FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The last time a football game between Arkansas and South Carolina was decided by one possession, George W. Bush was in the White House, while Steve Spurrier and Houston Nutt were on opposing sidelines at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
That was a 26-20 Razorback victory, one of seven in SEC play that Nutt’s Razorbacks racked up en route to the SEC Championship Game. It was also a third consecutive one-score game in the series between Arkansas and South Carolina.
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In the nine games between the two schools since, however, the Hogs and Gamecocks have taken their turn taking the other behind the woodshed. Arkansas has a 5-4 edge in those contests, winning three straight from 2009-11 and losing three consecutive from 2012-17.
The average margin of victory for the victor in those nine games was a whopping 20.2 points.
The series was no longer an annual one when the SEC expanded to 14 teams in 2014, making it four years between games between the Hogs and Gamecocks from 2013-17. When Arkansas returned to Columbia in 2017, South Carolina ran away with a 48-22 victory in a contest that saw UA starting QB Austin Allen injure his shoulder.
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Arkansas returned the favor in 2022, beating the Spencer Rattler-led Gamecocks 44-30 in Fayetteville in a game that wasn’t as close as it looked when the clock struck zero.
But don’t expect this year’s Nov. 14 tussle between UA and USC to follow a similar tune.
Hogs, Gamecocks Are in Similar Positions
It’s no secret that the stock of both programs is not very high at the moment. Arkansas is coming off of a 2-10 campaign and has a relatively unproven first-year head coach in Ryan Silverfield at the helm.
South Carolina went 4-8 last year, though unlike Bret Bielema in 2017, head coach Shane Beamer returns this year for his sixth season in Columbia needing to get back into the good graces of the Gamecock faithful and administration.
Similarly, Razorback fans and athletic director Hunter Yurachek will at least want to see some signs of life from Silverfield’s squad in the throes of SEC play. It’s not a stretch to say that the Week 11 tilt between Arkansas and South Carolina could be the biggest game of the season for both teams.
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For Arkansas, a path to bowl eligibility could be on the line, or even Silverfield’s first SEC win.
Depending on how Beamer’s team handles its seven conference games prior to facing Arkansas, the sixth-year head coach could be sitting on an incredibly warm seat or on the verge of taking his team back to a bowl game and keeping his South Carolina tenure alive.
South Carolina has continuity in its corner both on the sideline with Beamer and under center with quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The opposite is true for Arkansas, which has fresh blood at head coach and will have a first-year starter in either AJ Hill or KJ Jackson calling the shots.
This very well could be a matchup of winless SEC teams or two squads who are in the bottom half of the SEC standings and clinging to a chance at bowl eligibility.
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It’s a game that, in all likelihood, will be relegated to the afternoon SEC Network slot and won’t get more than a passing mention on ESPN’s College Gameday. But it seems almost certain that it should be a tight, entertaining contest between two schools who desperately need to right the ship in 2026.
Hogs on SI Season Preview Series
North Alabama:Why Week One Matters More Than It Should
Utah:Silverfield Doesn’t Know What Razorbacks Are, Utes Will Provide Answers
Georgia:Razorbacks Might Not Beat Georgia, But Offer Test Kirby Smart Didn’t Expect
Texas A&M:Can Hogs’ Rebuilt Defense Slow Down Marcel Reed?
Tennessee:Razorbacks Must Reclaim Homefield Advantage Against Tennessee
Vanderbilt:Arkansas Might Be Catching Vanderbilt at Right Time in 2026
Missouri: Silverfield Could Have Master Plan to Finally Beat Missouri
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Don’t Expect Trend of Cakewalks Between Hogs, Gamecocks to Continue.
