Arkansas football’s 2025 season has become a masterclass in painful déjà vu, and Saturday’s 23–22 loss to LSU only deepened the sting. It was the same script fans have watched unfold week after week: a fast start, a second-half lead, and then a slow unraveling marked by missed chances and self-inflicted wounds.
The Razorbacks didn’t just lose, they once again shot themselves in the foot, inventing new ways to let a winnable game slip away.
A Promising Start, Another Bitter End
For a brief moment, this one looked different. Arkansas jumped out to a 14–0 lead, sparked by Caleb Wooden’s blocked punt returned for a touchdown and an 11-yard scoring run from quarterback Taylen Green. It felt like the perfect setup for a team desperate to break a frustrating cycle of near-misses.
But as the game wore on, the Razorbacks drifted back into familiar territory.
"“We just had a lot of chances to win that game, going all the way back to the first half,” interim head coach Bobby Petrino said afterward. “We were down in the red zone too many times to come away with no points, which certainly hurt us.”"Bobby Petrino
Those empty trips weren’t just costly, they were defining. For a team that has lived on the wrong side of one-possession games all year, they were yet another chapter in a season where Arkansas can’t seem to get out of its own way.
Missed Chances Become the Identity
Even as Arkansas retook the lead, the recurring sense of déjà vu never left. Fans could feel it. At some point, you have to wonder if the players feel it, too.
The most glaring moment came on a fourth-and-inches snap at the LSU 1-yard line. A chance to go up by two scores. A moment to seize momentum. A moment to finally flip the script.
But LSU stuffed the attempt, and Arkansas walked away with nothing. Again.
For a team that has lost so many games by razor-thin margins, those misses aren’t just physical, they might be mental. Every misstep feels like a prophecy repeating itself.
LSU’s Trickery, Arkansas’ Collapse
The fourth quarter delivered the latest twist in the season-long storyline. LSU dug deep into its playbook with double reverses, toss-backs, even three different players throwing passes, to keep Arkansas guessing. Petrino acknowledged afterward that the defense simply couldn’t find the defining stop.
"“We played really hard,” Petrino said. “We needed to find a stop in the fourth quarter on that last drive. The big scramble just kills you.”"Bobby Petrino
Backup quarterback Michael Van Buren, filling in for the injured Garrett Nussmeier, led the decisive drive and delivered the final blow. Yet even then, Arkansas had a chance. They marched down the field for what could’ve been a go-ahead field goal but only to miss it.
Another opportunity. Another heartbreak.
Turnovers, Penalties, Missed Opportunities: Pick Your Poison
If it’s not penalties, it’s turnovers. If it’s not turnovers, it’s stalled drives. Arkansas has found every possible way to sabotage its chances this season.
Green threw two interceptions and the Razorbacks lost a fumble, adding to a string of costly giveaways that have defined the team’s eight-game losing streak. Six of those losses have come by one possession. Five have been decided by a field goal or less.
This isn’t a team getting blown out. It’s a team that keeps losing the small moments, the ones that decide close games.
A Season Fans Want to End, A Team That Keeps Fighting
The frustration is understandable. Many fans are ready to close the book on 2025 and fast-forward straight into 2026.
But there’s one thing you can’t say about this Arkansas team: that it quits.
They compete. They play hard. And they’ve continued to show up every week despite the emotional toll of repeated heartbreak. Credit goes to Bobby Petrino for keeping the locker room together and keeping the team fighting in the face of adversity.
The Bottom Line
Arkansas isn’t getting blown out, they’re simply beating themselves. The talent is there. The opportunities are there. The chances to win are there.
But the Razorbacks keep finding new ways to lose, and Saturday’s collapse against LSU was just the latest entry in a growing list of “what could’ve beens.”
At some point, something has to change. Right now, Arkansas is competing hard, but competing hard isn’t enough. Execution matters. Discipline matters. Confidence matters.
Until the Razorbacks find a way to stop tripping over their own feet, close games will continue to end the same way:
Painfully. Predictably. And one possession short.