Hogwired.com Players of the Week Selected

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the second time this season, Felix Jones has been named Hogwired.com special teams player of the week for his performance in Saturday’s 42-29 loss to No. 21 Kentucky. Offensive lineman Nate Garner and safety Matt Hewitt also garnered player of the week honors.

Jones racked up 241 all-purpose yards, including 108 kickoff return yards. He tallied his fourth career kickoff return for a touchdown when he raced 82 yards after a free kick. With the score, Jones set a school record for return touchdowns in a career and tied Willie Gault of Tennessee for the Southeastern Conference career record.

The Tulsa, Okla., native also became the all-time UA kickoff return leader with 1,405 yards passing DeCori Birmingham on the career list. Jones is currently ranked second in the nation averaging 38.5 yards per kickoff return and 226.7 all-purpose yards per game.

Garner, the offensive player of the week, helped clear the path for two 100-yard rushing performances from Jones and Darren McFadden who gained 133 and 173 yards on the ground, respectively. The senior right tackle racked up a team-high nine knockdowns on 78 snaps and paved the way for 495 yards of total offense including 338 yards rushing. Garner graded out at 92 percent, including 96 percent in pass blocking and 89 percent in run blocking against Kentucky.

Behind Garner and the offensive line, Arkansas leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation in rushing offense with an average of 329.7 yards per game. McFadden leads the nation in rushing with 173.0 yards per game, while Jones ranks 17th with 119.3 yards per contest.

Defensive honors for the week go to Hewitt who totaled 13 tackles, including nine solo stops, against the Wildcats. Both numbers are career highs for the senior from Englewood, N.J. He forced Kentucky tailback Tony Dixon to fumble in the fourth quarter, which was recovered by the Razorbacks. Hewitt also tallied one quarterback hurry and a pass break-up.

Following each game this season, Hogwired.com will recognize an offensive, defensive and special teams player of the week. Recipients are chosen by the UA football coaching staff.