That is not the kind of performance Arkansas fans were hoping for against Coastal Carolina.

Coastal Carolina came into the game with a record of 1-7, but the Chanticleers put up an incredible effort against the Razorbacks. Arkansas held a slim 17-14 lead at halftime but wound up trailing midway through the third quarter.

Coastal took the lead in the third quarter thanks to a 75-yard drive. They added onto that lead thanks to a defensive touchdown. The Chanticleers forced a Razorbacks fumble that was returned 31 yards for a touchdown to open the lead to 28-17.

The Razorbacks would respond and cut into the lead with a six-play drive. The Hogs also converted the two-point conversion attempt to pull within a field goal by a score of 28-25.

It looked like Arkansas was getting set to take control of the game at that point, but it did not happen. The Chanticleers mounted a methodical drive and added a field goal to make it a six-point game. They also forced the Razorbacks to punt on the ensuing possession to maintain control.

The fourth quarter opened with similar results for both teams. Coastal scored a touchdown early in the quarter to open a 38-25 lead over the Hogs. Chanticleers QB Kilton Anderson hit WR Chris Jones on a 10-yard strike to put the team on the brink of the upset.

The two teams traded punts, and it looked like both defenses might settle in the rest of the way. Arkansas’ T.J. Hammonds made sure that didn’t happen. The RB/WR took a handoff and rolled 88 yards for a touchdown to pull the Razorbacks within six points with 10 minutes to go.

After the defense forced another punt, Razorbacks QB Cole Kelley rallied the troops and led another incredible drive. Arkansas marched 76 yards in 11 plays that was capped off by a one-yard run by Kelley. The extra point was true and gave Arkansas a 39-38 lead. Another stop by the defense gave the Razorbacks another comeback win.

The Razorbacks found a way to avoid disaster Saturday, but the performance likely did little to appease fans. Head coach Bret Bielema has been on the hot seat for much of this season with the way the Razorbacks have struggled week in and week out. This kind of performance against Coastal Carolina likely changes that.

The biggest issue for Arkansas all afternoon turned out to be its defense. The Razorbacks defense did not hold up as the Chanticleers threw for 228 yards and 3 TDs while putting up 359 yards of total offense. Anderson finished the game at QB for Coastal and was certainly one of the stars. He threw for 115 yards and 2 TDs while adding 37 yards on the ground.

The offense played well for the Razorbacks with QB Cole Kelley making a number of good plays. Kelley did have the fumble returned for a touchdown, but his numbers through the air were solid. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 264 yards and two total touchdowns. Kelley somehow found a way to complete a pass to 11 different receivers in the game and scored the go-ahead touchdown.

Hammonds and RB Devwah Whaley were the other highlights for the offense. Hammonds had eight touches for 179 total yards and 2 TDs while Whaley added 81 yards rushing and another touchdown. The two scores for Hammonds came from 60 yards and 88 yards.

The annual rivalry matchup with LSU is next for Arkansas, but it is probably tough for Razorbacks fans to move past Saturday’s performance. Kickoff against LSU is set for next Saturday at 12 pm EST on ESPN.