Arkansas holds off Mississippi State in 45-31 victory

By ArkansasOnline

Arkansas held off Mississippi State on Saturday, grabbing a 45-31 victory in the battle at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

The victory likely will do little to stanch speculation that Houston Nutt will leave at the end of the season.

On Saturday, ESPN college football analyst Mark May entered the fray, saying sources told him that Nutt wouldn't be after this season.

According to ESPN.com, the sources said a decision on Nutt's status wouldn't be announced until after the Razorbacks finish the regular season. The team plays at No. 1 LSU on Nov. 23.

Casey Dick threw a career-high four touchdown passes to help Arkansas to the victory Saturday.

Darren McFadden ran for 88 yards and threw for a touchdown in what might have been his last home game as a Razorback. There’s a good chance McFadden, a junior, will turn pro after this season.

Nutt improved to 22-2 at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium since becoming Arkansas’ coach before the 1998 season.

Arkansas (7-4, 3-4 SEC) and Mississippi State (6-5, 3-4) are both bowl eligible, but the seventh win was a boost to the Razorbacks’ resume.

Dick, who was pulled during a 34-13 loss at Tennessee last weekend, started against Mississippi State and was 14-of-17 for 199 yards. His longest pass was a 57-yard touchdown to McFadden in the third quarter that gave the Razorbacks a 31-10 advantage.

Mississippi State pulled to 38-24 in the fourth on Wesley Carroll’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Jamayel Smith. The Bulldogs then got the ball back, but defensive lineman Antwain Robinson intercepted a pass from just in front of Carroll and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 6:48 to play.

Carroll found Jason Husband for a 19-yard touchdown on fourth down with 5 minutes left. Mississippi State then tried an onside kick, but Arkansas recovered.

Carroll went 29-of-51 for 421 yards and four touchdowns, but he also threw four interceptions. Smith caught 10 passes for 208 yards.

The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead on Carroll’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Smith. The two also hooked up for a 19-yard gain earlier in the drive on fourth-and-5 from the Arkansas 30.

The Razorbacks answered with 24 straight points in the second quarter. Trailing 7-3, Dick dumped the ball off to a wide open Farod Jackson, who raced all the way to the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown, the first of his career.

Dick later added a 35-yard touchdown pass to Robert Johnson and a 19-yarder to Marcus Monk on third-and-16. The pass to Monk was thrown up for grabs, and the 6-foot-6 receiver outjumped two defenders for the ball.

Dick was 9-of-10 for 131 yards in the first half, then found McFadden for another touchdown early in the third quarter. Dick moved away from the rush and dumped the ball off to the star running back near midfield. Linebacker Dominic Douglas was nearby, but once McFadden outran him, nobody else had a chance.

Carroll threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Tony Burks late in the third quarter, but McFadden — who occasionally lines up at quarterback for Arkansas — answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Johnson.

The Bulldogs have never won at Arkansas. They are 0-4 at Fayetteville and 0-3-1 in Little Rock.

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Thank you for coming to the Web site of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.

Originally published 04:26 p.m., November 17, 2007
Updated 04:56 p.m., November 17, 2007

Information for this article was contributed by Noah Trister of The Associated Press.