FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks discovered on Friday the difference between 8-4 and 7-5 can be extremely painful.
Instead of closing out the season with back-to-back road victories to end an eight-game pattern of victories followed by defeats, the Razorbacks let a 24-7 halftime lead slip into a 28-24 loss at Missouri, which finished with the worst overall record (4-8) among 14 SEC teams.
Instead of having tangible proof that Bret Bielema's program was moving forward in year 4, even after undergoing massive personnel losses on offense, the Razorbacks suffered critical breakdowns in all three phases in their final two quarters of the regular season to bumble away a 17-point halftime lead.
"We didn't match the intensity that we needed to in the second half to get it done," Bielema said. "Any time that happens in this league, I don't care what your record is, you can throw that out the window. It's about who executes. Give credit to Missouri."
Bielema said he gave an earful to his players in the visitors' locker room after Missouri outscored Arkansas 21-0 in the second half.
Bielema looked angry and frustrated during his postgame remarks, made under a makeshift tent below the stands at Faurot Field.
He couldn't emphasize enough how the Razorbacks' inability to finish, whether it be offensive drives, defensive stands, the second half, the game or the regular season, hurt him to his core.
Adding to Bielema's frustration was that Arkansas lost to a reeling Missouri team that was coming off a 27-point loss at Tennessee and then added a series of self-inflicted setbacks in the days leading up to Friday's game.
First, star freshman running back Damarea Crockett, from Little Rock Christian, was arrested by campus police at 4 a.m. Sunday on suspicion of marijuana possession.
Crockett and teammates had just returned from Knoxville, where Crockett rushed for a career-best 225 yards to set a Missouri freshman rushing record with 1,062 yards.
Missouri Coach Barry Odom announced Crockett's suspension Monday afternoon, then spent Tuesday apologizing for statements made by linebacker Eric Beisel, who provided juicy board material by running his mouth and insulting the Razorbacks and the state of Arkansas in the week.
It didn't stop there.
Once the game started, top available running back Ish Witter made a hare-brained decision to celebrate a touchdown with a ball flip about a foot short of the end zone on an 8-yard run.
At least five Tigers ran past the rolling ball in the end zone before receiver J'Mon Moore picked it up just before it touched the end line.
Witter touched the ball only three times after the gaffe, giving Nate Strong an expanded opportunity, and the freshman capitalized with two touchdowns among his 17 carries for 52 yards.
Later, the Tigers celebrated a fourth-quarter defensive stop, an interception by Aarion Penton in the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 5, by running onto the field, and drawing an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty that moved the ball from the 20 to the 10 for their next possession.
None of those issues came back to haunt the Tigers, who came into the game with a 3-8 record under Odom, after losing to Middle Tennessee and Kentucky at home and South Carolina during a five-game losing streak.
But Odom made perhaps the signature call of his rookie year, a fake punt on fourth and 7 from Missouri's 7 late in the third quarter.
Anthony Sherrils made it pay off with a 14-yard run. Arkansas' Josh Williams forced a fumble at the end of the run, but the ball rolled out of bounds and Missouri retained possession.
"We tried to gain some momentum there," Odom said. "We carry two or three fake punts into every game with us each week and wanted to line up and see if they gave us a look that we wanted and they did."
Arkansas' lack of execution in several key areas opened the door for the Tigers' comeback to allow Missouri's aggression to pay off.
Moore won two third-and-long deep-ball battles against veteran cornerback Jared Collins, who has been mostly solid all season in man coverage.
Arkansas was leading 24-14 late in the third quarter when quarterback Austin Allen was hit by Penton on a corner blitz on third and goal from the Missouri 3 with the Razorbacks in position for a potential game-clinching touchdown. Penton's hit led to a wobbly pass that was intercepted by Cale Garrett at the goal line.
Missouri moved the ball to the 7, setting up Odom's successful fake punt gamble. Drew Lock connected with Johnathon Johnson for a breakaway 67-yard touchdown two plays after the fake punt that pulled the Tigers within 24-21.
The Razorbacks gave away another would-be defensive stop on the final play of the third quarter after Missouri hurried to the line on fourth and 1 at its 28. It appeared the Tigers were simply trying to draw Arkansas offsides when defensive tackle Bijhon Jackson complied, reaching out and touching the ball for a 5-yard penalty.
"Unnecessary, unforced penalty," Bielema said.
Again Missouri pounced. Moore's 49-yard gain on a deep ball set up Strong's 1-yard touchdown to give the Tigers the lead.
Arkansas drove to the Missouri 1 and 9 on its final two possessions, but the Tigers' defense rose up and wouldn't let the Hogs into the end zone.
Sports on 11/27/2016