Arkansas Falters After Halftime Again in 52-37 Loss to No. 17 Texas

“If you want to lose, then just lose. Do not give us any hope,” a fan wrote on X - a sentiment that reflects exactly how many Razorbacks supporters are feeling right now.

In a deeply disappointing season, Arkansas (2-9, 0-7 SEC) stayed competitive for a half against rival Texas (8-3, 5-2 SEC) before collapsing after halftime as it has in so many games this year. The 52-37 loss at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in front of 102,361 in Austin was expected by most fans, yet the first half provided a brief lift before the familiar unraveling returned.

Early Exchanges Set a Fast Pace

In the next to last game of a difficult 2025 season, the Razorbacks remained more competitive than anticipated in the early minutes. Arkansas opened the game with possession. At 14:55, Mike Washington broke free for 41 yards on the first play from scrimmage, setting up Scott Starzyk’s 51 yard field goal at 13:11. The five play, 42 yard drive lasted 1:49 and put Arkansas ahead 3-0.

Texas responded quickly. At 12:44, Arch Manning found Emmett Mosley for 16 yards. One minute later at 11:34, Manning connected with DeAndre Moore for a 46 yard touchdown, and Mason Shipley added the extra point. The four play, 81 yard drive took 1:35 and gave Texas a 7-3 lead.

Arkansas answered again. At 11:29, Taylen Green hit Jaden Platt for 30 yards and followed with an 18 yard run at 10:07. Starzyk’s 33 yard field goal at 7:34 cut the Texas lead to 7-6 and capped a seven play, 60 yard drive that consumed 3:55.

Texas continued pressing. Manning connected with Ryan Wingo for 15 yards at 7:06, then with Mosley for 25 yards at 5:36. On third and four at 3:48, Manning found Jack Endries for 14 yards. The Longhorns closed the drive with a trick play at 2:36 when Parker Livingstone threw to Manning for a four yard touchdown. Shipley converted the PAT for a 14-6 lead after a 10 play, 75 yard march that lasted 5:02.

Arkansas mounted one more response before the quarter ended. Green ran for 25 yards at 2:22 and later completed an 11 yard pass to O’Mega Blake on third and eight at 0:56. Texas ended the first quarter up 14-6.

Arkansas Kept Punching in the Second Quarter

At 14:10, Washington sprinted 22 yards up the left side for a touchdown. Starzyk’s PAT pulled Arkansas within 14-13 and completed a seven play, 75 yard drive that lasted 3:23.

Texas answered immediately. At 12:28, Manning hit Livingstone for a 54 yard touchdown. Shipley’s kick pushed the lead to 21-13 after a five play, 75 yard possession that lasted 1:43.

Arkansas battled back again. Green connected with Raylen Sharpe for 21 yards at 11:15 and with Rohan Jones for 23 yards at 10:32. A Texas holding call extended the drive at 8:41. At 7:23, Green ran in a four yard touchdown, and Starzyk tied the score at 21-20. The 11 play, 75 yard drive lasted 5:02.

Texas attempted to respond, but at 6:58 Julian Neal broke up Manning’s third down pass. Arkansas stalled on its next drive, and Devin Bale delivered a 61 yard punt at 5:08 that Moore returned to the Texas eight yard line.

Texas regained momentum at 4:42 following a pass interference call. Manning then hit Wingo for 22 yards on third and eight at 3:35. Pressure from Justus Boone forced an incompletion at 1:52, and Texas punted at 1:45. Arkansas went three and out, and a short 21 yard punt gave Texas the ball at the Razorback 35. Shipley closed the half with a 44 yard field goal at 0:03, putting Texas ahead 24-20 after a four play, nine yard drive that lasted 50 seconds.

Third Quarter Collapse

Texas opened the second half with urgency. At 15:00, Manning completed a 30 yard pass to Mosley, then hit Endries for 35 yards at 13:58. Manning capped the drive with a three yard rushing touchdown at 12:32, and Shipley extended the lead to 31-20 after a five play, 75 yard series lasting 2:28.

Arkansas’ next drive ended at 9:41 when Green threw an interception to Jelani McDonald. Texas capitalized as Manning completed an 18 yard pass to Wingo at 8:24 and hit Moore for an eight yard touchdown at 7:05. Shipley’s PAT increased the lead to 38-20 after a seven play, 38 yard drive spanning 2:36.

KJ Jackson entered at quarterback and immediately completed a 26 yard pass to Washington at 6:11. He later scrambled for eight yards on third and seven at 4:16. A targeting penalty at 2:49 extended the drive, and Starzyk hit a 33 yard field goal at 2:18 to narrow the deficit to 38-23. The 13 play, 60 yard drive lasted 4:47.

Texas responded instantly. Manning found Livingstone for 50 yards at 1:42 and hit Moore again at 0:57 for the receiver’s third touchdown of the night. Shipley added the PAT to complete a five play, 75 yard drive that took 1:28. Texas ended the third quarter with a 45-23 advantage.

Jackson Provided a Late Spark

Early in the fourth quarter, Jackson hit Jones for 27 yards at 14:46. At 11:44, he was stripped on fourth and eight at the Texas 41 by Colin Simmons, and Texas returned the fumble 51 yards for a touchdown. Shipley’s PAT stretched the lead to 52-23.

Arkansas continued to compete. Jackson found Blake for 18 yards at 10:20, and Cam Settles converted on third and one at 8:29. Jackson scored on a 12 yard run at 7:45, and Starzyk’s PAT cut the deficit to 52-30 after a 10 play, 75 yard drive that lasted 3:44.

Texas’ next possession stalled after a holding call at 3:26. Bouwmeester punted 39 yards to the Arkansas eight yard line at 2:08.

Jackson then delivered his strongest series of the game. He completed passes to Sharpe for 16 yards at 1:59 and CJ Brown for 16 more at 1:54. At 1:37, he hit Jones for 21 yards, then Sharpe for another 21 at 1:01. With 15 seconds remaining, Jackson connected with Platt for an eight yard touchdown. Starzyk’s PAT cut the Texas lead to 52-37 after a nine play, 92 yard drive spanning 1:50.

Manning Shines, Arkansas Struggles to Finish Drives

Manning opened the game by completing 8 of 9 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and he also caught a touchdown on the reverse pass from Livingstone. He finished 18 of 30 for 389 yards with four passing touchdowns, no interceptions, and the one receiving score.

Arkansas moved the ball effectively but could not finish drives. The Razorbacks scored on their first four possessions but reached the end zone only twice.

Green made another costly mistake early in the third quarter, delivering a chest pass directly to a Texas defender. The Longhorns soon expanded their lead to 29 points. Bobby Petrino removed Green for the rest of the game, though Green briefly received medical attention.

Jackson’s Breakout Performance

Redshirt freshman quarterback KJ Jackson entered with 7:05 left in the third quarter with Arkansas trailing 38-20. He completed 16 of 29 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown without an interception. He also rushed four times for 17 yards and another score.

His only major mistake came on the strip sack that Texas returned for a touchdown at 11:44 in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, he led two scoring drives that helped Arkansas narrow the final margin.

His rushing touchdown at 7:45 included a scramble to the right, a juke at the line of scrimmage, a broken tackle at the eight yard line, and a diving finish from the two. His passing touchdown came with 15 seconds left when he found Platt for eight yards.

With KJ Jackson’s performance, Arkansas produced significant yardage. The Razorbacks outgained Texas 512 to 490, including 324 passing yards. Washington surpassed one thousand rushing yards for the season with his 105 yard effort on 17 carries.

Historical Slide is Getting Over

Arkansas’ ninth straight defeat marked the longest single-season losing streak in school history. And it is going to end next week. No, it may not end with a win, but the season is getting over. The Razorbacks close the season next Saturday at home against Missouri (7-4, 3-4 SEC) in the Battle Line Rivalry. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CST on SEC Network. For fans, the end of this difficult stretch cannot come soon enough, and many see its conclusion as a relief.