Arkansas Football: Will Razorbacks Win an SEC Game in 2014?

A week ago, it appeared that Arkansas had turned a corner —or was about to—in the SEC West.

The Razorbacks pushed No. 7 Alabama to the absolute brink in a 14-13 defeat, which came only two weeks after they dropped a 35-28 overtime decision to Texas A&M that saw them blow a two-touchdown fourth-quarter lead. 

It was only a matter of time before they broke through and, at the very least, won an SEC game. Right?

But following Saturday’s 45-32 loss to No. 10 Georgia (in which the Bulldogs built a 32-point lead before a late rally), it’s fair to wonder: Will Arkansas win an SEC game this season?

The Razorbacks’ last SEC victory came on Oct. 13, 2012, a 49-7 win over Kentucky with interim coach John L. Smith at the helm.

Saturday’s defeat extended that string to 17 games, which will only enhance the pressure on second-year head coach Bret Bielema.

Arkansas has four SEC games remaining, with two of them against teams currently in the Top Three nationally (No. 1 Mississippi State and No. 3 Ole Miss).

Bielema’s team was competitive against both teams a year ago, dropping a 34-24 decision to Ole Miss and a 24-17 overtime loss to the Bulldogs.

The Rebels’ trip to Arkansas comes a week before what could be a titanic Egg Bowl showdown with Mississippi State that might have SEC title and College Football Playoff implications, and Ole Miss will surely be on upset alert in Fayetteville.

But it’s difficult to expect Bielema’s bunch to give either team a serious push.

That leaves two opportunities: Nov. 15 vs. LSU in Fayetteville and Nov. 28 at Missouri.

A year ago, Arkansas led a good LSU team 27-24 in Baton Rouge with one minute, 15 seconds remaining and the Tigers pinned inside their own 1-yard line. But backup quarterback Anthony Jennings led a 99-yard drive capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass to Travin Dural for a 31-27 win.

The Tigers have taken a step back this season and are clearly the fifth- to sixth-best team in the SEC West. And this time, they’re coming to Razorback Stadium.

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

If Arkansas can get its potent ground game going against LSU’s defense and harass Jennings, there’s a decent chance the SEC losing streak could end there.

If not, it falls to a Black Friday regular-season finale at Missouri. The border rivals have not met since the 2008 Cotton Bowl, a 38-7 Mizzou win, and this game could carry particular meaning for Bielema.

The Tigers do not look like the same team that won the SEC East a year ago, losing to Big Ten doormat Indiana and suffering an ugly 34-0 defeat at Georgia’s hands. Sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk entered the Florida game with 14 touchdowns against eight interceptions, throwing four picks against the Bulldogs.

But Mizzou will not be an easy out at Faurot Field, especially if the Tigers are playing for postseason positioning.

If Bielema ends 2014 winless in SEC play, the program’s SEC losing streak will stand at 20 games entering 2015. In the nation’s most competitive division, that’s a difficult stat to stomach.

While it stands to reason that he’ll get a third season, if Arkansas finishes this season without any league success, the pressure on Bielema entering 2015 will be white-hot.