FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Though the Hogs returned a solid group of starters from last season, it was the transfer players that helped boost No. 19 Arkansas to a 31-24 victory over No. 23 Cincinnati in front of over 74,000 fans at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
LSU transfer corner Dwight McGlothern returned a first quarter interception 51 yards to set the Razorbacks up for an eventual 15-yard touchdown run by quarterback KJ Jefferson, the first score of the season for Arkansas.
With 9:42 left in a one-possession game, Georgia Tech transfer defensive end Jordan Domineck came up with a strip sack on Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant. Two plays later, Jefferson connected with tight end Trey Knox for a 32-yard score that put the Hogs up 31-17.
Cincinnati scored at the 5:49 mark in the fourth quarter, but the Hogs managed to run the clock out on their final drive and emerge victorious in the first ever top-25 season opener in Fayetteville.
Jefferson ended the game with 223 passing yards and three touchdowns along with adding 62 rushing yards and one score. Knox caught a team-high six passes for 75 yards and two scores.
Here is how it happened:
FIRST HALF
On the first play from scrimmage, Jefferson completed a 17-yard pass to Landers for a quick first down. The Hogs were unable to capitalize, though, as the drive stalled out at the 50-yard line.
On Cincinnati's first drive, it converted four first downs — three on third down — in a slow, methodical possession. A 28-yard pass from Bryant to Jadon Thompson was countered by a McGlothern interception that he returned 51 yards to set the Hogs up in Cincinnati territory.
Three plays later, Jefferson took a quarterback keeper 15 yards untouched for the Razorbacks' first score of the season.
After both teams stalled on back-to-back drives, a 26-yard punt from Arkansas' Max Fletcher set the Bearcats up at midfield. The Bearcats drove 35 yards, but a goal-line stand by the Razorbacks was followed up by a missed 25-yard chip shot from kicker Ryan Coe.
After both teams were unable to get anything going offensively throughout the second quarter, Cincinnati's Charles McClelland broke off a 35-yard run to start a drive at the 4:12 mark.
Two plays later, Arkansas nickel back Myles Slusher was taken to the locker room after he made hard contact with the Bearcats' Leonard Taylor. Slusher did not return to the game.
The Razorback defense held again, leading to another missed field goal from Coe, this time from 48 yards away.
A 37-yard run from Raheim Sanders set the Hogs up at the 5-yard line, and on the next play Jefferson threw a jump pass to tight end Trey Knox to cap off a 7-play, 70-yard drive and give the Hogs a two-score advantage going into halftime.
SECOND HALF
The Bearcats worked a 12-play, 75-yard drive that included three passes of 10-plus yards from Bryant and LSU transfer Corey Kiner punched in Cincinnati's first touchdown from five yards out to make it a 14-7 Razorback advantage.
Arkansas punched back with a scoring drive highlighted by a 19-yard screen catch from freshman back Rashod Dubinion and a 19-yard touchdown catch from Oklahoma transfer Jadon Haselwood.
Just over a minute later, the Bearcats countered with two completions for 65 combined yards, including a 35-yard touchdown strike from Bryan to Nick Mardner. Both completions came against Arkansas cornerback LaDarrius Bishop.
On Arkansas' first play of the next drive, Jefferson fumbled the snap and the Bearcats recovered the ball at the Arkansas 3-yard line. Four penalties later, Cincinnati was forced to kick a field goal, and Coe was good from 25 yards out to make it a 21-17 Razorback lead.
After working themselves to the Cincinnati 25-yard line, the Hogs were unable to go any farther, leading to a 32-yard field goal from Cam Little to extend the lead back to seven.
A 30-yard pass by Bryant to McClelland was countered by a Landon Jackson and Zach Williams sack to end the third quarter. The Hogs held strong to start the fourth quarter, forcing a Cincinnati punt that pinned Arkansas on its own 9-yard line.
A pair of sacks on Jefferson quickly ended the Razorback drive, but Domineck decided to get in on the party with a strip sack of Bryant on the next Bearcats possession.
The Hogs took advantage right away as Jefferson connected with Knox, who scored his second touchdown on a 32-yard catch to give Arkansas a 31-17 lead.
Cincinnati did not let up, as it drove 75 yards in nine plays to cut the Razorback lead to seven on a 15-yard strike from Bryant to Leonard Taylor.
The Hogs worked the clock with 10 straight run plays to run out the remaining time and give the Razorbacks their first victory of the season.
