WATCH: Arkansas scores touchdown on failed jump-pass attempt
The play probably did not work out the way Sam Pittman and his staff drew it up, but Arkansas scored on a jump pass going into the half. After faking a quarterback draw, KJ Jefferson showed his improv skills to find star wide receiver Treylon Burks in the back of the endzone.
The jump pass was made famous by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at Florida, it has since made cameos throughout college football inconstantly as a change-of-pace play. Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendall Briles brought out the jump pass Saturday for KJ Jefferson and the Razorbacks.
After faking the run, Jefferson looked over the top for his tight end, only the defense covered things up. Already in the air, the quarterback aborted the play and backpedaled into the pocket. After looking for other options, KJ Jefferson delivered a strike to the back of the endzone, where Treylon Burks was waiting to outleap defenders for the touchdown.
The score capped off a 12-play, 84-yard drive in 2:35 just before halftime. Arkansas now trails Auburn 14-10 with 30 minutes remaining.
Controversial hype video
Arkansas trolled Auburn over the controversial end of last season’s game between the two teams, which saw the Tigers win 30-28.
“We all know who won that game,” Peter Burns, longtime host of SEC Network said in the hype video. “That was the Arkansas Razorbacks. Arkansas fans know they won that game, Arkansas coaches know they won that game. It’s a fumble, a backwards pass. The league got it wrong, the replay got it wrong and I think even Auburn knows they lost that game.”
Late in the 4th quarter, down 28-27 Auburn was driving and had worked their way into field goal range. But controversy came on a 3rd-and-1, when Auburn QB Bo Nix fumbled the snap, then spiked it into the turf in an attempt to stop the clock. Nix spiked the ball backwards and Arkansas fell on what looked like a fumble. Upon review, the ruling on the field of a spike was upheld and Auburn kicked a 39-yard game-winning field goal to win the game.
Now, Arkansas and Auburn, both sitting at 4-2 on the season, meet in Fayetteville on Saturday. Arkansas is trying to stop a two-game skid after losses to Georgia and Ole Miss in the last two weeks. Auburn is coming off a loss of their own, to Georgia, and in the midst of a brutal stretch of their schedule.