Bobby Petrino has turned heads in his return to Arkansas with Missouri State on Saturday as his Bears took a 24-17 lead on the No. 10 Razorbacks into the fourth quarter. Petrino, who coached Arkansas from 2008-11, is in his third season with the FCS program following making stops at Western Kentucky and Louisville — his second stint with the Cardinals — following his unceremonious departure from Arkansas.
The Bears took a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter following capitalizing on a pair of Arkansas fumbles. But even with the help of the Razorbacks’ miscues, Missouri State moved the football well. Arkansas eventually clawed back to tie the game at 17 in the third quarter before a big gamble from Petrino paid off to give Missouri State the lead once more..
Facing a fourth-and-1 at the Arkansas 47 late in the third quarter, Petrino kept his offense on the field. A play-action fake worked to perfection with quarterback Jason Shelley hitting a wide-open Ty Scott for a touchdown that put the Bears back ahead. The Razorbacks had their best season since Petrino’s departure in 2021 under coach Sam Pittman, who is now in his third season, and a loss would be a stunning result for a program that just reached the top 10 in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since 2012.
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