FAYETTEVILLE -- After one game this season, the University of Arkansas football team already has more players with interceptions than it did all of last season.
The Razorbacks had three interceptions -- one each by cornerback Jarques McClellion, and safeties Kamren Curl and Joe Foucha -- in Arkansas' 20-13 victory over Portland State on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Last season, cornerback Ryan Pulley and linebacker Dre Greenlaw had all five of Arkansas' interceptions. Pulley led the team with three interceptions.
Portland State starting quarterback Davis Alexander threw two interceptions, and backup Jalani Eason threw one.
"I thought our defensive front forced [them] to make some impulse decisions," Arkansas Coach Chad Morris said. "I thought that was more of a credit to our defensive front."
Foucha picked off Eason's pass with 11 seconds left, but rather than get down in a game-clinching situation as he has been coached, Foucha kept running until he was tackled.
"I was about to tackle him," Morris said. "We've worked that, but I guess we don't work it enough. But, yeah, he knows [to get on the ground]."
It was the first career interceptions for Curl, a junior, and for both McClellion and Foucha, who are sophomores.
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Injury report
Arkansas senior starting defensive end Dorian Gerald didn't play in the second half after suffering what Coach Chad Morris described as an apparent head injury.
"I think he got his bell rung," Morris said. "We chose to keep him out the second half to continue to monitor him."
Starting senior left guard Austin Capps was helped off the field after suffering an apparent leg injury with 12:52 left in the fourth quarter and didn't return.
True freshman Ricky Stromberg replaced Capps. Morris said he wasn't sure of the extent of the injury to Capps, who after the game walked off the field on his own.
O'Grady out
Arkansas senior tight end Cheyenne "C.J." O'Grady, who was listed as a starter on the depth chart, didn't play while he continues to recover from knee surgery during preseason practice.
O'Grady practiced in a green no-contact jersey last week.
"C.J. just wasn't ready," Coach Chad Morris said. "He'll be ready this week."
Junior Grayson Gunter started in O'Grady's place and had three catches for 16 yards. Senior Chase Harrell, who moved from receiver last spring, also got extensive playing time at tight end, but he struggled to catch the ball. He had 1 reception for 4 yards and 3 drops.
Time runs out
Poor clock management at the end of the first half cost Arkansas a scoring opportunity.
The Razorbacks got the ball at their 35 with 34 seconds left in the second quarter and no timeouts after a Portland State punt.
Nick Starkel hit Trey Knox for 38 yards to the Vikings' 27.
The first down stopped the clock, and Starkel spiked the ball with 26 seconds left.
Starkel then hit tight end Grayson Gunter for an 8-yard gain, but he didn't get out of bounds as the clock kept running.
The Razorbacks got back to the line of scrimmage on third and 2 and the clock running with nine seconds left.
Starkel could have spiked the ball, but it would have been fourth down and likely forced a field goal attempt. Instead, the Razorbacks snapped the ball, and Starkel hit running back Rakeem Boyd for a 3-yard reception.
Boyd made it out of bounds, but time had expired, ending the half with Arkansas ahead 10-6.
"We had an opportunity to kick a field goal," Coach Chad Morris said. "I was signaling 'clock' to kill the ball, and we had one of our signalers signaling a 'run it again' call.
"So there was miscommunication right there. That's on me. I'll get that corrected."
Limpert perfect
Arkansas senior Connor Limpert increased his career made field goals to an 82.8% success rate by hitting both of his attempts from 34 and 25 yards out.
Limpert is 29 of 35 on field goal attempts since winning the job as a sophomore in 2017.
Close call
Saturday's game marked the third time Arkansas beat an FCS opponent by 10 or fewer points since The Citadel shocked the Razorbacks 10-3 in the 1992 season opener.
The Razorbacks beat Western Illinois 28-24 in 2008 in Coach Bobby Petrino's debut, and beat Samford 31-21 in 2013 in Bret Bielema's first season as coach.
For openers
Arkansas is now 99-23-4 in season openers, including 67-11-2 in Fayetteville.
The Razorbacks have won five consecutive season openers after losing at Auburn 45-21 in 2014. Their last loss in an opener at home was 50-14 to Southern California in 2006.
First start
Five players made their first starts as Razorbacks: quarterback Ben Hicks, wide receivers Treylon Burks and Trey Knox, guard Myron Cunningham and nickel back Greg Brooks.
Burks, Knox and Brooks are true freshmen.
Quick flag
Arkansas linebacker Hayden Henry drew a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct while covering the game's opening kickoff.
The penalty gave Portland State possession at its 40, and the Vikings drove for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
Targeting call
Razorbacks starting junior safety Kamren Curl, the secondary's most experienced player, avoided being ejected with 10:49 to play in the second quarter when a targeting call against him was overturned by the replay booth.
Curl was called for a personal foul on his hit against Portland State quarterback Davis Alexander, who scrambled for a 7-yard gain and a first down to the Vikings' 45 on third and 7.
First sack
Arkansas junior linebacker Hayden Henry got his first career sack when he dropped Davis Alexander for a 7-yard loss in the third quarter.
Vikings vs. FBS
Portland State, a Football Championship Subdivision team that plays in the Big Sky Conference, fell to 4-39 against Football Bowl Subdivision teams, and 1-19 against teams from Power 5 conferences.
The Vikings' lone victory over a Power 5 team came in 2015 when they beat Washington State 24-17.
Saturday was Portland State's first game against an SEC team.
Flag bearers
Junior linebacker Hayden Henry carried the U.S. flag, and junior linebacker Grant Morgan carried the Arkansas flag when the Razorbacks ran onto the field.
Sports on 09/01/2019