Arkansas comes out of a bye week and a 31-21 win at Vanderbilt ready to host Missouri in the annual Battle Line Rivalry. The Razorbacks and Tigers are set for a 6:45 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Oct. 31, at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, with the game on SEC Network.
There’s a lot for Arkansas to build on heading into the matchup. The defense has suddenly found a knack for taking the ball away, and it’s doing it in bunches.
The Hogs picked off passes in back-to-back games against an SEC opponent, a feat they had not pulled off since 2010. Miguel Mitchell and Shelton Lewis got the interceptions against Tennessee, then Mitchell and Joker Johnson did it again in the win over Vanderbilt.
Mitchell has been especially active. Over the last two games, he has logged an interception and at least an assisted tackle for loss in each contest. He is just the third Arkansas defender since 1995 to do that, joining Dwight McGlothern and Tramain Thomas.
Turnovers, in general, have swung Arkansas’ way this season. The Razorbacks have forced nine of them so far - five interceptions and four fumble recoveries - matching their entire turnover total from last season.
Through seven games, Arkansas is sitting at plus-one in turnover margin, with nine takeaways and eight giveaways. It’s the first time since 2023 that the Hogs have been in positive territory at that point in the year, and only the third time in the last decade they’ve done it.
On offense, Cam Settles delivered his first career rushing touchdown at Vanderbilt, punching in an 11-yard score with 38 seconds left in the second quarter. He wasn’t done there.
Settles added another touchdown on a three-yard run with three seconds left in the third quarter, making him the first Arkansas running back with multiple rushing touchdowns in a game since Mike Washington Jr. had two at Ole Miss on Sept. 13, 2025.
KJ Jackson also put together a strong night in the win. He went 21 of 31 for 251 yards through the air and added 58 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Since 1995, he is only the second Arkansas quarterback to pile up 300 or more yards of total offense with at least one rushing touchdown in a regulation win against an SEC opponent, matching Taylen Green’s 2024 performance against Mississippi State.
Arkansas has also kept its scoring streak alive. The Razorbacks have put points on the board in 65 straight games, the fifth-longest run in program history and their longest such streak since a 66-game stretch from Nov. 2, 2013 to Nov.
17, 2018. The last time Arkansas was shut out came on Oct. 2, 2021, in a loss to No.
2 Georgia.
Saturday’s game also brings a milestone in the rivalry itself. It will be the 18th meeting in the Battle Line Rivalry, the sixth in Fayetteville, and the first night game ever played in Arkansas between the teams. Missouri leads the series 13-4, and Arkansas is trying to snap a skid against the Tigers after last beating them 34-17 on Nov. 26, 2021, to finish an 8-4 regular season.
One more note for the calendar: Arkansas has been good on Halloween. The Hogs own an 11-5-1 record on Oct. 31 and have not lost on the date since a 41-0 defeat at Texas A&M in 1942. The only tie came in 1992, a 24-24 draw at Auburn.
One final number underscores how cleanly Arkansas is playing in the margins. The Razorbacks have made 243 straight extra points since Dec. 5, 2020, the longest streak nationally by date.
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KJ Jackson did provide a needed spark late in the half, finishing off Arkansas only touchdown with a run after a pass to Antonio Jordan. Even so, the turnovers and missed scoring opportunities hung over the first 30 minutes, leaving Arkansas alive but with plenty of work still ahead if it wanted to turn a strong defensive effort into a result. [Read more 🡒]