Razorbacks trying their best to simulate third quarter to overcome woes

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Daniel Shi | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 10:25 AM ET

Arkansas is now once again 0-3 in one possession games in 2025, with key turnovers late in the fourth quarter with an overall turnover margin of -5, 117th out of 136 FBS teams. The team's six lost fumbles trails only Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina, San Jose State and Charlotte.

For all the frustrating moments in the fourth quarter, the offense's vanishing act in the third quarter for the fourth straight week is the root cause of Arkansas not being able to keep pace in the shootouts.

Arkansas is 104th in third quarter scoring, averaging 3.4 points per game against FBS opponents, but most of that is inflated from scoring two touchdowns against Arkansas State in Week 2.

"You can't blame a whole game on one play," tight end Rohan Jones said about the turnovers. "We made errors earlier in the game that we could have been in a better position to win. So not only focusing on the fumble, just focusing on playing better as a whole and doing what we do, striving to be better play-by-play and just get the game finished."

Over the past four games, the only points Arkansas managed in the third quarter was a 46-yard field goal from Scott Starzyk against Memphis. The Razorbacks have yet to score a third quarter point in SEC play after being blanked against both Tennessee and Ole Miss.

Petrino mentioned after the Tennessee game that part of the issue coming out of halftime stemmed from his play calling and remaining too stubborn with the run, but Arkansas has also taken the ball in the first half when winning the coin toss, a strategy not adopted by most teams in the modern era.

In 2018, 92% of teams that won the toss opted to defer to the second half. Arkansas leaves itself vulnerable to the double-dip every week where the opponent can score 14 unanswered points without the offense even touching the field.

It also immediately forgoes the opportunity for Arkansas to make up ground in the third quarter and get off to a fast start coming out of the locker room.

Arkansas now faces a vaunted defense that's only allowed 12 points a game in conference play, but the defense has also yet to allow a third quarter touchdown to an SEC opponent.

The third quarter field goal from Florida last week was the first third quarter points the Aggie defense had allowed since Week 3 against Notre Dame.

The Razorbacks are doing the best to recreate the intensity needed out of halftime.

"It’s definitely a focus of ours," left tackle Corey Robinson II said. "As an offense, when we get to the end of practice, we start hyping each other up like it’s the third or the fourth quarter. Just trying to focus even harder and giving each other a little bit of energy so we can really push through the end of practice and make it like it’s the game."

Arkansas kicks off against No. 4 Texas A&M from Razorback Stadium 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.