Explaining slow starts is hard, especially when Arkansas had looked like a top 25 team against Oklahoma State but was dominated in the early going against Alabama-Birmingham.
Maybe the Razorbacks had a Cowboy hangover.
Maybe they were peeking ahead at Auburn, which they play in their conference opener next Saturday on The Plains.
Maybe they just heard too many times how they would steamroll the Blazers, who didn’t score a touchdown in a loss the previous week to Louisiana-Monroe.
If someone had said before the game that Arkansas would trail 17-3 it would have been tempting to delete your gambling app.
If someone had told you Taylen Green would start 3 of 13 passing for 52 yards and suffer an early interception you wouldn’t have believed the game would be tied at the half.
Thanks to a strong running game the home team managed to go into intermission with a 20-20 tie, but UAB had been on offense 18:13 to Arkansas’ 11:47.
Green’s woes were not all on him, although he was much more accurate in the first two games. He had five passes dropped and he did add some much needed offense with his legs rushing for a touchdown. He finished with two scores and 96 yards rushing.
In their first two games the Blazers had failed to score in the opening quarter, but they hit the Hogs for 10.
In that first 30 minutes UAB’s offensive line did a great job of protecting quarterback Jacob Zeno and gave him plenty of time to find open receivers.
On the way to the locker room at the half Coach Sam Pittman told the SEC Network reporter Arkansas needed to start the second half strong. They needed to make a statement.
Sticking primarily with a running attack that seemed to get stronger the longer the game went on, the Razorbacks drove 84 yards in 11 plays to take their first lead of the game on Ja’Quinden Jackson’s 16-yard run. Jackson finished with 147 yards on just 15 carries.
Arkansas almost added an insurance touchdown on its next possession driving to the UAB 12, mostly on the passing of Green to Andrew Armstrong who had two catches on the drive for 43 yards.
The Hogs got caught with a holding penalty, suffered a sack and the field goal was wide.
Arkansas’ defense adjusted and held UAB to just 34 yards on its first two possessions.
By the time the Hogs got their third possession of the second half Green’s passing was improving, but one thing the Boise State transfer quarterback needs to know is the competition gets better starting next week.
On Green’s 26 attempts he targeted Armstrong 13 times. That’s something Auburn will be well aware of by the time the sun sets Sunday.
Arkansas added a 40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter for a 30-20 lead, but because of the slow start the breathing wasn’t getting easier. On a 83-yard touchdown drive the Blazers, who hadn’t until then converted but one third down since the first quarter, made good on two fourth-down attempts. With 6:55 left the Razorbacks were holding onto a 30-27 lead.
Bobby Petrino, known to love to move the ball through the air, showed his versatility on a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive when he called five running plays. The drive ended with Green’s 9-yard scamper down the sideline for a 37-27 lead with 3:58 to play.
Arkansas didn’t really escape an upset as much as it played hard and with more energy in the second half. The team ended with a very respectable 427 yards of total offense, and 266 of that was on the ground.
The Razorbacks won’t return home until Oct. 5, but they head into conference play with a win.
