For the second year in a row, the University of Arkansas was showing signs of a collapse against Colorado State. This time, the Hogs finished the job.
QB Nick Starkel was 20-of-35 passing for 305 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions as the Razorbacks (2-1) beat the Rams (1-2) 55-34 on Saturday at Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium.
Arkansas led 21-7 in the first half, and 34-24 early in the third quarter before the Rams tied it at 34-34 entering the fourth quarter. Last season, the Razorbacks led 27-9 in the third quarter before the Rams scored 25 unanswered points for the victory.
After sputtering at the end of the first half, the UA offense revved back up to open the third quarter. Starkel hit Treylon Burks for 27 yards to the Rams' 4, and RB Rakeem Boyd scored the touchdown from 4 yards out two plays later for a 34-24 edge.
The Rams answered with a 15-play drive that ate up 7:22 of clock and ended with Cayden Camper's 21-yard FG with 5:45 left in the quarter. Greg Brooks forced a fumble on the drive that was recovered by De'Jon Harris, but Joe Foucha was called for hitting QB Collin Hill low to nullify the turnover.
Hill played the next snap, but he left the game with a knee injury suffered on Foucha's hit after that play and did not return. Backup Patrick O'Brien completed both of his pass attempts on the drive.
The Razorbacks went three-and-out, and the Rams responded with a game-tying drive. On third and 13, O'Brien threw a deep pass to Dante Wright, who jumped, avoided the one-on-one coverage, caught the ball, landed and stayed inbounds, and ran the last 40 yards for a 75-yard TD with 2:26 left in the third.
O'Brien completed his first four passes for 88 yards and a TD.
Arkansas failed to get a first down on its next possession, although it appeared to convert a fourth and 1 from its own 35 on a quarterback sneak before a false start penalty on Ricky Stromberg moved them back 5 yards and forced a punt.
The Rams collected two first downs and moved to the Arkansas 32 before Camper missed a 50-yard FG wide left with 11:35 remaining.
The Hogs retook the lead on their next drive. Starkel completed a 17-yard pass to Burks to get into Colorado State territory, then found Knox for 20 yards to the Rams' 19. After a pair of 4-yard runs from Boyd, Devwah Whaley ran for 6 yards prior to a 5-yard TD run for a 41-34 lead with 8:52 remaining.
The Rams punted after three more offensive plays, and the Hogs took over at their own 26 with 7:42 left.
On second and 9 from the Hogs' 38, Starkel connected with TE Cheyenne O'Grady about 20 yards from the line of scrimmage. Five Colorado State defenders converged on O'Grady, who kept his legs churning, protected the ball and broke free for a 62-yard TD catch to put Arkansas up 48-34 with 5:32 left.
A Gabe Richardson sack set up a third and 21 for Colorado State. O'Brien completed a short pass to Marvin Kinsey Jr., who was popped by Hayden Henry and fumbled the ball. Ladarrius Bishop scooped the ball up and ran untouched for a 25-yard touchdown to seal the victory.
Boyd had 20 carries for 122 yards and 2 TDs for the Hogs, while Whaley added 9 carries for 81 yards. Burks led the Hogs in receiving yards with 92, while Mike Woods had six catches.
Colorado State delivered a gut punch to the Hogs on the second play from scrimmage when Kinsey took a handoff up the middle for a 75-yard TD and 7-0 lead 18 seconds into the game.
Starkel and the Hogs took a little longer to tie the game, going 75 yards in five plays. Starkel completed passes of 6 yards to Woods, 38 yards to Burks and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Knox to tie the game 7-7 with 13 minutes left in the first quarter.
The Rams went three-and-out on their next possession, and the Hogs marched 82 yards on 11 plays to go up 14-7 on Chase Harrell's 14-yard touchdown reception. Starkel was 6-of-9 passing for 103 yards and 2 TDs on the first two possessions.
The Rams again went three-and-out, and Boyd took center stage for the Razorbacks. The junior took a hand off on first and 10 and ran 59 yards for a touchdown and 21-7 edge with 5:54 left in the first quarter.
Colorado State gashed the Hogs' defense for runs of 34 and 19 yards, and the Rams had a first and goal from the 14 after a false start. The extra distance was no big deal when QB Collin Hill connected with WR Warren Jackson for a TD pass to cut the lead to 21-14 with 3:21 left in the first quarter.
Colorado State had six carries for 140 yards on its first four possessions.
Arkansas moved 28 yards, and Connor Limpert's 54-yard field goal put the Hogs ahead 24-14.
McTelvin Agim forced Kinsey to fumble, and Razorbacks CB Montaric Brown recovered at the Colorado State 36. The Hogs ran six times in eight plays, moving the ball to the Rams' 4 before Limpert's 22-yard FG put them ahead 27-14 with 11:41 left in the first half.
The Rams were forced to punt after Grant Morgan's sack led to a fourth and 16, but Colorado State got the ball back on the UA 40 when Starkel and Boyd botched a handoff for a fumble. It was the first time in six drives the Hogs did not score.
Hill completed a third-and-10 pass to Jackson for 19 yards to the Hogs' 1, and Hill kept the ball himself for a touchdown on the next play to cut UA's edge to 27-21 7:31 left in the half.
The offenses bogged down for the rest of the first half until the Rams gained 52 yards on 10 plays to set up Cayden Camp's 46-yard field goal before halftime to trail 27-24 at the break.
Starkel was 9-of-16 passing for 126 yards and 2 TDs in the first half. Boyd gained 89 yards on 9 carries, and Devwah Whaley added 60 yards on 5 carries.
Colorado State had 259 yards of total offense in the half, led by Kinsey's 148 rushing yards on 11 carries.
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