FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) – Corey Robinson wasn’t about to go down without giving Arkansas his best shot.
The Troy quarterback did just that, but it wasn’t enough as the No. 14 Razorbacks held on for a 38-28 win on Saturday night.
Robinson finished 36 of 63 passing for 373 yards for the Trojans (0-2), who opened the season two weeks ago with a 43-19 loss at Clemson. The sophomore helped Troy rally from a 31-7 deficit early in the third quarter before eventually settling for the 10-point loss.
Arkansas (3-0) stretched its lead in the third quarter behind a six-yard touchdown catch by running back Ronnie Wingo, who finished with a career-best 109 yards rushing on 20 carries. The touchdown was Wingo’s third of the game, following scoring runs of 22 and 21 yards in the first half.
Robinson answered for the Trojans with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Justin Albert, and safety LaDarrius Madden followed with a 53-yard interception return for a touchdown to close the Razorbacks’ lead to 31-21.
That was as close as Troy would get, despite outgaining Arkansas 457-454 in total yardage.
“I think Arkansas has got to be one of the best offensive football teams in the country when you get right to it,” Troy coach Larry Blakeney said. “They’ve got a lot of guys that can make plays.
“I felt like we were slow getting lined up, not quite on edge as much early, and we gave up some plays that we shouldn’t give up.”
Arkansas was without three senior starters – defensive end Jake Bequette and receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs – and Wingo and senior receiver Joe Adams provided the big plays.
In addition to Wingo’s effort, Adams had eight catches for 109 yards in helping Arkansas remain undefeated as it prepares to travel to No. 2 Alabama next week.
The effort was especially rewarding for Wingo, whose previous best was an 86-yard rushing effort against Texas A&M as a freshman in 2009. The Razorbacks have counted on the junior to shine this season following Knile Davis’ season-ending ankle injury in August.
Wingo nearly doubled his season output of 116 yards rushing entering the game with the performance. His three touchdowns was also a personal best, topping the two he scored – one rushing and one receiving – against Troy in 2009.
“It’s a relief after everybody was on our back the way they were the first week,” Wingo said. “They’re still going to have stuff to say, but we’ve just got to keep grinding and getting better each week.”
Bequette missed the game for the Razorbacks with a hamstring injury. Wright, the team’s receiving leader entering the game, was out with a knee sprain, while Childs was absent following the death of his grandmother earlier this week.
Adams, who returned two punts for touchdowns in the season opener, stepped right in as Arkansas’ top receiving option. The senior answered the Trojans’ challenge early in the fourth quarter when he took a short Tyler Wilson pass, spun through two Troy defenders and sprinted to the end zone for a touchdown that put the Razorbacks up 38-21.
“I thought it was huge for us,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. “He made a great play. They tightened the score. We hadn’t moved the ball real well the last two drives and Joe made a great play. He broke a tackle, showed his speed and changed the game back for us.”
Tramain Thomas then intercepted a Robinson pass on the first play following Adams’ touchdown, and Arkansas’ defense didn’t allow another score until Robinson found Eric Thomas for a 24-yard touchdown with 28 seconds left in the game.
Wingo and Adams had plenty of help on offense from junior receiver Cobi Hamilton, who opened the game with a 37-yard reception and finished with five catches for 81 yards.
Also, Wilson was effective in guiding Arkansas’ offense early, leading the Razorbacks to touchdowns on their first three drives as he remained undefeated in his first season as the starter. He finished the game 23 of 36 passing for 303 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
However, after he sailed a pass high over the head of Javontee Herndon on third-and-goal from the 5 on Arkansas’ fourth possession, Wilson felt the wrath of Petrino on the sideline. Zach Hocker made the 23-yard field goal to put Arkansas up 24-0, but only after Petrino slammed his headset into the ground and mocked Wilson’s throwing motion on the sideline as the quarterback walked toward him.
Wilson did guide Arkansas to two scoring drives in the second half, but Troy also held the Razorbacks to three three-and-outs.
“I wasn’t real happy with the way we finished the game,” Petrino said. “We’ve got a lot to work on to get ready for Alabama.”
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