Arkansas snaps streak with 73-7 win over Nicholls
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) For a team that hadn't won in nearly a year, Arkansas made it look easy.
Brandon Allen threw four touchdown passes and Alex Collins ran for three more as Arkansas put an emphatic end to the longest losing streak in school history with a 73-7 win over Nicholls State on Saturday.
The Razorbacks (1-1), whose last win was in the third game of the season last year against Southern Mississippi, ended a 10-game losing streak with the win. They led 56-0 at halftime and outgained the Colonels 684-282 in total yardage.
Allen finished 4-of-5 passing for 117 yards - throwing touchdowns on each of his completions.
Jonathan Williams led Arkansas with 143 yards rushing on just four carries, including a 90-yard touchdown run. Collins finished with 131 yards rushing on 13 carries, scoring on runs of 33, 2 and 13 yards in the first half.
Kale Henderson completed 12 of 30 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown for Nicholls State (0-2), which has lost eight straight games.
Arkansas' 73 points are tied for the third most in school history, trailing only a 100-point effort in 1911 and 82 in 1916. The Razorbacks also scored 73 points in a win over Southwestern in 1928.
After ending last season on a nine-game losing streak in coach Bret Bielema's first season, the Razorbacks extended their losing streak to 10 games with a season-opening loss at No. 6 Auburn.
They wasted little time in putting the game out of reach on Saturday - building a 35-0 lead after the first quarter and scoring touchdowns on five one-play drives in the first half.
Keon Hatcher scored on two of the one-play drives, an 82-yard run on an end-around on Arkansas' first play and a 50-yard catch from Allen that put the Razorbacks up 42-0 early in the second quarter.
The highlights came early and often for Arkansas, which finished with 495 yards rushing on 40 carries - an average of 12.4 yards per carry.
Collins' 33-yard touchdown run was the Razorbacks' second score in as many plays and put them up 14-0. Allen followed with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Drew Morgan on the third play of Arkansas' third drive, giving the Razorbacks three touchdowns in their first five offensive plays.
Allen also had a touchdown pass to Cody Hollister, and his only incompletion was an overthrown ball to Hatcher on the sideline in the second quarter.
Arkansas' lead swelled to as much as 63-0 in the third quarter after Allen's final touchdown throw, a 38-yard shovel pass to Jared Cornelius.
Nicholls State's only touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from Henderson to Keenan Canty in the third quarter. The Football Championship Subdivision Colonels, who opened the season with a loss at Air Force, finished with 34 yards rushing on 28 attempts in their first game against a Southeastern Conference opponent.