OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Ulysses Bentley IV scored the go-ahead touchdown with 7:49 remaining as No. 16 Mississippi put together two consecutive fourth quarter scoring drives to rally to beat Arkansas 27-20 on Saturday night.
The Rebels (5-1, 2-1 SEC) trailed 20-17 before a decisive 75-yard, 12-play scoring drive, capped by Bentley’s six-yard touchdown run. Bentley finished with 13 carries for 94 yards.
Mississippi followed the late scores with defensive stops, including an interception by John Saunders, Jr. The stops sandwiched Caden Davis' 22-yard field goal with 2:43 remaining to seal the win.
K.J. Jefferson led Arkansas (2-4, 0-3) with 25 of 39 passing for 252 yards, including touchdown passes of 3 and 17 yards to Ty Washington, who finished with seven receptions for 90 yards. The first scoring pass lifted Arkansas to an early 7-0 lead.
The Rebels answered with consecutive first quarter scoring drives, capped by a 27-yard field goal from Davis and a 1-yard scoring run by Quinshon Judkins. Mississippi added a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jaxson Dart to Dayton Wade for a 17-7 halftime lead.
The Razorbacks got field goals a career-best 56 yards and 26 yards from Cam Little in the third quarter, and then Washington's Washington's 17-yard scoring reception to take a 20-17 lead. The Rebels then scored the final 10 points.
Dart finished 16 of 25 for 153 yards passing while Judkins added 18 carries for 65 yards as Mississippi finished with 349 yards of total offense. Ashanti Cistrunk added a first quarter interception that set up a scoring drive.
THE TAKEAWAY
Arkansas: Despite four consecutive losses, the offense — 191 points in six games — offers a chance against the remainder of the schedule. Unfortunately, the defense has surrendered 38, 34, 34 and 27 points during the four-game slide. Three consecutive home games close the schedule, but it may be too late by then for Arkansas to climb back to the .500 mark.
Mississippi: The bottom line was the Rebels avoided an upset loss despite an inspired effort from Arkansas. The win keeps Ole Miss in the race for the SEC West Division title and an open date could not come at a better time after successive emotional comeback wins.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The No. 16 Rebels are the third-highest ranked of seven SEC teams in the Top 25. The home win will secure the current ranking and should launch a climb toward a top-10 slot.
UP NEXT
Arkansas: The Razorbacks visit No. 11 Alabama on Saturday.
Mississippi: An open date before a visit to Auburn and former coach Hugh Freeze on Oct. 21.
