University of Arkansas junior Trey Knox, who made the move from wide receiver to tight end earlier this season, finally got involved in the passing game on Saturday.
Knox, who didn't have any receptions in the first five games, had five for 37 yards and scored his first touchdown in two years in the Razorbacks' 52-51 loss to Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
KJ Jefferson's 3-yard touchdown pass to Knox with 7:30 left in the third quarter was Knox's first scoring catch since the 2019 season finale against Missouri when he had a 19-yarder.
Knox, 6-5 and 209 pounds, alternated series with starting senior tight end Blake Kern.
"I think he'll help us there," Razorbacks Coach Sam Pittman said. "I think he helped us today.
"We've got to gain a little more weight with him. He's a very willing blocker and very knowledgeable. Really, really smart guy."
Knox left the game midway through the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, but returned for Arkansas' final possession and caught a 15-yard pass from Jefferson for a first down on a touchdown drive.
"He got bunged up a little bit with the ankle," Pittman said. "But other than that, he's earned the right to play."
Knox had 28 catches for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns as a freshman and saw his production fall off to 7 catches for 70 yards last season.
Almost 700
Arkansas gained 676 yards in total offense, the most ever for the Razorbacks in an SEC game and their fourth-highest total ever.
The previous high for yards against an SEC team was 661 in Arkansas' 58-42 victory at Mississippi State in 2016.
Arkansas' all-time record is 859 yards against Pittsburg (Kan.) State -- where UA Coach Sam Pittman played in the 1980s --in the Razorbacks' 53-0 victory to open the 1936 season.
The Razorbacks gained 713 yards in a 66-7 victory over North Texas in 2007 and 684 in a 73-7 victory over Nicholls State in 2014.
'Rocket' takes off
Arkansas freshman running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders rushed 17 times for 139 yards. He became the first freshman to rush for 100 or more yards for the Razorbacks since Chase Hayden had 120 in the 2017 season opener against Florida A&M.
One downer for Sanders is that in the second quarter he fumbled after a 9-yard run to the Ole Miss 27. Middle linebacker Chance Campbell stripped the ball and recovered it.
"He ran tough," Coach Sam Pittman said. "They stood him up and stripped the ball from him there on our sideline.
"He hasn't done that a whole lot. He's protected the ball well. Other than that, I thought he was really tough. He's getting better. He's a guy everybody in the room can count on.
"Just a tough, young kid that's going to be a really good player for us."
Sanders also had a season-high three catches for 26 yards.
The Razorbacks have had two 100-yard rushing games this season. Junior starter Trelon Smith, who had 11 carries for 65 yards Saturday, gained 102 yards in the opener against Rice.
Burks' big half
University of Arkansas star receiver Treylon Burks touched the ball on the Razorbacks' first play at Ole Miss on Saturday, but gained just 1 yard on a reverse.
The Rebels shut down Burks for most of the rest of the first half, as his only other touch came on a 12-yard reception from KJ Jefferson.
Burks finally got going on Arkansas' third possession of the third quarter when he made leaping catches for 37-yard gains on back-to-back plays to set up a KJ Jefferson touchdown run.
Burks finished the game with 7 receptions for 136 yards -- 6 for 124 in the second half.
It was Burks' seventh game with more than 100 receiving yards to tie Joe Adams for the fifth-most ever by a Razorback.
Going for it
Ole Miss is 18 for 24 on fourth-down conversions after going 4 for 5 against Arkansas.
Facing fourth and 5 from the Rebels' 44, Coach Lane Kiffin chose to punt.
On the Rebels' next series, they converted on fourth and 3 and fourth and 1 and went 17 plays in 75 yards for a touchdown.
Arkansas stopped Ole Miss on a fourth-and-1 play from the Rebels' 34 in the third quarter when several Razorbacks gang-tackled Snoop Conner for a 1-yard loss.
Cornerback Montaric Brown and linebacker Bumper Pool were credited with making the tackle.
The stop set up Cam Little's 31-yard field goal that tied the game 24-24.
For starters
Arkansas senior offensive lineman Ty Clary made his 37th career start on Saturday, but first at tackle.
Clary started at right tackle in place of senior Dalton Wagner, who was sidelined because of a hand injury.
All of Clary's previous starts had come at either left or right guard or center.
After Clary started the first two games this season against Rice and Texas at right guard, Beaux Limmer has started in that spot the last three games.
But Clary played three spots -- tackle, guard and center -- against Georgia Southern because of injuries during the game.
Junior safety Simeon Blair made his third consecutive start for the Razorbacks as a sixth defensive back in their Dime package.
Triple threat
Arkansas had three players rush for 70-plus yards in a game for the first time since Sept. 5, 2005, when De'Arrius Howard, Peyton Hill and Darren McFadden did it against Missouri State.
Raheim Sanders rushed for 139 yards, and KJ Jefferson and Trelon Smith each had 85 on Saturday.
Hail Mary instead
Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman at first planned to have Cam Little attempt a 58-yard field goal on the final play of the first half when the Razorbacks had the ball on the Ole Miss 41 with two seconds left.
But after the Rebels put a return man in the end zone to field the ball if Little's kick fell short, Pittman opted instead to have KJ Jefferson throw the ball into the end zone.
Jefferson's pass was intercepted by Keidron Smith.
First lost fumble
Arkansas entered the game with eight fumbles on the season, but the Razorbacks had recovered all of them.
The Razorbacks' suffered their first lost fumble when Ole Miss middle linebacker Chance Campbell stripped the ball from running back Raheim Sanders and recovered the ball as well.
Arkansas had two other fumbles but recovered them both.