Football
LIVE BLOG: Rebels dominate offensive numbers but Hogs dominate scoreboard
Keep up with all the action from a cold Razorback Stadium on Saturday night with Ole Miss-Razorbacks.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ole Miss rang up yards like a slot machine that got stuck.
Arkansas was just fine with building up a 35-6 halftime lead and coasting in the second half to a 42-27 win over the Rebels.
Now the Razorbacks have qualified for a bowl game. That will be determined in a few weeks and the season finale on Friday at Missouri will also play a role in sorting that out.
The Hogs got 503 yards of total offense while the Rebels had 650. Ole Miss also had 12 costly penalties and two fumbles, which let things get out of hand quickly.
Quarterback KJ Jefferson threw for 168 yards on 17-of-22 passing with three touchdowns and running back Raheim Sanders had 232 yards on the ground.
The Hogs are now 6-5 on the year headed back on the road to finish things up.
The cold weather showed up as planned.
Ole Miss won the opening toss and got the ball first and overcome a first-down holding call before fumbling and Drew Sanders recovered.
The Razorbacks’ offense was sluggish with a three-and-out.
This is the live blog and we’ll have updates throughout Arkansas-Ole Miss tonight at Razorback Stadium.
First Quarter
1Q 8:28: Razorbacks get offense moving for a seven-play, 69-yard drive, with quarterback KJ Jefferson making plays, including a couple of passes to tight end Trey Knox and a 23-yard sprint to the 8. He hit Matt Landers on a quick slant for an 8-yard scoring pass and an early lead. Hogs 7, Rebels 0.
1Q 3:44: This is more like what the Hogs’ offense was supposed to be. After Ole Miss has a touchdown called back for a holding penalty, Jefferson hits Landers in the end zone with a 23-yard scoring pass. Hogs 14, Rebels 0.
Second Quarter
2Q 2:00: Ole Miss finally gets some offense with Jaxson Dart throwing for 53 yards to Malik Heath. The Rebels stalled, though, and had to settle for a 45-yard field goal from Jonathan Cruz, but this doesn’t appear to look like the end of the scoring on the night. Hogs 14, Rebels 3.
2Q 14:03: This time it’s Ketron Jackson on the receiving end of a Jefferson touchdown pass, 20 yards to open a big lead. Hogs 21, Rebels 3.
2Q 4:38: Ole Miss piling up more holding penalties (six for 57 yards in first half) and Cruz kicks a 32-yard field goal after the second touchdown of the night was called back on a holding penalty. Hogs 28, Rebels 6.
2Q 2:20: This one is turning into a breakaway as the Hogs’ offense has put up 326 yards, including 198 on the ground (Raheim Sanders has 146 of that total). Sanders scores on a 20-yard run over the left side and this may be a hill too big for the Rebels to dig themsleves out of. Hogs 28, Rebels 6.
2Q :05: Going for the kill shot just before halftime may have blown this one wide open. The Hogs go 48 yards in six plays with Sanders getting the last eight and it looks like the running game may start putting this one away. Hogs 35, Rebels 6.
Second Half
3Q 14:16: Hogs blow things open completely in the first minute of the second half with a 68-yard scoring run by Raheim Sanders, who has just had a ridiculous 221 yards with nearly a half left. Hogs 42, Rebels 6.
Fourth Quarter
4Q 14:02: Ole Miss finally gets a touchdown but it took them nearly 46 minutes. Quinshon Judkins got in from a yard out but by now all the Hogs have to do is don’t give up a bunch of cheap quick scores after the Rebels blew a two-point conversion. Hogs 42, Rebels 12.
4Q 8:02: Nobody has played defense in this game. The Rebels get a 48-yard scoring run by Zach Evans and you might want to sit down for this: Ole Miss has 590 yards of offense while the Hogs have 512 … but they have a 22-point lead. Hogs 42, Rebels 20.
4Q 2:55: Ole Miss adds a so-what touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Jaxson Dart to Malik Heath. Hogs 42, Rebels 27.