ARLINGTON, Texas --- Just seven days after escaping a loss which would have been characterized by turnovers, the Razorbacks suffered their first loss of the season Saturday night in a game that featured another two-score swing on a single play.
Arkansas was a mere 3 yards from re-establishing its two-touchdown lead, when redshirt junior quarterback KJ Jefferson reached the ball over the top of the pile from behind the line of scrimmage. When the ball popped out and finished the play on the other side of the field, the Hogs found themselves fortunate to still have the lead because of a failed point after try.
For someone who tends not to shy away from contact, Jefferson's decision was inexplicable, and he said as much after the game.
"I needed to be more aggressive and go down to the goal line and just finish the play," Jefferson said.
The scoop-and-score wiped out what was possibly the Razorbacks' strongest quarter of 2022 --- a 14-point opening stanza in which they forced four Aggie punts on as many drives. It also shifted the momentum to the other half of AT&T Stadium, which did not see another Arkansas score until the fourth quarter.
Turnovers are no strangers to the storylines this season. The Hogs emerged victorious from their first two games with relative ease thanks to positive turnover margins.
The only reason last week's clash with Missouri State was close was the -3 differential. Arkansas trailed by 10 --- the same number of points off turnovers allowed --- in the fourth quarter against the Bears.
Arkansas has been most comfortable in games with positive or neutral turnover margins, and it has shown. The Razorbacks were proficient on offense before the fumble, but they looked lost on the other side of it.
"We overthrew some guys, dropped a pass here or there, overthrew here and there, and came off of blocks and didn't win the first down of those series," Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said.
The Razorbacks' turnover margin now sits even on the year, with five turnovers forced and five giveaways. The defense has yet to generate a takeaway since the Sept. 10 win over South Carolina.
Its next chance to help out Jefferson and the offense will come at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday when the Alabama Crimson Tide rolls into Fayetteville.
