Three Takeaways From Arkansas' 31-21 Victory Over Vanderbilt

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Arkansas Razorbacks finally got their first SEC win of the year, beating the Vanderbilt Commodores 31-21 Saturday night in Nashville.

With the Razorbacks pulling off a win against the Commodores, they snapped a 14-game SEC drought after 721 days since their last SEC win, against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on October 26, 2024, when the Razorbacks beat the Bulldogs 58-25.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson (7) scrambles against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Impressive Quarterback Play

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jackson had an impressive night for the Razorbacks, playing a vital role in their win in Nashville. The left-handed gunslinger made all the right reads and didn't force the ball into tight windows, completing 21-of-31 passes for 251 yards and tossing a touchdown pass.

The dual-threat quarterback also finished the game leading the Razorbacks with 58 rushing yards and tacked on another touchdown on the ground.

He also turned to redshirt freshman receiver Antonio Jordan all night long as star receiver Chris Marshall was ruled out following an injury late in the half.

Jordan quickly became Jackson's go-to target, finishing tonight's contest with 5 catches for 74 yards and tripling his season total in receiving yards, as he entered today with only 25 total receiving yards.

Arkansas Defensive Masterclass

The Arkansas defense quickly established itself, playing mostly lights-out all night, forcing Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis to make mistakes and creating havoc early and often against the Commodores.

After the Commodores took a 7-0 lead, the Razorbacks' defense stepped up and helped their offense when senior cornerback Joker Johnson jumped a slant route and returned it for a 25-yard pick-six, tying it at 7-7.

The Razorback defense also forced the game-winning takeaway as the Hogs got into the backfield, forcing Curtis to roll out and throw out of a sack, while senior safety Miguel Mitchell picked off the throw to seal the victory for the Hogs.

Linebacker Ja'Quavion Smith was among many of the defensive standouts on the night by constantly disrupting Vanderbilt's rhythm and finishing with a team-high 10 tackles, seven of them were solo tackles.

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Cam Settles (27) scores a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rushing Attack Breaks Free

The Razorbacks' rushing finally hit the ground running as they finished the game with a season-high 187 rushing yards, nearly doubling their average of 99 rushing yards per game.

Despite the Razorbacks struggling to run the ball this season, tonight looked like a new-found group as the offense leaned on the backfield to help open up the passing attack for the Hogs.

Jackson finished the game with a team-leading 58 rushing yards, and sophomore running back Cam Settles looked effective in the ground game with 45 rushing yards but also tacked on two rushing touchdowns of his own to help the Razorbacks pull out the win for the Razorbacks.

Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey utilized the different skill sets of the Razorbacks' running backs as he used four different running backs in tonight's ballgame as he looked to disrupt the Commodores' defense and set the tone to help the Razorbacks walk out of the Music City with a win.

With the Razorbacks heading into a bye week next week, they will need to prepare to take on the Missouri Tigers on Halloween, as the Tigers travel to Razorback Stadium for the annual Battle Line Rivalry Game.

Sign up to our free newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google