Seventy-four-thousand-one-hundred-thirty-three people watched Bobby Petrino enter Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium with an FCS team then leave just over three hours later.
But, oh, those three hours.
No. 11 Arkansas escaped Petrino and Missouri State, 38-27, in a game certain to go down in Hogs lore Saturday night.
The Razorbacks scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns, overcoming a 10-point deficit with just over 12 minutes left. Rocket Sanders’ 73-yard touchdown reception off a shovel pass from KJ Jefferson cut the Bears’ lead to three and Bryce Stephens followed with an 82-yard punt return score on the ensuing punt.
That was that. Jefferson tacked on a one-yard touchdown run to provide the final score.
But it was 17-0 Missouri State early. And when Petrino called for his team to go-for-it on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter, the Bears hit for a 47-yard touchdown pass to break the tie Arkansas had created at 17.
From that point, outside a Missouri State field goal that followed that touchdown, it was all Hogs.
Sanders ran for a career-high 163 yards and Jefferson threw for a career-high 385 in the win.
Arkansas travels to Arlington, Texas, to play Texas A&M in Week 4.