State of the Hogs: Arkansas escapes near death experience

TCU quarterback Kenny Hill (7) gives a throat-slash gesture after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, in Fort Worth, Texas.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Here's a thought for TCU quarterback Kenny Hill: Do not make the throat slash until you know the opposition is dead.

Hill's way-too-early celebratory gesture – his second in the game – seemed to give the Hogs momentum for an epic rally that followed what seemed like an epic collapse.

The heroes were everywhere, from quarterback Austin Allen to 6-foot-10 Dan Skipper, the suddenly polite guy with the referees. Skipper blocked a field goal to save the game at the end of regulation, then helped pave the way to a double overtime victory.

Arkansas stunned the No. 15 Horned Frogs, perhaps the best team in Texas over the last half-decade. They went crazy for 20 minutes after the 41-38 victory in Amon G. Carter Stadium.

It was a magical night for the Razorbacks and Skipper, so often the heartbreak losers just a few miles up the road on I-30 in Arlington. Taunted by fans after a tripping penalty that cost the Hogs against Texas A&M, this time Skipper was all smiles in the post-game interview.

“The tables are finally turned,” Skipper said. “I've been on the wrong end of these and this feels great.

“I will tell you about our quarterback, he got his bell rung, got clocked on a few plays. But he came back and he won it. I got low at the end and tried to make it like a rugby scrum, push him in. I came from the back side and saw him cut it up. He made a great play.”

The Frogs led 28-20, but had to kick off from their own 20-yard line following Hill's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Hogs had to cover only 58 yards and almost did it too quickly. Allen completed four straight passes, the touchdown on an up-and-out to Keon Hatcher for the final 16 yards.

The Hogs tied it when Hatcher found Austin off a double reverse on the two-point play. With a run-pass option, Hatcher pumped to draw the corner off of Allen, then softly delivered a perfect pass. It seemed the Hogs had scored too quickly, leaving 1:05 on the clock.

Skipper blocked TCU kicker Ryan Graf's 28-yarder with 10 seconds left after Kavontae Turpin returned a kickoff 64 yards.

Almost everyone on the UA sideline knew what was coming next, Skipper's sixth career blocked field goal.

“I did (see the block coming,” said Bret Bielema, quick to point out that it was his team's fourth victory over a ranked team in the last two seasons, all on the road.

“I did, too,” Allen said. “I just knew that's what was going to happen.”

There were also good vibes from Bielema when he saw Hill go in for what seemed like insurance points and an eight-point lead at the 2:05 mark. It was a third-and-1 play. If Hill had gone down short of the end zone, there would not have been enough time left for the Hogs.

Bielema said there was talk of allowing the Frogs to score intentionally in that spot, but that wasn't the call.

“We did (talk about it),” he said. “There was some gamesmanship, with the timeouts left. We had one. But I was glad when they did score. That gave us a chance.”

Allen was superb with the chance. He completed six of his last seven passes. He caught the two-point play and scored the winning touchdown. After his teammates mauled him in much the same way they did his brother Brandon on the clinching two-point play at Ole Miss, he was greeted by his father Bobby Allen, the long-time UA staffer.

“Pretty awesome,” Austin said. “I don't know that my dad can sprint any more with those knees, but he got there pretty quick. He said, 'Let me have that.' I had my helmet off and he took it. I know he did the same thing at Ole Miss when Brandon scored. Pretty neat.”

Bobby Allen repeated the same line after this one that came after the Oxford victory.

“This is a job I can handle,” he said. “I just took the helmet from him so he wouldn't have to worry about it. This is a lot of fun, a lot of fun.”

Skipper said the blocked field goal wasn't just his left hand going up.

“We have a plan,” he said. “Austin Capps and Deatrich Wise get a push. I have to have that to get up the field a little. We figure out where the kick is likely to go and then, I just go up. I got my entire hand on it.

“I really didn't know how many I've gotten. But the others have all been in losses. There have been jokes about that at home with my family. This one is finally on the good side.”

Bielema joked about Skipper's meeting with referee Marc Curles, a nemesis in a cruel loss at Florida in 2009. Skipper was the lone Razorback sent to midfield for the overtime coin toss.

“Skip, he's got a 3.9 (grade point average),” Bielema said. “That's who I wanted out there. I did think it was kind of funny when he shook hands with the referee. He's come a long ways.”

So have the Hogs. Bielema called it a big-time win over a big-time program. But he said some thoughts from TCU coach Gary Patterson may be wrong about what the Hogs can do with Allen and his outstanding receivers.

“Gary made reference that it was going to be like a three-hour middle drill,” Bielema said. “But I knew Austin could throw it.”

There were some big-time throws, especially the 19-yard TD strike to 6-6 Jeremy Sprinkle to start the first overtime.

“Big time throw, big time catch,” Bielema said. “The quarterback made a great play and Sprinkle went way up. Sprinkle is a big guy and he turned his hips and went up and got it. Sprinkle is on the cusp of being a big-time player. Lot of teams can't deal with a tight end who can play vertically.”

The Hogs saw the safety sliding too far to the inside earlier in the drive.

“The safety got off the hash,” Allen said. “We thought we'd have that play. I just wanted to give Jeremy a good ball and thought he'd go make a play.”

It may have been the best throw on a night of many great throws. Allen completed 17 of 29 for 223 yards. The best part, there were no Arkansas turnovers. TCU had two, one of them a Brooks Ellis pick-six.

That's not what Ellis wanted to talk about afterwards. He pointed to his best friend, the quarterback.

“He ducked his head and got it in at the end, didn't he,” Ellis said. “He just wanted it so badly. He makes plays. We had a lot of playmakers tonight, but Austin was great.”

There was a constant stream of Razorbacks to the locker room to get fluid injections. Ellis had two.

“We just were about out of gas at the end,” said Robb Smith, the UA defensive coordinator. “I thought we did run out of gas. It was a hot night and it took its toll.”

In the end, the Hogs were smiling.

“It means a lot for our team to win this type of game and it means a lot for the fan base,” said wideout Drew Morgan, one of the cramp victims. “I just kept telling our guys, why not us? Why not now?”

Bielema credited Hill for a great performance. The Texas A&M transfer passed for 377 yards and ran for 93. He scored two touchdowns and passed for another. But he could get the Frogs only a field goal in the second overtime and couldn't complete another miracle comeback over the Razorbacks.

Hill produced 21 points in the fourth quarter to take the Frogs to the brink of victory. Make no mistake, he also did just enough to leave the Hogs room to wiggle out of Amon Carter Stadium with an epic victory.