Top 5 Heartbreaking Losses for Arkansas Football

#2: 2013 & 2015 vs. Mississippi State

Truth be told, the Mississippi State Bulldogs know how to break a Hog’s heart. The past three games against them have proved that to be true. In fact, they were the ones who inspired me to even make this article. Really, you could throw the 2014 game into the mix as well, but I decided to save you the heartache of adding another close loss.

The 2013 game was one of the first stingers that we had in the Bret Bielema era. The game was played at War Memorial, which is a curse in itself nowadays. The Hogs came into the game 3-7, which included a 0-6 in conference play. The entire game was a tight one, as the Hogs and the Bulldogs were trading off points up until the final minute. In the final quarter, Arkansas had a chance to take the lead late. That was until Alex Collins fumbled the ball on Mississippi State’s 9 yard line (It’s okay, Alex, we forgive you). The Bulldogs traveled down the field quickly, but missed a field goal with 24 seconds in regulation.

Overtime was what became a typical Arkansas overtime performance. The Bulldogs received the ball first and scored immediately, taking the 24-17 lead off of the Hogs. Arkansas responded with gaining 1 yard through the first 3 plays, bringing up a dreaded 4th and 9. That play, BA threw an interception that ended the ballgame, giving Mississippi State their first win in Arkansas ever.

Nov 21, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks kicker Cole Hedlund (9) attempts a game winning field goal in the final minute of the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi State defeated Arkansas 51-50. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

The 2015 game was a different story with the same outcome. The Hogs came into this game with a 4 game winning streak, which made them one of the hottest teams in college football at the time. But it was Arkansas’ inexperience on defense that failed to M-State’s experience on offense, especially with quarterback Dak Prescott. It was Prescott that broke the Hogs’ dreams in 2014, and he did it with even more finesse last Saturday. Prescott threw for a career high 501 yards in the win over the Hogs.

But it wasn’t easy for the Bulldogs to pull out a win. At the beginning of the second half, Arkansas was trailing 31-21. But after a fumble on the kickoff,  an interception, and another fumble by Mississippi State, Arkansas regained the lead 42-31. With the talent of the M-State offense, Prescott was able to charge back. With three minutes left in the 4th quarter, M-State had a 51-50 lead over the Hogs. On the Razorbacks’ final drive, they were able to put the ball on Mississippi State’s 19 yard line. This set up Cole Hedlund for a 29 yard kick that would potentially win the game. However, our special teams in fact sucks, and the kick was blocked with ease. Mississippi State then knelt the ball, giving the Bulldogs a 51-50 win over a heartbroken Razorback team.

Like I said, the Bulldogs have our number when it comes to beating us. This only gets me ready for the next year that we get to take them on. I can guarantee that next year in Starkville will be a different story, and more importantly a different outcome.

Next: The Curse of War Memorial