Saturday night’s contest between Arkansas and No. 21 Kentucky was billed as an offensive shootout, but the game turned out to be more of a slugfest between two determined teams that ended in a demoralizing knockout of the home team.

The Wildcats, ranked in the national polls for the first time in three decades, fought to maintain the respect garnered by a late-game upset of then-No. 9 Louisville last week.

The Razorbacks, a last-drive 41-38 loser to Alabama a week ago, battled to restore an edge to their season after falling out of the Top 25.

The Hogs controlled if not dominated the first half with star running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones rumbling for more than 100 yards apiece but had just 20-14 lead to show for it. In the second half, the Wildcats ruled the roost, taking a 21-20 lead on their first drive and keeping it all but for a few moments when Arkansas forged ahead, 29-21, thanks to a safety tackle by Fred Bledsoe and a thrilling 82-yard kick return for a touchdown by Felix Jones.

But, the Razorbacks could not handle their prosperity. Despite being blessed with the nation’s best rushing tandem, Arkansas’ offense failed to mount a point-scoring drive in the second half, and the defense gave up three fourth-quarter touchdowns to fall 42-29 to the Wildcats.

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The loss kept alive the most onerous statistic of Houston Nutt’s tenure as the Razorbacks’ head coach. In each of his 10 seasons, the Hogs have followed up their first SEC loss with a second in their next league game.

No doubt, the loss stung every Razorback, and their fans made their sentiments known either by their absence from the stands when the final whistle blew or with the smattering of boos that rained down from the stands as Nutt and his Hogs exited the field.

While the final score wasn’t close, Arkansas actually had the game in its hands following Jones’ kickoff return. But mistakes and a gutsy fourquarter effort by the Wildcats ripped any chance of victory away from the Hogs.

Two personal fouls — both by redshirt freshman linebacker Ryan Powers — extended the Wildcats’ goahead touchdown drive. The second foul gave Kentucky a chance at a touchdown after missing a field goal. The reprieve lit a fire under the Wildcats, fueling their threetouchdown outburst.

The decision many fans will question the most this week is why Arkansas punted on a fourth-and-1 at their own 42 with 5: 35 to play with a slim 29-27 lead ?

Why leave the game in the hands of a defense that surrendered a 73-yard gamewinning drive to Alabama in the final three minutes of previous week’s loss ?

The simple answer is Nutt trusted his defense with the lead, and most Division I coaches would have done the same thing. It was the prudent move. It just didn’t work.

When given the opportunity to win the game, Kentucky quarterback André Woodson, running back Derrick Locke, receiver Keenan Burton and the rest of the Wildcats took it.

Though the Razorbacks wasted chances to salt the game away earlier, the Wildcats were better than the Hogs when it counted for keeps.

Kentucky leaves Reynolds Razorback Stadium undefeated at 4-0 and the next newest thing in the SEC.

The Razorbacks return to also-ran status with McFadden’s Heisman chase being the only thing keeping the Hogs nationally relevant after a 1-2 start.

One tidbit for those hypercritical of Nutt and his explanations for controversial game situations: Saturday night when asked what he told the players, he said he told them to “ blame it on me. ”

Fans have begged for that for years and now they have it. Somehow that confession didn’t make the loss go down any easier.

Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.