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Arkansas had a 21-7 lead on No. 16 Oklahoma State at halftime in Stillwater on Saturday. The upstart Razorbacks played a nearly flawless first half on the road.
But then thing started to crack in the second half. Penalties, turnovers, poor decisions, missed kicks, you name it. Arkansas filled a bingo card with miscues to blow the game and fall 39-31 in double-overtime.
Here are 3 takeaways from the game.
Second-half mistakes spoil first-half performance
Arkansas was rolling in the first half, carrying over plenty of goodwill from the opener against UAPB. The offense put 21 points on the board. The defense did its job, contained star OSU running back Ollie Gordon II, and didn’t allow an offensive point.
Things unraveled in the second half and beyond. Arkansas turned the football over twice in the final 30 minutes of regulation — both of them costly. It missed a field goal and committed a pair of pass interference penalties on a crucial late-fourth drive from Oklahoma State. Then, in the first overtime period, Taylen Green took a sack on third-and-13 to force a 46-yard field goal that hooked wide left. An unnecessary roughness penalty and a miss from Green loomed large in the second overtime.
Once again, the Razorbacks fell apart trying to close a game out.
Tailback Ja’Quinden Jackson fumbled the football with 3:25 to play in the third quarter and Oklahoma State drove for a 35-yard field goal to cut the margin to 8 points.
Arkansas took over at its own 25 and made its way to the OSU 24. Big plays were key on the drive, but a pair of muffed snaps derailed things and forced the Razorbacks to settle for a 41-yard field goal attempt. Kyle Ramsey pushed that try wide right and the Cowboys took over with 11:44 to play and a chance to tie.
Six plays later, Oklahoma State was punting it back to Arkansas. Isaiah Sategna muffed that punt and Oklahoma State recovered at the Arkansas 25. The Cowboys needed only 2 plays to find the endzone, scoring on a jet sweep to Brennan Presley. They converted the 2-point conversion and tied the game at 21-all with
On the ensuing possession, Arkansas started hot but then went backwards. Green and Jackson appeared to be on the wrong page for a play, resulting in a 4-yard loss. An unblocked rusher off the edge then blew up another play. On fourth-and-5 from the OSU 24, Arkansas elected to leave its kicker on the bench and went for the first. Green came up 1 yard shy.
On the Cowboys’ final offensive possession of regulation, Doneiko Slaughter was flagged for pass interference twice. One was on an incomplete pass on second-and-15. The Cowboys would kick a go-ahead 38-yard field goal with 55 seconds on the clock.
On the Razorbacks’ final offensive possession of regulation, clock management nearly ended the game.
We could go on listing the gaffes, but you get the point. The first half was clinical from Arkansas. Everything from then on was chaotic. It looked too much like last year. For Sam Pittman, a coach fighting for his life in 2024, that’s a tough result this early.
Ja’Quinden Jackson goes off, but last year’s issues pop up again
The Razorbacks’ leading tailback saw his 2023 season derailed because of injuries. In his final season at Utah, Jackson was never healthy and his production suffered because of it. He battled ankle issues all year, limiting him to 797 yards. The efficiency wasn’t there, as he was nearly 2 yards-per-carry worse than the year prior.
Jackson transferred to Arkansas hoping for a fresh start.
He was outstanding in the opener, with 101 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 carries.
And with the exception of the fumble, he was a positive for the Razorbacks against the Cowboys. He had 149 yards and 3 scores on 24 carries, becoming the first Razorback with multiple rushing scores in consecutive games in a decade.
But Jackson was frequently bouncing back and forth between the huddle and the sidelines dealing with knocks. He limped off the field late in the fourth quarter and missed multiple possessions before returning and looking notably hampered.
When he’s on the field, Jackson is a difference-maker with his blend of power and vision. He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. We’ll find out in the days ahead if Saturday’s game resulted in something serious.
Petrino’s offense produces again
Arkansas produced 687 yards of total offense in the opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Against the Cowboys, Arkansas ran up 648 yards of offense at 7 per play.
The Razorbacks didn’t have a single game last season with 600 yards of offense. They had 2 such games in all of 2022. They had 2 such games in all of 2021. They did not have a single 600-yard day at any point from 2017-20.
Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State marked the first time this century Arkansas has topped 600 yards in consecutive games. The Razorbacks have run 163 plays through 2 games. (They averaged 66 a game last season.) While the operation will need to be smoother heading into Week 2, Bobby Petrino is proving to be a difference-maker for the Razorbacks.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
