Arkansas upsets Tennessee for its first win against a top-five team since 2007

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Malachi Singleton scored on an 11-yard run with 1:17 left to give Arkansas a 19-14 victory over No. 4 Tennessee on Saturday night.

The Razorbacks (4-2, 2-1 SEC) overcame a 14-3 third-quarter deficit to earn their first win over an AP Top 5 team since 2007 against No. 1 LSU. They had faced such teams on Lost 18 in a row Saturday.

It was their first home win against a top-five opponent since beating No. 3 volunteers in 1999.

Singleton, the replacement for starting quarterback Taylen Green, led the game-winning drive after the Boise State transfer left the game due to injury.

Combined with No. 1 Alabama's loss at Vanderbilt earlier in the day, it marked the first time since October 6, 2012 that two top-five teams from the same conference lost on the same regular-season weekend, as No. 4 LSU and NO. 5 Georgia were beaten. It also marked the first time that two top-five teams were defeated by unranked opponents since defeats by No. 4 Miami and No. 5 Florida State on October 30, 2004.

Singleton completed two of three passes for 31 yards and ran four times for 12 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Ja'Quinden Jackson added 57 yards rushing and a touchdown on 20 carries, and Andrew Armstrong led Arkansas with nine receptions for 132 yards.

After Singleton's score, Nico Iamaleava led Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) down the field to the Razorbacks' 20th, but was forced out of bounds on fourth and fifth at the 16th as time expired. Arkansas fans immediately stormed the field.

Dylan Sampson scored two touchdowns in a span of 4:14 in the third quarter to give the Volunteers a 14-3 lead, seemingly turning the tide of the game. But Arkansas scored the final 16 points of the game in front of the sixth-largest crowd in its stadium's history and held on late into the night with another defensive stop.

Green completed 19 of 27 passes for 266 yards before leaving the game.

Iamaleava was 16 for 28 passes for 156 yards and Sampson ran for a game-high 140 yards on 22 carries.

Impact on the survey

Tennessee is certain to fall behind in the upcoming AP poll after suffering its first loss since last November.

Arkansas could receive a significant number of votes.

The takeaway food

Tennessee's defense was solid for most of the game, but the offense, which entered the weekend ranked No. 1 in the FBS in points per game, has some issues to work out.

Arkansas enters its bye week on a positive note after posting its biggest win of the Sam Pittman era. The Razorbacks matched their win total from last season and took a big step toward bowl eligibility.

Next

Tennessee returns home to host Florida next Saturday.

Arkansas has a bye week before hosting No. 13 LSU on Oct. 19.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.