The Bearcats would rip off the band aid and get some big-time momentum after the Mardner touchdown, Razorbacks quarterback K.J. Jefferson would fumble the snap and the Bearcats would recover at the Razorbacks 3-yard line. but the Bearcats would be backed up 10 yards following consecutive penalties and were forced to a 2nd and 18 following a delay of game penalty, and the Razorback faithful crowd started to turn up the energy. The drive would stall after their fourth penalty which resulted in the Bearcats kicking a 25-yard field goal, where Ryan Coe would connect and cut the Razorback lead to 4, where they trailed 21-17. Can the defense respond once again, we will find out. The Razorbacks attacked the run game, behind Rocket Sanders as they were looking to wear down the Bearcats defense, but the defense would stand tall in the red zone holding the Razorbacks to just a field goal where they now led the Bearcats 24-17 with 1:28 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
The Razorbacks would take a 24-17 lead to the fourth quarter where the Bearcats would look to make a comeback here at Razorback Stadium as they looked to get the ball back in Ben Bryant’s hands. The Bearcats would create momentum heading down the field after Prater rushed for 7 yards, as Bryant had to come out due to his helmet coming off on a hit, The Bearcats designed a beautiful 3rd and 15 play that was wiped away due to a holding call after Charles McClelland would rip off a 24 yard gain down to the Razorbacks one, and Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell wasn’t happy with that call.
The Bearcats defense would come back and stand tall following consecutive sacks from Ivan Pace who by the way smoked K.J. Jefferson, and Ja’quan Sheppard came off the corner blitz to pin the Razorbacks at the 2 forcing a punt that Tre Tucker returned for 30 yards to the Razorback 37 setting the Bearcats up in prime field position as they looked to make a comeback. However, that drive was short lasted as Ben Bryant took a shot off the edge and fumbled where the Razorbacks would recover and take over at midfield. Could the Bearcats defense stand one more time?
The Razorbacks took no time off the clock as it only took two plays to reach the end-zone to bust this one back open after K.J. Jefferson found Trey Knox for his second touchdown of the game, this one a 32 yarder down the right sideline. The Bearcats would need to go now, as they trailed 14 with 9 minutes left. The Bearcats would look to establish some momentum and tie this thing up after forcing a three and out with just over 5 minutes left, the Razorbacks would just continue to run the ball behind Raheim Sanders and K.J. Jefferson for the final 5 minutes and the Razorbacks would run out the clock.
The Razorbacks would hold on to defeat the Bearcats 31-24 giving the Bearcats first regular season loss since 2019. The Bearcats saw a great showing from Ben Bryant, despite a shaky start, the senior really stepped up in the second half and showed why he was named the starter for the Bearcats. The Bearcats defense made it hard for the Razorbacks to get some momentum going after allowing 14 points on turnovers, the Bearcats eliminate the turnovers, make some of those big time throws and knock down the two missed field goals from Ryan Coe in the first half, we could have maybe seen a different result, but overall, the Bearcats have no reason to hold their head after a hard-fought battle versus a very talented Arkansas team. The Bearcats showed their hand as they knew they have a high-powered offense, but were going to face a challenge versus a tough and nasty Arkansas defense.
“That’s a really tough one, nobody likes to lose, it’s not something you can get used to, we have been very fortunate in the past, obviously regular season wise the last couple of years. Nonetheless this is an incredible learning experience a growing time and opportunity for us and the team as we find out and figure out what us really looks like. We found out a lot about ourselves, our fight, toughness, we just didn’t get it done, we didn’t play well enough on both sides of the ball to get the job done in a tough environment against a really good football team, but this is how you really figure out who you are.”
Bryant finished the day 26-of-43 for a whooping 325 yards and two touchdowns. Take away some of those missed opportunities and the early interception on the opening drive, Bryant settled in nicely after a huge second half. Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell gave a lot of credit to Bryant following the teams 31-24 loss to Arkansas.
“I thought Ben did a good job; I mean he took some shots too. I thought Ben was very poised, he took some shots and kept ticking, there will be a great connection with that crew.”
“I think the biggest takeaway today is missed opportunities, obviously I overthrew a couple that would’ve been touchdowns, specifically in the first half. I thought we did a really great job in the 2nd half with coming and executing a lot better, cleaning things up. I think this was a learning moment for everyone, I think we get a lot better from here. I think the atmosphere got to us a little bit down on the one end of the stadium. I think we can get better from here and learn from our mistakes,” said Bryant.
The Bearcats saw the amount of talent on the offensive side of the ball as Corey Kiner led the team in rushing where he finished with 12 carries, 59 yards, and a touchdown, Tyler Scott had a huge day as he led the team with five catches, 77 yards, and could’ve been more as the junior receiver was doing some work against a very talented Razorbacks secondary, and arguably could have finished with 150+ night if you go back and watch the tape. Josh Whyle recorded five catches for 38 yards as well, including a nasty one-handed catch on the opening drive of this one. Bearcats also saw Nick Mardner, a Biletnikoff Preseason Watch List nominee, get his first touchdown of his career in the red and black, where he absolutely cooked his defender for a 35-yard touchdown. Ben Bryant has plenty of options for a high powered Bearcats offense between those guys, and the likes of Tre Tucker, Will Pauling, Lenny Taylor.
“We have the personnel to do anything we really want to do, I think we got the guys, and we will have a great season with those guys, that are playmakers, I just have to get the ball in those guys hands, even if it’s just short little throws because they are going to make plays.”
The story of this one was the Bearcats defense, after losing guys like Coby Bryant, Joel Dublanko, Sauce Gardner, Bryan Cook, Darrien Beavers, Myjai Sanders and more to the NFL, the question is who will step up for those guys, and today it was guys like Ivan Pace who finished with 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. The Bearcats also got a dominant preformance from Ja’quan Sheppard who had a career high nine tackles, eight of those being solo tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss, as the senior was taking advantage of his opportunity that was long awaited after sitting behind Sauce and Coby the last few seasons, and he shined in that opportunity and was a bright spot for the Bearcats defense. The Bearcats defensive line would do a great job in the gap weather it was Jabari Taylor who forced the fumbled deep in Razorback territory, or guys like Jowon Briggs, Malik Vann, but the Bearcats also showed their defensive depth today where they saw Dontay Corleone and some other members including Eric Phillips and Noah Potter step up big time at that nose tackle position at times, as the redshirt freshman held his ground for the Bearcats
“They were able to hold their own man, and those are situations where you are really proud. They didn’t do anything worse than what I did out there, they will continue to grow from here.” said Jabari Taylor on the depth of the Bearcats.
Ivan Pace led the Bearcats defense with 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a huge sack where he laid the boom on K.J. Jefferson that sparked the Bearcats defense. Safe to say Pace made a huge impact on in his Bearcats debut and tuned a lot of heads after his dominating performance.
“Ivan is an aggressive football player, we had to move him around a bit, he hasn’t played much MIKE, but Wil Huber went down early, and we had to bump him over to MIKE. I give him a lot of credit, he is a football guy, really good instincts. We will find ways to keep moving him around to be aggressive and make plays.” said Fickell
“You got to love playing next to a guy like Ivan Pace, he’s just everywhere at all times flies around making plays. He brings a confidence to the defense. He has swag, he is one of those guys who locks in and doesn’t say much on the field but just by the way he plays, he brings guys along with him.”
Dontay Corleone had a big game, although the stats say differently the redshirt freshman was a problem for the razorback offensive line, and he continued to show why the Bearcats made him a priority in the 2020 recruiting class.
” Man that don’t just pump me up, but that pumps up the whole defense. A 2nd year guy, to see him be able to hold his own in there, stick in that A Gap make a few plays, force some three and outs, that’s what you like to see man, they younger they get it better chance they got in their career and future.” Said Jabari Taylor
However, the Bearcats defense did a great job at containing K.J. Jefferson, although he finished the day 18-of-26 with 223 yards, three touchdowns in the air, while rushing 18 times for 62 yards and a score, the Bearcats really did a great job and making him run laterally, instead of downhill and that’s where he becomes dangerous is when he gets going downhill. The Bearcats would look to contain the 6-foot-3, 240 pound quarterback, but Jefferson led the Razorbacks to a substantial 31-24 victory here at Razorback Stadium.
“You can only watch so much film, you have to have a little bit of respect like it’s not always like that. He makes things happen, when you’re out there with him you feel the difference. You get a little jittery, like ahh do I hit this edge, do I play traffic cop a little bit, but yeah man respect to him.” said Jabari Taylor.
Outside of that, the Bearcats saw a dominant performance from the defense versus a highly talented Arkansas team, but the efforts fell just short here at Razorback Stadium, where they suffered their first regular season loss since 2019. However, The Bearcats have nothing to hang their head on as that was a very talented Arkansas team, but the missed opportunities would haunt the Bearcats here between the two missed field goals, overthrown balls, the early interception, but if there’s one thing, I noticed was the Bearcats had the grit, resiliency to stay in this one, and they will bounce back, and everyone knows that, as it is never easy to start the season on the road versus a top ranked SEC team like Arkansas, and Arkansas knew the task at hand as they knew it would be a battle in the trenches and it was indeed that. However, Bearcats fans shouldn’t hang their head over the 31-24 loss, as the Bearcats will learn and grow from this, especially under new offensive coordinator Gino Guidulgi the Bearcats have a dominant high-powered offense that will be very fun to watch this season and we saw that here today, along with a high-powered defense the Bearcats will be just fine, and there is no reason to panic after today’s contest.
Notable Injuries– Jake Renfro is expected to miss the 2022 season with an injury he sustained leading up to this one. Ryan Montgomery was also knocked out of this one with what Luke Fickell said was a rib, core or oblique injury that Montgomery tried to work out, but just couldn’t find his way back to this one.
The Bearcats however will look to bounce back next week at home where they welcome in Kennesaw State to Nippert Stadium for their first home game of the season at 3:30 pm where they will look to get back in the win column to kickoff the 2022 season.
