FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas finally got a win its fans were almost desperate to see. The Razorbacks rolled over Tulsa the way most of them hoped they would.
The Hogs beat the Golden Hurricane 34-6 on Saturday night.
The win halted 12 straight losses to FBS teams. After a couple of weeks of fans ready to clean out the entire program, just getting a win seemed to give coach Ryan Silverfield some positive vibes.
Arkansas moves to 2-2. Tulsa slides to 3-1.
Now it looks to most like the Razorbacks may have a legitimate shot against Texas A&M. The Aggies were kicked around at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., 35-6. It didn’t seem that close.
South Carolina and Missouri also lost, so there’s hope the rest of the way may not be as bleak as things have looked the last couple of weeks. After playing Georgia, the Hogs may not see another team anywhere near that level.
Silverfield liked what he saw, but he’s just viewing it as a step forward toward what he’s trying to build.
“We’ve still got a ton to work on,” he said later. “We played a relatively clean game and that was good to see.”
Jackson and Marshall carry the offense
Quarterback KJ Jackson hit 24 of his 36 throws for 309 yards. One went for a score and one got picked off.
His legs got him into the end zone twice as well.
Receiver Chris Marshall hauled in nine passes for 195 yards. Only six Razorbacks have ever had a bigger receiving game.
Only two SEC receivers had more catches or yards than Marshall heading into the night.
His first touchdown catch of the season came right after Tulsa’s biggest gamble of the game.
The Golden Hurricane had finally gotten on the board coming out of halftime. They went 81 yards, and Damari Alston punched it in from 1 yard out.
Tulsa’s gamble backfires
The two-point try failed, leaving Arkansas up 16-6.
Then Tulsa rolled the dice on an onside kick. The Hogs pounced on it.
The Razorbacks needed only five plays to cover 50 yards after the recovery.
Jackson capped the drive by finding Marshall for a 20-yard score.
Tulsa’s comeback hopes slipped away fast. The Golden Hurricane coughed up fumbles on back-to-back drives, one to close the third quarter and another on the opening series of the fourth.
With 5:44 left, Jackson kept it himself and found the end zone to finish things off.
Defense sets the tone as Arkansas beats Tulsa
That finish matched how the night started. The Razorbacks’ second trip down the field ended with Jackson running one in.
From there, the defense took over.
Tulsa needed seven possessions just to reach the Arkansas side of the field.
The Hogs didn’t allow a point until after halftime.
Tulsa came in unbeaten with talk of a Top 25 season. That talk looks finished now.
The Golden Hurricane’s year comes down to how they handle league play.
Red-zone trips need more touchdowns
The Arkansas defense held Tulsa to 56 total yards in the first half. That’s a decent afternoon for one running back, not a whole offense.
The offense didn’t always return the favor near the goal line.
The Razorbacks got inside the 20 seven times and came away with points every trip.
Just three of those trips produced touchdowns.
Kicker Max Gilbert went 4 for 4 on field goals, with a long of 38 yards. That puts him in a tie for the third-most makes in a game in program history.
Kicking all those field goals kept Tulsa in the game longer than it should’ve been.
That won’t cut it in College Station.
What’s next for both teams
The Hogs hit the road Saturday to face No. 23 Texas A&M.
Tulsa stays home Saturday to host North Texas.
