Tag: Arkansas Ole Miss

Ole Miss evens series with Arkansas thanks to a five-run sixth

The rubber match between the first- and last-place teams in the SEC West is set for Saturday.

The defending champs are still the defending champs, no matter what their record may be.

Ole Miss showed that Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader with Arkansas. The Diamond Hogs, ranked No. 5 in the country, won the opener with relative ease against the last-place team in the SEC West. But a quick turnaround seemed to have helped the home team as the Rebels took a 7-4 win in the back-half.

Ole Miss struck for five runs in the sixth, batting around and chasing Hagen Smith with two runs and tagging Cody Adcock with three more. By the time Arkansas touched up Ole Miss for two of its own, it was the ninth inning and too late.

The teams traded single runs in the second, then alternated the next two as Arkansas scored in the fifth and the Rebels in the fourth. After that, the gates broke open.

First pitch for the rubber match is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=131]

Diamond Hogs roll over Ole Miss in first of doubleheader

Arkansas dispatched the defending national champions with ease in Game 1.

Arkansas might have preferred the win over Ole Miss apply to last season’s final game, but Saturday’s will work.

The Diamond Hogs had no trouble with the defending national champions, 11-2, in the first of a doubleheader after the initial opener scheduled for Thursday was cancelled. The two teams were set to again later Saturday night.

Arkansas’ six-run fifth was the most important frame. All nine starters came to the plate and Brady Slavens, the seventh batter of the inning, plated Jared Wegner, Jace Bohrofen and Kendall Diggs with a grand slam. The jack was the second of the game after Caleb Cali opened the scoring in the second inning with a two-run shot.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss couldn’t handle Hunter Hollan. Arkansas’ starter gave up just three hits in six innings while striking out four. By the time the Rebels were on the board, a two-run homer by Kemp Alderman, in the eighth, the Hogs had already scored nine.

Arkansas sat alone atop the SEC West after the win as the Diamond Hogs 7-3 record was one less in the loss column than No. 2 LSU. Ole Miss was 1-9 after the first game of the set.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=131]

Everything Sam Pittman said after Arkansas beat Ole Miss

Sam Pittman was all smiles after Arkansas’ huge win over Ole Miss.

Sam Pittman smiled at his wife in the Arkansas post-game press conference.

The Hogs head coach joked he hadn’t had much opportunity in the last couple weeks after Arkansas losses to Liberty and LSU.

In other words, he was in a good mood.

He had every reason to be. Arkansas beat No. 14 Ole Miss, 42-27, to clinch bowl eligibility with one game remaining in the season. It was arguably more important because of how the season had gone to that point.

The return of a healthy KJ Jefferson was paramount. He missed the LSU game with a shoulder injury and questions were everywhere about how well he would be able to throw against Ole Miss.

Turns out, plenty well. He tossed Arkansas’ first three touchdowns and Rocket Sanders ran for Arkansas’ next three en route to a 42-6 lead early in the second half.

Pittman should have enjoyed himself, accordingly.

Photo gallery: Magical night in Arkansas lifts Hogs to bowl eligibility

It was a night to remember in Fayetteville as Arkansas blasted Ole Miss.

Ole Miss never stood a chance. Not really.

Not with Arkansas’ back against the wall. Not with KJ Jefferson healthy. Not with the Hogs’ offensive line manning up.

Not a chance.

Arkansas blasted Ole Miss, 42-27, on a cold Saturday night inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium to clinch bowl eligibility and put a dent in the Rebels’ aims of a second straight 10-win season.

Jefferson threw three touchdowns and Rocket Sanders ran for three more as Arkansas raced to a 42-6 lead. Ole Miss scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but by that point, it didn’t matter and no one wearing red really cared.

Arkansas’ win was deserved after three of its losses this season should have been wins, but because they were defeats, questions began to surround the program.

The questions were silly. They’ve now been answered.

Arkansas stuns Ole Miss, clinches bowl berth

KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders led the Arkansas onslaught in a dismantling of Ole Miss.

Rocket Sanders ran for three touchdowns and KJ Jefferson threw for three as Arkansas shocked Ole Miss on Saturday, 42-27, to clinch bowl eligibility.

The victory provided the Razorbacks with at least a .500 record for the second straight year, making it the first time that’s happened since 2015 and 2016. Arkansas has a final regular-season game left on Friday at Missouri.

Ole Miss was never really in the game on Saturday. After going three-and-out on its first drive, Arkansas scored touchdowns – all three on passes from Jefferson – on its next three.

The Razorbacks punted again on their first drive of the second quarter before Sanders scored touchdowns on three straight series. By that point, Arkansas had opened a 42-6.

Jefferson finished 17 of 22 passing for 168 yards and the three scores. Sanders ran for 232 yards and his three touchdowns. Matt Landers caught two of Jefferson’s touchdown tosses while Ketron Jackson Jr. caught the other.

Ole Miss scored touchdowns on three straight drives in the fourth quarter to make the score respectable.

[vertical-gallery id=15127]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=none image=https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Watch: The good times roll…and Rocket as Sanders scores Arkansas’ fourth TD of half

Rocket Sanders is a man for Arkansas.

Rocket Sanders, too, hadn’t had the last couple weeks he wished.

And, like his teams fortunes, that was changing Saturday against Ole Miss.

Sanders scored Arkansas’ fourth touchdown of the first half with 2:20 left, giving the Hogs a 28-6 lead on 20-yard scamper.

To that point, Sanders, who led the SEC in rushing most of the season until entering this week, had 146 yards on 15 carries. He had had just 106 yards on 29 carries in Arkansas’ last two games, losses to Liberty and LSU.

Saturday, his touchdown opened the floodgates after KJ Jefferson threw the Hogs’ first three scores. Not that individual goals mean all that much, but Sanders is playing his way back onto All-SEC first-team consideration.

Arkansas social media explodes after KJ Jefferson’s third TD against Ole Miss

Twitter was showing out for KJ Jefferson against Ole Miss on Saturday.

Arkansas football is simple, actually.

When KJ Jefferson is healthy, the Razorbacks can hang with all but maybe the 10 best teams in college football.

That’s proving out Saturday as Jefferson’s third touchdown pass – this one to Ketron Jackson Jr. – landed with just one quarter and one minute into proceedings against Ole Miss.

Arkansas entered badly needing a win, sitting at 5-5 with bowl eligibility within reach. Jefferson had missed last game against LSU, putting pressure on the Hogs entering the final two weeks of the season.

Through a quarter-plus, Jefferson, a Mississippi native, was nothing short of golden with 110 yards passing and 49 on the ground as Arkansas led 21-3.

Arkansas Twitter was loving it.

Good throw. Good catch.

Twitter reacts: KJ Jefferson’s touchdowns angers Mississippi fans

You wanted Malik Hornsby. You blamed KJ Jefferson for fumbling at the goal line, for passing poorly against Liberty. Shame on you.

Your favorite team wishes KJ Jefferson played for it.

The Arkansas quarterback looked plenty healthy Saturday night in giving the Hogs an early lead against Ole Miss. He rumbled down inside the 10 before hitting Matt Landers for a touchdown pass shortly thereafter to make it 7-0 Razorbacks midway through the frame.

The next Arkansas drive? Another Jefferson-to-Landers score, this one for 22 yards and it became 14-0 Arkansas before Ole Miss had a chance to really even look up.

Ole Miss fans weren’t happy. Jefferson is a Mississippi native who wasn’t exaclty highly recruited by the Rebels. Supposedly, accoring to an Ole Miss fan at the game, it’s because Jefferson wasn’t good enough for the Rebels program.

Uh huh. Check the scoreboard and check out the rest of the reactions on Twitter.

Arkansas need a healthy KJ Jefferson if they want to beat Ole Miss

It’s no question the Razorbacks need Jefferson to have a chance at beating Ole Miss because the two backups have only contributed 27 total points in two games.ย 

Twice this season, we got to see how KJ Jefferson’s backup look when they are called upon. And twice, the Arkansas Razorbacks’ offense was non-existent.

Jefferson’s health is again questionable for the late game against Ole Miss, which leaves Razorbacks nation holding their breath. Sam Pittman said earlier in the week they “anticipate” playing Saturday but also acknowledge that could change. That was apparent last week against LSU when Jefferson was scratched just minutes before kickoff, leaving Malik Hornsby as the starter.

Hornsby didn’t finish the game, and Cade Fortin entered the game and threw a touchdown, but the game ended with him being stripped and sacked.

“I think our team and our staff just want to know if [Jefferson] going to be available or not,” Pittman said about his starting quarterback.

“I think our team needs him. Or do we need to go the entire week and say he’s not going to. I think a lot of that will be said today. Cade and Malik will battle for who would play in that second spot if KJ is not able to.”

It’s no question the Razorbacks need Jefferson to have a chance at beating Ole Miss because the two backups have only contributed 27 total points in two games.

Wait. We’re picking the Hogs? Five predictions, one crazy, for Arkansas football vs Ole Miss

Ole Miss is favored almost unanimously across the SEC. But our Razorbacks Wire contributor disagrees. With a caveat.

Arkansas and Ole Miss may actually be one of the best rivalries in the SEC.

The Rebels have had great seasons. The Hogs have had great seasons. Both have been miserable. Both have been mediocre. Often they’ve done all of these things at the same time.

But 2022 has been different. Ole Miss has a chance to clinch its second straight 10-win season with a victory inside Donald W. Reynolds Stadium on Saturday night. Arkansas is just hoping to make it to six wins, something that would yield bowl eligibility, at least.

As to how long the odds are the latter will happen, well, they are. Arkansas should have quarterback KJ Jefferson back in the fold after a shoulder injury kept him out of last week’s loss.

But even with him back, can the Hogs have a shot?