LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas was unable to snap their SEC losing streak and lost the Battle Line rivalry in one fell swoop on Friday afternoon. The Hogs lost 24-14 in Little Rock against the Missouri Tigers who reach the six-win mark but still miss the opportunity to go bowling this season.
It was Arkansas' 19th straight SEC loss, extending its school record and moving into sixth on the all-time list for the conference.
The Razorbacks, led by their fifth different starting quarterback this season to set an SEC record, got off to their first lead since game six against Kentucky.
After punting on their first drive, the Arkansas defense applied pressure to first-time Missouri starter, freshman Connor Bazelak, and forced a fumble on fourth down giving the offense great field position at the Missouri 38-yard line.
The Hogs got one first down on the legs of Rakeem Boyd before being faced with 3rd down and 8. Former walk-on Jack Lindsey completed his first pass of the game for a 17-yard touchdown to Trey Knox in the back of the endzone.
The Tigers answered right back on the next drive that extended into the second quarter with multiple receptions by Fayetteville native, walk-on receiver Barrett Banister. Bannister had 39 yards on the drive that ended with a touchdown by the Tigers' leading rusher Larry Roundtree.
The Razorbacks offense had a couple 3-and-outs before Missouri won the call on what looked like a muffed punt that would've set Arkansas up at the 44 yard-line. Instead, Missouri started from their 44 and completed three passes before settling for a 26-yard field goal.
Calls to replace junior quarterback Lindsey rang out as the Hogs took a 3-point deficit into the halftime locker room with just one completion in nine attempts. The decision to keep him in paid off quickly after true freshman nickel Gregory Brooks Jr. picked off Bazelak's replacement, another Fayetteville native, Taylor Powell. The interception gave Lindsey the ball at the Missouri 26-yard line and it took just three plays to get in the endzone. Arkansas hadn't gotten an interception since the game against A&M in Dallas.
With the offense shifted to the right, tight end Grayson Gunter ran a route in the opposite direction and made the 10-yard catch for six. Arkansas led again 14-10 with 13:34 left in the third quarter.
Missouri couldn't get anything going on the ensuing drive and walk-on return man Nathan Parodi took the Tiger punt 30-yards up to the Arkansas 46-yard line. Lindsey got a free 10 yards after pass interference on Mike Woods but a false start penalty by true freshman Ricky Stromberg set the Hogs up for a long 3rd down.
Loy's punt pinned the Tigers inside their 20-yard line but several large chunk plays and a pass interference on Joe Foucha in the endzone set sophomore running back Tyler Baddie up for a three-yard score.
Dropped and incomplete passes killed another drive for Arkansas and Connor Limpert missed a 54-yard attempt to keep the score at 17-14 Tigers.
With 11:45 left in the fourth quarter, the Tigers drove down the field in eight plays and capped off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to former Razorback Jonathan Nance.
A 10-point deficit with 8:47 to play seemed manageable but the Hogs were unable to move the ball quick enough and were just across midfield when they turned the ball over on downs with just over five minutes to play.
Missouri milked almost three more minutes off the clock, despite Arkansas calling their final two timeouts, and the Hogs had just 2:24 to come up with two scores.
With an insurmountable deficit, interim head coach Barry Lunney put fifth year senior quarterback Ben Hicks in for his final collegiate game and he threw four incompletions and one pass.
Missouri got the ball back for the final time with 1:36 left and ran out the clock.
Starter Lindsey finished 10 of 26 with two scores and 50 yards rushing. No receiver had more than two catches and the Hogs put up just 77 passing yards. Rakeem Boyd and Devwah Whaley combined for 109 rushing yards.
Arkansas finished the 2019 season the way they ended the 2018 season, with a 2-10 record.
Now the Razorbacks wait as the University and athletics director Hunter Yurachek continue to search for a new head coach.
