COLUMBIA, S.C. — Once upon a time, the Arkansas Razorbacks did battle with South Carolina in football every year.
They entered the SEC in 1992 as dual newcomers and were matched as permanent crossover opponents.
That setup lasted 22 consecutive years, until another expansion led to the Razorbacks hooking up with Missouri in the Battle Line Rivalry and the Gamecocks pairing with Texas A&M and vying for the James Bonham Trophy.
The Razorbacks and Gamecocks will meet today for the first time since their once-permanent series was discontinued after the 2013 season.
Gametime is at 3 p.m. Central at South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium with a 60 percent chance of rain in the forecast at kickoff, diminishing to 30 percent in the second half. Temperatures are predicted to be in the mid to low 80s.
The Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1 SEC) are three-point favorites over the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-2 SEC), who are coming off a 24-17 loss at Texas A&M.
Arkansas is trying to end a four-game losing streak against Power 5 opponents and looking for its first road victory since a 58-42 victory at Mississippi State last Nov. 18.
3 p.m. Central, Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C. (SEC Network)
The Razorbacks are also trying to avoid their fourth 0-2 SEC start in five seasons under Coach Bret Bielema.
South Carolina is trying to end a seven-game losing streak to SEC West opponents and break out of a scoring funk that set in after dynamic receiver Deebo Samuel suffered a broken leg on Sept. 16.
The outcome of the Arkansas-South Carolina matchup served as an almost-foolproof barometer for the Razorbacks’ postseason participation for 20 consecutive years.
Beginning in 1995, the Razorbacks advanced to postseason play each of the next 11 times they defeated South Carolina. That streak is still active, as the 2011 team downed the Gamecocks 44-28 and went on to beat Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl in the final year under Coach Bobby Petrino.
Conversely, a loss to South Carolina has typically pointed the Hogs in the other direction. Arkansas has not finished with a winning record in any of the nine seasons it has lost to the Gamecocks. The Razorbacks lost 27-7 at South Carolina in 2000 and finished with a 6-6 record after a 31-14 loss to UNLV in the Las Vegas Bowl.
“It was probably a swing game for both teams for a long time,” said Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney, who was 3-1 against South Carolina as a player.
Lunney’s experience in the series includes a 45-7 victory in the first SEC game for both teams on Sept. 12, 1992, at Williams-Brice Stadium, and a 51-21 victory in 1995 to kick off the conference season and catapult the Razorbacks into their first SEC Championship Game.
“I think this will be another swing game for both teams for sure,” Lunney said. “It’s got a lot of importance.”
The Gamecocks do not have a long tradition of dominating football, but their pre-game rocks, their in-game atmosphere is electric and their fans devoted.
South Carolina enters the stadium to the music for 2001: A Space Odyssey, and their get-moving song of choice is Sandstorm, a Techno music mega-hit in, believe it or not, 2001.
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers, now an analyst with the SEC Network, said this week that South Carolina’s entrance was the best in the SEC.
Bielema has never coached a game at South Carolina, and only one of his players — South Carolina graduate transfer David Williams — has ever played there.
But Bielema and the Razorbacks got plenty of advice about the rowdy nature of Williams-Brice Stadium from various staff members, who have seen the enthusiasm of the Gamecocks faithful in person.
Among them, Lunney, defensive line coach John Scott Jr.; outside linebackers coach Chad Walker and former Arkansas assistant Bobby Allen, the program’s director of NFL and high school relations.
Scott, who grew up in Greer, S.C., about 100 miles northwest of Columbia, S.C., attended games at Williams-Brice Stadium.
“I understand how rowdy and passionate they are about football there,” Scott said. “We know it’s going to be a ridiculous SEC road game environment, so the guys are handling it the right way.”
Said Lunney, “They’re a faithful, loyal fan base no doubt, and very passionate. I’m sure it’ll be a full house and a boisterous crowd and we’re trying to prepare as such.”
Bielema said of the Gamecocks, “They have a history and a tradition that’s very much intact and I think it’s something that our guys are excited to get into.
“They’ve got a pregame tradition with some music and some energy that will be something we have to talk about and bring to our players as well as the normal crowd noise.”
Walker said he remembers the energy of Williams-Brice from a game there in 2003, when he was a defensive assistant at LSU.
“It’s a fun place in terms of it’s a very good road environment,” Walker said.
Second-year South Carolina Coach Will Muschamp, in full game mode on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference, didn’t have much to say about the one-time permanent crossover rivalry.
“As of right now, they’re not a permanent opponent of ours,” said Muschamp, who has faced Arkansas 13 times as a player at Georgia, an assistant coach and a head coach. “Certainly we have them this year and we spent a lot of time preparing for them through the summer because they are so different for us defensively.”
Bielema’s only game against South Carolina resulted in a 52-7 loss at home in 2013. The Razorbacks rushed for 218 yards in the game but had 3 turnovers, an interception and 2 lost fumbles.
It was memorable for Bielema because it pitted him against legendary Coach Steve Spurrier, who did not hold back on his acerbic wit after the game.
“I remember Coach Spurrier saying, ‘You can run for all those yards, but you can’t fumble that many times,’ and I just wanted to … play golf with him,” Bielema said on Monday, using a passable imitation of Spurrier.
Spurrier’s games against Arkansas produced some memorable moments, including the dedication of Frank Broyles Field in 2007. Darren McFadden tied an SEC record with 321 rushing yards, while Felix Jones ran for 166 yards in a 48-36 Arkansas victory.
That game ranked No. 20 on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s list of the 25 most memorable games of the SEC era last summer.
“Have you ever seen a more beautiful, perfect football night in your life?” Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt said that night.
Said Spurrier, “Obviously it was a mismatch tonight. Looked like a Division III team trying to play an SEC team. Or maybe a Division III team could have slowed them down a little bit better than we did. They ran right through us.”
Lunney handed off left and right to Madre Hill in the 30-point rout in 1995 as Hill ran for a school-record six touchdowns.
“I had to ice both my arms after that game because I handed off equally with both the left and my right if I remember correctly,” Lunney said. “That was a fun game. It was a breakout game for us.”
Both the Razorbacks and Gamecocks are looking to make today’s meeting a breakout game as well.
