Arkansas Falls to No. 21 Missouri in the Battle Line Rivalry

Arkansas extended its losing streak in Columbia, falling to No. 21 Missouri 28-21. Crucial turnovers once again plagued the Razorbacks, allowing the Tigers to stage a comeback and secure the win.

Game Summary

The game was played in cold, snowy conditions, contributing to sloppy offensive play. On Arkansas’ first drive, a promising effort ended with a turnover on downs, though the defense held Missouri to a punt. On their second drive, the Razorbacks fumbled, leading to Missouri’s first touchdown. Arkansas responded with a 15-play touchdown drive to tie the game, and that concluded the first-half scoring. A concerning moment came before halftime when defensive end Landon Jackson suffered a scary injury, requiring him to be carted off the field and taken to a local hospital. Fortunately, he was released and rejoined his teammates in the locker room after the game.

The second half saw increased offensive production. Arkansas forced a Missouri punt and then scored to take a 14-7 lead. Missouri answered with a field goal to cut the lead to 14-10 before an Arkansas fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive resulted in another Missouri touchdown, putting the Tigers ahead 17-14. The Tigers added another field goal to make it 20-14, but the Razorbacks responded with a late touchdown, regaining the lead at 21-20 with four minutes left. Missouri quickly answered with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to go up 28-21. Arkansas mounted a final drive but fell short when a last-second pass was deflected as time expired.

Turnover Trouble for Arkansas

Turnovers have been a recurring issue for Arkansas this season, and in this game, two costly turnovers directly led to Missouri touchdowns. Meanwhile, Missouri played a clean game with zero turnovers, which proved critical in the Tigers’ victory.

Arkansas finishes the regular season undefeated against unranked opponents 5-0 but struggled against ranked teams, going 1-6 in those matchups.