Mississippi State stopped Arkansas on all three of the Razorbacks’ fourth-down attempts in Saturday’s 40-17 Bulldogs win.
None of those tries was more critical than Arkansas’s attempt to punch the football in early in the third quarter.
With Mississippi State leading 27-10, the Razorbacks tried to get back into the game.
The Bulldogs weren’t having it.
MSU buckled down in the red zone, forcing a turnover on downs at the 1-yard line and extinguishing Arkansas’s comeback hopes.
“We were tough on fourth down,” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said. “It was key to be tough. And it was also key to be ahead. In some cases, they had to go for it on fourth down when maybe they didn’t want to.”
Here’s how the Razorbacks’ key drive unfolded and how the Bulldogs managed to stop them.
Play No. 1: First and 10 at the Arkansas 25. Arkansas received an MSU kickoff for a touchback after Will Rogers found Caleb Ducking for a 33-yard touchdown pass. The Razorbacks waste no time: Raheim Sanders runs to the right for a 12-yard gain before the SEC Network cameras can even catch him.
Play No. 2: First and 10 at the Arkansas 37. Quarterback Malik Hornsby moves to his left to avoid pressure by Nathan Pickering, lined up at defensive end. Hornsby throws deep for wide receiver Jadon Haselwood, who stands wide open inside the Mississippi State 30-yard line. Haselwood makes the grab at the 28, spins away from safety Jackie Matthews and is tackled by cornerback Decamerion Richardson. Leach praised Hornsby’s arm after the game, saying the Razorbacks backup might not be “perfectly accurate, but he can throw it forever.”
Play No. 3: First and 10 at the Mississippi State 19. Hornsby lines up with Haselwood next to him and Sanders behind the quarterback. Sanders finds a hole off the left side and runs inside the 15, but several Bulldogs combine to bring him down for a six-yard gain. Sanders had 20 carries but totaled just 86 yards.
Play No. 4: Second and 4 at the MSU 13. The Razorbacks continue to use tempo in hopes of flustering the Bulldogs, as Hornsby calls for the snap with 33 seconds left on the play clock. But linebacker Jett Johnson makes quick contact on Sanders, bringing down the Arkansas running back before he can cross the first-down marker. Johnson finished with 11 tackles to lead Mississippi State and has a team-leading 57 tackles this season.
Play No. 5: Third and 1 at the MSU 10. Sanders uses his size and skill to get the first down, cutting to the right edge and meeting Matthews in space. A stiff-arm helps Sanders get past the sticks easily, and he runs inside the 5-yard line before going down at the 2. Sanders leads the SEC in rushing by more than 100 yards over Ole Miss freshman Quinshon Judkins.
Play No. 6: First and goal at the MSU 2. Arkansas sends Haselwood in motion for the second straight play, but again, it’s just a distraction. Sanders plows straight into nose tackle Cameron Young and linebacker Tyrus Wheat, and he’s brought down at the 1-yard line. Linebacker Nathaniel Watson — who returned for the second half after being suspended for the first half because of a targeting penalty against Texas A&M — helps make the stop.
Play No. 7: Second and goal at the MSU 1. Dominique Johnson gets his first and only carry of the game for Arkansas, and it doesn’t go very well. Defensive end De’Monte Russell reads the play excellently, getting into the backfield quickly and jumping on Johnson. Jett Johnson helps Russell take down the Arkansas running back for no gain.
Play No. 8: Third and goal at the MSU 1. With the ball barely half a yard from the goal line, Arkansas lines up in shotgun and executes a pass play instead of a run. Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and linebacker Tyrus Wheat bite on a play-action fake, but safety Collin Duncan reads the play well and charges Hornsby. The quarterback’s throw is way off target and sails out of the side of the end zone, setting up Arkansas’s second fourth-down attempt of the game and a pivotal play in the game.
Play No. 9: Fourth and goal at the MSU 1. Arkansas goes with an empty backfield and four receivers on the right side before motioning two men onto the line and putting running back Rashod Dubinion to Hornsby’s right. Dubinion takes the shotgun handoff, but the Razorbacks’ line collapses, and defensive tackle Randy Charlton and Matthews tackle the Arkansas back at the 1. The Bulldogs’ stand maintains a 17-point lead. “It really was great — the atmosphere, our fans just going crazy,” Charlton said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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