Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

10/23/2010 at 9:31pm

Image by Mark Wagner

Arkansas tailback Knile Davis ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss on Saturday. His performance was the difference in the game.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett spent another second half on the sidelines. Receivers Joe Adams and Greg Childs joined him after halftime, leaving a significant chunk of the team’s offensive firepower shelved with injuries in a must-win against Ole Miss.

Even if the trio had been available, a steady rainfall and 89 minutes worth of weather delays provided less than ideal conditions for a passing attack trying to find a rhythm. All the while the Rebels whittled a three-touchdown lead down to a single score in the fourth quarter.

Forget all the other circumstances this season when you thought No. 23 Arkansas needed to establish a run game. Saturday was what needing to establish a run game looks like.

Thanks to Knile Davis — and Bobby Petrino finally relying on one back to carry the load — we all got to see what establishing a running game looks like in the 38-24 victory.

Davis came up huge for the Razorbacks on Saturday against Ole Miss. He ran for ran for 176 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns. He averaged 8.0 yards per carry and his scoring plays covered 33.6 yards per carry.

When the Razorbacks (5-2, 2-2) absolutely positively had to have ground production, they got it. And they got it from Davis.

Davis, whose 22 carries were the most for an Arkansas back ths season, said he felt no extra sense of urgency to contribute. But he sure ran like a man on a mission against Ole Miss (3-4, 1-3).

“I think it’s always on me,” Davis said. “Every time I run I try to make something happen.”

Honestly, he’d done that prior to Saturday in the few opportunities he’d gotten. Davis entered the game averaging 6.7 yards per carry on just 7.3 carries per game. Fans and media saw the production in limited opportunities and had been clamoring for the sophomore to get more touches.

Out of necessity, Davis got extra touches against the Rebels. His first touch was a modest five-yard run. Then came a two-yard gain and a two-yard run for a touchdown.

It wasn’t until Davis’ sixth carry that he hit for a double-digit gain. His 18-yard rush up the middle was the start of a significant contribution.

Davis really got going in the second half. It helped that Petrino kept feeding him, something that hadn’t happened in 2010.

“Knile was hot,” Petrino said. “He ran the ball hard, hit the holes and hit his tracks."

And he did it just in time. Jeremiah Masoli guided the Rebels to two fourth-quarter scores. Ole Miss piled up 512 yards of total offense and kept the ball for 36:11, including an 8-play, 80-yard drive that milked 4:05 off the clock.

That allowed the Rebels to pull within 24-17. Arkansas fans — the few who lasted through two weather delays — began to panic.

Davis answered with a 71-yard touchdown run. In the official play-by-play it’s described as a “run up the middle”, which doesn’t even begin to do it justice.

Initial contact at the line of scrimmage didn’t deter Davis. He accelerated up the middle, then broke toward the sideline where he managed to outrun Ole Miss’ entire defense to give the Razorbacks a 31-17 lead.

“Oooh. Man. You see the speed?” Mallett said when asked about the long touchdown from Davis. “That’s what you notice first. That safety had an angle on him and [Knile] outran him. He ran the ball hard. He hit the holes. He made cutbacks. He had a great day. He had a great day.”

Davis was just getting started with his clutch running, though.

Ole Miss notched another score to pull within 31-24 and set off much fingernail biting among the Razorback faithful. No worries. Davis answered with a 22-yard touchdown to set the final score.

Offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said performances like the one Davis turned in on Saturday define the Razorbacks.

“I think that’s what this team is all about,” McGee said. “The talk has been that we were struggling running the ball and the backs weren’t getting it done. But the game that Ryan and Joe Adams and Greg Childs were out, our run game comes through and saves the day for us.

“I think that’s what this team is all about.”

Arkansas might not get another performance like that this year. But they have to like knowing Davis is there if they truly need it.

Tagged: Houston Nutt, Ole Miss Rebels, Knile Davis, Bobby Petrino, Arkansas Razorbacks