LIVE UPDATES: No. 20 Arkansas hosts Georgia Southern

Arkansas running back Trelon Smith runs for a touchdown during a game against Georgia Southern on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas running back Trelon Smith runs for a touchdown during a game against Georgia Southern on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Fayetteville.

Good afternoon from Razorback Stadium.

Arkansas is 2-0 this season and ranked No. 20 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll after wins over Rice and then-No. 15 Texas. Georgia Southern comes in 1-1 with a home win over Gardner-Webb to open the year and a blowout loss at FAU last week.

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8:22, 4Q: Malik Hornsby scores on the ground from six yards out and puts Arkansas ahead 45-10.

The drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 7:01 off the clock.

End 3Q: Arkansas' lead is 38-10 as we hit the fourth quarter. Razorbacks have a 529-216 advantage in total yardage and are probably content with just running the ball most of the rest of the way today.

Malik Hornsby is in at quarterback to begin the fourth.

:23, 3Q: Georgia Southern's long drive turns out fruitless. Arkansas forced the Eagles into a fourth-and-12, and Jalen Catalon and two other Razorbacks broke on the pass and knocked it away. Arkansas ball at its 34 when play resumes.

Catalon has a team-high nine tackles and two PBUs today.

8:38, 3Q: Arkansas' offense can't continue its string of scores (three straight going back to late in the second quarter) and is forced to punt after a pass from KJ Jefferson to Ketron Jackson falls incomplete. Jefferson ran for a first down a few plays earlier, but it was called back on Myron Cunningham's second holding penalty of the day.

11:18, 3Q: The Treylon Burks of a season ago has appeared. He took a quick pass on the Georgia Southern sideline and turned it into a 91-yard score. Burks has three catches for 127 yards today, and Jefferson is up to 366 yards and three passing scores.

Arkansas' lead is 38-10.

13:26, 3Q: Warren Thompson is now on the scene for Arkansas at receiver. He had three grabs for 21 yards last week, and this week he beats his man 1-on-1 and gets in the end zone on a 60-yard strike from KJ Jefferson. Arkansas' lead is 31-10.

Jefferson is up to 275 yards passing and two scores.

14:25, 3Q: Ricky Stromberg, who battled an MCL injury in fall camp, went down favoring his left leg after the second play of the second half. Arkansas' shuffling up front continues. Ty Clary is now at center, and Luke Jones is in at left guard.

Halftime: Arkansas leads 24-10 after Georgia Southern added a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. The Razorbacks outgained the Eagles 338-166 in the half.

KJ Jefferson completed 10 of 18 passes for 200 yards and has a score to Tyson Morris. Dominique Johnson (72 yards) and Trelon Smith (28) each have a rushing touchdown. Morris' two grabs netted 61 yards, and De'Vion Warren has two catches for 52 yards, including a 44-yarder.

Georgia Southern rushed for 117 yards in the half and 76 of it came on Justin Tomlin's touchdown run in the second quarter. He has completed 9 of 14 passes for 49 yards.

Arkansas averaged 8.2 yards per play in the half.

2:23, 2Q: Arkansas shot itself in the foot on its last drive and settled for three points on a Cam Little 25-yard chip shot. It's 24-7. KJ Jefferson found Ketron Jackson for a score, but Beaux Limmer was hit with an illegal man downfield penalty. The Razorbacks didn't recover from that, but added to their lead.

The drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:48 off the clock.

6:26, 2Q: Not a great response from Arkansas' offense as it goes 3-and-out after Georgia Southern's score. KJ Jefferson threw low to Treylon Burks on a rollout. Ball was too low. However, I feel like it's a ball Burks reels in last year. Still not certain he's as sharp as he'd like to be. Jefferson was then hit on a blitz as he threw toward Warren Thompson on third down and the pass fell incomplete.

The Eagles take back over at their 40 when play resumes.

7:22, 2Q: Justin Tomlin's 76-yard touchdown run gets Georgia Southern on the board. Arkansas' rush came strong up the middle but he flushed out of the pocket to the right, cut upfield and was gone. Not great pursuit to the ball from cornerback LaDarrius Bishop on the play. Tomlin, though, is fast. Great run from him. It's a 21-7 game.

8:42, 2Q: Dominique Johnson is having a good day so far. His five carries have netted 72 yards and a score. His 48-yard run helped set up a 14-yard touchdown pass from KJ Jefferson to Tyson Morris. Razorbacks lead 21-0 on Morris' second TD catch of the season.

The drive: 7 plays, 99 yards, 1:56 off the clock.

10:38, 2Q: Razorbacks' defense continues to play well early on. Thirty yards of offense on 19 plays for Georgia Southern and 10 just came on a third-and-15 play. The Eagles' punt hits and rolls, stopping at the Arkansas 1. It's a 54-yard kick.

Time of possession is deadlocked at 9:41 as of now.

12:17, 2Q: Arkansas' offense goes 3-and-out on its first drive of the second quarter. KJ Jefferson just missed a deep ball to Treylon Burks that would've put the Razorbacks near the red zone, but a Georgia Southern DB made a nice play to break it up. A little more zip on the pass and it would have been a chunk gain.

On the ensuing punt, Deon Edwards was flagged for hitting a punt returner who signaled for a fair catch. Eagles take over at their 40 following the flag. They have 20 yards of offense on 16 plays to this point.

End 1Q: Arkansas' offense can't make much happen on its final series of the quarter. Ty Clary has slid over from right guard to right tackle and Dalton Wagner is out of the game at the moment. Beaux Limmer is at right guard. Wagner just came out of the injury tent walking very slow alongside members of the training staff.

Reid Bauer boomed a 60-yard punt then Tre Williams tallied a sack for a loss of 10 yards. Georgia Southern ball at its 9 facing second-and-20 when play resumes.

1:07, 1Q: Another stop for Arkansas' defense. Just 18 yards of offense so far for the Eagles. Georgia Southern's punt pins the Razorbacks at their 25. Arkansas can put its foot down with seven points here.

3:31, 1Q: Arkansas benefited from an offside penalty on Georgia Southern on fourth down to keep its drive alive. The Razorbacks later punched it in with an 11-yard touchdown run by Dominique Johnson, his third of the season. Arkansas leads 14-0.

The drive: 15 plays, 94 yards, 6:30 off the clock.

10:01, 1Q: Arkansas' defense with another short stint on the field. Georgia Southern's first seven plays have netted four yards. Its only first down came way of a Tre Williams penalty. Pursuit to the ball has been excellent in the early going.

The Eagles' punt pinned the Razorbacks at their 6.

12:07, 1Q: Quick, explosive first series from Arkansas' offense. KJ Jefferson hit Tyson Morris for 47 yards, then a couple of plays later Trelon Smith runs in untouched from 13 yards out. Razorbacks up 7-0 less than three minutes in. That's the start you wanted.

Jefferson is now 5/5 for 159 yards on throws 16-plus yards downfield this season.

13:19, 1Q: Arkansas' defense brought it on its first series, forcing a quick 3-and-out. Razorbacks went with a four-man front and everyone flew to the ball. Hogs take over at their 27.

15:00, 1Q: Arkansas won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Razorbacks' defense will hit the field first today looking to set the tone. Georgia Southern's offense can be methodical and eat up clock. We'll see if Arkansas' unit is engaged early on.

Pregame

Players not dressed out on offense: Kade Renfro, Donte Buckner, Reid Turner, Erin Outley, Nathan Johnson, Zach Lee, Cole Carson, Terry Wells, Devon Manuel, Josh Street, Ray Curry Jr., Dylan Rathcke, Collin Sutherland and Darin Turner.

Players not dressed out on defense: Dorian Gerald (leg, out), Marco Avant, Kelin Burrle, J.T. Towers, Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan, Brooks Both, Andy Boykin, Jordan Hanna, McKinley Williams, Solomon Wright, Marcus Miller and Jalen Williams.

Players not dressed out on special teams: Patrick Foley.

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