OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss, the team that began Arkansas’ SEC losing streak last season, kept it going on Saturday with the Rebels’ 34-24 victory at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The Razorbacks have dropped 10 consecutive SEC games since losing to Ole Miss, 30-27, last season in Little Rock.
It’s the longest SEC losing streak for the Razorbacks since they joined the conference for the 1992 season and also includes losses to South Carolina (twice), Mississippi State, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, Alabama and Auburn.
Arkansas’ last SEC victory came against Kentucky last season, when the Razorbacks won 49-7 in a game stopped in the third quarter because of lightning.
Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, they don’t play Kentucky this season. The Wildcats suffered their 13th consecutive SEC loss on Saturday when Missouri won 48-17 at Kentucky.
Bad mistake
Arkansas redshirt freshman tight end Jeremy Sprinkle wasn’t dressed out for the second half after being called for a personal-foul penalty during kickoff coverage that helped set up an Ole Miss touchdown just before halftime.
Sprinkle’s infraction occurred after Arkansas scored to cut Ole Miss’ lead to 13-10. Zach Hocker kicked the ball into the end zone for a touchback that would start the Rebels at their 25 with 2:43 left in the second quarter, but Sprinkle was flagged for something he did while running down the field in coverage.
That gave the Rebels the ball at their 40, and they went 60 yards in eight plays for a touchdown.
Nkemdiche ejected
Ole Miss true freshman defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, one of the most highly recruited players in the country last season, was ejected with 4:57 left in the fourth quarter.
Nkemdiche made contact with Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen after his touchdown pass to Julian Horton. Arkansas guard Dan Skipper shoved Nkemdiche to get him away from Allen, and Nkemdiche used both arms to retaliate and knocked Skipper to the turf.
Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze said referee Tom Ritter told him it was a “vicious enough” hit that it led to an ejection.
“He said it was not a fight,” Freeze said. “I don’t think there’s any penalty moving forward. I’ll double check, but I don’t think so.
“I don’t mind mistakes, but we don’t want a selfish act that hurts our football team.”Another whiff
It’s been a difficult season for Razorbacks junior cornerback Tevin Mitchel when it comes to missing tackles.
Bo Wallace’s 52-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief gave Ole Miss a 34-17 lead in the third quarter and marked the fifth time this season an opponent has scored when Mitchel has been in position to make a tackle.
It also happened twice against Florida, once against Alabama and once against Auburn.
“We do tackling drills everyday,” Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. “We try to get creative, but obviously Tevin’s really struggling in that department.”
True freshman D.J. Dean replaced Mitchel against Ole Miss.
Ex-ASU coaches
Arkansas has its policy of not scheduling other in-state schools in athletic events,but Arkansas State fans may be cheered by the fact the Red Wolves’ previous two football coaches are a combined 3-0 against the Razorback since 2012.
Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze, who led ASU to a 10-2 record in 2011, has beaten Arkansas in his first two matchups with the Rebels.
Auburn, under first-year Coach Gus Mazahn, won 35-17 at Arkansas last week. Malzahn coached ASU to a 9-3 record last season after replacing Freeze.
Where ya been?
Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen’s first pass went to a surprising target - senior wide receiver Julian Horton - for a 25-yard gain.
It was Horton’s first catch in six SEC games and his longest play of the season. His last reception hadbeen at Rutgers, for a 6-yard gain.
Horton led the Razorbacks with four catches for 66 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass from Allen in the fourth quarter. It was Horton’s first touchdown this season.
Horton came into the game with six catches for 57 yards.
First for Hodge
Arkansas redshirt sophomore defensive tackle DeMarcus Hodge got his first career sack when he dropped Bo Wallace for a 10-yard loss on a third-and-9 play from the Razorbacks’ 14 on the Rebels’ first series.
Ole Miss settled for a 42-yard field goal by Andrew Ritter.
Finally, turnovers
Arkansas was plus-one in turnover margin, the first time the Hogs have held an advantage in six SEC games. The Razorbacks had two takeaways - interceptions by safeties Alan Turner and Eric Bennett - turned it over once on a Brandon Allen’s interception.
The Razorbacks had 13 turnovers and one takeaway - a fumble recovery against South Carolina - in their previous SEC games.
Happy return
Arkansas senior Javontee Herndon came close to passing his season total for punt-return yards on his 31-yard return in the third quarter.
Herndon had six returns for 36 yards before that play. He had one return for a 1-yard loss in five previous SEC games.
Coming into Saturday’s game, Ole Miss had allowed just 76 punt return yards on the season, with a high of 21 by LSU.
Ole Miss comeback
Technically, Saturday’s game qualified as a comeback victory for Ole Miss because Arkansas took a 3-0 lead.
The Rebels had been 0-3 in games in which their opponent scored first, losing to Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M.
Arkansas has scored first in three of its losses. The Razorbacks lost 28-24 at Rutgers after taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and lost 52-7 to South Carolina after a scoring a touchdown on their first possession.
Big foot
Arkansas senior Zach Hocker is 4 of 6 on field-goal attempts of 50 or more yards for his career after hitting a 51-yard attempt in the first quarter on Saturday. He missed a 58-yard attempt with 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter that would have pulled the Hogs within seven points and put them in position for an onside kick, which if successful, would have provided the Hogs a chance to tie the game.
Hocker’s career long of 53 yards came earlier this season against Samford.
Hill outkicks Campbell
Ole Miss punter Tyler Campbell, a fifth-year senior from Little Rock Catholic, averaged 46.7 yards on three attempts. He had a long punt of 55 yards. But Campbell’s net average was 29.7 yards when Javontee Herndon’s 31-yard punt return is figured in. Arkansas’ Sam Irwin-Hill averaged 48.0 yards on six attempts, and he held a net average of 47.4 yards.
Wardrobe change
Arkansas isn’t going to introduce as many uniform changes as Oregon, but the Razorbacks sported their fourth different combination on Saturday, when they wore red helmets with white jerseys and white pants.
Previously, they mixed red helmets with red jerseys and white pants, red helmets with white jerseys and red pants and white helmets with white jerseys and white pants.
The Razorbacks have yet to wear all red or any anthracite, a grayish color they donned last season.
Sports, Pages 32 on 11/10/2013