FAYETTEVILLE — It figured to be a high-scoring affair, and the Razorbacks' 55-34 victory Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium didn't disappoint.
The University of Arkansas’ defense ranked 65th and Colorado State’s 56th, and almost until the final buzzer it appeared that whatever team had the ball last was going to get the win.
But the Razorbacks took a 41-34 lead with 8:52 to play, and that was their first fourth-quarter score against the Rams, who had outscored the home team 20-10 in the second and third quarters. The Hogs didn't look back the rest of the fourth quarter.
Those were periods when the Hogs, who scored 24 in the opening quarter, looked like they had moved from the left lane with the hammer down to the right lane with cruise control on.
The play-calling was conservative.
Not so bad to say they were playing not to lose, but with the score tied at 34-34, Nick Starkel was unleashed and the Hogs drove 68 yards in nine plays, with 49 of those yards coming on three passes from Starkel to freshman Trey Knox.
Devwah Whaley got the go-ahead score on a 5-yard run.
Arkansas' defense got enough pressure on Patrick O’Brien, who came in for injured starter Collin Hill in the third quarter, and got the Rams off the field.
The Hogs drove to their own 38 when Starkel hit Cheyenne O’Grady at the CSU 35, where he was covered up with Rams, but somehow the senior got another yard, then another, and suddenly he was free and ran for 62 yards and the touchdown for a 48-34 lead with 5:32 to play.
A 10-yard sack by Gabe Richardson set up a 25-yard scoop and score by Ladarrius Bishop and a 55-34 lead with just over three minutes to play.
It wasn’t pretty until the very end, but it was a win for a program that was far short of the 55,583 announced attendance.
Arkansas has now equaled last year’s win total of two with nine games to go.