It takes some brave calls to beat a team as talented as No. 2 Alabama. And Sam Pittman is ready to make a serious call.
Faced with a score of 4 and 9 with 11 hours and 39 minutes remaining, 21 Arkansas sent his goal unit out to try to score 49 yards. But ballplayer Reid Bauer instead sped up and ran up the middle before jumping up and unleashing an over-the-road pass to close Blake Kern. Kern made a one-handed catch and sent it to the Alabama end 32 yards for a touchdown.
The touchdown and the subsequent PAT made it a 34-28 game.
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Arkansas’s run to the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth seemed to have a lot of momentum, but a few penalties late in the quarter halted growth. Faced with a 3rd and 1st situation from Alabama’s 24-yard line, the Razorbacks were awarded a five-yard penalty for a false start sending them five yards behind. Full-back KJ Jefferson took a two-yard lead in the next inning to set up a fourth and fourth goal.
Pittman initially told his team to take it, but another false penalty sent his team back another 5 yards, forcing him to send the scoring unit off the field.
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This is the second time this season that a team has played fake during the special time with Alabama. On November 6, LSU pitcher Avery Atkins looked like he was going to kick it off with the Tigers facing 4 and 4, but instead he lunged forward and finished the game. into a pass jump to win 26 yards for a tight-finished Jack. Mashburn to take down the tigers.
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Arkansas fights Tide to the end but loses 42-35. Alabama took a berth in the SEC championship game with the win and will face No. 1 Georgia in two weeks.
