Sophomore KJ Jefferson passed for a career-high four touchdowns as Arkansas ended a three-game losing skid in dominant fashion Saturday afternoon, routing Arkansas-Pine Bluff 45-3 in its only appearance at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium this season.
Two of Jefferson's scoring passes went to junior receiver Treylon Burks, who also scored on a career-long 49-yard run for the Razorbacks (5-3). Jefferson completed 10 of 17 passes for 194 yards, while playing just the first half.
Redshirt freshman Malik Hornsby was 1 of 5 in the air for 19 yards as he mopped up after the teams agreed to play 12-minute quarters in the second half.
The Razorbacks scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and went to the locker room up 45-0 at the half after amassing 426 yards in total offense against their FCS foe. They finished with 504 total yards and 291 rushing yards.
The Golden Lions (1-6) were held to 223 yards overall in losing their sixth consecutive outing. Skyler Perry completed only seven of his 18 passes for 107 yards and Kierre Crossley had 39 yards rushing on 13 carries.
After failing to convert on two scoring opportunities in the first half by missing a field goal and throwing an interception in the end zone, the Lions got on the scoreboard on Zack Piwniczka's 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Dominique Johnson led the Razorbacks in rushing with 91 yards on just six carries. In addition to his 89 yards on four receptions Burks rushed for 56 yards on just two carries. Blake Kern and Ketron Jackson Jr. also had touchdown receptions for the Hogs.
Punt return specialist Nathan Parodi had a career day with an 80-yard return for a touchdown on his way to 147 yards on four returns. It was the first return for a score by Arkansas since Joe Adams' 51-yard run back in the 2011 season's Cotton Bowl. The junior came into the day with 10 returns for 41 yards on the season.
The game marked the Razorbacks' first against an in-state opponent since 1944.
--Field Level Media
Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Arkansas | |
Kierre Crossley | Player | Dominique Johnson |
13 | Attempts | 6 |
39 | Yards | 91 |
3.0 | Avg Yards | 15.2 |
0 | Touchdowns | 0 |
0 | Long | 0 |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Arkansas | |
Daemon Dawkins | Player | Treylon Burks |
2 | Receptions | 4 |
49 | Yards | 89 |
24.5 | Avg Yards | 22.2 |
0 | Touchdowns | 2 |
0 | Long | 0 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 223 | 111 | 112 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arkansas | 504 | 291 | 213 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3.0 | 0 |