FAYETTEVILLE — Without a doubt it was the Arkansas Razorbacks’ best half of football this season.

They owned the Gamecocks of South Carolina.

So why was there a chorus of boos as the first half ended ?

It wasn’t so much those wishing Houston Nutt would join his boss and make this his last game in Fayetteville as it was that once again the Hogs failed to run a two-minute offense, running off the last 2: 54 with nine runs and one pass.

ADVERTISEMENT

Yet, the Razorbacks led 28-10 and there was probably no reason to risk an interception, although a wild and crazy second half might have had some wondering.

By the time it ended there was more than 1, 000 yards of combined offense and Darren McFadden was definitely back on the Heisman radar with 323 rushing yards on ESPN 2.

Still, it was the almost-perfect opening 30 minutes that set the tempo for the game and the half, when Athletic Director J. Frank Broyles would be honored for his 50 years of leadership as head football coach and administrator.

Long before the boos, guys who played or coached for Broyles began to leave the east side and come down on the field.

They just kept coming until by the time they had gathered under the north goal post more than 200 of the Razorbacks family were there to show their appreciation for Broyles.

Keith Jackson of ABC fame — the Keith Jackson of NFL and P. A. R. K. fame is a regular at games as the ARSN color analyst — and a nine-year broadcast partner with Broyles had flown in from California just for the night and the naming of Frank Broyles Field.

It was just an absolutely great first half and a greater halftime show.

Felix Jones had 134 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and McFadden had 106 yards and for the first time since Kentucky didn’t seem hampered by an injury.

Casey Dick completed 8 of 10 passes for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns, and by the time they left the field for the ceremony the Razorbacks had 378 yards of offense.

Some hocus-pocus by the ol ’ ball coach, Steve Spurrier, and it appeared the Gamecocks might crawl back into the game.

They took the second-half kickoff down for a field goal, onside kicked and recovered, and a 21-yard touchdown pass with 9: 07 to play in the third quarter made it 28-20.

Arkansas came right back, and with a 5-yard run Jones went over 1, 000 yards rushing for the season. McFadden reached that mark a game earlier, but that was the first time in SEC history two running backs on one team have rushed for more than a grand in back-toback seasons.

McFadden ended the drive with a 23-yard pass — the Hogs ’ only pass of the second half — to Robert Johnson, who spiked the ball, which took a toll. But if any player ever earned the right to one penalty, it was Johnson.

It took South Carolina just 44 seconds to make it 35-27, but after an onside kick went off a Razorback and out of bounds, the Hogs needed only 1: 42 to drive 47 yards, with Jones scoring from the 7. A 35-yard run on the drive by McFadden paid notice he was back (don’t forget, he passed for a touchdown, too ).

Carolina gambled on fourth down twice, once from the UA 2, but that one failed. Only a minute later a bad snap to McFadden sailed into the end zone and resulted in a safety, making it 42-29 with 13: 27 to play.

A short field allowed the Gamecocks to add a score, but then McFabulous did it again.

On first down the junior went around right tackle, made a cut, hit a seam and a gear that had been missing and 80 yards later was in the end zone with the school’s single-game rushing record of 274 yards. That made it a 48-36 lead with 8: 04 to play.

His last appearance in a uniform here was by far his best.

It was Arkansas’ best offensive game of the season, and the 541 yards total rushing had no one complaining about being onedimensional.

Frank Broyles’ final game here was a winner.