After trailing 14-0 less than five minutes into the game, Mississippi State (4-7, 2-5 SEC) scored 24 straight points to snap a nine-game losing skid against Arkansas (4-7, 1-6) on the Bulldogs’ final home game of the season.
After a rocky first two plays that included a badly overthrown ball downfield and a dropped pass, the Razorbacks found their groove and easily moved 71 yards to pay dirt. Michael Smith got the scoring started with a 15-yard scamper into the end zone.
MSU head coach Sylvester Croom credited the Bulldogs’ slow start to a lack of energy.
“We didn’t have a whole lot of energy,” he said. “I think the season had worn on them a little bit.”
The Bulldog offense struggled to move the ball and was forced to punt.
Punting for the final time in his home stadium, senior punter Blake McAdams boomed a 52-yard punt which, coupled with good coverage by sophomore Zach Smith, gave Arkansas possession at its own 10-yard line.
The poor field position didn’t phase the Razorbacks, however. On the second play of the drive, freshman Nathan Dick, making his first start, connected with wideout Lucas Miller for an 87-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs struck back, marching 73 yards in 12 plays to trim the Hogs’ lead in half on a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab by junior runningback Anthony Dixon.
Dixon had a career day, accounting for three of the Bulldogs’ four touchdowns on 179 yards rushing and more than 200 yards total.
“That was what I wanted,” Dixon said. “I wanted to tote the load for the team and lead us to a victory.”
Dixon said he wanted to send the seniors out with a victory in their last home game.
“I’ve got a lot of love for those guys,” he said. “They took me under their wing when I was a freshman and taught me a lot about Starkville and Mississippi State. That was part of the reason why I played so hard today.”
Dixon’s touchdown seemed to wake up the sleeping Bulldog defense, which forced the Hogs to go three-and-out and punt for the first time.
The Bulldogs took full advantage, knotting the score at 14 on a 10-yard touchdown romp by Arnil Stallworth set up by a 40-yard run on 3rd and inches by Dixon.
The score marked Stallworth’s first rushing score since 2006.
“It’s great to get in the end zone,” Stallworth said. “I ran behind my blockers and almost went in untouched. They did their jobs and I did mine.”
On the ensuing drive, Arkansas moved the ball to the MSU 27, but the Bulldogs forced a 44-yard field goal attempt that missed wide left.
MSU took over and drove 58 yards in 12 plays, capping the drive and the first-half scoring with a 32-yard Adam Carlson field goal.
With 3:43 left in the third quarter, Dixon found the end zone and the Bulldogs expanded their lead to 10, 24-14. One play after securing the ninth 100-yard rushing game of his career, Dixon scampered 63 yards for pay dirt, his longest rush of the season and second-longest of his storied career.
On Arkansas’ next drive, MSU was penalized for the first time of the game, and it proved costly. The Bulldogs had an apparent fumble recovery called back because senior defensive end Tim Bailey was lined up offside.
The Razorbacks took advantage of the second chance, completing two consecutive passes and finding their way to the endzone to cut State’s lead to three heading into the fourth quarter.
State responded in kind, with Dixon capping off a 10-play, 70-yard drive with his third touchdown of the game and second receiving.
The Razorbacks added seven more on a 1-yard touchdown catch by Ben Cleveland to pull back within three points with 25 seconds remaining.
Bulldog fans started to sweat despite the cold when Arkansas recovered the onside kick, and rightfully so. Trailing by three, Arkansas moved the ball to the MSU 29-yard line and lined up to attempt a field goal with four seconds on the clock.
The kick sailed wide right and with it fell the last hopes of a Razorback comeback.
Croom’s reaction summed up the season as a whole. He said he looked to the sky at that point and said, “Dear Lord, why does it have to be so hard?”
State now turns its attention to Ole Miss (7-4, 4-3). The Rebels have clinched second place in the SEC Western Division after an impressive 31-13 win over defending National Champion LSU. Last season, the Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 17-14 in Starkville.