Losing a late lead not new for Razorbacks

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — It’s a new football season for the Arkansas Razorbacks with a new coaching staff and new schemes on offense and defense.

But for the Razorbacks and their fans, Colorado State’s 34-27 victory over the University of Arkansas on Saturday night at Canvas Stadium was all too familiar.

For the third time in the Razorbacks’ last three games against Football Bowl Championship opponents Arkansas blew a lead of 14 or more points and lost.

In the latest gut-punch loss for the Razorbacks, Colorado State scored the game’s final 25 points to overcome a 27-9 deficit.

The Rams went ahead on Izzy Matthews’ 1-yard touchdown run with eight seconds left that broke a 27-27 tie.

In Arkansas’ final two games last season, Mississippi State won 28-21 on Nick Fitzgerald’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Deddrick Thomas with 17 seconds left after trailing 14-0 in the first quarter and Missouri won 48-45 on Tucker McCann’s 19-yard field goal with five seconds left after trailing 2814 in the second quarter.

That’s three losses with the opponents’ winning scores coming with a combined 30 seconds left in tie games.

“It didn’t feel the same as last year to me,” Arkansas sophomore quarterback Cole Kelley said of the Colorado State loss. “I know it probably looked that way.

“It’s still the second game we’ve played with this staff. We’re still just finding our rhythm.”

It was the first loss for Arkansas Coach Chad Morris after the Razorbacks beat Eastern Illinois — a Football Championship Subdivision team — 55-20 to open the season.

“I think those guys over there are going to rally and continue to build,” Morris said of his players. “What’s happened in the past has happened in the past. This is a totally new season and new group of guys and we’ve got to come together.”

Kelley — who didn’t play in the first half but took every snap in the second in relief of starter Ty Storey — threw touchdown passes of 25 yards to La’Michael Pettway and 64 yards to T.J. Hammonds to put Arkansas ahead 27-9 midway through the third quarter.

Many Colorado State fans began leaving the game, having seen enough of their team which lost its first two games 43-34 to Hawaii and 45-13 to Colorado.

Hammonds said he figured the Rams were headed for another loss, too.

“Yeah, I thought it was over with,” Hammonds said. “But they came back. … I guess they wanted it more than we did.”

In the Razorbacks’ previous three games against Colorado State they won 43-9 in 1974, 36-3 in 1979 and 31-20 in 1990.

The last time Arkansas played a Mountain West team, the Razorbacks beat New Mexico 52-3 in 2011. Colorado State hadn’t beaten an SEC team since upsetting LSU 18-17 in 1992.

“We’re down. It’s a loss,” Hammonds said. “Any team would be mad.

“I mean, we’re an SEC team playing a Mountain West team. Not saying that matters, but we had more expectations.”

Rams senior quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels, a graduate transfer from Washington, led Colorado State on scoring drives its final four possessions while the Rams’ defense allowed just two first downs and 37 yards on Arkansas’ final five possessions.

“Probably a lot of people out there thought we couldn’t get it done,” Colorado State Coach Mike Bobo said. “But our team kept fighting, kept playing for each other.”

Arkansas junior defensive lineman McTelvin Agim said he’s believes the Razorbacks will respond positively for