Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Arkansas Razorbacks

KJ Jackson impresses as Arkansas snaps 12-game skid vs FBS opponents with win over Tulsa

KJ Jackson completed 24 of 36 passes for 309 yards with a touchdown and an interception and he ran for two scores to lead the way for the Razorbacks (2-2). His first touchdown run came on Arkansas’ second drive of the game and his defense did the rest.

Jackson split quarterbacking duties against Georgia last week and it was unclear how coach Ryan Silverfield would handle the position against Tulsa. He said after the game Jackson became the clear starter on Sunday.

“One of the positives about that young man is he’s steady Eddie,” Silverfield said. “The young man has been steadfast and I couldn’t be more pleased.”

The Tulsa (3-1) offense didn’t cross midfield until its seventh drive, early in the third quarter. It had just 56 yards of total offense at halftime. That seventh drive resulted in 81 and the Golden Hurricane’s first score, a 1-yard run by Damari Alston that cut Arkansas’ lead to 10, 16-6, after a failed two-point conversion.

Arkansas recovered Tulsa’s ensuing onside kick and drove 50 yards on five plays on a series capped by a 20-yard touchdown throw from Jackson to Chris Marshall.

The touchdown was Marshall’s first of the season. He entered the game third in the Southeastern Conference in both receptions and yards receiving and he added nine catches and 195 yards to his totals Saturday. The yardage ranked as the seventh highest single-game total in Arkansas history.

“I joked around, on third down, just throw the ball to him, that’s the play call. He’s been tremendous,” Silverfield said. “You need those type of guys. Sometimes you need that spark on offense.”

Arkansas went 7 for 7 in the red zone, though only three of the seven trips resulted in touchdowns. Jackson’s second rushing touchdown capped the scoring with 5:44 left. Max Gilbert kicked field goals of 23, 35, 29 and 38 yards, which tied him for third in school history with four makes in a game.

The field goals allowed Tulsa to stay within striking distance late, but back-to-back lost fumbles on the final drive of the third quarter and its first drive of the fourth quarter ended any hopes of a rally.

Takeaway Arkansas looked better than it had in its first three games of the season, but its red-zone difficulties are indicative of a team that’s likely to continue to struggle in the SEC because of a lack of offensive electricity outside of Marshall.

Tulsa’s visions of a Top-25 kind of season appear for naught. The success of the Golden Hurricane’s season will be determined in American Conference play.

Up Next Tulsa hosts North Texas on Saturday.

Arkansas travels to No. 23 Texas A&M on Saturday.

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