The Arkansas Razorbacks won a four-overtime thriller versus Auburn in Week 8 in a contest the Hogs desperately needed in its late-season push to earn a bowl berth. The 54-46 win over the Tigers makes Arkansas 3-4 on the season, but, more importantly, moves Bret Bielema’s squad to 2-2 in the conference and lifts them out of the SEC West basement.

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • The Arkansas Razorbacks under Bret Bielema haven’t exactly been known to put away teams during his 32-game coaching-stint in Fayetteville. Arkansas has coughed up and lost seven leads of six points or more in the fourth quarter during Bielema’s tenure. Quarterback Brandon Allen and the Arkansas offense, however, was able to close out the Tigers, scoring more points in overtime (30) than they did in regulation (24).
  • The game took on a somber mood as Arkansas running back Rawleigh Williams III lay prone on the turf after suffering a neck injury. Rather than fold, Arkansas rallied after the freshman was taken off on a stretcher and to a local hospital. A few plays after Williams exited, Alex Collins scored on a 7-yard run, followed by a defensive stand led by a Jeremiah Ledbetter sack that swayed the momentum back into the Razorbacks’ favor — and brought the crowd of 72,008 back into a fevered pitch.
  • The win was a signature moment in the career of quarterback Brandon Allen. The senior threw for a modest 233 yards, but came up in the clutch with two touchdowns and a pair of 2-point conversion tosses in overtime to claim the win. Allen led the Hogs to victory on an injured ankle suffered while hauling in an 11-yard pass from sophomore wideout Damon Mitchell. Allen was tough when he needed to be, and limited his mistakes to a single interception.
  • Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Dan Enos might have found a complement to starting running back Alex Collins. Collins paced Arkansas, per usual, with 105 yards and a touchdown. But the junior was somewhat feeling the affects of his 25 carries in the overtime session. That opened up an opportunity for Kody Walker to step up with touchdowns of 3 and 4  yards to extend the second and third overtime periods. The junior also hauled in the 2-point conversion on the Razorbacks’ game-winning touchdown. Walker finished with 32 yards on 8 carries. Bielema praised Walker’s “fresh legs” as being the difference for Arkansas in overtime.
  • Arkansas was in complete control of this game in the first half, but this contest turned once the Auburn receivers began to actually catch the passes that were hitting them in the hands. Tigers quarterback Sean White was able to find a groove and exploit the Razorback defense on three long scoring drives of 96, 93 and 70 yards, each consuming more than five minutes of clock. Still, the Hogs defense ultimately didn’t break and came up with an enormous stop by Josh Liddell — who broke up a Sean White pass intended for Ricardo Louis on fourth-and-9 to end the game. The sophomore free safety finished second on the Razorbacks with 9 tackles while breaking-up two passes and forcing a fumble.

REPORT CARD

Offense: A – The Razorback offense never quit, showing its resiliency while racking up 457 yards behind Alex Collins’ 12th-career 100-yard rushing performance. The unit was clutch in overtime, picking up a pair of critical 2-point conversions by Jeremy Sprinkle and Kody Walker from quarterback Brandon Allen, who also threw for three touchdowns.

Defense: B – A strange grade for a team that yakked up 46 points and 416 total yards. But the Razorbacks front seven was a nuisance for Auburn all game, registering 97 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss, 6 passes broken up, and a quarterback hurry while forcing a fumble. Sure the defense was helped greatly by an Auburn receiver corps that dropped nearly 10 passes, but head coach Bret Bielema praised his defensive unit after the game, “I give a lot of credit to our offense and our defense. I know we gave up a lot of points, but with three or four overtimes, it’s hard not to do that.”

Special Teams: A – Cole Hedlund, who has been shaky this season, was steady as he drilled his lone attempt of the game with 1:07 remaining in regulation to give Arkansas a 24-21 lead. Punter Toby Baker boomed four punts for a 42.5 average, all of which were downed inside the Tigers’ 20-yard line.

Coaching: B – Arkansas blew an early lead, but the Razorbacks never put their heads down and quit, especially after the devastating neck injury to running back Rawleigh Williams III, which could have easily taken the wind out of the Hogs’ sails. Bielema never panicked and stuck to his game plan. It paid off in a big win for him and the program.

Overall: A – An instant classic and a signature win for a program that sorely needed one this season. Arkansas struggled at times, especially against the pass, but they pulled out a victory that past Arkansas teams under Bielema would have lost.

GAME PLAN

Bret Bielema wanted to work the ball inside and out. Arkansas was able to control the edges through a mix of rushing and play-action on first down that continually kept the Tigers off balance and guessing. Bielema’s offense ran 24 times on first down and threw 14 times. The tight end play might have been among the differences in the game, excelling on blocking schemes, while providing a punch in the passing game. Hunter Henry (68 yards) and Jeremy Sprinkle (23) combined for 91 receiving yards. Sprinkle caught a 23-yard touchdown and nabbed the game-tying 2-point conversion to send the game into a fourth overtime.

GAME BALLS

  • Drew Morgan, Jr., WR – 6 catches, 56 yards, 2 TDs, GW-TD
  • Jeremiah Ledbetter, Jr., DE – 6 tackles, sack, 2.5 TFL
  • Brandon Allen, Sr., QB – 233 yards, 3 TDs, 2 2-point conversions, 11 rec. yards, 11 rushing yards

INJURY REPORT

Arkansas picked up a hard-fought win over Auburn in Week 8, but the Razorback trainers are going to need plenty bags of ice after the game. A look at the list of big names that suffered ailments against the Tigers:

Thoughts and well wishes go out to Rawleigh Williams III. The freshman suffered a scary injury after being incidentally grabbed in the face mask and then hit by a second defender in the third quarter. The running back from Dallas was taken off the field on a stretcher after doctor’s cut his jersey off and wrapped him in a neck brace. ESPN’s Kevin Weidl reported that Williams was conscious and interacting with doctors and taken to Washington Regional Hospital for testing.

  • RB Alex Collins limped off with 1:10 left in regulation, but was able to return.
  • DL Taiwan Johnson was helped off the field with about 7:30 to play.
  • RB Kody Walker played with a heavily bandaged hand to protect a broken finger.
  • DB Jared Collins was shaken up in the third quarter, but walked off the field on his own. He was replaced by Henré Toliver.
  • QB Brandon Allen came up limping on the first play of the second overtime after catching an 11-yard pass. He remained in the game, winning the contest with 2 TDs and a pair of 2-point conversion tosses.
  • WR Hunter Henry needed assistance off the field in the third overtime.