FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Malachi Singleton scored on an 11-yard run with 1:17 remaining to lift Arkansas to a 19-14 win over No. 4 Tennessee on Saturday night.
The Razorbacks (4-2, 2-1 SEC) overcame a 14-3 third-quarter deficit to notch their first win over an AP top-5 team since 2007 against No. 1 LSU. They had lost 18 straight against such teams entering Saturday.
It was their first home win over a top-5 opponent since beating the No. 3 Volunteers in 1999.
Singleton, the backup to starting quarterback Taylen Green, led the game-winning drive after the Boise State transfer exited the game with an injury.
Along with No. 1 Alabama’s loss at Vanderbilt earlier in the day, it marked the first time two top-5 teams from the same conference lost on the same regular-season weekend since Oct. 6, 2012, when No. 4 LSU and NO. 5 Georgia were beaten. It was also the first time two top-5 teams were defeated by unranked opponents since No. 4 Miami and No. 5 Florida State lost on Oct. 30, 2004.
Singleton completed 2 of 3 passes for 31 yards and ran four times for 12 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Ja’Quinden Jackson added 57 yards rushing and a touchdown on 20 carries, and Andrew Armstrong led Arkansas with nine receptions for 132 yards.
Following Singleton’s score, Nico Iamaleava led Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) down the field to the Razorbacks 20, but he was pushed out of bounds on fourth-and-5 at the 16 as time expired. Arkansas fans immediately stormed the field.
Dylan Sampson scored two third-quarter touchdowns rushing in a 4:14 span to give the Volunteers a 14-3 lead, seemingly turning the tide of the game. But Arkansas, in front of the sixth-largest crowd in its stadium’s history, scored the game’s final 16 points and held on late with another defensive stop.
Green completed 19 of 27 passes for 266 yards before leaving the game.
Iamaleava was 16 for 28 passing for 156 yards, and Sampson ran for a game-high 140 yards on 22 carries.
Poll implications
Tennessee is sure to drop in the upcoming AP poll after suffering its first loss since last November.
Arkansas may receive a healthy amount of votes.
The takeaway
Tennessee’s defense was solid for most of the game, but its offense, which entered the weekend No. 1 in FBS in points per game, has kinks to work out.
Arkansas enters the bye week on a positive note after recording the biggest win of the Sam Pittman era. The Razorbacks have matched their win total from last season and took a sizable step toward bowl eligibility.
Up next
Tennessee returns home to host Florida next Saturday.
Arkansas is on a bye week before hosting No. 13 LSU on Oct. 19.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.