The Arkansas Razorbacks gave the #15 Texas Longhorns an early welcome to the SEC gift this Saturday. While the Longhorns were believing they were back once again, the Razorbacks gave them a reality check on their current status. Everything was in favor of Arkansas as the players, coaches, and even the load fans were a deciding factor as the Razorbacks shocked the ranked Longhorns 40-21.
The Razorbacks knew they would be in a tough fight against the favored Longhorns on both sides of the ball. It was all defense in the first quarter as there was no momentum for either offense. The Razorbacks outgained the Longhorns 92-to-56 and first downs 4-to-2. Arkansas went into the second quarter with a 3-0, and the game swung into their favor through the remainder of the game.
In Arkansas' first drive in the second quarter, they took a seven-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in a five-yard rushing touchdown from running back Dominique Johnson to bring Arkansas up 10-0. The Razorbacks' defense continued to be aggressive in stopping the run and staying strong coverage. The Razorbacks were only sending the defensive linemen as the linebackers and defensive backs covered a lot of zones. Even when the Razorbacks were sending in three or four defensive linemen, they were getting to Longhorns quarterback Hudson Card. The defense of Arkansas only allowed 22 total yards on four drives from Texas.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Razorbacks were finding several holes with the Longhorns' defense. The offensive line of the Razorbacks was creating a great push on the Longhorns' defense as the running backs were quick to respond. In the second quarter, Arkansas accounted for 136 total yards on offense with 97 of them on the ground. The Razorbacks were able to score one touchdown and two field goals in the second quarter as they went into halftime with a 16-0 score.
The tenacious mentality of the Razorbacks on both sides of the ball did not stop going into the third quarter. They continued to ground and pound the Longhorns' defense as they averaged 6.3 yards per rush on 14 carries for 88 yards. The offense for the Razorbacks averaged eight yards per play, while the defense only allowed 3.7 yards per play from the Longhorns' offense. Texas finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter with a one-yard run from star running back Bijan Robinson.
By the time the Longhorns found some rhythm on offense in the fourth quarter, the Razorbacks already created a 33-7 lead. Even with two drives that resulted in touchdowns, the Razorbacks were up too high on Texas. The defense of the Razorbacks forced the Longhorns' offense to be one-dimensional by shutting down the passing game.
Arkansas' defense only allowed 118 passing yards from the offense of Texas. Their pass rush from a regular three-man front was tremendous as they consistently pressured Card into bad throws. The defense of the Razorbacks accounted for 11 tackles for loss and three sacks. Linebackers Hayden Henry and Grant Morgan were all over the field for Arkansas. Henry accounted for 15 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Morgan accounted for 13 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
The offense for the Razorbacks accumulated 471 total yards with 333 of them in the rushing game. Arkansas had five rushers that averaged at least six yards per rush on at least six carries. The starting offensive line were the most valuable players of the game as they were consistent in creating push at the line of scrimmage and making key blocks at the linebacker level.
Before their win over Texas, Arkansas was 1-17 versus ranked opponents since 2017. This win over the Longhorns gives a big push for the Razorbacks a chance to go to a postseason bowl game for the first time since the 2016 season. Arkansas is currently ranked 20th in the newest AP Poll after Week two. The #20 Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0) will be back at home this upcoming Saturday as they will take on the Georgia Southern Eagles (1-1).