Roughly midway through Arkansas coach Sam Pittman’s news conference following Saturday’s Outback Bowl, a reporter mentioned that quarterback KJ Jefferson did not slide at the end of on one of his runs early in the Razorbacks' 24-10 win over Penn State.
Rather than slide, Jefferson lowered his shoulder “like a fullback,” the reporter added. Pittman has seen that kind of play from his quarterback all season and was less than surprised by it.
“We don’t do none of that (sliding),” Pittman said. “That ain’t how we’re built. Earlier in the year, I said, ‘KJ, you can go left or right.’ He said, ‘No, no, no, no. I have to make a statement.'"
In that sense, and in the fact that he capped a brilliant first season as the Razorbacks’ starter with a performance that earned him MVP of the Outback Bowl, Jefferson made a statement. He also pushed himself comfortably into the conversation entering the 2022 season as one of the top quarterbacks in college football.
A Mississippi native who was playing in front of a number of family and friends who he said drove to Tampa, Fla., Jefferson finished with 208 yards of total offense, including a career-high 110 on the ground to go with an 8-yard touchdown. His previous single-game high was 89 yards against Rice to open the season.
He became the first Arkansas quarterback to rush for 100-plus yards since Matt Jones in 2004.
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“Man, I feel like he was prepared,” freshman tailback Raheim Sanders said. “I feel like he was prepared, and I believe in him. I believe in him heavy. When it came down to it, he was ready to go.
“I feel like he gave it his all.”
Tough and able are two of the best words that can be used to describe Jefferson. Against the Nittany Lions, he carried the ball 20 times, matching a season high.
On his longest run of the game, a 34-yarder late in the third quarter, he landed on his lower back and came out of the game. He re-entered in the fourth quarter and helped the Razorbacks eat up game clock with the run game before being replaced by Malik Hornsby.
Jefferson was the difference in Arkansas’ first New Year’s Day win since 2000.
After a sloppy, lackluster offensive first half for the Razorbacks in which Jefferson was credited with six carries — two of which went for no gain — he exploded after halftime and spearheaded arguably the most physically dominant stretch of Razorback football under Pittman. Arkansas ran for 105 yards on 26 first-half carries.
In the third quarter, the Razorbacks totaled 176 yards on 17 touches on the ground. Jefferson had 102 himself, including 5 runs of 10-plus yards.
His touchdown run put Arkansas ahead 14-10.
The Razorbacks, who racked up 256 rushing yards after halftime, never trailed again.
"The definition of KJ Jefferson is a grown man,” linebacker Grant Morgan said. “He did exactly what he was supposed to do. He played so hard. He did even more than what he was supposed to do. The way he played so hard.
“I’m glad he's on my team, or was on my team. I'm glad I'm not the one tackling him anymore."
Jefferson threw for just 98 yards, his lowest total since Arkansas’ loss at Georgia in October. But the Razorbacks did not need their passing game, which led to Jefferson completing just 4 of 5 attempts after the break.
For the season, Jefferson finished with 664 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. And he was sharp in the passing game, totaling 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns and against 4 interceptions.
When offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said prior to the season that his goal for Jefferson was to complete 65% of his throws, many thought it was an unrealistic figure. It was met with skepticism, but he achieved it (67.3%).
There were also concerns about Jefferson’s weight following a fall camp press conference. He used every bit of his frame to his advantage and became Arkansas’ most valuable player.
“It’s a dream come true,” Jefferson said of being named the game’s MVP. “I mean, this whole week me and Coach Pittman had been going back and forth. He said I had a higher chance of winning it since he opted out.
“It’s a dream come true.”