SEC Football: 5 things we learned from Arkansas’ win over South Carolina

Arkansas defeated South Carolina 44-30 in the first SEC Football matchup of the young season this past Saturday at Razorback Stadium.

For some, this game might have been lost in the shuffle of this past weekend’s chaos with the high profile showdown between Alabama and Texas occurring at the same time. Others, may have been to soaked up in the upsets happening later in the day.

However, those who tuned into this game between SEC Football’s first expansion members were greeted with an entertaining game that was a great measuring stick for two programs who not too long ago, were worried they’d never see the light again.

Here are five things we learned.

5 things we learned from Arkansas’ SEC Football win over South Carolina

1. The Razorback Rushing Attack Will Keep Many Opposing Defensive Coordinators From a Good Night’s Rest

In a sport where the passing game has become king, the Arkansas Razorbacks continue to show why an elite rushing attack can pay dividends in today’s game.

The Hogs have rushed for a combined 519 yards over their first two games of the season and have picked up right where they left off last season leading the conference in rushing.

The Gamecocks had no answer for Rocket Sanders and I doubt many other defenses will either. The sophomore running back raced for 156 yards on just 24 carries and looks well on his way to making an All-SEC team this year.

Those who are lucky to slow down Sanders will still have to deal with the Razorback’s behemoth of a quarterback in KJ Jefferson who has rushed for 60 plus yards in both games this season and can still torch you through the air if you’re not careful.

If you’re lucky to somehow slow BOTH of them down, Arkansas can hand it off to one of their other young running backs in AJ Green and Rashad Dubinion. If that doesn’t work, they can casually hand it off to one their speedsters on the outside including Jadon Haselwood and Malik Hornsby who can lose you in a hurry.

Oh and guess what?

Dominique Johnson, their starting running back from last season, hasn’t even played a snap yet due to injury. He is due to return soon.

This Arkansas rushing attack is terrifying and is only going to continue to get scarier with its abundance of fresh legs and a plethora of options.

Good luck opposing defensive coordinators.

2. Spencer Rattler Looked Better, but the Gamecocks Need Him to be More

Spencer Rattler was not the main reason South Carolina lost this game. Most would tell you that was the Gamecocks inability to stop the Razorbacks offensive attack, but Rattler’s inconsistent play certainly didn’t help.

The Oklahoma transfer put up solid numbers throwing for 376 yards and one touchdown (although a chunk of those yards came when the game was out of reach). However, when he watches the film this week he will see many missed opportunities that he will be kicking himself over.

There were a few throws throughout the game where he just straight up missed wide open receivers streaking down the field that would have been surefire touchdowns. At times, he also struggled against the blitz which lead to weaker throws than he is capable of. If the Gamecocks want to pull off a few upsets and contend in the SEC East this year, he has to make those plays and correct these mistakes.

I don’t want to seem like I’m being too hard on Rattler. He definitely still played a solid game and made some impressive throws. But when you’re a former five star prospect who was rated the number one pro style passer in his high school class, you expect to see elite.

He hasn’t quite been able to show that for four quarters so far in his South Carolina tenure, but I suspect we will see the elite quarterback he’s capable of being sooner rather than later.

3. Drew Sanders is a Monster

Alabama transfer Drew Sanders was one of the most high profile pickups this past offseason and he is certainly living up to the hype so far for the Razorbacks.

He made plays all over the field on Saturday accounting for 11 tackles (eight of them solo and three of them for a loss), three sacks, one pass deflection, and one quarterback hurry. The Gamecocks simply had no answer for him and he should continue to wreck opposing offenses throughout the year.

Much was made about about Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen looking like a literal buffalo running over Rams defenders in the Bills Thursday night win. You could make the case that Sanders looks like an actual feral hog making ridiculous plays that Arkansas fans haven’t seen a linebacker make in years. It’s a hilarious visual that I will continue to imagine every time he buries a quarterback into the depths of the earth.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to checkout Sanders yet, please do so. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

4. South Carolina is Better but They Still Have a Ways to Go

Head coach Shane Beamer has done a tremendous job keeping this Gamecock program competitive. Even when they’re outclassed talent wise, he still keeps his team fighting through the final whistle and that fight shines through the personality of their head coach.

The Carolina program is coming off a Top 25 recruiting class (according to 247’s composite recruiting rankings) and has continued to stock pile talent from the transfer portal. The talent is slowly but surely getting there. You could make the case that last years Carolina team would have been run off the field on Saturday, but the current iteration of the Gamecocks fought and kept it close until a couple of backbreaking turnovers helped Arkansas pull away.

The South Carolina program is close and I believe they are completely capable of giving a scare or full on beating somebody they shouldn’t this season.

Gamecock fans just want to see progress in year two of Beamer and I believe they will continue to see it. The Arkansas team that was on the opposing sideline this past Saturday is a great comparison for them.

When coach Sam Pittman was hired after the catastrophe known as Chad Morris, Razorback fans just wanted to see progress too. In year one they won three SEC Football games and in year two they went 8-4 culminating in an Outback Bowl win. That slow and steady progress led to the excitement currently around the Arkansas program in year three of Pittman.

Remember, Beamer is only in year two and the South Carolina program will only continue to get stronger.

5. Arkansas Has a Legitimate Chance to Win the SEC West

I know, I know. Just typing that sentence made me feel a little crazy. We all know the SEC West runs through Alabama, but judging by Alabama’s performance this past Saturday, the Tide could potentially be vulnerable.

Nick Saban’s program has plenty of time to get their mistakes corrected but they they have to go to Razorback Stadium three weeks from now on October 1st. If Arkansas can somehow get past Texas A&M the week before (a team who just lost to Appalachian State at home and has really struggled to move the ball) and defeat Alabama in front of a raucous home crowd, the SEC West could very well run through Fayetteville.

I’m not saying it’s going to happen. Judging by the craziness of the season so far, Arkansas could very well lose to Missouri State next weekend or get blown out by A&M and Alabama. It’s college football and you just never can tell. I also didn’t even mention the rest of the SEC West plus Missouri and a strong BYU team that the Hogs have to play.

But if the Razorbacks are going to do it, this is as good a year as any. They have the same coordinators in place from the start of Pittman’s tenure, the most overall talent they’ve had on campus in years on both sides of the ball, an elite quarterback, and a team brimming with confidence that truly believes they can beat anybody on any given day.

Why not Arkansas?