BYU rallies to defeat Arkansas
The Brigham Young University Cougars, one of four new Big 12 Conference teams this season, scored the game’s final 17 points to rally for a 38-31 road victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in front of a crowd of 74,821 on Saturday night at Frank Broyles Field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Brigham Young University Cougars, one of four new Big 12 Conference teams this season, scored the game’s final 17 points to rally for a 38-31 road victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in front of a crowd of 74,821 on Saturday night at Frank Broyles Field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Down 31-21 with 11:41 left in the third quarter, the Cougars (3-0) got a 43-yard field goal from Will Ferrin and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Kedon Slovis to Parker Kingston, along with Ferrin’s extra point, in the period to tie the game at 31 going into the fourth quarter.
The lone score of the final period came with exactly eight minutes left when Slovis hit Chase Roberts on a seven-yard TD pass. Ferrin’s PAT put BYU up 38-31.
The Razorbacks (2-1) had one last shot at forcing overtime, or even winning it, as they drove as deep as the BYU 16 in the waning moments, but a holding penalty moved them back to the BYU 26. On the game’s final play, Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson threw a pass, but it ended up being caught by an ineligible receiver, Arkansas lineman Joshua Braun, who then started lateraling the football to teammates in hopes of making the endzone. However, even had the play netted the Hogs a TD, it would have been nullified on a penalty for illegal touching.
The Razorbacks scored the first two touchdowns of the game as A.J. Green rambled 55 yards for the first TD, and Isaiah Sategna returned a punt 88 yards to paydirt. After Cam Little’s extra points, Arkansas had a 14-0 lead with 11:29 left in the first quarter.
The Cougars showed they, too, could score back-to-back touchdowns as Deion Smith’s 37-yard halfback TD pass to Kingston and L.J. Martin’s 45-yard touchdown run, plus Ferrin’s PATs, got the game tied at 14 going into the second quarter.
Martin’s second touchdown, a one-yard plunge, and Ferrin’s extra point put BYU ahead 21-14 with 12:54 left before halftime.
Arkansas knotted the game at 21 on Jefferson’s 19-yard TD pass to Luke Hasz and Little’s PAT with 1:43 remaining in the first half. Little’s 26-yard field goal as time expired in the first half gave Arkansas a 24-21 halftime lead.
Green’s second TD of the game, a seven-yard run, and Little’s extra point put Arkansas ahead 31-21 with 11:41 left in the third quarter.
