Arkansas keeps streak alive with win over Ole Miss

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Posted 8:09AM on Sunday, October 27, 2002

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - Members of the Arkansas defensive line took the final point total in a 48-28 victory over Mississippi to heart on Saturday. Senior co-captain Jermaine Brooks, who wore No. 48, was kicked off the team Wednesday following his arrest on drugs and weapons charges, but 48 was in on almost every play against the Rebels. Pervis Osborne, Jason Peters and other defensive players proudly wore the number on sweatbands wrapped tightly around their wrists and forearms. ``We told coach we were going to go out and play hard and win this one for J.B.,'' said Peters, who displayed his drenched sweatband on his locker room shelf. ``We went out there and played for him today.'' ``Why do you think we scored 48 points today,'' Osborne asked. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said he didn't mind players using Brooks as motivation to break a two-game home losing streak. The win not only keeps the Razorbacks (4-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) in contention for a bowl bid but also for the SEC West title. ``I think it was great. I love J.B., but he just made a terrible decision,'' Nutt said. ``They had five years with him. He never tested positive and he's been nothing but positive and a great kid. I would expect them to do that.'' Arkansas' defense spent most of the game on the field despite five turnovers by Mississippi (5-3, 2-2) resulting in 24 points. The Rebels ran 81 plays to Arkansas' 56 and quarterback Eli Manning had the second-best day in school history, throwing for 414 yards on 42-of-56 passing. Manning's father, Archie, still holds the school mark with 436 yards against Alabama in 1969. However, two of his three turnovers resulted in 10 points for Arkansas in the first half. Ole Miss missed an opportunity to tie LSU, which lost 31-7 to Auburn, for the SEC West lead. LSU (6-1, 3-1) leads Auburn (5-3, 3-2) by a half-game and Ole Miss by a game. The Razorbacks' special teams scored twice on fumbled kickoffs by Ronald McClendon. The first, recovered by Lerinezo Robinson for an 8-yard return, gave Arkansas a 10-2 lead, and the second, recovered by Thomas Crowder in the end zone put the game away at 41-14 with 8 minutes to go in the third quarter. ``After the game I felt like I was hit like a Mack truck because I felt responsible for the loss,'' McClendon said. Lost in Ole Miss' mistake-prone play and Arkansas' special teams rebound, Razorbacks running back Fred Talley ran for 136 yards, his third straight 100-yard game. ``Our offensive line really stepped it up today,'' said Talley, who moved into third place in Arkansas history with 10 100-yard games. ``They made great holes to run through.'' Seconds before Crowder's recovery gave Arkansas a 41-14 lead, Talley hit a 63-yard run to set up a 5-yard TD by De'Arrius Howard, who added a 38-yard scoring run late in the game. Howard's first touchdown capped a three-play drive that followed the Rebels' first drive of the second half a 12-play, 73-yard effort that netted only a 25-yard field goal by Jonathan Nichols. Arkansas took advantage of two Ole Miss fumbles to go up 10-2 after the Rebels went in front 2-0 when Matt Jones was called for intentional grounding while in the end zone. David Carlton's 29-yard field goal gave the Razorbacks a 3-2 lead following Elliott Harris' recovery of a fumble by Manning. On the ensuing kickoff, Arkansas' Jimarr Gallon drove his helmet into McClendon at the 22. The ball sailed 10 yards backward where Robinson scooped it up and ran 8 yards for the game's first touchdown. Nichols' 47-yard field goal left Ole Miss trailing 10-5, but Manning made another mistake in his next possession. Rolling to right and pressured by Brandon Holmes, Manning forced a sideline pass to Taye Biddle that was intercepted by Jimmy Beasley. ``We gave them a lot of opportunities today,'' Manning said. ``We didn't get off to a good start and were forced to pass the ball, but we couldn't get it going until late.'' After an incomplete pass, Jones took an option keeper 34 yards to give Arkansas a 17-5 lead. On the play, tight end Jason Peters leveled Rebels defensive end Jayme Mitchell to clear a path for Jones. Manning responded to the touchdown by leading a 10-play, 85-yard drive capped by senior tight end Justin Sawyer's first career catch a 12-yard touchdown pass. Arkansas punt returner DeCori Birmingham had two returns for a combined 84 yards to set up 10 points in the final two minutes of the first half. The first return, for 29 yards, set up a 37-yard field goal by Carlton with 1:43 left before half. The Razorbacks forced a punt with 20 seconds left in the half and Birmingham returned it 55 yards to the Ole Miss 22. Jones hit George Wilson at the goal line for a 22-yard touchdown on the first play. Manning padded his statistics in the fourth quarter, throwing a 20-yard touchdown to Chris Collins and scoring on a 1-yard sneak after a 47-yard completion to Collins.