In a clash of big offense vs big defense, it was the defense that prevailed as Kansas defeated Arkansas in Week 2 of Heart of America conference play.

Arkansas had put up 72 the week before, but against a tough Jayhawks defense they managed only 10, and that wasn’t enough.

A tough, physical game saw Arkansas bring out the defense too, but the one Jawhawks try was enough.

Kansas scored their only try right off the kickoff. Arkansas misplayed the kick, the Jawhawks put them under pressure, and suddenly Harrison Gloe was over. KU captain and flyhalf Chandler Owens slotted the conversion and the Jawhawks led 7-0.

From there, the Razorbacks dug in and held off several charges from the Jayhawks. But they did that at the expense of penalties, and eventually Owens pointed to the sticks, putting through two kicks for a 13-0 lead.

Before the first half ended, Brooks Tate forced a turnover at midfield and got his Arkansas teammates moving. The ball was swung quickly to wing Vincent Ahlert, and the rookie weaved his way through for a try in the corner.

That made it 13-5 at halftime.

Arkansas came into the second half looking like they were ready to take control of the game. They ran their attack through multiple phases, and eventually crashed through a stout KU goalline defense to score. Prop Darby Fields touched it down and now it was 13-10.

But the Kansas defense, led by prop Tom Richards, was superb from then on. Tate for Arkansas did as well on D and as a result neither team could really break through.

But players laid in massive tackles behind the gainline and neither team could maintain continuity.

For the remainder of the match KU kept the ball tight running with ball in hands of their talented tight five led by Richards and hooker George Baron doing a good amount of the grunt work, maintaining possession and jackaling defensive ball from Arkansas. The pressure, ball control, and disciplined play, paid off in the late minutes of the game with an Arkansas penalty in front of the posts. 

Owens slotted the penalty to double his team’s thin cushion, but Arkansas, behind 16-10, had some chances.

In the late minutes, Arkansas attacked from a lineout in their own 22, and worked the phases into the KU half. They got a penalty, but needed a try to win it, and were turned over five meters from the KU line.

Kansas 16 Arkansas 10.

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Things were just as defensive and tight elsewhere, as Kansas State edged Missouri in an intense clash.

And the upstart University of Minnesota Gophers won a bit of a barnburner 36-35 over Iowa State. It was a weird ending to the game because a miscommunication between the referee and the Iowa State players as ISU though they were winning and kicked the ball dead to end the game.

As it was, there was no guarantee that the Cyclones would have scored one more time.

It was a learning experience for ISU, said Head Coach Anthony Frein.

“It was upsetting but this group will be better for it,” Frein said. 

Minnesota is now 2-0 in the conference and Kansas is also 2-0.

(We have updated this article and the standings, splitting the HOA Conference into North and South, and also taking out the Kansas vs Nebraska score as that was not a conference game.)