Arkansas' Luck From Little Difference-Maker Vs. Mississippi State
Field goals and punts aren't the most glamourous part of the football, but they are valuable. Ask Arkansas' Cam Little and he'll explain the importance of special teams.
Little hit three field goals in the Hogs 31-28 victory over No. 17 Mississippi State. A freshman from Oklahoma, Little matched his career-long on three different occasions Saturday afternoon.
One came from 46 yards out. Another came from 48. The final one — and now looking back, the most important one — went 51 yards, giving Arkansas (6-3, 2-3 SEC) the 16-14 lead.
Who knew that in that in the end, that kick would matter more than ever before.
"I wanted to take the lead," Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. "He really was valuable. He missed the one, but he kicked some long field goals tonight and did a good job with that."
Little missed a 42-yarder in the fourth quarter that would have given the Hogs a six-point lead. Fans were not too keen on Pittman's decision to go for the long field goal instead of trying a fourth and short.
Pittman laughed when recalling the fans giving him the business.
"Yeah, I got booed on that 51-yard field goal that he made," Pittman said. "We went up by two. I mean, I'm at practice and I see him kick and I felt like he could make a 51-yarder."
Pittman was right. Compared to Mississippi State's kickers, the fans in Fayetteville should be rejoicing Little's name.
MSU (5-4, 3-3 SEC) senior Brandon Ruiz went 0 of 2 on field goal attempts, missing one from 23 and another from 46. Freshman Nolan McCord missed his lone attempt from 40 yards out as time expired.
The kick would have sent the game into overtime. Instead, MSU's Mike Leach told reporters that there will be a change coming at the position.
"Announce this," Leach said. "There's an open tryout on our campus for kickers. Anybody that wants to kick or walk on and kick at Mississippi State, we'll hold a tryout any time you can get over there to our building, providing you're cleared by the NCAA."
For the season, Little is now 14-of-18 in field goals. Per Arkansas athletics, he also is the first player since 1997 to make all of his kicks from 45 yards or further.
Again, kickers aren't the most valuable players on the roster, but they can be difference-makers. Little made his and MSU's missed theirs.
And the Hogs? They're going bowling for the first time since 2016.
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