AT&T COTTON BOWL |
RAZORBACK GAME NOTES
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS • Arkansas opened the Tennessee, Mississippi State and LSU games with the following starters on the defensive line: Jake Bequette (DE), Byran Jones (DT), DeQuinta Jones (DT) and Tenarius Wright (DE).
• Jerry Franklin recorded a game-high 15 tackles, his highest total this season, vs. Auburn. Alonzo Highsmith ranked second on the team with a career-high 12 tackles, including a careerhigh-tying 2.0 for loss, against the Tigers.
• Jake Bequette leads the team with 8.0 sacks, tied for the seventh-highest single-season total in school history and the sixth-highest total in the SEC this season. His average of 0.89 sacks per game is second in the SEC and seventh in the NCAA. He tied his career high with 3.0 sacks vs. South Carolina, which is the third-highest single-game total in the SEC and tied for the 12th-highest single-game output in the NCAA this season, and was named SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
• Alonzo Highsmith grabbed his first career interception in the fourth quarter vs. South Carolina and also had six tackles, including 1.0 sack, against the Gamecocks.
• Jake Bequette ranks second in the SEC and seventh in the NCAA with 0.44 forced fumbles per game. • Jake Bequette, Trey Flowers and Chris Smith rank third, fourth and sixth, respectively, on the team with 8.5, 5.5 and 4.0 tackles for loss.
2012
• Jerico Nelson recorded three tackles, one interception and one quarterback hurry against Missouri State. Nelson’s interception was the third of his career and marked the third consecutive season he had grabbed an interception.
SECONDARY
• Byran Jones leads all UA defensive linemen and is eighth on the team with 45 tackles in 2011.
• Cornerback Tevin Mitchel was named to the SEC AllFreshman Team, and senior safety Tramain Thomas earned honorable-mention All-SEC acclaim from the AP.
• Tenarius Wright is tied with Jerry Franklin for the team lead with five quarterback hurries, and Jake Bequette is tied for third with four.
• Arkansas started the Tennessee, Mississippi State and LSU games with the following defensive backfield: Tevin Mitchel (CB), Eric Bennett (S), Tramain Thomas (S) and Greg Gatson (CB).
• The defensive linemen have 20.0 of the 37 sacks recorded by Arkansas this season.
• Tramain Thomas is tied for third in the SEC and 10th in the NCAA with five interceptions this season, and Eric Bennett is tied for 10th in the SEC with three.
LINEBACKERS
• Jerry Franklin was namd second-team All-SEC by the AP and Coaches for the second straight year. Franklin, who also was a member of the 2008 SEC All-Freshman Team, leads Arkansas and is sixth in the SEC with 93 tackles. He is tied for 14th in the conference with 10.0 tackles for loss. Last season, he became the second Razorback since 1960 to lead the team in tackles for three straight seasons.
• Eric Bennett made an interception in three consecutive games this season. The sophomore made his first collegiate interception as part of a three-interception game for the Razorbacks against Auburn and then clinched the Ole Miss victory with an interception on the Rebels’ final offensive drive. He ended Vanderbilt’s first drive of the second half with an interception to extend the streak to three.
• Alonzo Highsmith leads the team and is 13th in the SEC with 10.5 tackles for loss. He also ranks third on the team with 73 tackles.
• Tramain Thomas recorded a career-high two interceptions vs. Auburn, which is tied for the highest single-game total in the SEC this season and fifth-highest single-game total in the NCAA. It also is tied for the seventh-highest single-game total in school history.
• Jerry Franklin is tied for the team lead with five quarterback hurries, and Jerico Nelson is tied for third on the team with four. • At LSU, Alonzo Highsmith scored his first touchdown as a Razorback when he returned a fumble 47 yards for a score. • At Vanderbilt, Jerry Franklin returned a fumble 94 yards for his second career touchdown. The subsequent two-point conversion tied the game at 28-28 with 13:25 remaining in the game. Franklin also had a game-high 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, in the game and was named SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. • Jerry Franklin recorded a safety as part of his seven-tackle performance at Ole Miss. Franklin has been involved in three of the four safeties recorded by Arkansas since the start of the 2010 season.
16
• Alonzo Highsmith led the Razorbacks with a then-careerhigh eight tackles at Alabama. Highsmith also collected a teamleading and career-high-tying 2.0 tackles for loss and recorded his first sack.
• Tramain Thomas has led the team in tackles in four straight games. He recorded 11 tackles vs. South Carolina before posting a team-high 10 tackles, 1.0 for loss, with one interception and one pass breakup vs. Tennessee and nine tackles with one pass breakup vs. Mississippi State. He finished the regular season with a season-high 14 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception at LSU. • Tevin Mitchel was named SEC Freshman of the Week following a seven-tackle performance vs. Auburn in his first collegiate start.