Mississippi State secures win over Arkansas with blocked field goal late

Prescott had 508 yards passing and five touchdown passes.

State gave up four touchdowns of 60 yards or more against Alabama.

PASSING FANCY: Arkansas has had little trouble slowing opposing running attacks this season, but its pass defense is another story – with the Razorbacks 113th in the country while allowing 282.3 yards passing per game.

The Razorbacks’ hope for an Southeastern Conference Western Division title ended Saturday night.

Bielema was 19-5 in November with the Badgers, and this year’s late success – including last week’s convincing 31-14 win over the No. 17 Tigers – has helped Arkansas regain some of its swagger after an early three-game losing streak. Mississippi State missed the extra point, and Arkansas responded with another touchdown pass to Sprinkle. Even 3-8 SC is averaging 358.5 yards per game and seven SEC teams are averaging 413 yards per game or better. Drew Morgan – 7 catches, 84 yards, and a touchdown.

“I’ve been through a couple of heartbreakers since coming to Arkansas, but that one might be at the top of it”, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said.

I am not saying that any of these guys are going to be super-stars because, until we see them at this level of play, no one knows what they can do yet.

He is a much more polished passer on deep routes, which makes him almost impossible to stop when added to his timing on short and intermediate routes, as well as his work on the ground.

But then Arkansas ran again on 2nd down. Many second-guessers on Bielema for attempting the field goal likely would have been in an uproar had their been an interception or taking out of field goal range sack with short field game-winning goal available.

For whatever reason or reasons during the snap, hold, protect and kick process, the kick came off low and ripe for Mississippi State’s Beniquez Brown to block.

It was the second time this season Allen threw at least six touchdown passes in a game (Nov. 7 vs. Ole Miss was the other occurrence). Arkansas’s pass rush only got to Prescott twice.

Prescott probably sewed up the nod as the best quarterback in the SEC this season, with Allen a close second. Prescott accounted for six touchdowns and 465 yards against the Wildcats. The entire MSU community rallied around Prescott and it was one of the defining moments of that year for the MSU team.

So, it was with some concern that Arkansas might be taking a big gamble in more ways than one when it played for a field goal inside the final minute and would still have to defend a last-ditch Prescott-led drive.

The game will take place next Friday at 1:30 p.m. The Hogs will by vying for a bid to a higher-tier bowl game, while the Tigers will have their last chance to become bowl eligible.