Arkansas opened the game on offense with a touchdown after marching 75 yards down the field. In celebration, Razorbacks wide receiver O’Mega Blake flipped off the Tennessee football fans behind the end zone. With the drive ending in the direction of the student section, his gesture was pointed at that group in the crowd.
The Razorbacks used nine plays to fly down the field on the opening drive. Eight of these were runs for a total of 70 yards. The lone completion was quarterback Taylen Green hitting Blake for a five-yard completion on third down to set up fourth-and-inches, which Arkansas converted.
The touchdown that evoked the double birds was a Green rush from 11 yards out.
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— Ryan Sylvia (@RyanTSylvia) October 11, 2025
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Blake, the receiver who gestured to the fans, came into the game with 30 catches for 399 yards and three touchdowns. He is the team leader in each of these categories. He began his career at South Carolina before transferring to Charlotte after two seasons.
After Arkansas’ opening touchdown, Tennessee went down the field for a score of its own. The Vols used a 17-yard rush from DeSean Bishop to punch it in on a seven-play, 75-yard possession.
The Razorbacks got back into the Vols’ territory with big runs, but Green was strip-sacked by Jordan Ross. The edge rusher scooped up the ball and made a strong return toward midfield. However, the Vols couldn’t take advantage and asked Jackson Ross to punt after failing to convert on two straight deep balls. His kick was into the end zone for a touchback.
Arkansas went right down the field again, though, to get inside Tennessee’s 10. The Vols’ defense stood tall to force a field goal, giving the Razorbacks a 10-7 lead with seconds until the end of the quarter.
