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It was a back-and-forth affair in Fayetteville, but Arkansas found itself on the winning end.
The Razorbacks, led by first-year starting quarterback Austin Allen, scored on a late touchdown in the fourth quarter to take a 21-20 lead over Louisiana Tech, and that score would hold for Bret Bielema’s squad.
It was an important win for Arkansas, which now travels to Fort Worth, Texas to take on No. 13 TCU.
What it means: The team was a bit of a mystery going into the season, especially with so many key players on offense such as quarterback Brandon Allen along with running backs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams moving on. However, the Razorbacks survived on a day where others in the SEC did not.
What I liked: Allen put together a nice, 13-play, 67-yard touchdown drive that was in the mold of an Arkansas kind of touchdown drive, spanning about 7:30. Allen finished 20-for-29 with 191 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs in his first start.
What I didn’t like: The Razorbacks entered the season having led the SEC in sacks allowed for three straight seasons. However, replacing three new starting offensive linemen hurt the Hogs as the Bulldogs took Allen down four times. Allen’s two picks both came in the first half and led to both of Louisiana Tech’s touchdowns.
Who’s the man: Let’s give Deatrich Wise some love here. Arkansas’ stud defensive end finished tied for the team lead with 7 tackles to go with a half-sack, 3 QB hurries and a pass breakup. And with that said …
Key plays: Wise made a huge play as Louisiana Tech faced 3rd-and-10 from its own 48-yard line with a little under four minutes left. Wise sacked QB J’mar Smith for a loss of 10 yards, forcing the Bulldogs to punt when they may have considered going for it at midfield and only needing 10 yards, but staring at a 4th-and-20 made them give the ball up for good as Arkansas bled the clock.
What’s next: Arkansas will be on the road to face No. 13 TCU, which is in action Saturday night against South Dakota State.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
