razorbacks
By Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - Because they had a “Little” more leg than Mississippi State, the Arkansas Razorbacks kicked dow the 17th-ranked Bulldogs, 31-28 in Saturday’s SEC West game before a loud 68,818 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
In four field goal tries, not missing until his shortest and final attempt of 42 yards, Arkansas freshman Cam Little tied his previous season long 46-yarder and surpassed it with career long 48 and 51-yarders.
Meanwhile Mississippi State kicker Brandon Ruiz missed from 23 and 46. Ruiz was yanked for redshirt freshman Nolan McCord’s game-ending 40-yard miss awry trying for a tie on the game’s final play after each team’s textbook display of 2-minute offense.
The triumph upped Coach Sam, Pittman’s Razorbacks to 6-wins bowl eligibility at 6-3, 2-3 in the SEC, going into next Saturday night’s SEC West game at LSU.
Coach Mike Leach’s Bulldogs, ranked 17th by the College Football Playoff Committee and the third Top 25 team Arkansas defeated this season, fall to 5-4, 3-3 in the SEC.
Little’s field goals enabled the Razorbacks to win by three but so many other facets did, too.
For starters there is quarterback KJ Jefferson’s 19 of 23 passing for 191 yards and a touchdown and starting at 2:22 of the fourth quarter directing Arkansas’ go from down 28-23 to up 31-28 game-winning 75 yard drive with 21 seconds left.
Or receiver sometimes runner Treylon Burks’ 121 all purpose yards from 39 yards rushing on 3 carries, and 6 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown receiving and posing such a threat that without the ball he was tackled by cornerback Martin Emerson for the fourth down defensive holding penalty preserving Arkansas’ game-winning drive.
Or freshman running back Dominque Johnson netting 107 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns, the second tallied from the four with 21 seconds left followed by Johnson successfully running the 2-point conversion that prevented MSU hope of possibly winning with a field goal.
Defensively, led by senior linebacker Grant Morgan’s interception and linebacker Bumper Pool’s 10 tackles, the Hogs shut out Mississippi State of the 13-7 first half until Will Rogers’ 3-yard TD pass to Jaden Walley just seven seconds before intermission.
The Bulldogs took first command of the topsy-turvy second half up with quarterback Rogers, 36 of 48 for 417 yards and four TD passes, completing a 6-yard TD to Ra Ra Thomas at 8:15 of the third quarter before Arkansas ever touched the ball in the second half.
The second half lead switched from Arkansas up, 13-7, down 14-13, up 16-14 on Little’s field goal and 23-14 on Jefferson’s 14-yard TD to Burks, to down 27-23 on two more Rogers’ TD passes, then up, 31-28 but nearly tied from 21 seconds on Rogers rallied the Bulldogs from their 25 to the Arkansas 22 completing three consecutive passes before McCord’s field goal try for a tie fell wide left awry.
“We didn’t just win the Super Bowl but it feels like it,” Pittman, jubilant, told media postgame. “We’re bowl eligible and very, very excited to know that we’re going to play in December or January.”
And had just beaten Bulldogs he said are worthy of their CFP No. 17 ranking.
“We beat a really good football team,” Pittman said. “Mississippi State a great football game. They (on their last drive) completed three good balls. We’re very fortunate to have won.”
And “very proud,” he said.
“I know we didn't just win the national championship, but it's not going to feel a whole lot better than that locker room did,” Pittman said. “Hopefully we'll have an opportunity to try it."
And should have the opportunity, he said of Arkansas being included in the CFP’s next Top 25 rankings Tuesday.
“Absolutely,” Pittman said. “There's no question in my mind we deserve to be in the Top 25. Now it's hard to stay there and all those things but we've beaten (No.) 7 (Texas A&M) 15 (Texas at the time) and 17 (Mississippi State) at the time.”
The Hogs and Dogs earned A-plus for their intensity Saturday but failing grades for penalties.
“We killed ourselves with penalties,” Pittman said on first-half radio of Arkansas’ eight first-half penalties including a penalty on safety Myles Slusher voiding an interception by fellow safety Simeon Blair that would have quashed Mississippi State’s first-half touchdown drive.
Also one of Arkansas’ four false first-half false start penalties figured in Arkansas settling for one off Little’s two first-half field goals rather than going for a touchdown.
Turned out Little’s field goal sufficed to salvage the victory.
“He (Little) was really valuable,” Pittman said.
Sure was, said Treylon Burks
“We’re thankful for Cam,” Burks said. “ He’s a freshman, and he’s kicking like he’s been here for the longest.”
Arkansas did cut its penalties to three in the second half.
Mississippi State was penalized 10 times. None proved bigger than Emerson’s holding call on Burks turning Jefferson’s fourth down final drive incomplete pass from the Bulldogs 35 to a penalty gifted 10-yards from the infraction first down at MSU 15.
“On the holding call I knew I had him,” Burks said. “He was beat. His way to get me was to grab me, so I just went with the grab and fell to the ground and it worked.”
Jefferson insured it would
“I saw the guy tackle Treylon and I just had to put the ball in the area and make it seem like he couldn’t get to the ball and I knew the flag was coming,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson obviously saw plenty on that game-winning drive. It started with a 7-yard pass to Johnson and Johnson’s 11-yard run. It fueled on three Jefferson passes to tight end Trey Knox, then a 6-yard pass to Helena native Tyson Morris to the MSU nine. Morris’ catch preceded Jefferson scrambling from a would be loss to a 5-yard gain before Johnson took it for the 4-yard TD plus 2 on the PAT.
“He (Jefferson) was so poised in that 2-minute drive,” Pittman said.
“Going 19 for 23 no interceptions, he’s an heckuva quarterback. He played a heck of a football game.”