FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In a game that had everything but a happy ending for Razorbacks fans, Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen connected with Anthony Evans III for an 18-yard touchdown on fourth down with 48 seconds left, capping a wild fourth-quarter comeback and handing Arkansas a gut-wrenching 38-35 loss Saturday afternoon at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The Razorbacks, playing under interim coach Bobby Petrino, entered the matchup desperate to snap a six-game skid and salvage some pride in a dismal 2-7 season. They looked poised to do just that, building a commanding 28-14 lead midway through the third quarter on the strength of a resurgent rushing attack. Running back Mike Washington Jr. powered in from 20 yards out to ignite the crowd, while freshman Braylen Russell capped a gritty drive with a 2-yard plunge, his second score of the day.
Taylen Green, Arkansas’ transfer quarterback from Boise State, showed flashes of the dual-threat magic that earned him SEC starter status, scrambling for key first downs and tossing a 22-yard dart to Andrew Armstrong to set up Washington’s touchdown. The Hogs’ defense, anchored by linebacker Xavian Sorey, forced a pair of early turnovers, giving the offense short fields to exploit.
But the Bulldogs, now 5-4 and snapping a 16-game SEC losing streak under first-year coach Jeff Lebby, refused to fade. Mississippi State clawed back with a pair of touchdown drives in the final frame, first on a 2-yard scamper by Davon Booth after a roughing-the-passer flag on Sorey kept the chains moving. Then, with the score 35-28, the game’s turning point unfolded: A missed 51-yard field goal by MSU’s Kyle Ferrie—a Searcy native and Harding Academy alum—turned into a make from 46 yards after Arkansas safety Miguel Mitchell drew a running-into-the-kicker penalty. That cut the deficit to 35-31 with 5:11 to play.
The chaos peaked on the Bulldogs’ final possession. A hard hit by defensive end Quincy Rhodes drew an unnecessary roughness call, flipping field position. Shapen, cool under pressure, marched his team 75 yards in nine plays, capping it with the game-winner to Evans III, who outjumped cornerback Keshawn Davila for the grab. Arkansas’ last gasp—a Hail Mary heave from Green as time expired—fell incomplete in a sea of red.
The loss was compounded by a penalty nightmare for the Razorbacks, who racked up a program-record 18 flags for 193 yards—15 after halftime alone, including a holding call on lineman Fernando Carmona that erased a big gain by Washington. Petrino, visibly frustrated on the sideline, later called the officiating “a factor we can’t control,” but praised his team’s fight: “We had ’em, but penalties killed drives and gave them life. Gotta clean that up if we’re gonna turn this around.”
Mississippi State, meanwhile, celebrated its first conference win since 2023, with Shapen finishing 22-of-35 for 248 yards and three scores. The Bulldogs’ 410.8 yards per game offense, ranked 52nd nationally, overwhelmed Arkansas’ leaky secondary, which entered allowing 28 points per contest in SEC play.
For Arkansas (2-7, 0-5 SEC), the defeat drops them to last place in the West and intensifies scrutiny on the program’s direction. With Ole Miss looming next Saturday in Oxford—a matchup against a Rebels team that’s 7-1 and eyeing the playoff—the Hogs face an uphill battle to bowl eligibility. Fans filed out of Reynolds under gray skies, their “Woo Pig” chants muted by the sting of what could have been.
Petrino, ever the optimist, looked ahead: “This one’s tough, but we’ve shown we can move the ball and score. Fix the discipline, and we’re right back in it.” In Razorback Nation, where heartbreak is as common as calling hogs, Saturday’s thriller will linger—but so will the resolve to rally for one more run.
