South Carolina's Spurrier: Arkansas 'Thoroughly Beat Us'

FAYETTEVILLE -- South Carolina piled up 380 yards of total offense and equaled Arkansas in first downs with 17. But on the scoreboard, the Gamecocks were 17-point losers in a game they led early in the third quarter.

When freshman receiver Alshon Jeffrey fell into the end zone at the end of an 80-yard pass from quarterback Stephen Garcia, it was the last time the Cocks crossed the goal line. Even when it didn't matter in the final two minutes, South Carolina was left wanting at the lip of the goal line.

And the Gamecocks killed any momentum they might have had with a third-quarter interception by Arkansas' Jerell Norton on a fade pass from Garcia to Jeffrey and the end of a 41-yard drive, and not long afterward a 32-yard loss and safety when a center snap flew over Garcia's head and tailback Brian Maddox recovered it in the end zone. So, from a 16-10 lead after the first play of the second half, USC trailed 26-16 with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

Arkansas dominated the fourth quarter with field position and control of the clock behind its running game and short tosses from Ryan Mallett to his wide variety of targets.

"We moved the ball some," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. "The jump ball to Alshon Jeffery, Stephen threw it a little early, but you think at the worst you are going to get an incompletion in the end zone. I think we were only down eight at the time [actually 1, 17-16]. But who knows what would have happened if he had knocked that down? We would move it and then go back. We weren't real sharp all the time. But give Arkansas credit. They had an excellent pass rush all day."

Arkansas gradually began to even get a four-man rush in on Garcia in the fourth quarter, employing a couple of twist stunts with the tackles and ends to get to the Gamecocks' big quarterback.

Meanwhile, Arkansas took advantage of South Carolina's scheme to play its secondary deep, protect its two freshmen starting defensive backs, and take away the Ryan Mallett long ball, so the sophomore quarterback nickeled-and-dimed them for 329 passing yards, the most USC has surrendered all season. The Gamecocks pass rush got to Mallett only twice for 19 yards in losses.

A frustrated Spurrier, who early in the game slammed his headset to the turf after some offensive indecision by his players, appeared to have little to say to Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino in their post-game greeting, if it can be called a greeting.