After starting the season with three straight wins, the Razorbacks' season is heading in the opposite direction.
Arkansas (3-3) suffered its third straight loss Saturday, falling to No. 23 Mississippi State (5-1) 40-17 in Starkville.
With the loss, the Hogs fall to 1-3 in SEC play and it marks the first loss to Mississippi State under head coach Sam Pittman.
KJ Jefferson was dressed out for Arkansas, but did not play in the game due to injury. Cade Fortin, the transfer from South Florida, started the game at QB but struggled, completing just two of six passes for 8 yards.
Malik Hornsby split reps with Fortin in the first half and played the entire second half after the offense looked more explosive with Hornsby at the helm. Hornsby finished 8-for-17 passing for 234 yards with 1 TD and 2 INT, along 114 rush yards.
Mississippi State was able to move the ball frequently on the banged-up Arkansas defense. Bulldogs QB Will Rogers threw for 395 yards and 3 TDs, while the MSU rushing attack averaged 4.7 yards per carry and also added three touchdowns.
Another area that hurt Arkansas was the red zone, as the Razorbacks twice came up empty after trips inside the MSU 20-yard line. Arkansas finished 1-for-3 in the red zone.
How It Happened
With KJ Jefferson sidelined, Cade Fortin started at quarterback for the Razorbacks, splitting reps with Malik Hornsby in the first half.
And while Arkansas failed to score on either of its first two drives, Mississippi State scored touchdowns on its first two.
The Bulldogs took the opening drive right down the field, going 65 yards in nine plays, punctuated by a Dillon Johnson 1-yard touchdown run.
Arkansas' opening drive ended with a 25-yard punt by Max Fletcher, setting up the Bulldogs on their 45-yard line.
Mississippi State converted the good field position into seven points when on 3rd and goal from the 5, Will Rogers connected with Jaden Walley in the end zone. The pass was nearly intercepted by Malik Chavis but instead passed through his hands and into Walley's to make it a 14-0 Mississippi St. lead.
Arkansas got a jolt on its second possession when Hornsby came in and ripped a 52-yard run.
However, Hornsby left later in the drive after a big hit, and the Hogs were stuffed on 4th and 1 in the red zone.
In the second quarter, Mississippi State was able to make it a three-score game.
On a 3rd and 8 from the Arkansas 10, the Hogs rushed three, giving Rogers all day to throw. Rogers eventually found Austin Williams in the front left corner of the end zone, extending the Bulldogs' lead to 21-0.
The Razorbacks got on the board midway through the 2nd quarter, when Cam Little made a 51-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21-3.
That seemed to kickstart the Hogs, as the defense forced a turnover on downs on the following Bulldogs' possession.
The Hogs then scored their first touchdown in quick fashion. A 2-play, 71-yard drive included a 69-yard throw from Hornsby to Jadon Haselwood, and ended with a 3-yard TD run by Rocket Sanders.
A missed field goal by MSU toward the end of the half meant Arkansas entered the halftime break down 21-10.
Hornsby finished the first half with 63 rush yards and 112 of the team's 120 passing yards, and thus started the 2nd half at QB for the Hogs.
But it was Mississippi State that scored first in the second half. Rogers hit Caleb Ducking down the right side for a 33-yard touchdown. A botched extra point attempt meant it was 27-10 after the touchdown.
Arkansas was able to drive into the redzone on its next drive thanks in part to a 44 yard catch by Jadon Haselwood.
The drive however stalled near the goal line without points. Hornsby missed Matt Landers on a 3rd and goal, and then Rashod Dubinion was stuffed on the 4th and goal rush attempt.
The Hogs responded on their next drive though. Hornsby tossed the first TD pass of his career with a 52-yard rocket to Bryce Stephens. The score pulled the Hogs to within 10 points, while Hornsby was 7-for-10 for 229 yards at that point.
Mississippi State immediately responded on the next drive.
A Bulldog offense averaging close to five yards per carry gashed the Hogs' run defense, with Dillon Johnson breaking a 33-yard touchdown run. That made it a three-score game again, with Mississippi State leading 34-17.
MSU would add to its lead later in the quarter after forcing a Hornsby interception. Jo'quavious Marks punched in a 2-yard TD to make it a 40-17 lead.
Up Next
Next up for Arkansas is a non-conference road trip to Provo, Utah. The Razorbacks will visit BYU next Saturday, with kickoff slated for 2:30 on either ABC or ESPN.
