AUSTIN, Texas — There’s not an often-used nickname for the rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and the Arkansas Razorbacks, but that doesn’t diminish the historical significance of it, now reprised as SEC opponents with the No. 17 Longhorns hosting the Razorbacks in a game for the first time in 34 years with Saturday’s matchup at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The Razorbacks are reeling as a program with the September termination of head coach Sam Pittman failing to change on-field outcomes
with Arkansas now in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, including five under interim head coach Bobby Petrino. Staying competitive hasn’t been an issue, though — the Hogs have only lost one of those five games since Pittman was fired by more than three points, and are coming off a one-point loss to the Tigers in Baton Rouge last week.
So head coach Steve Sarkisian has been adamant this week with his players about the threat that Arkansas poses to Texas in a potential trap game with another rivalry matchup looming next Friday against No. 3 Texas A&M.
That threat is heightened with Longhorns junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. officially ruled out in the final injury report before kickoff at 2:30 p.m. Central on ABC.
First quarter
After winning the toss and deferring, the Texas defense gave up an explosive run on the first play from scrimmage when redshirt senior linebacker Trey Moore and junior linebacker Liona Lefua both got blocked, forcing redshirt senior safety Micheal Taaffe to make a touchdown-saving tackle, a task that he was up for, but only after Arkansas running back Mike Washington gained 41 yards.
Despite the poor start, the Longhorns defense bounced back by forcing two incompletions sandwiched around a one-yard gain by Washington, forcing a 51-yard attempt crushed through the uprights by Scott Starzyk for a 3-0 lead.
For the fourth straight game, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian called a screen pass to sophomore wide receiver Ryan Wingo as his opener, this time a tunnel screen the gained nine yards. Another completion by redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning to sophomore wide receiver Emmett Mosley came on a fake screen and picked up 16 yards. An offside penalty on Arkansas and a carry by Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner got the Longhorns into the shot zone, where they were able to take advantage of the porous Razorbacks secondary as Manning stepped up in the pocket and delivered a strike to junior wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., who was running behind the defense for a 46-yard touchdown thanks to a fake screen to Wingo on the other side of the field.
On a play-action pass by Arkansas to start the drive, neither Taaffe nor junior cornerback Manny Muhammad ran with the tight end off the line of scrimmage, producing a 30-yard gain. Following a four-yard gain by Washington, Texas crashed the running back on a zone read as Moore widened with the motioning tight end into the flat, allowing Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green to pull the ball and pick up 18 yards. Another four-yard run by Washington keep the Razorbacks on schedule and led to a pass initially ruled complete, but overturned on review to negate a six-yard gain. A speed option shovel pass to tight end Rohan Jones gained three yards, setting up 4th and 2 and a decision by Petrino. Taking the conservative option, Arkansas kicked the 33-yard field goal.
Wisner’s run to open the drive went for no gain, but Wingo moved the chains on a run-pass option over the middle. Looking downfield, Manning had to settle for a short scramble against good coverage, and redshirt sophomore running back CJ Baxter’s short gain on second down set up 3rd and 5, where Manning had time to stand in the pocket, allowing Mosley to create separation for a 25-yard gain.
Two runs by Baxter set up another third-and-medium situation with Manning continuing his streak of completions to start the game by hitting junior tight end Jack Endries for a 14-yard catch and run. With 1st and goal at the 10-yard line, Baxter found a cutback lane for six critical yards before Texas called timeout. Out of the timeout, Sarkisian called the Philly Special — a reverse wide receiver pass thrown by redshirt freshman wide receiver Parker Livingstone to Manning, who made a remarkably athletic leaping catch for the score and a 14-6 lead.
It was the first touchdown catch by a Texas quarterback since David Ash caught a four-yard pass from Jaxon Shipley in the 2011 Holiday Bowl win over Cal.
For the third straight drive, the Texas defense gave up an explosive on the first play from scrimmage on a speed option that Moore overran, allowing Green to pick up 25 yards. Just a familiar was the Longhorns responding, forcing an incompletion and limiting Washington to a short gain, but this time the Razorbacks were able to convert on third down when Green scrambled outside the pocket ot buy time to hit an 11-yard completion. A tough run up the middle by Washington picked up nine yards and ended the first quarter.
Second quarter
After Washington gained six yards to secure a fresh set of downs, the New Mexico State transfer found the edge and trucked Taaffe for a 22-yard touchdown run.
Two runs by Wisner gained nine total yards, setting up a jet sweep for Wingo, who got outside and gained 12 yards. Trying to hit a screen to Wisner, Manning had to throw the ball away when Arkansas defended it well, but a busted coverage in the secondary on the next play allowed Manning to return the favor to Livingstone for a 54-yard touchdown.
The Horns managed to limit the Hogs to a five-yard pass on the first play of the ensuing drive. On the second play, a seven-yard run by Washington, the Arkansas star suffered an injury. A good recovery in coverage from freshman nickel back Graceson Littleton forced an incompletion on the sideline on first down, but the Texas secondary had another lapse on second down when junior safety Jelani McDonald was beat on a slant route for 21 yards.
In another play-to-play swing, junior cornerback Warren Roberson forced an incomplete pass before a busted coverage allowed Jones to run free up the seam for 23 yards. With the field constricted, the secondary was able to cover well for three straight plays, forcing Green to scramble unsuccessfully, but Roberson was called for holding on 3rd and 5, affording the Razorbacks a first down.
After a timeout by Arkansas, trying to work the flat on a play-action pass result in a short gain, Washington couldn’t find much space up the middle, but when Green pulled a zone read and ran behind an arc block for a four-yard touchdown run and a 21-20 deficit.
Manning sailed a pass over Mosley on second down, and the Stanford transfer couldn’t come up with a catch in traffic on third down, resulting in the game’s first punt.
A short checkdown and a quarterback run that was better defended by Texas resulted in a three and out for Arkansas, too, when Green’s third-down pass went incomplete.
That started a series of bad plays for the Longhorns — Moore inexplicably fielded a punt at the goal line instead of allowing the touchback, Manning had a ball batted at the line of scrimmage and had to knock it down in the end zone, then underthrew a pass to Livingstone, who was open deep, resulting in the pass getting broken up.
On third down, however, Wingo drew a pass-interference penalty, keeping the Texas offense on the field to pick up a short down on a run by Wisner. A screen to redshirt sophomore running back/wide receiver Ryan Niblett was stopped for no gain, sett up third and long, a nice play by Manning to avoid pressure and hit Wingo for a chunk play.
A holding penalty on Arkansas moved Texas into plus territory, where Wisner bounced a run for four yards before the Horns got behind the chains when sophomore right tackle Brandon Baker was called for holding as Manning tried to scramble under pressure.
Coming out of the two-minute timeout, Manning threw the ball with good anticipation of Mosley’s break, but the pass went wide and Mosley couldn’t come up with the diving catch. When Manning was hit on his third-down pass attempt, it fell incomplete and Texas was forced to punt for a second straight drive.
The effort by graduate punter Jack Bouwmeester pinned Arkansas at its 11-yard line with two timeouts and 1:40 remaining in the half. A quick three and out for the Razorbacks led to a punt with 57 seconds remaining. With the punt block on, several players came close, but Devin Bale was able to successfully it it away, although the pressure forced a shank that only traveled 21 yards, a significant development for the Longhorns with 50 seconds left.
Taking a shot from the 35-yard line, Moore wasn’t able to come up with a contested pass near the goal line. On second down, Wisner picked up seven yards, leading Texas to use its second timeout of the half with 37 seconds remaining. A run by Wisner couldn’t make the yard to gain and Sarkisian opted not to use his second timeout and go for it on fourth down, settling for a field-goal attempt instead, with redshirt senior kicker Mason Shipley hitting from 44 yards to take a 24-21 lead into halftime.
Third quarter
Manning started the second half well by hitting Mosley for 30 yards and Endries for 36 yards down towards the goal line, where Texas picked up some extra yardage on an Arkansas penalty, although it came on a play when Manning missed Mosley in the end zone when he sailed his pass. The next play was almost a disaster when Baxter couldn’t handle a direct snap. The drive ended successfully, however, when Manning showed some good vision and quick feet running up the middle for a three-yard touchdown and an 11-point lead.
The Texas defense inflicted its first negative play of the game with McDonald playing big nickel and leveraging a speed option, but a completion to Jones working against Moore in coverage moved the chains. Another tackle for loss by the Longhorns came on 2nd and 2, affording the defense a chance to get off the field.
After trying to take advantage of the sudden change with an unsuccessful shot play, Wisner picked up eight yards with a patient run, then spun out of an attempted tackle to secure the first down. Taking advantage of the attention that defenses pay to Niblett, a fake screen produced an 18-yard completion to Wingo. On a play-action pass, Endries created some separation, but Manning’s mechanics let him down and he missed the touchdown pass. Texas faced 3rd and goal from the 8-yard line after a short run by Wisner and Manning came through, scrambling out of pressure and finding Moore in the end zone with a pinpoint pass for a 38-20 lead.
Redshirt freshman KJ Jackson entered the game for Arkansas on a critical drive for the Razorbacks to avoid further separation. With a chance to get off the field, the Longhorns defense missed an assignment, allowing Washington to run a wheel route uncovered for a 26-yard gain. Two runs by Washington couldn’t find much space, setting up 3rd and 7 once again. Scrambling outside the pocket, Jackson was able to pick up the first down.
As the Texas first-down defense showed signs of improvement, the Horns inflicted another negative play on a run by Washington before Littleton broke up a pass over the middle. Texas appeared to get a stop on a big hit from sophomore linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith, but the Jasper product was flagged for targeting, a call upheld on review that led to Smith’s ejection, leaving the Horns short at linebacker and Smith out for the first half against No. 3 Texas A&M on Friday.
Freshman cornerback Kade Phillips broke up a pass in the end zone before Jackson’s next pass went off the referee. Texas got the stop when Taaffe broke up a short pass attempt. For the third time, Arkansas was able to convert the field-goal opportunity, cutting the margin to 38-23.
Manning connected with Livingstone for another big play, a 50-yard gain, and Texas was able to survive a penalty and Manning’s proclivity to miss crossing route when the Longhorns quarterback scrambled to buy enough time to hit Moore, who was able to find the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown for a 45-23 lead late in the third quarter.
The third quarter ended after Arkansas secured a first down after a completion and a run by Jackson.
Fourth quarter
Pressure from Moore forced Jackson to throw the ball away on the first play of the fourth quarter before Jones got open when Moore didn’t carry his route deep enough, resulting in a 27-yard gain. Another first down extended the drive for Arkansas, which nearly ended with an interception by Littleton that fell incomplete instead.
The drive did end on fourth down when Texas sophomore edge Colin Simmons was able to work his speed rush, creating a strip sack that junior linebacker Liona Lefau returned 52 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 52-23.
Texas couldn’t finish the game strong defensively, allowing two late scores, but it only made the final margin appear closer than the actually was when the Horns put it away early in the fourth quarter.
