FAYETTEVILLE -- Fans of the Arkansas Razorbacks came to homecoming Saturday probably expecting a spit roasting of a 1-7 Coastal Carolina team that had lost seven games in a row.
They got a surprise shootout instead, as well as another fourth-quarter comeback and one-point victory in a 39-38 escape against the Chanticleers before an announced crowd of 61,476 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The Razorbacks (4-5) rallied from a 38-25 fourth-quarter deficit on T.J. Hammonds' 88-yard touchdown run and Cole Kelley's 1-yard keeper for a score with 1:55 left in the game. The Arkansas defense, carved up for 359 total yards by an offense that managed 183 last week against Texas State, forced four consecutive incomplete passes to ice the victory.
"The thing I learned in this business a long time ago is that anybody can get anybody on any given Saturday," said Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema, whose team won 38-37 last week at Ole Miss. "Football is football, man. It's 11 on 11, and you get a couple of big plays that start going against you, you don't catch a break, bad things can happen.
"But our guys are resilient. They never stopped believing. Down by two scores, from the outside world there were probably a lot of people who thought bad thoughts. Our guys thought good thoughts."
Coastal Carolina (1-8), a team in its transition year from the FCS to the Sun Belt Conference, fell to 0-3 against SEC teams, though its previous losses had been by 59 points at Georgia and 60 points at South Carolina.
The Chanticleers lost quarterback Tyler Keane to an injury in the first half, but they played turnover-free against the Razorbacks with Keane (9 of 11 for 113 yards) and backup Kilton Anderson (6 of 17 for 115 yards) combining for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns.
"We came in here to win the game, and I thought our team played with extreme effort and played with great passion," Coastal Carolina interim Coach Jamey Chadwell said. "There was no intimidation. There was no looking like we were a 1 and whatever football team we were. We had our chances to win the game. We felt like we let it slip away, and that's what I'm more disappointed in.
"You give them credit for fighting back, but I'm proud of our team and the effort they showed tonight. You wonder where that's been all year."
The Razorbacks, coming off the biggest comeback in school history, avoided what would have been an embarrassing loss to a team that is 0-5 in the Sun Belt, including a 34-point setback at Arkansas State.
"I feel like the outcome shouldn't have been that close," Arkansas safety Santos Ramirez said. "A win is a win, but there's no excuse for that. We came out too lackadaisical. We were thinking we could come in and dominate this team, and no matter who you play, they've got talent just like everybody else."
Hammonds, a sophomore running back, saved the Hogs' bacon. He took a screen pass 60 yards for a touchdown for a 14-14 tie early in the second quarter.
"He took that screen pass and he was gone," said Arkansas tailback David Williams, who was voted the winner of the Crip Hall Award for top senior on homecoming. "He's electric."
Arkansas took over at its 12 with 10:23 remaining trailing 38-25, and Bielema asked offensive coordinator Dan Enos to go with the Hogs' regular-tempo offense.
Hammonds took a stretch play called "49 cross" over the left side, followed fullback Hayden Johnson through a crease, and accelerated for an 88-yard touchdown to bring the crowd back to life.
"It was an outside zone, so when coach called the play I was like, 'OK, let's get it.' I knew where it might hit because it always hits right there," Hammonds said. "Everything stretched left, so I saw the hole and hit it and kept moving."
Hammonds rushed for 119 yards, accounted for 179 all-purpose yards and averaged 22.4 yards on his 8 touches.
Coastal Carolina kept its offense on the field facing fourth down and a foot at its own 34 midway through the fourth quarter, but Chadwell called timeout with one second on the play clock. The Chanticleers elected to punt, giving the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville the ball at its 24 with 7:49 to go.
The game-winning series included Kelley's 7-yard pass to Jonathan Nance on fourth and 1 from the Hogs 33. A few moments later, facing third and 3 from its 47, Arkansas got its running game cranked up.
Devwah Whaley cut through the middle for 26 yards to reach the 27, then Williams ran 21 yards with a draw play to the Coastal Carolina 6.
The next play loomed large. Austin Cantrell, a tight end playing running back who had scored on a 5-yard run to pull the Hogs within 28-25, hammered away for another 5 yards up the middle to the 1, but then fumbled. Guard Johnny Gibson recovered for the Hogs, and Kelley stayed on his feet through traffic over the left side for the game-winning touchdown on the next play.
"It seems like every break that could went against us, the way the ball bounced, balls on the ground," Bielema said. "I think that one when Austin fumbled down there was the only time we got a loose ball."
Arkansas has won back-to-back games for the first time since opening 3-0 last season. The Razorbacks have back-to-back fourth-quarter rallies behind the freshman Kelley, who went 16 for 25 for 264 yards and 1 touchdown.
Kelley missed a few open receivers, and his low throw to Nance on what was properly ruled a long lateral, fell free for the game's lone turnover. Coastal Carolina safety Nicholas Clark scooped the ball and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown and a 28-17 lead at the 10:31 mark of the third quarter.
The Arkansas defense struggled to get the Chanticleers off the field on third down. Coastal Carolina, ranked No. 106 in third-down conversions entering the game, converted their first six third-down plays and finished 8 of 15.
Keane and Anderson completed several fade routes against Arkansas corners Henre Toliver and Kamren Curl, and also hit deep passes down the middle.
"We were supposed to physically impose on these guys, and we didn't come out and do that," Ramirez said.
Arkansas nearly had a miraculous touchdown on the final play of the first half, which began with Kelley's big heave from the Arkansas 45. Tight end Jeremy Patton and a Coastal Carolina defender tipped the pass in a big group of players around the 7, then Nance tipped it toward the end zone and dove to bring it in as he crossed the goal line. The play was originally called a touchdown, but the replay official ruled Nance's knee was down at the 1.
"The outside world looking in, I think hopefully is happy that we won the game," Bielema said. "They all count as one. It doesn't matter if we look at the first game of the year that we won, the second game of the year, the third game, whatever it is, they all count the same. We gotta do a better job of executing our game plan to beat LSU, I know that.
"Give a lot of credit to Coastal Carolina, but I'll continue to look at the glass as half full. We need a great week of preparation, and we can't let the result of this game get to us."
Game sketch
RECORDS Coastal Carolina 1-8; Arkansas 4-5 STARS T.J. Hammonds ran for 119 yards and scored on an 88-yard run and a 60-yard pass. Devwah Whaley ran for 81 yards and a TD. TURNING POINT Johnny Gibson recovered Austin Cantrell’s fumble at the Coastal Carolina 1 just one play before Cole Kelley’s game-winning touchdown with 1:55 left. KEY STATS Arkansas outgained the Chanticleers 523-359. Coastal Carolina started 8 of 10 on third-down conversions before missing its last five.
— Tom Murphy
Sports on 11/05/2017