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Hogs' offense coughing up points

Western Kentucky's Devon Key (2) scores a touchdown on an interception return during a game against Arkansas on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas defense has experienced enough problems keeping opponents from scoring, but unfortunately for the Razorbacks their offense has been adding to the dilemma.

Western Kentucky's 45-19 victory over Arkansas on Saturday marked the third consecutive game in which an opponent has returned an interception for a touchdown.

Hilltoppers safety Devon Key intercepted a KJ Jefferson pass that went off the hands of Trey Knox and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown with 8:20 left in Saturday's game to put Western Kentucky ahead 45-13.

"It looked like the ball was coming in a little left of the receiver, so I just played it like that," Key said. "When it tipped off the receiver's hands, I just knew I had to make a play on it."

Last week, Mississippi State safety Marcus Murphy intercepted a Ben Hicks pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown in the Bulldogs' 54-24 victory over the Razorbacks.

Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs intercepted a Nick Starkel pass and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown in the Crimson Tide's 48-7 victory over Arkansas two weeks ago.

Opponents have scored 362 points on the Razorbacks in 10 games, including the 21 resulting from the interception returns.

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Spivey suspended

Arkansas freshman running back A'Montae Spivey didn't dress out Saturday because he was serving a one-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules, according to a UA spokesman.

Spivey, a three-star recruit from Phenix City, Ala., is redshirting, but he played in his first game last week against Mississippi State. He had three carries for 14 yards, but lost a fumble on what turned out to be the Razorbacks' last offensive snap of the game.

Poor send-offs

Arkansas' senior day games are turning into nightmares.

The Razorbacks lost in their final on-campus game in which seniors are honored in a pregame ceremony for the fourth consecutive year.

Arkansas lost on senior day 38-10 to LSU in 2016, to Missouri 46-43 in 2017 and to LSU 24-17 last year before Saturday's 26-point loss to Western Kentucky.

The Razorbacks last won a senior day game 28-3 over Missouri in 2015.

Good Storey

David Bazzel, the former Arkansas linebacker who now works for KATV Channel 7, was on the field during warmups and saw Western Kentucky quarterback Ty Storey -- who played for the Razorbacks the previous four seasons -- help former teammate Devwah Whaley.

Whaley, an Arkansas senior running back, was jogging around he field as is part of his pregame routine.

"Devwah got down to the 20-yard line [where the Hilltoppers were warming up], and all of a sudden he was surrounded by a lot of the Western Kentucky players, and they were all up in each other's face," Bazzel said. "Ty was in the middle of the field, but he saw what was happening and came running over real quick. He got in front of Devwah, pulled him away from the group of Western Kentucky players, hugged him and shook his hand.

"Ty got in there and got everything calmed down before it escalated. It was just cool to see Ty do that."

Small crowd

For the second consecutive game, Arkansas had its smallest announced home crowd in Fayetteville since Reynolds Razorback Stadium's capacity was expanded for the 2001 season from 51,000 to 76,412.

Saturday's announced crowd was 42,985. That was tickets distributed, not actual people in the stands.

The crowd size wasn't a shock considering the Razorbacks lost their seventh consecutive game, were playing a Conference USA team with an 11 a.m. kickoff, and it was the beginning of deer-hunting season.

Last week's announced crowd was 52,256 for Mississippi State's 54-24 victory over Arkansas.

The previous low attendance for an Arkansas game at the expanded stadium was 52,683 in the Razorbacks' 41-9 victory over Weber State on Oct. 6, 2001. That date was originally scheduled to be open for the Razorbacks, but the Weber State game was added when Arkansas' game against North Texas on Sept. 15 was canceled after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

Including the announced crowd of 54,619 for Auburn's 51-10 victory over Auburn on Oct. 19, the last three home games have been among the five lowest-attended since the stadium expansion.

Saturday was the seventh time in the previous nine Fayetteville games the announced attendance was less than 60,000. Prior to the 2018 season, Arkansas had just three games that drew less than 60,000 from 2001-17 -- and none since 2003.

In six Fayetteville games this season, the Razorbacks went 2-4 and had an announced attendance of 322,556 for an average of 53,759.

Arkansas has one home game left when it plays Missouri in the season finale on Nov. 29 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

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For starters

Redshirt freshman quarterback John Stephen Jones made his first career start for the Razorbacks. He became the sixth quarterback to start in Chad Morris' two seasons as coach along with Ty Storey -- Western Kentucky's starter Saturday -- Cole Kelley and Connor Noland last season, and Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel this season.

Arkansas senior left guard Austin Capps returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous two games because of a concussion.

Junior cornerback Jarques McClellion also was back in the starting lineup after playing off the bench last week when redshirt freshman LaDarrius Bishop started against Mississippi State. McClellion had started 17 consecutive games prior to last week.

Senior tight end Hayden Johnson made his first start for Arkansas since 2017, when he made seven starts at fullback.

First blood

Western Kentucky became the seventh Arkansas opponent in 10 games to score on its first possession.

The Hilltoppers had a short field after John Stephens Jones threw an interception, and went 42 yards in seven plays for a touchdown.

Colorado State, San Jose State, Auburn and Mississippi State also scored touchdowns on their first possessions against Arkansas, while Portland State and Alabama made field goals.

Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Kentucky didn't score on their first possessions.

Blocked PAT

Arkansas senior Connor Limpert had his extra-point attempt blocked by 6-6 Gunner Britton with 12:21 left in the fourth quarter after Rakeem Boyd's 86-yard touchdown run cut Western Kentucky's lead to 38-13.

The block made Limpert 25 of 26 on extra-point attempts this season, and 87 of 89 for his career. He missed an attempt in Arkansas' 41-9 loss at Alabama in 2017.

Running man

Arkansas junior Rakeem Boyd had a career-long 86-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Western Kentucky after having a 76-yarder in the first quarter, which had been his career long, surpassing his 74-yarder at Kentucky earlier this season.

Boyd's 86-yarder was the longest rushing play for the Razorbacks since T.J. Hammonds went 88 yards for a touchdown against Coastal Carolina in 2017 to help Arkansas rally for a 39-38 victory.

Boyd finished Saturday's game with eight carries for a career-high 185 yards -- the most by a Razorback since Rawleigh Williams' 205 in a 58-42 victory at Mississippi State in 2016.

He's No. 1

Arkansas true freshman quarterback KJ Jefferson normally wears No. 13, but he switched to No. 1 for Saturday's game. De'Vion Warren, a junior receiver and kickoff returner, wears No. 1 on offense for the Razorbacks, but he didn't dress out Saturday because of an ankle injury.

Hey, Brandon!

Brandon Allen, the Razorbacks' starting quarterback from 2013-15 who led the Denver Broncos to a 24-19 victory over the Cleveland Browns in his first NFL start last Sunday, was recognized on the field during the first half and led fans in a Hog call.

Allen, who is from Fayetteville, made a trip home because the Broncos have an open date this weekend.

Vs. SEC

Western Kentucky's victory over Arkansas in the teams' first meeting improved the Hilltoppers to 4-21 all-time against SEC teams. The Hilltoppers' other SEC victories were against Kentucky 32-31 in 2012 and 35-26 in 2013, and against Vanderbilt 14-12 in 2015.

Flag bearers

Freshman receivers Trey Knox and Treylon Burks carried the United States and Arkansas flags, respectively, when the Razorbacks ran onto the field.

Sports on 11/10/2019