Arkansas had nothing to lose and certainly played like it as it picked up a huge fourth down on a ridiculous lateral in overtime, followed by one of the guttiest two-point conversion calls in Bret Bielema’s career, to pull out a 53-52 victory over Ole Miss.

What it means: Though their season may have ended some time ago, the Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4, 3-2 in SEC) are clearly not going out without a fight.

What I liked:

  • Ole Miss’ pass rush played tough against an Arkansas offensive line that hasn’t given up many sacks. On the other side the Razorbacks did a good job of applying pressure on Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly early, but too many times they let him escape the pocket and pick up big first downs. In the end, few sacks were given up by either squad.
  • Both QBs dominated. Brandon Allen threw for 442 yards and 6 TDs. Kelly threw for 368 yards and 3 TDs and also rushed for 110 yards and 3 TDs.
  • Third down played a huge role. Neither defense could make many stops to get off the field as the two teams combined to go 13-for-23  on third down. One of the most fun to watch games of the season.

What I didn’t like:

  • Mississippi was forced to play catchup for most of the first half as the team just looked a little discombobulated to start the game, something it cannot afford against a potent LSU offense.
  • Arkansas penalties let Ole Miss back in the game in this one. A bad penalty to end the first half cost the defense 3 points before the half, allowing the Rebels to tie it up.
  • Neither secondary made many impactful plays throughout the game, and both looked out of place too many times in this SEC shootout.
  • Missed tackles by both teams extended multiple plays from start to finish. Whether it was Kelly or a Mississippi wide receiver, missed tackles by the Arkansas defense nearly cost them.

Who’s the man: This game came down to the quarterback position as both Allen and Kelly finished with over 400 total yards and six touchdowns apiece. However, it was the victor, Allen, who deserves the nod after scoring the game-winner on a gutsy run to convert a 2-point conversion.

Key Play: With one last chance on 4th-and-25 in OT, Allen threw a short pass to TE Hunter Henry, who lateraled just as he was being tackled. The ball bounced to RB Alex Collins, who field it cleanly and ran left behind a wall of blockers to pick up the first down. One of the great plays of 2015.

What’s next: Mississippi squares off at home with LSU in two weeks in a game that should decide which team will play in the SEC Championship game: LSU or Alabama at this point.