Razorbacks lament missed chances against Vanderbilt

And Arkansas led only 7-0.

“This is a very sick feeling this morning,” Razorback coach Houston Nutt said Sunday, a day after his team’s 28-24 loss. “We got up and that score didn’t go away. You watch the film and there were so many opportunities that we had and chances to put the game away.”

Vanderbilt took advantage of Arkansas’ failure to build a bigger lead, withstanding the Razorbacks’ dominating start and eventually winning on Jay Cutler’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Marlon White with 26 seconds remaining.

The Commodores rallied from two double-digit deficits. Arkansas led 10-0 and 24-13.

The Razorbacks opened the game by driving 86 yards in 3:25, scoring on De’Arrius Howard’s 39-yard run. On its next possession, Arkansas had first-and-goal from the 3 before running back Peyton Hillis was stopped four straight times.

“The linebackers got through untouched and that’s why Peyton couldn’t get a running start,” Nutt said. “You have to score there.”

The Razorbacks had several more good chances. Six times in the game, Arkansas started drives outside its own 40-yard line. Those possessions led to only 10 points.

Vanderbilt forced a 10-10 tie after two quarters — despite starting first-half drives at its own 20, 1, 21, 6, 26 and 2.

Arkansas started the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead that could have been larger. The Razorbacks managed only 11 more yards as Vanderbilt scored the game’s last 15 points.

“We struggled in the first half,” Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said after the game. “They did a great job of pressuring us. We finally settled down and Cutler made some unbelievable throws.”

Cutler finished 23-of-45 for 278 yards with an interception. He ran for a touchdown in the first half and threw two in the fourth quarter.

His 19-yard pass to Erik Davis on fourth-and-10 from the Vanderbilt 34 kept the winning drive alive.

“I’m going to tell our players today, ‘They made a play when they had to and we didn’t,'” Nutt said. “On fourth-and-10 they made a perfect play.”

Arkansas’ Robert Johnson threw two third-quarter touchdowns, and the Razorbacks rushed for 194 yards — a week after running for 483 in a season-opening win over Missouri State.

Howard ran for a career-high 139 yards against Vanderbilt.

“When the score is like it is, you need experience,” Nutt said. “The one thing about De’Arrius Howard is we feel like he’s going to lock onto the ball, no question about it and he was running good.”

Freshman Felix Jones, who rushed for 137 yards against Missouri State, had only one carry — and lost a yard.

“There’s still enough youth where you need as many veterans on the field as possible,” Nutt said. “We’re still not afraid to put those guys in there and they’ll get more depending on the situation.”

Now, Arkansas must regroup before next Saturday’s game at No. 1 Southern California. Nutt doesn’t expect any problems motivating his team.

The Razorbacks know they can’t afford to waste easy scoring chances — not against Vanderbilt, and especially not against USC.

“There were so many plays you can pick out and you say, if, could have, would’ve and that shows you there’s a fine line between winning and losing,” Nutt said. “We have to correct and improve and go play this other team called USC.”