looked like everybody was dead," free safety Ken Hamlin said.
Realistically, so is any hope the Razorbacks (4-2, 1-2 SEC) had of contending for the SEC West title. Now they have to scramble to collect the six victories needed to qualify for a bowl game with three of the last five games on the road.
Arkansas has lost seven consecutive SEC road games, this most recent one coming on Coach Houston Nutt's 43rd birthday.
"We're not good enough to give gifts and fumble punts and [commit] penalties," Nutt said. "We're not good enough to overcome those kind of things. But the first quarter I thought we were right there neck and neck. If we could have just got on the board, I thought it might be a lot different game. But we never could establish something in a rhythm."
A year after the Razorbacks pummeled an inept South Carolina team, the Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1) traded roles and subdued the Hogs with 174 yards rushing and 170 passing and by limiting them to 251 total yards.
With vivid memories of last year's 48-14 loss and Coach Lou Holtz stoking them emotionally, the Gamecocks exacted revenge for themselves and Holtz, whom Arkansas forced out as coach in 1983. South Carolina (6-1, 4-1) also became bowl-eligible after going winless last season.
"Coach Holtz told us this was one of the only schools that fired him," Gamecocks nose guard Cleveland Pinkney said. "We thought, 'They fired him? Let's go get 'em.' "
Holtz needled his players all week through the media, exaggerating Arkansas' ability and suggesting that they would be fortunate to keep the game close. So monumental was the task that Holtz even said he would be inclined to tear down the goal posts single-handedly if they could win.
"He could've been serious and I'm sure he'd probably find a way to get it done," said Gamecocks quarterback Phil Petty, who threw for 170 yards and two touchdowns. "Obviously he didn't do it but I think he just made a point that this was a big game for us going into it."
It was huge also for Arkansas, which ended up 4-7 the last three times it lost what has become an annual swing game against South Carolina.
To win, the defense needed to force turnovers and provide field position. The offense needed to revive the running game and avoid turnovers. Special teams needed to avoid seismic mistakes that have become commonplace.
Instead, the Gamecocks stampeded through the Hogs' offensive line for the four sacks, chased quarterback Robby Hampton out of the pocket numerous times and held the ground game to barely 2 yards per rush. All three UA quarterbacks were injured.
In its previous game, South Carolina managed just one sack against a Kentucky team that threw 52 times.
After playing a relatively conservative scheme the first six games, Holtz said he turned the defense loose.
Turnovers didn't happen either, except for Eddie Jackson's second-quarter interception that Arkansas blew by throwing an interception in return.
The plan was to hit South Carolina tailback Derek Watson until he dropped the ball. After all, he had fumbled eight times in six games and lost four of them.
Instead, Watson rushed for 136 yards and one touchdown behind an offensive line that was as equally banged up as Arkansas'. Among those ailing, right tackle Melvin Paige spent Friday night in the hospital with a virus but played through it Saturday.
A few plays after Talley's third-quarter fumble, Watson bounced a clogged play to the outside where he outran his pursuers for a 68-yard touchdown. That put the Gamecocks ahead 27-0.
It's the first time Talley had fumbled in a game since his sophomore year of high school. It was his first game back from a broken hand but that was not why he lost the ball, he said.
"I was trying to be ball-conscious," Talley said. "Even on the ball I fumbled I had both hands on it and they just got a good shot on it."
Moments earlier, Smith misplayed a punt that gave South Carolina new life at the UA 37-yard line. Three plays later, Andrew Pinnock rambled outside and bowled over D'Andre Berry and Quinton Caver for a 13-yard touchdown for a 20-0 lead.
Arkansas did not move deeper than the South Carolina 33-yard line in the first half and trailed 14-0 at halftime.
Both of South Carolina's first-half touchdown drives started with field position beyond the 30-yard line when the Gamecocks easily could have began inside their 20. Pinned deep, the Gamecocks would have been more likely to call conservative plays rather than throw downfield.
A failed Arkansas fourth down handed South Carolina possession at its 33. Needing 6 yards, Nutt called for fullback Rod Stinson to run up the middle on a delayed handoff and defensive tackle Cecil Caldwell and strong safety Willie Offord stuffed him for no gain.
The second scoring drive started at the 37-yard line instead of the 15 after Arkansas was penalized for holding on its punt and had to rekick.
From there, Petty's passes sliced through generous seams in the coverage. Receiver Brian Scott caught the three passes needed to cover 67 yards for the first touchdown, burning cornerback Orlando Green on the last two. Petty went to four receivers to score the second touchdown, capped by a 13-yard pass to Jermale Kelly who was covered closely by Eddie Jackson.
Nutt said he considered only momentarily sending out the punting unit to play for field position on the fourth-and-6 play.
"What made it tough was that they made it look pretty easy once they scored," Nutt said. "I would have gone again. I think if we stay on one block, we're going to get [the first down]."
Despite appearances, Arkansas had the correct defenses called on both scoring series, co-coordinator John Thompson said. Scott and the other receivers moved freely on slants and corner routes.
"We just played them soft, I don't know why," Thompson said. "The rest of the time we got back on top of them and were aggressive."
Some lapses were physical, some mental and others emotional.
Bottom line, not everybody was ready to play.
"All you've got to do is look at the scoreboard to know that," center Josh Melton said. "We had a great week of preparation, but you've got to be able to carry that from the practice field into the game. If you don't do it on Saturday, it doesn't mean anything."
The good news, coaches and players said, is the mistakes can be fixed. First, though they have to review them closely on film.
Some scenes might not be suitable for young viewers.

RECORDS Arkansas 4-2, 1-2 SEC. South Carolina 6-1, 4-1.
STARS Arkansas QB Zak Clark (7-of-12 passing, 1 INT, 72 yards), WR Boo Williams (8 catches, 69 yards), DE Carlos Hall (6 tackles). South Carolina TB Derek Watson (136 yards rushing, 1 TD), QB Phil Petty (170 yards passing, 2 TDs), DE Kalimba Edwards (8 tackles, 1 sack).
TURNING POINT Arkansas failed to convert fourth-and-6 at the USC 33, and the Gamecocks blew 67 yards through the defense on three consecutive passes to score the first of their four touchdowns.
KEY STAT Three Arkansas quarterbacks played and were injured.
OVERHEARD "We need this off weekend badly." -- Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt
UP NEXT Auburn, 1 p.m. Oct. 28, Auburn, Ala.
-- Scott Cain

This article was published on Sunday, October 15, 2000

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