 The Ole Miss offense was most effective Saturday when one of Arkansas' best defenders was off the field.

Sophomore defensive end McTelvin Agim was suspended for the first quarter of the Razorbacks' 38-37 win at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said the suspension was related to Agim being late to a meeting on Thursday.

Without Agim in the game, Ole Miss racked up 253 yards of offense and took a 21-7 lead after the first quarter. The lead eventually ballooned to 31-7 in the second.

But the Razorbacks began to chip away as the defense forced three turnovers that resulted in scores, including two late in the first half that cut the halftime deficit to 31-21.

Agim finished with just two assisted tackles - including one for loss - but his presence altered some plays, Bielema said. For instance, Agim was closing on Ole Miss quarterback Jordan Ta'amu when he and running back Eric Swinney had difficulty exchanging a handoff late in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Richardson returned the fumble 22 yards for a touchdown to pull the Razorbacks within 37-35.

"He came out and had a great impact," Richardson said. "...He came out and made a great push, and that helped us."

Agim had started all seven games prior to Saturday. He has 23 tackles - including five for loss - this season.

"Sosa plays hard," Bielema said. "He's a good player....I think he's got a bright future. He's got to take coaching and criticism and move forward, but he'll do that."