FAYETTEVILLE — First carry usually big for Jones
Statistics continue to show that Arkansas' Felix Jones is one of the most productive running backs in the nation.
The junior's 8.81-yard average per rushing attempt leads the country by a considerable margin. The next-closest average among the nation's top 100 rushers is the 7.61 belonging to Southern California's Stafon Johnson.
Here's an even more dazzling statistic: Jones averages 17.5 yards per carry on his first run of the game.
Jones' first carries include two touchdowns - 35 yards against North Texas and 38 yards against Ole Miss - the 40-yard end-around that opened the Razorbacks' season against Troy, and an 18-yard gain against Florida International on Saturday.
Only three of Jones' first carries have gone for less than 10 yards, and only one of them went for lost yardage: a minus-3 yard play at left tackle against Alabama.
Of course, the presence of Heisman Trophy candidate Darren McFadden would seem to be of great benefit to Jones in his first-play damage.
"To me, he's one of the greatest players in the country," McFadden said. "He could go to anywhere in the nation and start at running back."
McFadden and Jones rank first and second in SEC rushing, with McFadden at 124.1 yards per game and Jones at 107.9 yards per game.
McFadden averages 5.3 yards per carry overall, but his first carries of games have not been as successful.
McFadden averages 2.3 yards per carry on those snaps andhas lost yardage on his first run of each of the past three games.
Injury report
Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt said starting quarterback Casey Dick should be available for practice on Tuesday.
Dick was knocked out of Saturday's game with bruised ribs on a second-quarter sack by Florida International's Ashlyn Parker.
"He's just a little sore, a little bruised," Nutt said. "He'll be fine." Television talk
ESPN will decide today which of its crews will work Saturday's game against South Carolina at ReynoldsRazorback Stadium. The game will be televised on either ESPN or ESPN2 with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
The announcement was originally expected to be made Sunday.
The SEC's television schedule for Nov. 10, the day Arkansas plays at Tennessee, is expected to be revealed today, though there's also a chance that CBS could exercise a six-day option to put off the decision until after Saturday's round of games.
Spurrier compliments
South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier had this interesting take on the Razorbacks' season.
"Arkansas is right there," Spurrier said on his Sunday teleconference. "They've losta couple of heartbreakers to Kentucky and Auburn I know, and Alabama I guess. Those are the three losses, right?
"Arkansas could be undefeated. They could be No.
1 in the BCS right now except for those games. They had great chances to win every one them didn't they?" Stat chatter
Arkansas jumped over Ohio State and into first place nationally in pass efficiencydefense after making five interceptions against Florida International and allowing just 10 of 29 passing (.345) for 123 yards.
The Razorbacks' rating of 84.92 is slightly better than Ohio State's 87.37. South Carolina, which visits the Hogs on Saturday, ranks fourth nationally in the same category with a rating of 93.66.
Arkansas is back up to No.
3 nationally in rushing with its average of 287.6 yards per game. The Razorbacks are one of only two schools in the country to average more than 6 yards per carry. Arkansas averages 6.01 yards per carry, while West Virginia is at 6.13 yards per attempt. The Mountaineers rank second with 297.9 rushing yards per game, while Navy leads the nation with 342.9 yards per game.
Sophomore cornerback Jerell Norton has started just five games this season and is now a nickel and dime back as opposed to a starting corner, but he's definitely a ball magnet.
Norton's interception against FIU was his fifth of the season, which ties the Cedar Hill, Texas, product for first in the SEC and fifth in the country with Vanderbilt's D.J.
Moore.
"We'll all ballhawks," Norton said. "I feel like with the ball in our hands we can do some good things."
Norton's 174 yards worth of interception returns, bolstered by his 100-yard touchdown return against North Texas, is the most in the country by 5 yards over Wake Forest's Aaron Curry.
Up next
The Razorbacks entertain up-and-down South Carolina at 7 p.m. The Gamecocks (6-3 overall, 3-3 SEC) are still ranked - No. 23 in the latest Associated Press poll - despite losing consecutive league games to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The Gamecocks fell out of the BCS rankings.
Players of the week OFFENSE Peyton Hillis
Hillis tied a season-high with sixreceptions against Florida International for 77 yards, but it wasn't the quantity that stood out as much as the quality.
The senior from Conway made two highlightreel catchesin the second quarter that set up touchdowns. The first was a 25-yard grab down the left sideline to the FIU 2 after Nathan Emert faked a tunnel screen to Darren McFadden then lofted a beautiful throw.
On the second, Hillis went high to bring in an overthrown 18-yard pass from Emert on third-and-6, setting up Emert's 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Monk.
DEFENSE Rashaad Johnson
Johnson notched the first and second interceptions of his career andalmost had another one on a day when the ball was up for grabs a lot in the Razorbacks' secondary.
Johnson's second interception was a thing of beauty as he took a deflectionalmost off the grass to get the turnover.
Sports, Pages 20 on 10/29/2007