FAYETTEVILLE — Subtract KJ Jefferson, Ricky Stromberg and Cam Little from Sam Pittman’s 2021 9-4 Razorbacks and they slide toward the 2-10, 2-10 Chad Morris Arkansas era.
Quarterback Jefferson, center Stromberg and place-kicker Little need to remember that. They took it personally for Arkansas’ 23-21 SEC West loss to the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.
Pittman’s Razorbacks aren’t competitive against Texas A&M without Jefferson’s team-leading 105 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on 26 carries, and 12 of 19 passing for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns.
But if Jefferson doesn’t do a too-early jump and ball extension on first-and-goal then Texas A&M linebacker Chris Russell doesn't dislodged the ball and Aggies defensive back Demani Richardson isn't credited with an 82-yard touchdown actually covering 97 yards.
About to lead 21-7, Arkansas instead only led 14-13 because Texas A&M mishandled the PAT snap.
Pittman vowed the Razorbacks would recover fast in the second half. They didn’t.
“I think for whatever reason that took a lot of wind out of our sail,” Pittman said on postgame radio. “Then we got back in the fourth quarter and certainly had a drive down there with an opportunity to win, but unfortunately we didn’t.”
Texas A&M tallied a 10-0 third quarter.
Asserting he put the game on his offensive line, Pittman’s Hogs showed fourth-quarter mettle. They opened with a 14-play, 76-yard drive capped by Jefferson’s 6-yard touchdown run.
Arkansas’ defense forced a way-too-long Aggies field goal attempt setting the Razorbacks at their 36 with 6:30 left.
Much behind Stromberg, Arkansas, trailing 23-21 marched second-and-5 to A&M’s 16. Then Stromberg’s shotgun snap backside backslid.
“Unfortunately the snap hit Rick in the butt,” Pittman said. “The snap wasn’t good and there were about 70 of them that were good. It was just unfortunate.”
Arkansas was fortunate that Raheim "Rocket" Sanders recovered the nine-yard loss at the 25. Jefferson ran a third-down yard to the left hash.
Little, a freshman All-American last year who made 20 of 24 field goals, kicked it ricocheting off the right upright. Had it fallen over the crossbar, the Hogs win. But it didn’t.
ESPN showed Stromberg sobbing into a towel and Little devastated.
“You know (Little) is distraught,” Pittman said. “After the game I told him he’s won a lot of games for us and he’ll win a lot more.”
The Razorbacks need only to look to the Aggies for inspiration.
Two weeks ago they were football’s Aggie joke, upset at home by Appalachian State. Now in successive opportunities, Texas A&M upended No. 13 Miami and No. 10 Arkansas.
An enormous opportunity knocks for Arkansas with the No. 2 reigning SEC champion Alabama Crimson Tide rolling Saturday into Fayetteville at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.