In a season filled with low-points as deep as the Mariana Trench, the Arkansas Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7 SEC) found a way to stoop even further in their 48-14 loss to the No. 10 Missouri Tigers at Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Friday.
There wasn't a single moment in the Battle Line Rivalry game that the Hogs looked consistently competitive, especially offensively.
After starting quarterback KJ Jefferson left the game with an apparent knee injury in the first quarter, Arkansas ended the first half with 18 passing yards and 32 rushing yards — 50 in total.
Arkansas got two first downs in the first two quarters of the game — one of which was only because of a defensive face mask penalty. Five punts and a fumble later, and the Razorbacks exited with a 20-0 deficit at the half.
Did the Hogs come out on fire to start the third quarter? Nope. Instead, backup quarterback Jacolby Criswell fumbled on the first drive after the offensive line failed to pick up Missouri's pressure.
After Missouri's inevitable touchdown with great field position shortly after, Arkansas kick returner Isaiah Sategna fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff. The Tigers then found a wide-open tight-end Brett Norfleet for a touchdown. Basically, it was a whole lot of bad for the Razorbacks in a short amount of time.
Here's a tweet to sum it up:
It didn't get any better from there either. A few possessions later, Criswell fumbled again and Missouri defensive lineman Jayden Jernigan recovered and returned it for a scoop and score touchdown to make it 41-0. It was the fifth fumble of the day for the Razorbacks and fourth recovered by the Tigers.
A 14-point and 147-yard "surge" in the fourth quarter made the game look better than it actually was. Make no mistake, Arkansas' performance against the Tigers gave a true meaning to "Black Friday."
Arkansas finished the game with 136 rushing yards and 98 passing yards, good for 234 total. That mark is the second-lowest of the season, with the lowest being 174 against Texas A&M.
The 234 total yards are also the fourth-lowest of the Pittman era. For reference, under former head coach Chad Morris — who finished his Arkansas tenure with a 4-20 overall record — the Hogs finished with less than 200 total yards once (187 vs. Missouri - 2018).
Coming into this matchup, Arkansas was playing for pride and offseason-momentum after head coach Sam Pittman's 2024 retainment announcement by Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek earlier in the week.
Instead, the Razorbacks let go of the rope and left fans scratching their heads on the state of the program after an abysmal season.
Now, Pittman and the Razorbacks will head into a crucial offseason. Arkansas will need to make many moves, including hiring an offensive coordinator and picking up talent through the NCAA transfer portal.
To keep up with what should be a wild ride, be sure to follow all of HawgBeat's coverage at The Trough.
