Arkansas Report Card vs. South Carolina

Quarterbacks — B Starter Casey Dick wasn’t asked to do much because the running game was so effective, but he was productive when needed. Dick connected with Marcus Monk for a 4-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive, and he capped a trick play in the second quarter with a 35-yard touchdown strike to a wide-open Lucas Miller.

Dick completed 8-of-10 passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Even running back Darren McFadden threw a 23-yard touchdown pass.



Running Backs — A+

The running game doesn’t get any better than this. Thanks to unforgettable performances by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, the Razorbacks gained 542 yards rushing and couldn’t be stopped even when the Gamecocks knew what was coming. Jones was the star early on and finished with 166 yards rushing and three touchdowns. But McFadden stole the show and jumpstarted his Heisman Trophy campaign with his 34 carries for 321 yards and one touchdown.



Wide Receivers — A-

Like Dick, Arkansas’ wide receivers weren’t the focal point of the game plan. But they had their moments. Monk had his second touchdown catch in as many weeks, Miller caught a 35-yard touchdown pass on a trick play and Robert Johnson reached over a defender to grab McFadden’s pass in the end zone. Tight end Andrew Davie also kept the opening drive alive with an 11-yard reception on third down.



Offensive Line — A+

The front line has had problems this season opening up lanes for McFadden and Jones to run through, but that wasn’t an issue Saturday night. The offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, resulting in Arkansas’ 542 yards on the ground. South Carolina didn’t record a single sack and the Razorbacks kept running the ball at will.



Defensive Line — B-

Between Arkansas defensive end Malcolm Sheppard and defensive tackle Ernest Mitchell, the defensive line showed it could apply pressure on the quarterback. The Razorbacks got to South Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell, even though he was still able to torch UA’s secondary. But the Gamecocks were held to 125 yards rushing.



Linebackers — C

Strongside linebacker Freddie Fairchild recorded one of Arkansas’ two sacks, and he and middle linebacker Weston Dacus helped keep the Gamecocks in check at crucial times. But there were a lot of big plays given up by the entire UA defense.



Secondary — C-

The secondary struggled last Saturday after looking so good over the past two weeks. The cornerbacks were routinely beaten by Mitchell, who completed 27-of-51 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns. But the defensive backs did enough down the stretch to hold on for the victory.



Special Teams — B-

As if Felix Jones didn’t do enough last Saturday night, he broke off a 49-yard kickoff return that gave the Razorbacks good field position and another chance to put together a touchdown drive. Arkansas had mixed results when South Carolina attempted two onside kicks, losing the first one but claiming the second one. Meanwhile kicker Alex Tejada just narrowly missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt.



Coaching — A

Arkansas’ coaches have been criticized for being too conservative with the playcalling, but they broke out the trick plays and turned to the WildHog formation to keep the offense rolling. Offensive coordinator David Lee called a great game, and the coaches had the players focused early on. The only downside: The defense had its troubles.