By DON KAUSLER JR.

Remember ties?

No winner. No loser.

College football didn't introduce overtime until the 1995 bowl season. Until then, games ended after 60 minutes regardless of the score.

No kidding.

Louisiana Tech’s record this season is 4-6 going into a 3 p.m. CDT game Saturday at Arkansas (SECN+/ESPN+) at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Three games went to overtime. All three ended in losses. If this were 1995 or earlier, the Bulldogs’ record would be 4-3-3.

A team that is 1 game over .500 probably would be more feared than a team that is 2 games under .500.

The Bulldogs' overtime losses came to visiting Tulsa (23-20), at New Mexico State (33-30 in 2 OTs) and to visiting Jacksonville State (44-37 in 1 OT).

“Overtime games … when they don’t come your way, they’re pretty brutal,” Louisiana Tech quarterback Evan Bullock said.

The Bulldogs, 3-5 in 1-score games, have not lost a game by more than 10 points.

The Razorbacks (5-5) are favored by 22 points.

Louisiana Tech is coming off a 12-7 victory at Western Kentucky, which was tied with Jacksonville State for first place in Conference USA. The Bulldogs held the Hilltoppers to 215 total yards and 3 of 11 on third-down conversions.

The previous week, Jacksonville State completed a “Hail Mary” pass on the last play of regulation and won in overtime.

Now are you taking the Bulldogs seriously?

Remember UAB?

Arkansas trailed the Blazers by 2 touchdowns on Sept. 14 in Fayetteville, but came back to win 37-27. The Razorbacks were favored by 24½ points.

Arkansas is coming off a 20-10 home loss to No. 3 Texas. The underdog Razorbacks covered a 13½-point spread.

Arkansas needs 1 victory in its final 2 regular-season games to become bowl eligible for the fourth time in 5 seasons under Coach Sam Pittman (above, Craven Whitlow photo). The Razorbacks end their regular season Nov. 30 at No. 23 Missouri (7-3).

FIRST DOWN

Review: Arkansas has lost consecutive games for the first time this season. On Nov. 9 at home, the Razorbacks fell 63-31 to then-No. 19 Ole Miss.

The 10-point loss to Texas represented progress, at defensively. The Longhorns gained 315 total yards (176 passing) after entering the game ranked No. 9 nationally in total offense (465.2 yards per game) and No. 10 in passing (301.1).

Arkansas' offense didn't match the defense, gaining 231 total yards (149 passing) and ranks No. 11 nationally in total yards per game (458.0) and No. 20 in passing (278.0).

It allowed 6 sacks and is tied for No. 107 nationally in sacks allowed per game (3.1). Texas leads the nation in total defense (249.0 yards per game) and passing defense (136.7) and is ranked No. 4 in points allowed (11.9 ppg).

The Razorbacks committed 2 turnovers and forced none.

“To beat the third-ranked team in the country, you can’t turn the ball over or you’ve got to get them,” Pittman said. “And it was 2-nothing. That’s what happened."

The Razorbacks rank No. 97 in the nation in turnovers lost (17) and are tied for No. 101 in turnover margin (-0.5 per game).

SECOND DOWN

Scouting report: Sonny Cumbie is 10-24 in his third season as Louisiana Tech’s head coach. Cumbie, previously the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and TCU and a former Texas Tech quarterback, is highly regarded for his offensive mind.

But Louisiana Tech ranks No. 104 nationally in total offense (344.4 yards per game) and No. 12 in the nation in total defense (302.3 yards per game).

"We're catching them when I think they're playing their best football," Pittman said. "I think they're going to come in with a lot of confidence, obviously, after their win last week."

Senior wide receiver Tru Edwards is the Bulldogs’ big-play threat, gaining at least 100 yards receiving 4 times this season and leading the team with 6 touchdowns.

The Razorbacks haven’t always been at their best against lower-level teams under Pittman, including a 21-19 loss to Liberty in 2022 and a 38-27 victory over Missouri State earlier in 2022, not to mention the 10-point victory over UAB this season.

"You know, we've gotten in the past where we've done well at times, and we've done not well at times against teams that aren't in our league," Pittman said. "We have to get better."

The Bulldogs have played 1 Power 4 team this season, which resulted in a 30-20 loss Sept. 14 at North Carolina State. The game was tied 20-20 going into the fourth quarter.

Pittman was asked Monday what he would discuss with his team.

"I think the thing that I'll talk about is getting better," Pittman said. "Certainly, we have 2 games left, not just 1, so we have to continue to try to improve.

"Our consistency has to be there, so we need to put 2 games defensively where we're flying to the football back to back. Then offensively we've got to take care of the football better.”

THIRD DOWN

Injury report: Standout Arkansas cornerback Braylon Braxton, who has been dealing with tendinitis and a bone bruise, will not be available. Braxton hasn't played since the second game of the season at Oklahoma State. Senior defensive back Anthony Switzer is unlikely to play. But freshman defensive back Selman Bridges is back, and 253-pound freshman running back Braylen Russell is full speed after being slowed the past 2 games, Pittman said Wednesday. Russell ran for 175 yards in a 58-25 victory Oct. 26 at Mississippi State, but he limped off the field late in that game after appearing to injure a hamstring after a long run.

FOURTH DOWN

Familiar faces: Former Razorbacks safety Zach Zimos now stands out at linebacker for Louisiana Tech, and former Bulldog Keivie Rose is a defensive tackle for Arkansas.

Zimos ranks second on the Bulldogs with 53 tackles.

"When he hit you, you got stuck," Pittman said, recalling the way Zimos played at Arkansas. "He's certainly playing a different position than when we had him here, but I like Zach. I always have. …

"I think he's one of the leaders over there. He's played a lot of ball. I'm just really happy for him, and he's doing a good job. He'll hit you, now, so we'll have to figure that out."

Cumbie praised Rose, who was on Louisiana Tech’s roster for 4 seasons before transferring in 2023. Rose was a first-team All-CUSA selection in 2022. This season, he has 14 tackles (3 unassisted), including 1 for a loss.

“He's a good player, and I wish Keivie the best in every game except for this one,” Cumbie said. “He was fun to coach."

Zimos is in his second season at Louisiana Tech.

"His role really grew and evolved at linebacker last year toward the end of the year," Cumbie said. "And then this year from a defensive standpoint, the structure that we play, it fits him really well at linebacker.

"Whether it's at Sam linebacker or whether it's at Mike, he's got some position flexibility there. And he's brought production and he's done a lot of great things on the field for us.

"Football means a great deal to him. He studies the game as much as anybody that we have. And so from that standpoint, really glad to have him in our program."