HOOVER, Ala. -- There's an old saying to be careful what you wish for because you might get it.

Whether or not Arkansas wished for a rematch with Southern Cal after being humiliated by the Trojans 70-17 last September in Los Angeles, the Razorbacks are getting one.

On Sept. 2, USC comes to Fayetteville to open the season.

"There's not a cupcake game in front of that, there's not a game to get warmed up,'' Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said Thursday at SEC Media Days. "It's all our players see on that schedule, USC.''

The game in Los Angeles last year, witnessed by 90,411, was "very embarrassing'' in Nutt's words.

It was the worst loss in school history since a 103-0 massacre by Oklahoma in 1918.

The Trojans' 736 yards of offense was the most ever allowed by an Arkansas defense. In the entirety of its 1964 national championship season, Arkansas allowed only 64 points.

Southern Cal scored 28 points in the first quarter despite having the ball for only 92 seconds.

"I don't think we ever gave up,'' Arkansas linebacker Sam Olajubutu said. "The best team won. They were better than us.

"It was a long ride home, not too much talking.''

The good news for Arkansas is that Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White are gone to the NFL. Heisman Trophy winner Bush scored the first two times he touched the ball.

"I don't think I ever will play against a team that has offensive weapons like that again,'' said Olajubutu.

"It'll be a better game this year. You should get you a ticket.''

One final note: In 1919, Arkansas beat Oklahoma 7-6.

Times Change: South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier noted the league has changed from its run-first-run-often mode of the early '90s when he arrived at Florida.

"If you could just run the ball and play defense, that was the old saying to win the SEC,'' Spurrier said. "I think Arkansas led the league in rushing last year and Tennessee was third in the nation in run defense.

"Those stats don't hold up any more like they used to.''

UT finished 5-6, Arkansas 4-7.

More Spurrier: Adding a 12th game shouldn't be too taxing on the players, Spurrier said.

"It's a very good idea,'' he said. "Our girls play four straight nights at the SEC (basketball) tournament and I don't hear them bitching and complaining.''

New Rules: Rogers Redding, the SEC's new supervisor of officials, addressed rules changes, the chief ones affecting the clock. The clock will start when the ball is kicked off, not when the return man catches it. Following punts, the clock starts on the official's signal to play, not on the snap.

"It's going to be a challenge to the coaches and players in terms of their clock management,'' Redding said.

The other innovation is the addition of one coaching challenge per game.

"My hope,'' said Redding, "is that the coaches will not need the challenge because the instant-replay officials will be doing their job in terms of stopping the game anyway.

"We are reviewing every single play even though not all plays are allowable to stopping the game for a review.''

Extra Points: When Ole Miss told quarterback Robert Lane he was moving to tight end, he visited Northwestern State (La.) and considered a transfer before electing to stay at Ole Miss and switch positions. "It was a no-brainer,'' Lane said. ... Spurrier's take on the threat of sports agents getting to his players: "As long as they're driving their old beat-up cars, we feel like they're OK.''