![Florida Gators safety Cahron Rackley (32) tackles Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Isaiah Sategna (16) during a kickoff during the first half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 4, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://sportsnaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/21815772.jpg?w=788)
KJ Jefferson’s 4-yard scoring pass to Tyrone Broden lifted Arkansas to a 39-36 overtime victory over Florida and snapped the Razorbacks’ six-game losing streak Saturday afternoon, winning for the first time ever in Gainesville, Fla.
After the Gators’ Trey Smack made his third field goal in the first series possession of overtime, Jefferson had a 20-yard keeper and Raheim Sanders spun out for 11 yards before Jefferson hit Broden on a short slant for the game-winner.
Jefferson was 20 for 31 for 255 yards with an interception and touchdown passes to Broden and AJ Green. The quarterback also rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries with a score.
Sanders had 103 yards on 18 rushes and Andrew Armstrong caught three passes for 103 yards. Kicker Cam Little was 4 for 5 on field goals as the
Razorbacks (3-6, 1-5 SEC West) won for the first time at Florida in six tries.
The Gators (5-4, 3-3 SEC East) saw Graham Mertz complete 26 of 42 passes for 282 yards and three scores.
Eugene Wilson III (8 catches, 90 yards) had two TDs while Ricky Pearsall also caught one.
Trevor Etienne rushed for 80 yards on 12 carries with a score.
After Jefferson’s eight-yard score to Green at 12:06, Jaylon Braxton made it 14-0 when he stripped Pearsall and raced 34 yards just 12 seconds later.
However, Florida tied it on two scoring tosses from Mertz to Wilson, from 19 yards and six yards, with 2:04 left in the first quarter.
The kickers traded field goals to round out the first half’s scoring — Little from 37, Trey Smack from 47 — to tie it at 17.
Florida recovered a fumble late in the third quarter, and Mertz found Pearsall over the middle from 32 yards. But a bad hold resulted in a failed PAT attempt and a 23-20 home advantage.
In the fourth, Little tied it for a third time on his third field goal, a 22-yarder at 12:54.
Nearly five minutes later, Smack put the Gators ahead for the second time with a good kick from 34 yards.
Jefferson called his own number and ran 25 yards for a score with 4:26 left, totaling 55 rushing yards on the drive. But Etienne dashed in from 26 yards just over a minute later.
Afters Little’s 49-yarder with 44 seconds left, Smack missed a 44-yard try on regulation’s final play.
–Field Level Media