Arkansas Loses Another Heartbreaker

Once again, Arkansas lost a one-possession game, falling to Mississippi State 38-35 on Homecoming. It seems surreal, but once again the Hogs lost another close game despite outgaining their opponent in total yards.

Game Summary

The opening drive was a quick five-play series resulting in a punt, followed by a Mississippi State touchdown. The Hogs could not respond on their second drive, but the Arkansas defense stood tall and ended up playing strong defense, holding the Bulldogs to seven points in the first half. In the second quarter, the Hogs’ offense finally found some success, scoring on all three possessions. Arkansas headed into halftime with a 13-7 lead.

In the second half, both teams’ offenses came alive, combining for 29 points in the third quarter. On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Arkansas put together a seven-play touchdown drive to go up 35-21. Unfortunately for the Hogs, those were their last points of the game, as the Bulldogs scored 17 unanswered to come back and take down the Hogs 38-35 on Homecoming.

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What Went Wrong for Arkansas

Penalties played a role in the game, with the Hogs finishing with 18 penalties for 193 yards, while the Bulldogs had four for 30 yards. Interim coach Bobby Petrino was asked about the officiating following the game and had this to say:

“I do want to say something, but I can’t,” Petrino said. “You know that’s how they handcuff you.”

While penalties did not help the Hogs’ case, the defense in the second half could not replicate its first-half success. Bulldogs wide receivers Anthony Evans III and Brenen Thompson both had over 100 receiving yards in the game. Evans led the way with 111 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 22.2 yards per reception.

The offense also appeared to run out of steam in the fourth quarter. While the Hogs scored on their first drive of the quarter, they had two chances with a lead to extend the lead or run out the clock. Instead, their final three possessions were each four-play drives that totaled negative 14 yards.

Looking Ahead for the Hogs

The Razorbacks have been eliminated from bowl contention with their seventh loss of the season. The Hogs will get some rest heading into their final bye week, but the schedule does not get any easier with road games at LSU and Texas up next.