Bobby Petrino bypassed a game-tying field-goal attempt in the third quarter that proved costly for Arkansas. With decisions like that, he might not lose his interim tag.
Petrino’s blunder – eschewing a 42-yard three-point try – proved the difference as Tennessee football (5-1, 2-1 SEC) escaped with a 34-31 victory Saturday at Neyland Stadium, snapping the Hogs’ four-game win streak in this seldom played series.
Tennessee appeared to have a comfortable 17-point lead with 13 minutes left in the game, but Arkansas (2-4, 0-2 SEC) came roaring back with a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives to cut the gap to a field goal – one that Petrino ignored – with 2:55 left.
The Vols were able to run out the clock and keep alive their hopes of a second consecutive College Football Playoff berth.
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Arkansas has now lost two games this season on fumbles when marching for a potential game-winning score and by three points on the road to the 12th-ranked team in the country.
Petrino, who replaced the fired Sam Pittman two weeks ago, pounded Tennessee football with a solid run game but didn’t do much in the air until the final 12 minutes.
The Hogs totaled 496 yards against Tennessee vulnerable defense, but the Vols forced three fumbles – one which led to a 19-yard scoring drive and two others that stopped Arkansas’ drives at the UT 14 and 34- yard lines.
“You could say we’re relentless,” said Tennessee defensive end Joshua Josephs of the forced fumbles. “When we come in to make a sack, we’re attacking the ball.”
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Josephs made one of the game’s biggest plays, chasing down Hogs quarterback Taylen Green from behind and forcing a fumble that freshman linebacker Jalen Perlotte recovered at the plus-19 to set up a touchdown for a 34-17 lead.
It was one of five sacks turned in by Tennessee.
Yet, Josephs wasn’t satisfied with the fact Arkansas gained nearly 500 yards, ran for 240, converted 7 of 13 on third down and put up 31 points.
“I still don’t feel like we’re playing to our standard,” he said of the defense, “regardless of how many turnovers or sacks we get. I don’t like giving up that many yards.”
Neither does Heupel. But he won’t turn up his nose at an SEC win.
“Ultimately, we found a way to win,” Heupel said. “We made it tougher than it needed to be at times.”
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Heupel noted Tennessee football had 10 penalties and Arkansas just one, which he said “changed the game.” He added, perhaps sarcastically, “We’ve got to be smarter.”
Tennessee got outstanding offensive performances from running back DeSean Bishop, who had a career high 146 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and receiver Braylon Staley, who cracked the 100-yard receiving mark for the first time with six catches for 109 yards.
Each was injured in the second half. Heupel said he wasn’t sure of the severity.
While Staley shined, Chris Brazzell, who led the team by averaging 106.2 yards per game, was held in check as Arkansas’ doubled him and soft coverage to his side. Brazzell had just one catch for 5 yards.
Quarterback Joey Aguilar had another efficient effort, completing 16 of 25 passes for 221 yards and one score. He also ran for 56 yards, with a long of 28 yards on the last possession of the game. Aguilar got the wind knocked out of him when he fell on the ball, left for one snap, then returned to help UT run out the clock.
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Heupel said the offense was challenged by the element of the unknown – not knowing what Arkansas would dial up defensively after three defensive coaches were fired last week.
“We didn’t know what their defensive structure would look like,” Heupel said.
UT figured it out well enough to total 485 yards – 264 on the ground. But the Vols struggled to maintain a few drives, converting just 2-of-9 on third down.
But they got a crucial conversion when Peyton Lewis, who scored two touchdowns, rammed 7 yards on third-and-1 in the final minutes to put the game away.
Despite being sacked five times, Green managed to run for 98 yards (not counting sacks) and passed for 256. He accounted for three touchdowns.
But it wasn’t enough to overtake Tennessee football.
“It’s a good win,” Heupel said.
Is there any other kind in the SEC?
