FAYETTEVILLE — Davis hits upper tier of leaders
Arkansas tailback Knile Davis might be making a push to first-team All-SEC status after starting the season as a reserve.
Davis ran for a careerhigh 187 yards and two touchdowns in the Hogs’ 38-31 double-overtime victory over Mississippi State on Saturday, marking his third career-best performance in the last five weeks.
Davis shot up to 1,031 yards, and jumped from fifth to third on the SEC rushing chart with 93.7 rushing yards per game.
The sophomore from Missouri City, Texas, improved 15 spots in the NCAA rankings, from 45th to 30th, with his big showing in Starkville.
Poll position
Arkansas moved up one spot Sunday in all three major polls: the Bowl Championship Series rankings, the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. The Razorbacks’ move was made possible by Nebraska’s 9-6 loss to Texas A&M.
Arkansas now has three victories over Top 25 teams (Texas A&M, South Carolina and Mississippi State), all of them away from home. The Hogs are 3-2 against teams ranked in the polls this week, and face BCS No. 5 LSU on Saturday in Little Rock.
Tank move
On the final snap of the game, Arkansas defensive end Tenarius “Tank” Wright fired off strong and blew by the Bulldogs’ best offensive lineman, tackle Derek Sherrod on the outside.
Wright made a beeline to quarterback Chris Relf and got to him before Relf could wait out the routes in the Bulldogs’ five-wide set. The play was listed as a sack by Wright, Arkansas’ fifth of the game, even though Relf threw a harmless pass to the turf as he was inches about the ground.
Kick, punch
Anthony Leon was ejected after responding to provocation by Mississippi State receiver Ricco Sanders late in the third quarter.
The ejection occurred during a play on which Elton Ford and Jerico Nelson combined to force a fumble from Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf, which Darius Winston recovered.
Sanders jumped across the prone Leon, who was on his back, during the scramble for the ball.
Sanders got to his feet before Leon, and just after the official awarded Arkansas possession of the fumble, he appeared to kick Leon in the groin.
The officials didn’t see the kick, but they did spy Leon’s quick blow to Sanders’ neck.
If Leon’s actions are considered as throwing a punch, he would be suspended for the first half of the Razorbacks’ game on Saturday in Little Rock.
SEC official Charles Bloom said on Sunday, via email, that the league anticipated having an answer on Leon’s today.
Nelson’s helmet
Arkansas linebacker Jerico Nelson’s helmet was the last solid item between the football in Vick Ballard’s hand and the end zone in the first overtime.
Nelson flew into the picture just as Ballard stretched the ball for the end zone at the end of a 13-yard run. The ball caromed off Nelson’s helmet at just the right angle to soar out of bounds after clipping the front corner of the end zone.
Had the ball gone straight in the direction of Nelson’s hit, it would have gone out of bounds inside the 1-yard line. Worth noting
Arkansas has won seven consecutive games in Little Rock, dating back to a 31-26 loss to LSU in 2006.
Saturday’s game will mark the third a ranked Arkansas team has played a ranked SEC team at War Memorial Stadium.
Quarterback Ryan Mallett has passed for 300 or more yards in 13 games of the 24 games he has started, including his 305-yard performance against Mississippi State on Saturday.
Arkansas’ schedule strength is rated No. 6 by the NCAA.
Sports, Pages 19 on 11/22/2010