OXFORD, Miss. (KFSM) – Rightly or wrongly, there was a lot of pressure put on the second game of the season for Arkansas.
That was the game most fans circled as the real measuring stick of the Chad Morris era and the Razorbacks are still looking up at the rest of the SEC.
A negated touchdown due to a penalty killed any momentum Arkansas had going and Ole Miss took advantage with a fourth down stop, an ensuing score and then a 31-17 win in the SEC opener.
Nick Starkel, who replaced Ben Hicks as the Razorbacks’ quarterback to start the second half, hit Trey Knox for a 39-yard touchdown pass but the score was called back due to an ineligible lineman down field. The drive later ended as Rakeem Boyd was stopped on a fourth-and-two rushing attempt.
Ole Miss then marched 71 yards in eight plays, capped by a Scottie Phillips touchdown run, to take a 17-3 lead and ended any threat of a road win by the Razorbacks.
Arkansas appeared to get a second chance as Kamren Curl’s 69-yard fumble return for a score closed the gap to one position but the Razorbacks defense gave it right back. Ole Miss struck with a 46-yard touchdown pass to bump the lead back to two scores, 24-10, with 11:09 left in the game.
Koilan Jackson scored a late touchdown to help push Nick Starkel over the 200 yard mark in the second half.
Arkansas returns home to host Colorado State next Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
