FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Nico Iamaleava took off running.
The Tennessee redshirt quarterback, attempting to lead his first game-winning drive, had few options to turn to as the clocked ticked away at Donald W. Reynolds-Razorback Stadium Saturday night. He made one last-ditch effort to stop the clock, but there was no time left by the time he found the sideline.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
On a Saturday where top five teams were vulnerable, the No. 4 Vols, a near two-touchdown favorite over Arkansas, were toppled themselves, seemingly overcoming a sluggish first half to take the lead before giving it up again in the final minute in a 19-14 loss to the Razorbacks.
Tennessee’s offensive, which was shutout in the first half for the first time under Josh Heupel, was baffling.
Two touchdown drives to open the third quarter, both stamped by Dylan Sampson, gave the Vols a two-score lead and seemed to be enough.
The Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC) likelihood of escape seemed even more so when Arkansas (4-2, 2-1) starting quarterback Taylen Green, who passed for 266 yards, exited the fourth quarter with an injury.
Tennessee’s defense clamped down on his backup, redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton. Then he led the go-ahead scoring drive to hand the Vols their first loss and the Razorbacks’ first over a top 4 team since 1999.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
16 plays, 74 yards, 9:13 (time of possession)
Tennessee's defense found itself in an unfamiliar spot early. Arkansas drove the ball to the Vols' 2-yard line, taking more than nine minutes off of the clock. The Razorbacks converted on fourth-and-1 to get on the door step, but a penalty moved them back and Tennessee held. A 20-yard field goal Kyle Ramsey handed the Vols their first deficit of the season.
Arkansas 3, Tennessee 0
THIRD QUARTER
7 plays, 75 yards, 2:27
Tennessee showed life offensively for the first time on its opening drive of the second half. Facing third-and-4, Dylan Sampson kept the Vols on the field with a 53-yard burst down the sideline. He was run down at the 4-yard line, but scored on the next play, going untouched up the middle to put Tennessee on the board for the first time and give it the lead.
Tennessee 7, Arkansas 3
7 plays, 60 yards, 2:09
Tennessee's defense continue to put pressure on Taylen Green and the Arkansas offense in the third--something that was missing in the first half. James Pearce Jr. sacked Green for a loss of 8 yards on third down to get the ball back to the offense. Sampson paid it off with his second touchdown run in as many drives, this one again for four yards to stretch the Vols' lead near the midway point of the quarter.
Tennessee 14, Arkansas 3
8 plays, 75 yards, 3:41
If Arkansas was stunned by Tennessee's resurgence, it didn't show. The Razorbacks continued to hang around, using a defensive stand of their own to force the Vols' to punt. Then they covered 75 yards in eight plays and made it a one possession game on Ja'Quinden Jackson's 2-yard touchdown just before the end of the third.
Tennessee 14, Arkansas 10
FOURTH QUARTER
10 plays, 75 yards, 4:17
Tennessee's defense looked like it was about to get off the field early in the fourth quarter, but Jordan Ross was flagged for roughing Arkansas' punter Devin Bale on fourth-and-2. The Razorbacks, back with the ball, drove inside the Vols' 20 on a Green pass to Andrew Armstrong down the sideline. Tennessee kept them out of the end zone, but a Matthew Shipley field goal from 22 yards out inched Arkansas closer with 12:08 left.
Tennessee 14, Arkansas 13
4 plays, 59 yards, 2:03
After not looking like he was going to be able to lead any kind of drive, Arkansas backup quarterback Malachi Singleton, with the help of some big runs from Braylen Russell, marched down field in what looked like their final chance and finished it off with a touchdown run from Singleton to put the Razorbacks back in front with 1:17 on the clock. The two-point attempt to try and make it a 7-point game failed.
Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14
PLAY OF THE GAME
Dylan Sampson's 53-yard run to set up Tennessee's first scoring drive in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Tennessee will play on it home turf for the first time in nearly a month next week, beginning a four-game home-stand that will run through early November.
The Vols host Florida at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, seeking their second win in the series in the last three meetings at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee is as much as a 20-point favorite according to some early lines released this past week. The Gators (3-2, 1-1) are coming off of a 24-13 win over Central Florida on Saturday.
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