Highlights few, but Hogs show fight to end

OXFORD, Miss. — It was not a game of inches.

Ole Miss used big plays to hand the Arkansas Razorbacks their record-tying seventh consecutive loss, sixth in Southeastern Conference play, and if there was a highlight for the Hogs it was freshman guard Dan Skipper.

Skipper went toe-to-toe with Ole Miss’ highly heralded freshman defensive tackle, Robert Nkemdiche, and won enough of the fights that late in the game, after the Razorbacks scored a touchdown, Nkemdiche was so frustrated he took a cheap shot, got caught and was hit with a personal foul and was ejected.

There may have been a few other positives, but the Rebels’ ability to hit big plays overshadowed most of what the Razorbacks accomplished.

Ole Miss had 18 plays of 10 yards or more, and those plays accounted for 409 of the Rebels’ 531 total yards.

Some of the biggest plays, and the last two touchdowns, were because of missed tackles by the Razorbacks, who would probably lead the nation if that statistic was kept.

If even the most optimistic of the Razorbacks nation was still dreaming of winning the last three games and getting to a bowl, those dreams were smashed by the Rebels. The Hogs are mathematically eliminated from the required six victories to be bowl eligible.

There was a short time in the third quarter when it appeared momentum might have swung after Kiero Small bulled in from the 1 to cut the Ole Miss lead from 20-10 to 20-17 with 11:29 to play in the third quarter.

That came after an Alan Turner interception, Arkansas’ first in SEC play, and then the Hogs defense held Ole Miss and forced its third punt of the game. A 31-yard return by Javontee Herndon had the Razorbacks starting at their own 47 with tons of time.

Two runs got 14 yards and a first down at the Rebels 39. The Razorbacks ground-oriented attack was moving the chains for the second consecutive possession, and Ole Miss seemed to be on its heels just a bit.

It didn’t surprise anyone when tailback Jonathan Williams got the ball, not even Ole Miss, and especially not when he pulled up and tried to find an open receiver. There wasn’t one and he was dropped for a 9-yard loss, and that was that.

The next two Ole Miss possessions consisted of 9 plays, 158 yards and 2 touchdowns, a 75-yard bomb and a 52-yard dump and dash for the final Rebels score.

The Razorbacks did manage another touchdown to beat the gambling spread of 17 points, something of a moral victory if one is into those, setting the final score at 34-24.

It might have been closer after Eric Bennett got an interception with more than two minutes to play, but his 75-yard return to the Ole Miss 23 was wiped out by a blocking penalty. Of course it was the correct call, right? Although officiating had little to do with the end result, execution did.

OK, there was more to celebrate than Skipper’s mental and physical toughness.

The Hogs didn’t quit. They fought to the bitter end, but it was another bitter ending in a long line of bitter endings.

Arkansas was even driving after Bennett’s interception, but like so many drives Saturday, it fizzled and a 58yard field goal attempt was no good.

The Razorbacks now get another week off, and on extra few days to prepare for what will be their bowl game, the season finale against Mississippi State in Little Rock.

With only LSU after that, the Bulldogs might be the Razorbacks’ last shot at an SEC victory this season and could send the seniors out with a victory at their home away from home.