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Arkansas has earned right to have some luck like win over Bulldogs

Razorbacks earned Saturday’s “fortunate” win over Mississippi State when their kicker couldn’t make one to save his life.

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Sam Pittman didn’t use the word “luck” after Arkansas’ 31-28 win over Mississippi State on Saturday.

He simply called it “fortunate.”

It was all of that and maybe a little more. In the end, though, the Razorbacks earned every bit of that fortunate win.

First of all, Bulldogs kicker Nolan McCord, bless his heart, missed three field goals. That includes a 40-yarder as time expired that would have tied the game and put it into overtime.

“I knew they were going to miss it,” Pittman said after the game.

He was kidding. He was just hoping.

“Oh, shoot,” he added. “I hate it for the kid and all of that, but I told them after the end of the game when there’s no time on the clock, all anybody cares about is who won. They completed three good balls there, went right down the middle.”

Now that’s what folks will be discussing … or should be.

Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers shredded the Hogs’ secondary for 417 yards. The Bulldogs’ kicker ended nearly as many drives as Arkansas’ secondary.

Still, though, the Hogs pulled out a win, mainly because KJ Jefferson has developed into an SEC quarterback that can make plays when he needs to make them. Sometimes that includes throwing an incompletion on purpose.

He directed a 10-play, 75-yard drive that almost was de-railed on a fourth-and-1 on the Mississippi State 25. Jefferson rolled to his right and threw it into the ground but it didn’t matter because the Bulldogs were called for holding Treylon Burks.

“I kept saying to (Kendal) Briles on the headset ‘Get the first down. Get the first down,’” Pittman said. “Obviously, he had shut me off at that time because he was rolling out. I said get the first down. We’ve got two timeouts. Get the first down. Get the first down.

“He knows that I mean run the football. But  it changed big time. I saw the flag. I didn’t know if it was on them or us, but I sure was hoping.

“Somebody up top said they got a holding call. I figured at that point we’d have a pretty good chance to score.”

You’d assume he was referring to the coaches in the pressbox.

But considering the way things were going you have to at least wonder, right?

No, the Hogs earned the right to win the game … with or without luck.

In fact, Arkansas has earned the right to come out on top in a game like that.

Plenty have gone the other way.

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2024 Razorbacks Football

Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
Sat, Sep 7@ Oklahoma StateL, 31-39 2OT
Sat, Sep 14vs UABW, 37-27
Sat, Sep 21@ AuburnW, 24-14
Sat, Sep 28vs Texas A&M (Arl)L, 21-17
Sat, Oct 5vs TennesseeW, 19-14
Sat, Oct 19vs LSUL, 34-10
Sat, Oct 26@ Mississippi StateW, 58-25
Sat, Nov 2vs Ole MissL, 63-31
Sat, Nov 16vs TexasL, 20-10
Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana Tech3:00 PM
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Sat, Nov 30@ Missouri2:30 PM
SEC Network
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2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (25)10-02681
2.Greenwood (2)10-02343
30Conway9-12022
4.Little Rock Parkview9-11714
5.Bentonville7-31625
6.Benton9-11486
7.Fayetteville8-21117
8.Pulaski Academy8-2898
9.Rogers7-3439
10.Joe T. Robinson9-122
Others receiving votes: Valley View 8, Mountain Home 7, Cabot 6, Little Rock Catholic 6, Shiloh Christian 6, Elkins 1, Farmington 1.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (27)10-01351
2.Conway9-11022
3.Bentonville7-3813
4.Fayetteville8-2454
5.Pulaski Academy8-2395
Others receiving votes: Rogers 3.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (27)10-01351
2.Benton9-11082
3.Mountain Home8-2623
4.Shiloh Christian7-3494
5.Little Rock Catholic9-1345
Others receiving votes: Marion 6.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (27)9-11351
2.Joe T. Robinson9-11062
3.Valley View10-0793
4.Farmington9-1484
5.Hot Springs Lakeside8-2205
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 7, Harding Academy 7, Morrilton 3.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (20)10-01261
3.Arkadelphia (5)8-2913
2.Little Rock Mills (1)10-0682
4.Warren8-2554
5.Dardanell (1)9-123
Southside Batesville10-023
Others receiving votes: Malvern 12, Gravette 5, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
1.Bismarck (12)10-01051t
2.Fordyce (10)10-0961t
3.Prescott (1)9-1704
4.Osceola (2)8-1543
5.Booneville (1)9-1395
Others receiving votes: Mansfield (1) 23, Rivercrest 10, Rison 4, Salem 4.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (20)10-01271
2.Conway Christian (7)10-01152
3.Des Arc8-2595
4.East Poinsett Co.7-352
5.Bigelow6-4183
Murfreesboro7-3184
Others receiving votes: Mount Ida 6, Junction City 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (27)5-0811
2.Midland9-0532
3.Cedar Ridge8-1253
Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3.

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