Arkansas Returns to Glory in Texas

Matt Jones kept Arkansas rolling through the air and on the ground, making the Razorbacks’ return to Austin, Texas, a huge success with a 38-28 victory over the No. 6 Longhorns on Saturday.

Arkansas (2-0) defeated its highest-ranked opening opponent since 1999 and ended Texas’ home winning streak at 20 games

Jones threw for one touchdown and ran for another early, then set up the game-sealing score by running a bootleg 60 yards to the one-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

The Razorbacks, expected to be in the middle of the pack in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference, handled old rival Texas (1-1) as if this were one of their storied meetings in the 1960s and ‘70s in the Southwest Conference.

They celebrated like it, too, with players charging to a small group of Razorbacks fans amid a sea of burnt orange.

The game was the first between the schools in the regular season since 1991, Arkansas’ last season in the Southwest Conference before bolting for the Southeastern Conference.

The Longhorns opened with a long touchdown drive, then the Razorbacks answered with one of their own. Arkansas scored again following a 13-yard punt by Texas and led by at least a touchdown the rest of the game.

The Longhorns trailed, 28-21, after Dakarai Pearson returned a fumble by Jones 77 yards for a touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter. But Jones followed by leading a 36-yard drive capped by a one-yard run by De’Arrius Howard. The Razorbacks ran on every down but the second-to-last, when Jones connected with George Wilson for a seven-yard gain on third-and-four from the eight.

Texas got a crowd of 83,271 excited about a comeback again when Chance Mock connected with B.J. Johnson for a 55-yard gain, then threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Tony Jeffery on the next play, making it 35-28.

Then Arkansas had third-and-one from its 39. Jones faked left and went right, then ran untouched down the right sideline until being shoved out of bounds just shy of the pylon. Two failed runs and an incompletion later, David Carlton kicked a 19-yard field goal to seal the victory.

Jones finished eight for 16 for 139 yards and ran 12 times for 103 yards.

No. 7 Kansas State 38, Massachusetts 7 -- Darren Sproles ran for 152 yards and three touchdowns and backup quarterback Jeff Schwinn passed for 228 yards as the Wildcats (4-0) defeated the Division I-AA Minutemen (1-1) at Manhattan, Kan.

Massachusetts scored a touchdown on the game’s opening drive and Schwinn, a former walk-on filling in for the injured Ell Roberson, was intercepted twice on Kansas State’s first four possessions. But the little-used senior settled down and finished 17-for-26 passing.

Missouri 37, Eastern Illinois 0 -- Zack Abron ran for two touchdowns and Josh Hibbets blocked two punts and returned one for a score at Columbia, Mo., as the Tigers improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1981.

Division I-AA Eastern Illinois (1-1) was outgained, 509-212, in total yards.

Oklahoma State 42, Southwest Missouri State 3 -- Tatum Bell rushed for 143 yards and four touchdowns at Stillwater, Okla., as the Cowboys (2-1) rolled past the Division I-AA Bears (1-1).

Kansas 42, Wyoming 35 -- Bill Whittemore completed 12 of 15 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, two to Charles Gordon, and the Jayhawks (2-1) held off the Cowboys (1-2) at Laramie, Wyo.

Baylor 10, Southern Methodist 7 -- The Bears (1-2) got their first win under Coach Guy Morriss as Rashad Armstrong’s four-yard touchdown run, capping their first second-half drive, was decisive at Waco, Texas. Southern Methodist is 0-2.

Baylor’s 182 total yards represented its second-lowest total in a victory since 1956.