By By Richard Dark / EMG staff writer
Oct. 27, 2003
NEW ORLEANS The numbers simply were not favorable in New Orleans. Carolina Panthers running back Stephen Davis had a career-best 178 yards rushing in leading his team to a key NFC South win over the New Orleans Saints.
Panthers coach John Fox said his team was not going to allow Davis to be taken out of their game plan the way he was in last week's loss to Tennessee.
Penalties continued to hurt the Saints as well. Although they only had four for 43 yards, all of them sustained Carolina drives, including a late pass interference call that led to an opposing go-ahead score late in the fourth.
More milestones
Joe Horn's six catches for 74 yards, allowed him to take over second place on the team's all-time receiving list with 309 grabs. Horn again did not speak to the media afterward
Deuce ties Ricky
McAllister's 101 yards rushing was his fifth straight, tying him with his predecessor Ricky Williams. He now has 13 100-yard games, three behind leader George Rogers.
Lineup shuffles
Both teams had a few lineup changes at game time Sunday. Meridian native Kenny Smith got the start at nose tackle in place of the injured Grady Jackson, who had surgery Wednesday on an injured pinkie finger.
Wideout Donte Stallworth sat out the game while continuing to recover from an injured quad. In his place, the Saints activated Talman Gardner. The big names out for the Panthers included DT Brentson Buckner and WR Mushin Muhammed.
Former Saint and Ole Miss product, OL Tutan Reyes was also on the inactive list.
Turf's last stand
Sunday marked the final time the Saints and their opponents will have to endure playing on the old Astroturf, which has been in place in the Dome since it opened in 1976. After the game, the surface will be replaced with a brand new state of the grass-like surface called AstroPlay.
The new field will be ready for the team's next home game.