LITTLE ROCK — 1st Quarter
ARKANSAS 14, MISSISSIPPI STATE 7
Arkansas couldn’t sustain its first drive, but Mississippi State did, with four big plays on an 86-yard drive, including Chris Relf’s 29-yard pass to Brandon Henderson and Relf’s 23-yard touchdown run on the next snap. The Razorbacks tied it two plays later when Knile Davis ran for a 62-yard score.
Davis gained 43 yards on Arkansas’ next touchdown drive, capped by consecutive Ryan Mallett passes to D.J. Williams, the second of which resulted in a 25-yard touchdown play helped by downfield blocks. Mississippi State’s Robert Elliot and Davis exchanged fumbles in the last minute of the period, the Hogs losing a prime scoring chance at the Bulldogs’ 29.
2nd Quarter
MISSISSIPPI STATE 21, ARKANSAS 17
The Bulldogs’ preferred tempo - slow, grinding, clock eating, with play-action passing thrown in - was evident on their first sequence of the quarter. Taking over after a Razorbacks fumble, the Bulldogs ran 15 plays, converted a fourth-and-2 fake punt and a fourth-and-1, and used up 5:53 to score on Vick Ballard’s 1-yard touchdown run. Arkansas next series was squelched on Pernell McPhee’s sack of Ryan Mallett. MSU then went 3 of 3 on third downs, converting a thirdand-9 early on a 60-yard drive that took 4:37 and ended on Ballard’s 2-yard score. Mallett found D.J. Williams for 32 yards to set up Zach Hocker’s 32-yard field goal with 50 seconds left.
3rd Quarter
ARKANSAS 24, MISSISSIPPI STATE 21
Mississippi State gained 5 yards on an exchange of punts with the first two possessions. The Razorbacks held again with Tramain Thomas forcing an errant Chris Relf throw on third down.
Ryan Mallett found Cobi Hamilton for 22 yards, but then was picked off by Nikoe Whitley. The Bulldogs drove inside the Arkansas 30, but Elton Ford and Jerico Nelson forced a fumble and Darius Winston fell on it. Anthony Leon was flagged for a personal foul and ejected at the end of the play, backing Arkansas up to its 11. Mallett hit Jarius Wright down the middle, and after stumbling and getting a Joe Adams block, Wright scored an 89-yard touchdown.
4th Quarter/OT
ARKANSAS 38, MISSISSIPPI STATE 31
Joe Adams nearly scored on a 21-yard screen, and Knile Davis scored from the 1 as Arkansas went up 31-21. Chris Relf found Chad Bumphis for 21 yards on third-and-11 and the Bulldogs put together a 14-play drive.
Vick Ballard scored on a 4-yard run.
But Knile Davis fumbled in Mississippi State territory, and the Bulldogs drove to the Arkansas 8 for Derek DePasquale’s 25-yard tying field goal on the final play of regulation. Ballard fumbled through the end zone, but Arkansas couldn’t capitalize, as Zach Hocker missed a 39-yard field goal. Ryan Mallett fired a 7-yard touchdown to Davis to put the Hogs ahead, and Tenarius Wright drove Relf into the turf on fourth down.
Sports, Pages 37 on 11/21/2010