Arkansas Dominates the Run Game to Beat Penn State in Outback Bowl
Arkansas took on Penn State in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Razorbacks dominated the run game in route to their 24-10 win over the Nittany Lions.
The Razorback’s sophomore quarterback, KJ Jefferson, led the way offensively, throwing for 98 yards, while completing 14 of his 19 pass attempts. Jefferson was the team’s leading rusher, putting up 110 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Arkansas’ freshman running back, Raheim Sanders, had a productive day on the ground as well. Sanders rushed for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns, while averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
Running backs, Dominique Johnson and Malik Hornsby also made major contributions. Sophomore, Dominique Johnson, ran for 77 yards on 11 rushes. Freshman, Malik Hornsby, ran for 67 yards on only 4 rushes.
The Razorbacks came out hot after halftime, putting together an explosive third quarter. Arkansas outscored Penn State 17-0, while scoring on all of their possessions in the third quarter. The Razorbacks’ defense also stepped up, completely shutting out the Nittany Lions in the second half. This coupled with Arkansas’ 353 total rushing yards seemed to be the deciding factors, resulting in the Razorbacks’ win.
Attendance: 46,577
OFFENSE:
ARK – 451 total yds, 25 first downs, 3rd down conversion 7/7, time of possession 29:36
PSU – 323 total yds, 17 first downs, 3rd down conversion 5/14, time of possession 30:13
RUSHING:
ARK (353 yds) – KJ Jefferson 20/110 yds 1TD, R. Sanders 13/79 yds 2 TD, D. Johnson 11/77 yds, M. Hornsby 4/67 yds
PSU (125 yds) – S. Clifford 12/46 yds, K. Lee 4/35 yds
PASSING:
ARK (98 yds) – KJ Jefferson 14/19 98 yds 1 INT, W. Thompson 1 INT
PSU (198 yds) – S. Clifford 14/32 195 yds 1 TD 2 INT, T. Franklin INT
RECEIVING:
ARK – D. Warren 3/33 yds, T. Morris 3/32 yds
PSU – P. Washington 7/98 yds, K. Lambert-Smith 3/74 yds, 1 TD
DEFENSE:
ARK – J. Foucha 6 tkl INT, H. Henry 6 tkl, G. Brooks Jr 3 tkl INT
PSU – C. Jacobs 10 tkl(8/2), J. Luketa 9 tkl(4/5), N. Tarburton 7 tkl(3/4), J. Brown 6 tkl(5/1) 2 INT
SPECIAL TEAMS:
ARK – C. Little 3/3 XPM 1 FGM(36 yds) 6 pts
Photo credit: Cameron Robertson/FAAZ Sports