LIVE BLOG: Offense returns for Hogs; nearly 700 yards in 58-25 win over MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. — At first blush, it’s understandable how Arkansas fans are looking past today’s game with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

After all, State is 1-6 on the season and running out of chances fast for their first SEC win in Jeff Lebby’s first season. The Razorbacks want to erase the memory of a 34-14 loss to LSU last week that dropped them to 4-3 overall, but at 2-2 in the league they are only a game back from being in the conversation for the SEC Championship game in Atlanta in December.

The Bulldogs don’t have many chances left for a league win the rest of the year. The Hogs better not think they are the biggest and baddest thing the Dawgs have seen this year. They just played Texas, Georgia and Texas A&M the last three games. State has seen some pretty good teams.

We’ll have all the highlights and scoring plays here until the end. Scroll to the end every time to stay in order that things happened.

The Razorbacks will be decked out in their traditional white road uniform while State is in all maroon with the white stripes on the pants. Weather won’t be an issue, which hasn’t been a problem in any game this season.

Q1 13:06: Landon Jackson got the Razorbacks rolling, stripping Michael Van Buren on the second play, then a pair of runs up the middle by freshman Braylen Russell (making his first start) allowed Taylen Green to sprint in around the right side from 8 yards out and an early lead. Hogs 7, Bulldogs 0

Q1 11:45: That didn’t last long. The Bulldogs get a break on a facemask penalty and the offense came to life when Van Burn flipped a little screen to Devon Booth, who got a couple of blocks. Arkansas’ secondary couldn’t get a handle on him and he raced 54 yards down the right sideline to tie the game. Hogs 7, Bulldogs 7

Q1 8:50: Nobody appears to have a lot of interest in tackling anybody as the Razorbacks drive 66 yards in 7 plays with Russell carrying a lot of the load himself. The drive stalls and Matthew Shipley has at least get points with a 23-yard field goal. Hogs 10, Bulldogs 7

Q1 2:09: Razorbacks drive 78 yards and face a fourth-and-short, then offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino pulls out one of his old favorites. Green faked a handoff inside, then pulls up and finds tight end Luke Hasz with nobody in maroon in the same zip code and threw a 14-yard scoring pass. Hasz could have run to Tupelo he was so wide open. Razorbacks 17, Bulldogs 7

Q2 12:44: Bulldogs can’t answere when kicker Kyle Ferrie (from Searcy) missed a 42-yard field goal, leaving the Hogs with a cushion.

Q2 10:50: Razorbacks hitting on all cylinders now (plus Mississippi State is playing absolutely terrible) as Green throws one of his best passes of the season on a hitch route, hitting a diving Jordan Anthony in the end zone for a 27-yard scoring strike. The Hogs drove 76 yards in five plays as Green is getting hot. Hogs 24, Bulldogs 7

Q2 4:27: Razorbacks’ domination becomes clear when Mississippi State has four tries from Arkansas 2 and the defense keeps them out of the end zone. Part of that may have been Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby’s first-year inexperience or the talent differential may be just that great. For whatever reason, though, the Hogs hang on to their lead with no further damage done.

Q2 1:54: Bulldogs finally put together another long drive and miss another video review of a possible touchdown made worse when the receiver threw the ball into the stands thinking he’d scored. Ferrie kicks a 36-yard field goal to slow the bleeding. Hogs 24, Bulldogs 10

Q2 :16: Razorbacks build a three-score lead going into halftime as they drive 75 yards in eight plays and Green throws a 1-yard pass to Andreas Paaske. Hogs 31, Bulldogs 10

Q3 11:23: Now the object for the Razorbacks is to shorten the game and come home. They take the second-half kickoff and march 62 in eight plays yards before having to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Shipley. Hogs 34, Bulldogs 10

Q3 6:51: Where has Paaske been all this time. He catches his second touchdown pass of the game and it’s turned into a blowout and there’s still most of the second half to play. Hogs 41, Bulldogs 10

Q3 4:40: I’m sure both coaches didn’t tell the defenses to take it easy, but it’s hard to prove they didn’t. State gets a 31-yard scoring pass to Kevin Coleman that was confirmed on a review (apparently his heel didn’t touch at the 7) and it’s officially a track meet with one of the runners limping a little. Hogs 41, Bulldogs 17

Q3 3:57: Green pass intercepted by Nic Mitchell and the Bulldogs get a 4-yard run from Van Buren followed by a 2-point conversion pass from to Kelly Akharaiyi and they are only two scores down. Will Petrino keep Green throwing the ball? Hogs 41, Bulldogs 25

Q4 14:04: Razorbacks manage an answer, eating the clock and getting points. They drive 64 yards in 10 plays before having to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Shipley to push the lead back to three scores. Hogs 44, Bulldogs 25

Q4 5:51: Razorbacks get a fumble inches from a touchdown, then Braylen Russell pops a 78-yard run that barely gets to the Red Zone at the other end. Green finishes the drive with a 15-yard pass into a tight window to Luke Hasz to make it a bigger spread. Hogs 51, Bulldogs 25

Q4 4:50: State’s Van Buren throws a quick interception to Xavian Sorey and the Hogs, with Malachi Singleton at quarterback, waste little time against a Mississippi State defense that’s simply not very good. Rashod Dubinion runs it in from the 3 and now everybody is just trying to get to end. Hogs 58, Bulldogs 25

Arkansas, now 5-3 on the season (3-2 SEC) will host Ole Miss next week at 11:45 a.m. on SEC Network.