Five Missed Opportunities That Cost Arkansas Dearly Against Missouri

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas shot itself in the foot so many times in its 34-10 loss to No. 23 Missouri on Saturday that it nearly ran out of bullets.

There was a plethora of missed opportunities from the Hogs on Saturday, but five in particular stood out the most.

1. Max Gilbert's missed field goal

Three points might seem small in the grand scheme of things, but Arkansas' best offensive drive of the game to the point of Gilbert's missed kick had a chance to end in points. Had Gilbert made the 50-yard field goal rather than coming up well short, the game would've been within three points at halftime. It also would've meant his second field goal of the night would've made it a two-score game.

More importantly, Gilbert's miss showed that it might be time for Arkansas to consider other options at kicker. Gilbert hasn't been terrible this season, but a 10-15 mark and an inability to make kicks of over 50 yards isn't going to win games.

2. Bradley Shaw's dropped interception

After Arkansas scored and made it 13-7 in the closing moments of the first half, Bradley Shaw nearly took an errant throw from Austin Simmons to the house. The problem was that Shaw didn't catch the football in the first place.

Not only did Shaw drop the pick, but so did Shelton Lewis. Missouri didn't score on the drive, but if Shaw intercepted the pass, he would've scored and given Arkansas a 14-13 lead at the break.

"It would have been nice because it was wide open if he caught it," head coach Ryan Silverfield said. "And listen, I love Bradley and he's a captain and, obviously, if he caught it, a pick six. Like a lot of our guys today, we dropped the ball."

3. Multiple opportunities to get off the field on Missouri's first drive of the second half

Missouri got the football to start the second half, and it looked like Arkansas' defense still had the Tigers on their heels. Mizzou faced a third and 7 at their own 42 less than 2:30 into the third quarter when Austin Simmons threw an absolute dime to Cayden Lee that got Mizzou into the red zone.

Tigers add another six to the board@DonovannO25 https://t.co/0I8y0UlM7S pic.twitter.com/ZSGdEoVa3J
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) November 1, 2026

Two plays later, Missouri faced second and 14, and the Hogs still had a chance to hold the Tigers to a field goal. Instead, Simmons found a wide open Donovan Olugbode for a touchdown that made the score 20-7.

4. With offense humming, KJ Jackson gives it right back

Arkansas' offense had found a rhythm at the end of the first half and came out to start the second half with a run from KJ Jackson that went for good yardage — until Jackson was hit by his own offensive lineman in Kash Courtney and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Missouri.

Fumble forced by @n_rodriguez5, recovered by @BeansBanner13 https://t.co/cerBO5zqTC pic.twitter.com/MlcROiaOci
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) November 1, 2026

The Tigers went right down the field and scored to make it 27-7 with 9:47 to go in the third quarter. In just five minutes and 13 seconds, Mizzou busted the game wide open.

"It was massive because the ineffectiveness to be able to move the ball, and then once you turn the ball over, it's just— you find yourself digging it further and further in a hole," Silverfield said. "And we had been pleased with what we had been able to do defensively in the first half, and then coming out and not being able to, it's one of those things. You get frustrated, but you've got to teach off it and coach off it and hope that the next time you go out, you show better. And clearly, we didn't."

5. Officials blow lots of whistles, then Antonio Jordan fumbles to seal the game

Arkansas appeared to have it second touchdown of the night on a beautifully thrown ball from Jackson to Antonio Jordan late in the third quarter, but it was called back due to an unnecessary roughness penalty. Later on the same drive, Cam Settles punched it into the end zone, only for that score to also be called back for a chop block.

Akransas settled for a field goal to make the score 27-10 on a 20-play, 62-yard drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock.

Arkansas Razorbacks AJ Jordan reacts after catching a touchdown that was called back in the third quarter against Missouri. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs On SI Images

"I think anytime there's a personal foul that's in the hands of those that call it," Silverfield said. "On the high-low penalty on the 1 yard line, [I've] run that play over 100 times in 28 years and unfortunately it got called tonight, the first time I've seen it called in a long, long time. But, anyway, no excuses. We shouldn't have put ourselves in those situations."

In the fourth quarter with Missouri driving and in a position to put the game away, Jamal Roberts fumbled. The ball was recovered by Shaw and run back by him for a touchdown, but the officials had blown the play dead, unusual for a play in which it's unknown whether or not a fumble occurred.

While a review determined that Shaw did recover the fumble, Arkansas got the ball at the spot of the recovery.

"Clearly a fumble," Silverfield said. "The ball was moving. Shelton Lewis did a nice job. We were wrapped up, and then he goes and taps it out. The ball comes out, and Bradley would have gotten a scoop-and-score, I mean, straight down the sideline, and they blew it dead. And the reason was they they thought he was down, and so that's the nature of it. And so you say, OK, it turned out to be Arkansas football going the other way. And but ideally, I would have loved for them to let that ball play out."

A touchdown would've made the score 27-17. Soon after, Jordan fumbled, committing Arkansas' fourth turnover of the night which led to a Mizzou touchdown that made the score 34-10 and put the game on ice.

"On Antonio Jordan's [fumble], when he was getting held up, and he fumbled, well, they blew the whistle, but they allowed it to continue to play," Silverfield said. "Neither here nor there, obviously. Just got to give what we're given and find ways to execute better."

Silverfield said Jordan, who had seven catches for 106 yards on Saturday, did some good things in the absence of Chris Marshall, but his mistakes were costly.

"Antonio Jordan did some really nice things, but he also can't have the drops," Silverfield said. "He can't fumble the football. So, you can say some spectacular catches, great, but the drops and the fumble certainly outweigh any type of performance that would be social media worthy."

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