Why Missouri Won
The Tigers wore Arkansas’ defense down in the second half. Missouri ran 83 offensive plays overall and had 10 plays of at least 9 yards in the final quarter.
Why Arkansas Lost
The Razorbacks couldn’t move the football effectively. Arkansas had 34 plays for 122 yards of offense after halftime and failed to score the last six times it advanced to Missouri territory.
Offensive Player of the Game
Missouri receiver Bud Sasser was a matchup problem for the Razorbacks. Sasser finished the game with nine catches for 127 yards, including a 28-yard catch that put the Tigers inside the Arkansas 5 early in the fourth quarter.
Defensive Player of the Game
Arkansas defensive end Trey Flower wreaked havoc on the Missouri passing game. He finished with a sack and eight tackles, and continued to bolster his stock in next year’s NFL Draft.
Play of the Game
Maty Mauk’s 44-yard pass to Jimmie Hunt on the first play of the fourth quarter set the tone for the rest of the game. The Tigers had tried to hit the long pass the entire game, but weren’t able to do so until the last quarter. Mauk followed up the long pass to Hunt with a 28-yard pass to Bud Sasser a couple of plays later, helping Missouri tie the game.
Allen ineffective
Arkansas stuck with quarterback Brandon Allen the entire game despite the junior struggling to move the offense in the second half.
Allen started the game well, completing 7 of his first 10 passes for 77 yards and throwing a pair of touchdowns to Jonathan Williams and Keon Hatcher.
But his touch was off after halftime as an oblique injury suffered last week against Ole Miss began to affect his throws. Allen was 6-for-20 in the second half for 56 yards.
The junior was in obvious pain on the Razorbacks’ final drive, doubling over after most of his pass attempts. To his credit, he was able to convert a fourth-and-5 on a pass to Hunter Henry and got up from multiple hard hits on the final drive.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said Allen didn’t want to come out of the game in the second half. The team’s backup quarterback, Austin Allen, practiced some with the first team this week but never played against the Tigers.
Turning Point
Arkansas had a chance to put some distance between itself and Missouri late in the first half, but replay nullified that chance.
Trey Flowers forced a fumble by Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk that was recovered by Taiwan Johnson at the Tigers 19 with less than two minutes before halftime.
Surprisingly, replay overturned the call with the official determining Mauk’s arm was going forward with the ball as he was hit, resulting in an incomplete pass. The Tigers responded by quickly moving the ball down the field and kicking a 51-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Instead of Arkansas potentially increasing its lead to 21-3 or 17-3 after the turnover, the Razorbacks only led 14-6 at halftime.
Skipper blocks again
Arkansas offensive lineman Dan Skipper was a force in the middle of the Razorbacks’ field goal block team last season, but hadn’t been heard from in that department until Friday.
Skipper blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Andrew Baggett in the third quarter. The 6-foot-10 lineman got his hand on the low line drive with the Razorbacks leading 14-6.
The blocked field goal was the fourth of Skipper’s career. He also blocked field goals last season against Rutgers, Florida and Mississippi State.
Fans rush the field
Missouri clinched its second straight division championship in its third year as a SEC member Friday.
Thousands of fans celebrated the win by running on to the field when the game ended, emptying most of the lower bowl at Faurot Field.
The celebration will cost Missouri, which was fined for its fans rushing the field last season. The SEC fine for a second offense is $25,000.
By the Numbers
71,168 - Attendance at Faurot Field
148:58 - Game time Arkansas hadn’t allowed a score prior to a second quarter Missouri field goal
1906 - Last time Arkansas and Missouri had played in Columbia prior to Friday
83 - Offensive plays for the Tigers
35 - Yard punt return by Razorbacks receiver Jared Cornelius - the longest this year in a SEC game
23 - More rushing yards for Arkansas punter Sam Irwin-Hill after a third quarter fake
12 - Arkansas penalties for 93 yards
8 - Razorback possessions that reached Missouri territory
6 - Meetings between the programs, with Missouri holding a 4-2 lead
2 - Consecutive seasons Alex Collins has rushed for 1,000 yards