Quarterback KJ Jefferson had 211 combined yards, four Arkansas players scored rushing touchdowns, and Cam Little kicked four field goals as the Razorbacks rolled past visiting No.15 Texas 40-21 on Saturday before a stadium-record crowd of 74,537 fans in Fayetteville, Ark.
It was the first time the former Southwest Conference opponents played each other since the 2014 Texas Bowl and the first time they’ve squared off in Arkansas since 2004.
Jefferson racked up a workmanlike 138 yards passing and ran for another 73 yards. Trelon Smith (a game-high 75 yards rushing), Dominique Johnson, Raheim Sanders and A.J. Green had TDs on the ground for the Razorbacks (2-0) against their future Southeastern Conference rivals.
The Arkansas defense was the story, allowing Texas (1-1) just 163 total yards through the first three quarters. The Razorbacks rushed for 333 yards, almost 200 yards more that the Longhorns.
Hudson Card, who was stellar in the Longhorns’ season-opening win over Louisiana on Sept. 4, passed for just 61 yards and had a fumble in Saturday’s loss. He was replaced by Casey Thompson late in the third quarter; Thompson ran for TDs of 5 and 2 yards in mop-up duty.
Bijan Robinson, Texas’ preseason All-America running back, managed only 69 yards rushing in the loss.
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Little put the Razorbacks on top with a 24-yard field goal with 2:03 to play in the first quarter. Dominique Johnson added to the Arkansas advantage via a 5-yard TD run at the 10:55 mark of the second quarter. Little added another 24-yard field goal after the Razorbacks blocked a punt by the Longhorns’ Cameron Dicker and set up shop deep in Texas territory.
After a fourth Longhorns’ three-and-out of the half, Little kicked a 44-yard FG that bounced off the right upright and through to push the Arkansas lead to 16-0 with 3 minutes to play until halftime.
Texas found some life early in the third quarter when Bijan Robinson pounded in from the 1 for a touchdown to cut its deficit to 16-7. But the Razorbacks answered on their ensuing drive, marching 81 yards in six plays to Smith’s 1-yard scoring run and a 23-7 lead.
Little’s fourth field goal, a 22-yarder, was kicked after Arkansas stopped the Longhorns on downs at the UT 42. Sanders added a shifty 26-yard TD run after a Card fumble late in the third quarter and the rout was on for real.
Green’s 30-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter capped the Razorbacks’ scoring.