Razorback senior tight end Trey Knox III (#7) from Murfreesboro, TN makes a one-handed catch for a touchdown against Cincinnati Saturday afternoon at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

by Nate Allen

FAYETTEVILLE -When the 23rd-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats weren’t beating themselves with penalties and missed field goals, 19th-ranked Arkansas beat them, 31-24 with big plays in Saturday’s bruising season opener for both teams before 74,751 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“We got what we thought, a very physical Cincinnati team,” Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said. “We’re beat up, especially in the secondary (All-American safety Jalen Catalon, starting nickel Myles Slusher and reserve nickel Jayden Johnson all were injured) 

I’m really proud of the kids there were some turning moments in the game and we won and I’m very proud of that.”

Arkansas via LSU transfer cornerback Dwight McGlothern’s interception not only squelching Cincinnati’s first drive to the Arkansas 26 but returning it 51 yards to the Bearcats 29 preceding Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson’s 15-yard touchdown run, provided the Razorbacks’ biggest defensive play of their 14-0 first half.

“That was a game-changer,” Arkansas safety Simeon Blair said.

Jefferson concurred.

“That was a momentum play,” Jefferson said. “Defense had our back and we had their back and we wanted to score points as quickly as possible.”

Arkansas defensive end Jordan Domineck, a transfer via Georgia Tech, made Arkansas’ biggest second half defensive play both dislodging and recovering the fumble by Cincinnati quarterback Ben  Bryant with 9:52 left in the game and Arkansas only up, 24-17.

Jefferson hit a 17-yard pass to via Oklahoma transfer Jadon Haselwood, receiving a  third quarter 19-yard touchdown from Jefferson in the third quarter, immediately followed by Jefferson’s 32-yard TD to tight end Trey Knox for what proved an irretrievable 31-17 lead with 9:26 left in the game.

“It (Domineck’s fumble recovery and Jefferson’s third and final touchdown pass)  kept us where we could get to a 2-score game,” Pittman said.

Arkansas needed that score. Bryant engineered a 9-play drive capped  by his 15-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Taylor at 5:49 cutting Arkansas’ lead back to seven at 31-24.

Cincinnati never got the chance to try for the tying touchdown.

With Jefferson scrambling for 14 on third and nine, netting another first down on a 6-yard and freshman running back Rashod Dubinion, rushing 13 yards for a first down, Arkansas’ offensive line dominated for the Hogs to hog the ball the final 5:49.

“I thought that was a wonderful, wonderful job,” Pittman said. “Especially by the offensive line. I’m an old offensive line coach, you know. I’m sure Cody Kennedy (Arkansas’ offensive line coach) is as happy as he can be.”

Jefferson (18 of 26 passing for 223 yards and three touchdowns and 16 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown ) Knox, 6 catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns and “I thought he played a helluva game,” praise from Pittman),Haselwood, 3 catches for 42 yards and a touchdown) and the second ever over 100 yards rushing game, 117, for sophomore running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders capitalized on the line’s prowess as did Jefferson making much on his own like on the 14-yard third and nine scramble.

“They had him dead to rights and he pshhew! first down,” Pittman said. “It seems to me like when the game gets a little tighter, a little closer, a little where he’s got to take over the game he has that knack to do it.”

Freshman reserve running back Dubinion debuted catching a 29-yard screen pass and running the big 13-yard helping put the game away.

Bryant, 26 of 43 for 325 yards and two touchdowns, a 35-yarder to Nick Mardner and the 15-yarder to Taylor after running back Corey Kiner’s 5-yard touchdown run, threw  two interceptions. Bryant was frustrated in Arkansas’  14-0 first half by McGlothern’s pick, and place-kicker Coe Ryan missing a 25-yard field on fourth and goal from the Arkansas three. Roe also missed a 48-yarder but did kick a 26-yard field goal at 4:44 of the third quarter matched by Arkansas sophomore Cam Little’s 32-yard field goal at 1:28 of the third quarter.

“Cincinnati shot themselves in the foot with penalties in the second half,” Pittman understated.

The Bearcats’ 10 penalties mostly occurred at inopportune times.

Bryant, who overthrew a couple of wide open receivers, saw a holding penalty negate a throw and catch to the Arkansas one.

Later Roe’s field goal was glumly Cincinnati celebrated. The  Bearcats, after Jefferson's fumble,  wasted first and goal on the three.  The Bearcats were backed up to the Arkansas 13 on a false start and two roaring crowd induced delay of game  penalties, the second delay  after advancing back to the three.

“Ten of those yards was Razorback Nation,” Pittman said of the crowd.  “So we thank them for that. We stopped them down there. And then when we got the ball back and we never gave it back to them.”

Arkansas plays its SEC opener at 11 a.m next Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium against the South Carolina Gamecocks.