In a matchup that looked like a mismatch on paper, the 2-3 Arkansas Razorbacks came out swinging against the 12th-ranked, 4-1 Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee, a 10-point favorite at home, looked poised to roll but Arkansas had other plans.
The Razorbacks played a near-perfect first half, stunning the home crowd by going blow-for-blow with the Vols and entering halftime tied at 17-17.
Arkansas struck first, marching 75 yards on their opening possession and capping it with a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Tennessee responded with an equally efficient 75-yard drive of their own, tying things up and setting the stage for what became a surprising back-and-forth battle. After Arkansas added a field goal, Tennessee answered with one of their own.
The second quarter saw Arkansas reclaim the lead with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that burned nearly six minutes off the clock. But the Vols responded quickly again, needing just five plays and under two minutes to knot the score once more. The half ended with both teams deadlocked and momentum up for grabs.
Statistically, Arkansas dominated the ground game in the first half, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Mike Washington Jr. powered the Razorbacks with 100 yards and a score on just 11 carries. Quarterback Taylen Green added another 26 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also completing 9 of 11 passes for 95 yards though he did lose a key fumble.
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar kept the Volunteers competitive, throwing for 133 first-half yards and a touchdown, with wide receiver Braylon Staley hauling in five catches for 105 yards, including a 42-yard deep strike. Despite giving up big plays, Tennessee’s defense also applied pressure, racking up 3 sacks and 4 tackles for loss.
The second half began with Tennessee slowly taking control. A 50-yard field goal by Max Gilbert gave the Vols a 20–17 lead early in the third quarter. Minutes later, running back Peyton Lewis broke through for a 2-yard touchdown, capping a 74-yard drive to extend the lead to 27-17.
In the fourth quarter, Lewis struck again. This time from 3 yards out after Arkansas coughed up a fumble deep in their own territory. Suddenly, Tennessee was up 34-17, and the game looked out of reach.
But the Razorbacks refused to quit.
Green responded with a 10-play, 81-yard drive ending in a 9-yard touchdown pass to Rohan Jones. Then, with just under three minutes left, Green engineered another touchdown series, connecting with Kam Shanks from 12 yards out to bring Arkansas within a field goal at 34-31.
Despite the late push, Tennessee held firm in the final moments, running out the clock to escape with a win.
Arkansas actually outgained Tennessee in total yardage 496 to 485, won the time of possession, and had more first downs. But three lost fumbles proved costly in a game that came down to execution in crunch time.
Green finished with 256 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, while Mike Washington Jr. totaled 131 rushing yards. For Tennessee, Aguilar threw for 221 yards and a touchdown, while DeSean Bishop added 146 rushing yards.
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