FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas players who came to postgame interviews after Saturday's 28-21 overtime loss to Texas A&M were frustrated because the Razorbacks had executed so much of their game plan, only to come away with a loss.
"What hurts me the most is I thought our whole team played a great game, and I wasn't able to help out," quarterback Brandon Allen said. "We've ... done a great job the last two weeks of being more physical. The offensive line battled. They were making holes and moving people for our backs. Our backs were running hard and our receivers were catching the ball. Everyone battled."
Receiver Drew Morgan said the Razorbacks can't look back.
"We need everybody rowing forward, not just staying steady," he said. "We need everybody getting better every day. I feel like that's a step we learned today. You've got to keep pushing forward no matter what you go through."
Allen said more than once the loss could be pinned on him. But the fifth-year senior was 20 of 23 for 225 yards, with a touchdown and an interception before throwing incomplete on third and fourth downs in overtime.
"I need to play better," Allen said. "I need to come up bigger for my team down the stretch, especially late in the game.
"We do so much good. We do so much throughout the game and we just need to continue to do that late. It's mainly me doing a better job of getting the ball to people."
Tube talk
The Arkansas-Tennessee game will kick off at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. The Razorbacks (1-3, 0-1 SEC) will face Tennessee (2-2, 0-1) at Neyland Stadium for the first time since 2007. The game will mark the Razorbacks' third consecutive 6 p.m. kickoff.
On Alex
Tailback Alex Collins' rushed for 151 yards, his 10th career 100-yard game, moving him into eighth place on Arkansas' all-time rushing list with 2,628 yards. Collins surpassed ex-quarterback Matt Jones (2,535) to reach eighth.
Collins has three 100-yard games and 398 career rushing yards against the Aggies.
"I thought he ran hard all day, breaking tackles and making big plays," quarterback Brandon Allen said. "He was a stud today."
Allen's account
Quarterback Brandon Allen completed his first 13 passes for 111 yards against the Aggies, and he surpassed the 5,000-yard career mark on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Drew Morgan in the first quarter.
Hold on
Arkansas had four holding calls, carrying on one of the recurring themes of the season. The holds, all in the first half, occurred on the Hogs last three drives of the second quarter.
The officials didn't announce who held on a screen pass to Rawleigh Williams during Arkansas' touchdown drive. Dan Skipper and Mitch Smothers were flagged for holding on the next series, resulting in a first and 30, which the Razorbacks did not overcome. On the next possession, tight end Hunter Henry got a 10-yard holding call and quarterback Brandon Allen suffered his first sack of the season on the next play.
"Yeah, I don't mind if the refs out there do their job," Coach Bret Bielema said when asked if he was frustrated with the holding calls. "The great thing about this league, it's the best league I've been in as far as officiating, without a doubt.
"The only one I have a problem with, I know Mitch got called, and I kind of watched it and saw the whole thing. Mitch was adamant. One of the things that we always talk about is just tell me how you want me to do it, because the official called it and I said 'Tell them what you want them to do so he doesn't get flagged.' "
Sacked
Texas A&M, the FBS leader in sacks entering the weekend, posted two against Arkansas, which was one of five teams that had not allowed a sack. The Razorbacks had thrown 112 consecutive passes without allowing a sack to open the season.
The first sack came late in the second quarter, when Allen ducked around charging end Daeshon Hall, but couldn't avoid tackle Zaycoven Henderson on a 4-yard loss.
Myles Garrett, the NCAA leader with 5.5 sacks, was credited with a sack when he popped the ball free from Allen in the fourth quarter and linebacker A.J. Hilliard recovered it for a 9-yard loss.
OT slide
Arkansas, once the kings of overtime with a 9-2 record through 2010, including seven-overtime victories against Ole Miss and Kentucky, has lost its past four games that needed overtime.
In losses to Mississippi State in 2013 and Texas A&M in 2014, the Razorbacks gave up 25-yard touchdown plays on their opponents' first offensive overtime snap. The Aggies needed two plays to score on Kyle Allen's 20-yard pass to Christian Kirk in overtime on Saturday.
The Razorbacks have not scored in overtime since a Zach Hocker field goal to open overtime in a 34-31 loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 8, 2012.
Long return
Texas A&M declined a block-in-the-back penalty on the final play of the first half, a 45-yard punt return for D.J. Dean on which punter Drew Kaser made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Aggies' 25.
Texas A&M would have taken the penalty had Dean scored, but declined it because the clock ran out on the play.
Dean's return stands as the longest in the Southwest Classic history.
Aye, Kirk
Texas A&M's Christian Kirk had three receptions for 130 yards in the second quarter and finished with 8 catches for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kirk has notched three 100-yard performances in his first four games, tying the Aggies' freshman record for a season with Mike Evans (2012) and Uzoma Nwachukwu (2009).
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
WR Drew Morgan
• Morgan, a junior from Greenwood, posted careers highs with 8 catches for 155 yards and 1 touchdown. Morgan had a long reception on each of the Razorbacks' touchdown drives.
Defense
DE Jeremiah Ledbetter
• Ledbetter, a junior from Orlando, Fla., had 4 tackles, 3 of them unassisted. Ledbetter had two of the team's five tackles for loss, adding up to 7 lost yards.
Sports on 09/28/2015