Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21: Two interceptions and a clean sheet on turnovers

Arkansas won the turnover battle 2-0 at FirstBank Stadium on Saturday, and in a game that was tied three times, that was the difference. Jared Curtis threw two interceptions, one returned 25 yards for a touchdown by J. Johnson, while KJ Jackson and the Razorbacks did not give the ball away once. Arkansas left Nashville with a 31-21 win and its first SEC victory of the season.

Vanderbilt moved the ball well enough, finishing with 390 yards. The mistakes came at the wrong moments, and the Commodores did not score after the third quarter.

How it was won

Vanderbilt opened the scoring with 13 seconds left in the first quarter on a 4-yard Sedrick Alexander run. Arkansas answered without its offense: Johnson stepped in front of a Curtis pass and ran it back 25 yards to tie it at 7 with 6:16 left in the half.

Curtis recovered quickly, hitting Junior Sherrill for a 24-yard touchdown at 1:54 to make it 14-7. Arkansas then used the final two minutes well. C. Settles ran in from 11 yards with 38 seconds left, and the teams went to the half tied at 14.

The third quarter traded blows. Jackson scored on an 8-yard run at 11:17 to give Arkansas its first lead. Makhilyn Young tied it again with a 3-yard run at 5:42. Settles then scored his second touchdown, from 3 yards, with nine seconds left in the quarter for a 28-21 lead. M. Gilbert closed it with a 39-yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining.

The box score was closer than the turnover margin. Arkansas outgained Vanderbilt 438 to 390, with 251 passing yards and 187 on the ground. Jackson went 21 of 31 for 251 yards without a touchdown pass, and he also led the team in rushing with 58 yards and a score on 11 carries. Braylen Russell added 51 yards on 14 carries. Antonio Jordan caught five passes for 74 yards and Jamari Hawkins had two for 44.

Arkansas converted 8 of 16 third downs and held the ball for 33:47, which kept Vanderbilt's offense to 26:13.

Curtis finished 19 of 31 for 274 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Sherrill was his main target, with eight catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, and Ja'Cory Thomas added 57 yards on three catches. Alexander ran for 57 yards on 10 carries and Young for 45 on nine. Vanderbilt went 5 of 11 on third down.

Against the number

Vanderbilt closed as a 5.5-point favorite and lost outright, so Arkansas covered with room to spare. Anyone holding the Razorbacks on the moneyline at +185 was paid; Vanderbilt closed at -225.

The total closed at 48.5 and the teams combined for 52, so the over landed. It was secured before the fourth quarter began: Settles' touchdown with nine seconds left in the third put the score at 49. Gilbert's late field goal only added margin. Full pricing history is on the game page.

What's next

Arkansas, now 3-4, does not play again until Saturday, October 31, when No. 13 Missouri visits. The Razorbacks have dropped close games to ranked teams before, including a 24-17 loss to No. 15 Tennessee last time out, and Missouri will be a step up from what they saw in Nashville.

Vanderbilt, also 3-4, has lost four straight after a 3-0 start. The Commodores travel to No. 15 Kentucky on Saturday, October 24, on SEC Network. Curtis and Sherrill showed again they can produce yards; the task is finishing drives without giving the ball away.