Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Rutgers 35, Arkansas 26

Why Arkansas Lost
The Razorbacks nearly matched Rutgers in total yards, but blew several scoring opportunities. Tyler Wilson was intercepted in the end zone on a throw from the Rutgers 9. One drive earlier things ended when Mekale McKay dropped an open touchdown pass on third down. Early in the game, Arkansas ran Knile Davis on a fourth-and-two from the Rutgers 24 instead of trying a 41 yard field goal, but Davis could only gain one yard. The Razorback defense even nearly picked up what would have been a huge safety late in the game, but Jawan Jamison spun out of the end zone for a 24 yard gain. Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova completed 25 of 35 passes for 397 yards and five touchdowns, torching the Arkansas secondary. Rutgers entered with the nation's 103rd ranked passing offense.

Turning Point
Arkansas held a 10-0 lead going into the second quarter and appeared to have Rutgers stopped when the Scarlet Knights lined up to punt on a fourth-and-two from Rutgers’ 33-yard line. The punt turned out to be a fake and Rutgers picked up a first down, leading to a touchdown at the end of the drive. The drive nearly ended on a field goal, but Byran Jones was off-sides, resulting in a first down for Rutgers and their first touchdown on the next play.

Cobi’s Record
If there’s anything positive that gets remembered from this game, Cobi Hamilton set an SEC record for receiving yards in a game with 303 on nine catches. He also scored all three of Arkansas’ touchdowns. It appeared Hamilton was going to have to put the team on his back if there was going to be any chance for a victory, similar to how Jarius Wright set Arkansas’ previous single game receiving record in last year’s comeback victory over Texas A&M, but Arkansas couldn’t complete the comeback this year.

Moving The Chains
The Razorback defense was able to get off the field when Arkansas forced a third down in the first half, holding the Scarlet Knights to 0-for-6 on third down conversions. However, the Hogs couldn’t keep it up in the second half, allowing Rutgers to convert on five of nine third down attempts. Included in the second half was an early drive in which Rutgers went three-for-three on third down with a 19-yard touchdown. On the other side, Arkansas only converted two third downs throughout the game, both coming in the first half.

Welcome Back, Tyler
Quarterback Tyler Wilson made his highly-anticipated return for the Hogs after missing last week with a concussion and was greeted with a sack on the opening play of the game. Wilson completed 20-of-40 passes for 419 yards and three scores but also threw two costly interceptions. The final interception came after the ball bounced off Demetrius Wilson while Wilson was sliding on the field. The ball nearly bounced off the ground, but an official review confirmed the interception, effectively ending the game.

Rushing To Nowhere
The Razorbacks have yet to find a balanced offense they hoped for going into the season. On 19 total attempts, Arkansas only gained 73 total yards, which includes the sack on Wilson and his 14-yard scramble. Knile Davis accumulated just 24 yards on 10 carries, while Dennis Johnson picked up 47 yards on only six attempts. Freshman Jonathan Williams took the second rushing play of the game two yards but didn’t get another carry the rest of the game.

White Helmets
Arkansas debuted its white helmets for the Rutgers game, and it’s possible they may never again see the light of day. They clearly didn’t bring the Razorbacks any change of luck. It was the first time Arkansas wore white helmets since 1952.

Injury Update
Tight end Chris Gragg suffered a lower leg injury in the first half. He walked on his own back to the dressing room but did not return to the game. He had two catches for eight yards at the time of the injury.

Wilson On The Board
Demetrius Wilson picked up his first receptions in a Razorback uniform, collecting two passes for 30 yards, including a big 25 yard pass that set up a Razorback touchdown late in the game.

Speaking Out
“We stopped the run, kept them under a hundred yards. Jawan [Jamison] goes over a hundred yards. That’s the Rutgers way. That’s our formula. Run the football, stop the run.”
—Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood

“Physically, I feel good, but deep down inside it’s not so good.”
— Tyler Wilson on his return

Up Next
The Razorbacks (1-3) head out of state for the first time this season to take on Texas A&M (2-1) in College Station, Texas. Kickoff is set for 11:21 a.m. on the SEC Network.