FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. – The FIU football team started strong and held an early 13-7 lead in a road test at Southeastern Conference member Arkansas, before the Razorbacks posted 24 unanswered points in the second quarter to pull away for a 44-20 victory on Saturday night in Fayetteville.
 
FIU junior wide receiver Kris Mitchell finished the game with 157 receiving yards – his third 100-plus yard performance of the season and also improved his season total to 1,002 – which currently ranks as the fourth-highest single-season total in FIU career annals.
 
He joins Tyrese Chambers (2021/1,074) and T.Y. Hilton (2011/1,038 & 2008/1,013) as the only players to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season in program history.
 
In addition, Mitchell caught his seventh scoring pass of 2023, which is also ties him for the fourth-most in a season by a Panther.  He is currently two shy of the all-time record of nine – set by Chambers in 2021.
 
Freshman quarterback Keyone Jenkins completed 21-of-36 pass attempts for a total of 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers. 
 
Jenkins also rushed for his sixth touchdown of the season in the contest – which broke the FIU single-season mark for most rushing scores by a quarterback – besting Alex McGough's total of five in 2017.
 
Arkansas signal caller KJ Jefferson became the Razorbacks all-time leader in both touchdown passes and yards in the victory as he completed 15-of-28 pass attempts for a total of 187 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Isaiah Augustave paced the Razorbacks on the ground in the win with a game-high 101 on 14 attempts – an average of 7.2 yards per carry.
 
Arkansas (4-7) opened the game's scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jefferson to Jaedan Wilson at 12:22 of the opening quarter.  The scoring pass followed an unsuccessful fourth down attempt by the Panthers on the opening possession of the game – which set up the Razorbacks at the FIU 32.
 
The Panthers (4-7) answered three plays later courtesy of an 80-yard completion from Jenkins to Mitchell - that set up FIU at the Arkansas one-yard line.  Jenkins scored on a scamper around the left side on the ensuing play to deadlock the score at 7-7 with 10:42 left in the first quarter.
 
Jenkins directed the Panthers on a scoring drive to take the lead on their following possession, as FIU marched 75 yards on nine plays before sophomore wide receiver Dean Patterson hauled in a 12-yard TD catch. 
 
The touchdown reception marked the first of Patterson's career and lifted the Panthers to a 13-7 lead at 1:21 of the first, after the extra point attempt failed.
 
Arkansas responded with a 12-play, 75-yard push on its following possession, which resulted in a four-yard touchdown catch by Tyrone Broden with 11:58 left in the second.
 
The Razorbacks added a defensive score on FIU's next possession to stretch their lead to 21-13 on a 33-yard interception return by Alfahiym Wolcott at 10:53 of the second.
 
Arkansas placekicker Cam Little put points on the board for the Razorbacks for the third consecutive drive with a 31-yard field goal with 4:46 left before the break, extending the lead to 24-13.
 
Dominque Johnson made the score 31-13 on the following Arkansas possession with a 31-yard scoring run with 1:08 left in the second quarter.
 
The Panthers had a scoring chance on their final drive before intermission as Mitchell hauled in a pair of catches that covered 51 yards – setting up a 35-yard field goal attempt by junior Chase Gabriel, which missed wide right with 22 ticks left.
 
Following a missed 34-yard field goal by Arkansas to open the second half, the Panthers pushed the ball 80 yards on seven plays on a drive that was sparked by a 46-yard run by Kejon Owens, which set up FIU at the Arkansas 34.  Jenkins capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell – his seventh of the season, which made the margin 31-20 at 10:11 of the third.
 
Arkansas finally got on the board in the second half on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jefferson, his third of the contest, to Isaiah Satenga to extend the lead to 38-20 with just over three minutes left in the third.
 
Little added a pair of field goals in the opening five minutes of the fourth quarter, from 39 and 41 yards, to account for the final margin.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers will wrap up the 2023 season at The Cage next Saturday, Nov. 25 in a 3 p.m. ET kickoff vs. Western Kentucky.
 
The FIU-WKU clash will be aired live on ESPN+ and WQBA 1140 AM.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Saturday's game marked the second meeting all-time between FIU and Arkansas and the first since 2007.
• Saturday's attendance of 61,442 marked the largest to see an FIU football game since 2009 when 90,473 attended a game at Florida on Nov. 21, 2009.
• Junior Kris Mitchell's 80-yard reception in the second quarter was the longest reception by any FIU player this season.
• Mitchell finished with 157 receiving yards on six catches – his third 100-yard receiving effort of 2023.
• Mitchell now has 1,002 receiving yards this season – which ranks as the fourth-most in program annals.
• Mitchell became the third player in FIU history to amass 1,000 receiving yards in a season – joining Tyrese Chambers (2021/1,074) and T.Y. Hilton (2011/1,038 & 2008/1,013).
• Mitchell snagged his seventh touchdown catch of the season in the third quarter – which ties him for the fourth-highest single-season total in FIU annals – with Thomas Owens (2016), T.Y. Hilton (2008, 2001) and Cory McKinney (2002).
• Freshman quarterback Keyone Jenkins one-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter marked his sixth of the season and broke the FIU program record for most rushing scores by a signal caller – surpassing Alex McGough's total of five in 2017.
• Sophomore Dean Patterson snagged the first touchdown catch of his career with a 12-yard scoring reception at the 1:21 mark of the first quarter.
• Junior place kicker Chase Gabriel missed a 35-yard field goal attempt with 22 seconds left in the second quarter.
• Saturday's game marked FIU's first vs. an SEC opponent since playing at Florida in 2009.
   

TICKETS
For more information on FIU Football season and individual tickets, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit the FIU Athletics Online Ticket Office
 
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