FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - In the middle of his five-minute postgame visit with reporters Saturday afternoon, South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia let out a long, audible sigh.

Without a word, Garcia said everything. Things again aren’t going well for the Gamecocks in November.

Hopeful of getting an important seventh win, one that would guarantee a .500 conference season, South Carolina fell flat in the second half here against Arkansas in a 33-16 loss.

The Gamecocks (6-4, 3-4 SEC) led 16-10 after scoring on the first play of the third quarter, but the Razorbacks (5-4, 2-4) responded with 23 unanswered points.

After consecutive losses at Tennessee and Arkansas, the Gamecocks are done with their SEC road schedule. They went 0-4.

A team that was 6-2 now needs a win against either No. 1 Florida or rival Clemson to stave off a 6-6 regular season.

All that adds up to Garcia’s sigh.

He said the team is a “seven or eight on a scale of 1-10” on the frustration scale.

“We’re just not playing where we’d like to play and where our capability is,” Garcia said. “That’s the frustrating part.”

USC coach Steve Spurrier was on the defensive all week about the team “not feeling bad.” He cut reporters’ questions off about the possibility of a late-season slide.

But Spurrier was realistic after what he saw Saturday.

“We’re just not very good right now,” Spurrier said.

The Gamecocks were all right in the first half. They led 10-7 until Alex Tejada knocked through a field goal at the halftime horn to tie the game.

And they grabbed the lead back on the first play after the half, when Garcia hit Alshon Jeffery for an 80-yard score.

After a missed extra point, Arkansas rolled down the field on an 11-play touchdown drive. The extra point from Tejada gave the Razorbacks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Ryan Mallett completed 23 of 27 passes for 329 yards, but Mallett - at least not Mallett alone - wasn’t the reason USC’s defense began to buckle.

No, defensive head coach Ellis Johnson said his unit started to unwind when the Hogs’ running game got going with Broderick Green and Michael Smith.

The injury- and suspension-affected defense played for the pass in the first half, dropping back into coverage.

But when Arkansas started running, the linebackers and safeties had to cheat closer to the line. That let Mallett get into a rhythm. Game over.

“Physically,” Johnson said, “we couldn’t hold up.”

That was especially the case without defensive end Cliff Matthews and his ability to put pressure on the opposing quarterback. Matthews, who dislocated his shoulder at Tennessee, will be evaluated this week. But he’s still doubtful for this week’s game against Florida.

End Devin Taylor, who started for Matthews, suffered a bruised chest Saturday. He’ll be limited this week in practice, but he should play against the Gators.

Safety Chris Culliver is back off his one-game suspension. He’ll play against Florida, assuming his surgically repaired shoulder is OK.

Beyond the defense, the offensive line continues to have its share of issues. Garcia was sacked twice (nearly three times) and the line was again called for several drive-stunting penalties.

Center Garrett Anderson also snapped the ball over Garcia’s head in a play that resulted in a safety. That play, and the sacks, led to the Gamecocks finishing with minus-36 rushing yards in the second half.

“We’re doing the same things we were doing my freshman year,” Anderson said.

“I can’t think of the words to describe it. We’re way better than this.

We’re not playing nearly as well as we can.”

There’s still time to pull it together. But not much. And the opponents aren’t exactly cupcakes.

Tim Tebow and Florida’s offense have been put under a microscope this season, but the Gators (9-0, 7-0) still haven’t lost a game. They’ve already clinched the SEC East.

Meanwhile, Clemson (6-3, 4-2) ran away from Florida State in the second half. The Tigers, with league games against North Carolina State and Virginia left, now control their destiny in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.

Extra points

Spurrier said he’s still calling most of the offensive plays, although there have been indications that Steve Spurrier Jr. is still very involved. South Carolina ran two called runs in the second half after gaining 89 rushing yards in the first half. ... Spurrier, to some degree, defended tight end Weslye Saunders on Sunday. Saunders said Saturday he should get the ball more. Spurrier dismissed it as Saunders saying something he didn’t mean.

Saunders was targeted a handful of times Saturday, but his performance hasn’t reached expectation so far this season.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the South Carolina blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks.

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