This article originally appeared in the November 6, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.
The Razorbacks improved to 4-5 on the
season with a 19-15 Homecoming victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Saturday.
“Any time you can get a win, it’s a good
win,” UA interim head coach John L. Smith said. “Our guys played hard, and they
battled.”
Arkansas appeared in the news for negative
reasons again Sunday morning, as senior linebacker Terrell Williams was
arrested for driving while intoxicated. Williams has been suspended
indefinitely, and Smith is “very, very upset” at him, he said in his weekly
press conference.
Williams was already filling in for
injured seniors Tenarius Wright and Alonzo Highsmith, who will miss the rest of
the season. Freshmen A.J. Turner and Otha Peters and sophomore Braylon Mitchell
are expected to replace Williams.
“I talked to Otha Peters and A.J. Turner
about (filling in) and I trust those guys,” junior defensive end Chris Smith
said. “They’re getting better and better every week.”
Williams’ suspension creates issues with
the leadership role on defense, Smith said.
“(Middle linebacker) is a leadership spot;
it’s like the quarterback spot,” Smith said. “Now you have guys without as much
experience, so what you have to do is transfer that to other people.”
Smith expects senior safety Ross Rasner to
step up and “take more control.”
Junior wide receiver Brandon Mitchell’s
status for Saturday is still uncertain. Mitchell was suspended before the Ole
Miss game for violating team rules and has not played the last two weeks.
On the injury front, junior running back
Knile Davis is questionable and senior tight end Chris Gragg is doubtful for
Saturday’s game.
Arkansas plays the first of two
consecutive road games Saturday as the travel to Columbia, S.C., to face the
South Carolina Gamecocks. South Carolina is coming off of a bye week, making
them the sixth team to face Arkansas with extra time to prepare.
The Gamecocks are 7-2 overall and 5-2 in
Southeastern Conference play and boast a No. 8 ranking in the BCS poll. Despite
the loss of star junior running back Marcus Lattimore, they are a very athletic
team, Smith said.
“It’ll be a tough (game). They’re a good
football team, as everybody knows,” Smith said. “We’re going to have to prepare
well and play well.”
Offensively, the Razorbacks are facing a
team that has sacked the opposing quarterback 30 times this season, tied for
seventh most in the country. Potential first-round NFL draft pick in 2014 and
sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney leads them with 8.5 sacks.
“I am going to meet with my (offensive
linemen) and talk about that,” senior quarterback Tyler Wilson said. “I’m going
to put a little emphasis on that. I’ve got to have faith in them that they’ll
battle with (Clowney).”
Even without Lattimore, Arkansas’ defense
will be challenged by South Carolina’s offense and junior quarterback Connor
Shaw, who can pass and run effectively. He is averaging 167.2 passing yards per
game and 38.9 rushing yards per game.
“He’s a very capable player and does a lot
of good things for them,” Smith said.
After having eight tackles against Tulsa
and forcing a fumble to clinch the victory last Saturday, Chris Smith was named
the SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week and Smith thinks he will have another
good game against South Carolina.
“He had a good game last week and had a
lot of production,” Smith said. “He’s going to have a lot of family there,
being from North Carolina, so we’re expecting him to have even a bigger game
this week.”
Chris Smith, who is from Mount Ulla, N.C.,
said he will probably have close to 20 family members at the game.
“It’s always good to try to put on a show
for them,” Smith said. “(South Carolina) did not (recruit me), so that’s one
thing I have as a chip on my shoulder.”
Although Arkansas’ record is not what they
wish it were, Chris Smith believes the team will go out and give great effort.
“Our record doesn’t define our team,”
Smith said. “When we play together, it’s hard to beat us.”
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