Razorbacks face off with Mississippi State
STARKVILLE, Miss. — With the chairman of the College Football Playoff Committee looking on, Mississippi State successfully defended its No. 1 national ranking — barely.
Erasing a 10-0 deficit against Arkansas, the Bulldogs escaped with a 17-10 victory on a 41-degree Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium and before an ESPN2 national audience.
Brandon Allen’s pass into the end zone from the Mississippi State was intercepted with 15 seconds left, Arkansas getting no points from back-to-back red-zone penetrations when down by a touchdown.
Dak Prescott, Mississippi State’s Heisman Trophy quarterback, played with pain but fired a 70-yard touchdown pass to Fred Ross that broke a 10-10 tie early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs’ defense preserved that edge, stopping Arkansas three times from the three or less after clutch passes from Brandon Allen to Hunter Henry.
University of Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long, whose committee ranked Mississippi State No. 1 in its inaugural poll last week, watched the Bulldogs improve to 8-0, 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference. No. 2 Florida State overcame Bobby Petrino-coached Louisville 42-31 Thursday night, while third- and fourth-ranked Auburn and Ole Miss battled upstate in Oxford Saturday night in a virtual playoff elimination game.
Long’s own team, meanwhile, suffered its 17th consecutive SEC defeat since October 2012. The Razorbacks, 0-5 in the SEC and 4-5 overall, have a week off before a Nov. 15 home game against LSU. Ole Miss at home and a Missouri trip follow for the Hogs, hoping to avoid a second-straight winless SEC campaign.
Despite three turnovers, Mississippi State made big plays when it counted on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter.
The go-ahead touchdown pass came when Prescott scrambled out of the pocket and found Ross open down the left sideline. It followed a missed 41-yard field goal by Arkansas’ Adam McCain, who earlier connected from 36 yards.
Trailing for the first time in the game, Arkansas marched inside the five with Allen hitting Henry on third-down passes of eight and 13 yards and again for 12 on fourth and three from the 21. But after a five-yard pass from Allen to AJ Derby, Williams was stopped for a yard gain on a toss left, then lost a yard going right. Allex Collins was met for no gain on fourth down from the three.
Facing a No. 1 team for the sixth consecutive year, Arkansas led 10-7 at halftime against Mississippi State, which had not trailed after a quarter in seven games but made three early turnovers.
McFain kicked a 36-yard field goal on the Hogs’ first possession, and Collins went over from the one in the second quarter after the Bulldogs bobbled a punt.
Mississippi State, playing at home for the first time since the first No. 1 ranking in the program’s history pulled within 10-7 on Josh Robinson’s fouryard run with 7:52 left in the half.
Arkansas drove 61 yards in 11 plays for McFain’s field goal, Williams running for 12 on the first play an Allen’s 23-yard pass to Jared Cornelius carrying to State’s 46. The Hogs reached the 19 before Allen threw incomplete on second and third downs.
Alan Turner’s interception halted Mississippi State’s 33-second first drive. Arkansas later started from its 7, Sam Irwin-Hill punting from the Hogs’ 25 and getting a break when return man Jamoral Graham bobbled the kick. Kody Walker recovered for Arkansas at the Bulldogs’ 25 — a 50-yard swing in field position — and Collins battled for six and a first down at the 15.
Allen passed over the middle to Hunter Henry for 13 and a first down at the two, where Mississippi State was called for offsides. Collins scored on first and goal, and McFain kicked it to 10-0 with 11:24 left in the half.
Mississippi State’s cowbell-ringing crowd perked up on a 75-yard scoring drive in 11 plays. Prescott passed to Robinson for nine, then to Fred Brown for 31 and first down at the Arkansas 31. The Bulldogs scored in two plays from the eight with Robinson after Prescott’s 12-yard keeper on third and 10..
Evan Sobiesk kicked the extra point for 10-7 and then the field goal, from 37 yards, for 10-10 with 3:50 left in the third quarter. Prescott passed 15 yards to Robinson and 23 to Grfin on a 55yard drive, overcoming one penalty but not a second.