No. 3 Texas Survives Late Surge, Upset Bid From Arkansas

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Late-game heroics and execution helped the No. 3-ranked Texas Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) survive a scare and escape with a 20-10 road win over the Arkansas Razorbacks (5-5, 3-4) on Nov. 16 at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.

The Texas defense had one of its best games of the season, holding a team that entered the day averaging 33 points and 483.6 yards to just 10 points and 231 yards. Its offense mustered just enough to pull away and win in Fayetteville for the first time since 2004.

Texas-Arkansas Game Summary

Texas controlled a defensive battle in the early going, hounding the Arkansas offense with 4 sacks, 5 tackles for loss (TFLs) and an interception in the first half. The offense turned the turnover into 7 points after Jahdae Barron grabbed a bobbling ball out of the hands of the intended receiver, setting up a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quinn Ewers to wide receiver Matthew Golden.

It was the first half's only TD as both teams let their defenses work and Texas went to the locker room with a 10-0 halftime lead.

Arkansas seemed to gain momentum after holding Texas to a field goal in the third quarter to keep it a two-possession game. The Razorbacks' offense answered that drive with its longest drive of the day, ending with a Ja'Quinden Jackson 1-yard TD run. While Arkansas forced a three-and-out and got within 3 points with a field goal, they could not get any closer.

Texas mounted a late TD drive as Ewers found Golden for a contested score near the pylon, and Arkansas squandered its chance to stay in the game by fumbling the ball on a promising drive.

Ewers finished the game with 176 passing yards and 2 TD passes. Barron had a big day with a sack, 2 TFLs, an interception and an additional pass breakup. The Longhorn defense finished with 6 sacks and forced 2 turnovers.

Quarterback Taylen Green threw for 149 yards for Arkansas, and Andrew Armstrong was the Razorbacks' leading receiver.

Turning Point

Trailing 20-10, Green completed a pass to wide receiver CJ Brown into Texas territory with just under 7 minutes left in the game. However, Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins hustled down the field and knocked the ball loose, and Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe recovered it.

Texas faced multiple must-convert plays on the ensuing drive. Running back Jaydon Blue took a screen pass for 17 yards to pick up the first down on third-and-13, and Ewers used his legs on a zone-read play to pick up a fourth-and-2 just before the two-minute timeout. From there, Texas was able to milk the clock and escape with a hard-fought road win, like many in the long-standing Texas-Arkansas rivalry.

What it Means

Texas averts disaster and keeps pace with No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1) and No. 7 Tennessee (8-1, 5-1), both of whom have yet to play on Nov. 16, atop the SEC.

The Longhorns have just 2 regular season games left: hosting Kentucky (3-6, 1-6) on Nov. 23 and traveling to Texas A&M for the renewal of the Lonestar Showdown on Nov. 30. If both teams can hold up their ends of the bargain and everything goes well for both sides in the coming weeks, then that game could be for a spot in the SEC Championship game and the College Football Playoff. But both teams should have a chance to make the 12-team field.

Arkansas slides down the SEC standings and could have become bowl-eligible with a win. With the loss, the Razorbacks will need to win one of their final two games against Louisiana Tech (4-6, 3-4 Conference USA) and No. 23 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC) to reach the postseason.

The Arkansas offense has been productive this season but ran into a buzzsaw in an elite Texas defense. While their own defense did its best to give the Razorbacks opportunities to pull off the upset, there are better opportunities on the horizon. It might not be the season Arkansas fans had hoped for based on how it started, but there is a chance for the team to finish on a positive note.