Jamal Roberts ran for 138 yards and scored twice, and Darris Smith recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score as No. 23 Missouri topped host Arkansas 34-10 Saturday night in Fayetteville.
Roberts has five games this season with at least 100 yards rushing.
Missouri (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) scored 24 points off four Arkansas turnovers. Linebacker Nick Rodriguez forced a fumble and Trajen Greco added an interception.
Austin Simmons threw for a pair of touchdowns, including one to Donovan Olugbode, and finished with 179 passing yards. Cayden Lee led Missouri with 78 receiving yards on six receptions.
Mizzou’s Ahmad Hardy had three carries in 42 yards in his first action of the season after sustaining a gunshot wound in his left leg in May. The SEC’s leading rusher a season ago, Hardy had a four-yard run to pick up a first down in the second quarter, then broke off a 37-yarder in the game’s closing moments.
KJ Jackson scored on a 2-yard run and Antonio Jordan added 106 receiving yards on seven receptions for Arkansas (3-5, 1-4 SEC).
Greco’s pop-fly interception after a deflection by Chris Graves Jr. sparked Mizzou’s first scoring drive, which ended with Blake Craig’s 31-yard field goal with 5:33 left in the first quarter.
Missouri scored its first touchdown on defense after Arkansas chose not to punt on 4th-and-1 from its own 34.
Halfback Cam Settles muffed a direct snap by Kash Courtney before the slippery ball was kicked and bobbled again. It finally rolled into the end zone, where Smith fell on it for six points. Craig’s extra point made it 10-0.
Craig nailed 53-yard field goal, his longest of the season, with 9 minutes left in the second quarter.
Max Gilbert missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt after an 11-play drive, but Arkansas followed with a 52-yard drive on its next possession just before halftime.
Jackson hooked up with Jordan for a 37-yard reception, and Jackson sneaked left over the goal line two plays later for a touchdown with 41 seconds left in the half. Gilbert’s extra point brought the Hogs within 13-7.
Missouri put together its first complete drive of the game on its first possession of the third quarter.
Simmons connected with Lee for a 46-yard pass on 3rd-and-6 that moved the Tigers to the Arkansas 11. Two plays later, Simmons hit Olugbode with a short touchdown pass to make it 20-7.
Rodriguez forced Jackson to fumble on the first play of Arkansas’ next drive, and Santana Banner recovered the ball at the Hogs’ 45 and Roberts scored from 2 yards out the ensuing drive to effectively put the game away.
–Field Level Media
