The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 29, 2003, Football Preview, Page 11, Image 19
' GAME 10
USC at Arkansas
Thursday, Nov. 6
Little Rock, Ark.
BY WES WOLFE
THE GAMECOCK
The Arkansas Razorbacks are coming
off a season where they made it to the SEC
Championship game, only to lose to SEC
Eastern Division Champion Georgia and
to Minnesota in the Music City Bowl.
Arkansas wouldn't have eligibility for
the SEC Championship Game if Alabama
had not been on probation. Alabama,
which is barred from postseason play for
two years, beat Arkansas 30-12 in
Fayetteville, Ark., last September and was
6-2 in the SEC, whereas the Razorbacks
were 5-3 in conference play.
Head coach Houston Nutt hopes his
team can improve its mistakes from last
year. “We led the league in penalties for
10 weeks. That has to change. We need to
worx at play
ing smarter.
We did a
great job tak
ing care of
the ball with
no fumbles
last year, but
we need to
stop beating
ourselves
with penal
ties.”
One loss
last year was
certainly a
heartbreak
er. Arkansas
took
Tennessee to
six over
times in
Knoxville on
national tele
vision before
finally
falling to the
Volunteers,
41-38.
Tennessee is
not on the
schedule this
year; howev
er, Arkansas
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Arkansas' Matt Jones led Arkansas to the
Western Division title in 2002.
does have a visit from Florida in
Fayetteville in October. Florida has won
three out of the last four times the two
teams have played.
The Razorbacks also have a major test
when they travel to Austin to play Texas.
Texas is ranked fourth in the ESPN/USA
Today Coaches’ Poll and fifth in the AP
Poll and is expected to contend for the na
tional championship. The Longhorns have
won 54 of the 74 meetings between the two
teams.
The Razorbacks can be optimistic;
many expect them to finish second or
third in the SEC West this year. Auburn
and LSU, who are supposed to compete
with Arkansas for the SEC West crown,
were beat by Arkansas last year.
Arkansas also has two big-play stars re
turning on each side of the ball. Shawn
Andrews, a junior offensive tackle, was a
consensus member of the first-team All
American and All-SEC team. Additionally,
he was named best blocker in the SEC and
was considered for both the Outland
Trophy and Lombardi Award.
Arkansas also has a streak on the
line this year. For each of the five years
that Nutt has coached the Razorbacks,
Arkansas has gone to a bowl game. The
Nutt era began with a Citrus Bowl win
against
Michigan on
Jan. 1, 1999,
and has seen
two trips to
the Cotton
Bowl, a trip
to the Las
Vegas Bowl
and a trip to
last year's
Music City
Bowl.
Senior
outside line
backer Tony
Bua is also
coming off an
impressive
2002 season.
Last season
Bua was
credited with
77 solo tack
les, four
sacks for an
average loss
of nine yards,
two intercep
tions, two
fumble re
coveries and
a forced fum
ble.
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