LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas running back Darren McFadden's Little Rock homecoming didn't finish with the school's career rushing mark.

It ended with bruised ribs and an early trip to the locker room.

McFadden, who needed 154 yards to break Ben Cowins' school mark of 3,570, ran for a season-low 122 yards and a touchdown in Arkansas' 35-16 win against Tennessee-Chattanooga. The junior set one school record by notching his 17th, 100-yard rushing game, but it wasn't the one he coveted the most when he stepped on the field Saturday.

"If it was me, it would be hard," teammate Felix Jones said. "You're playing in front of your home crowd. It's hard when you can't run the ball like you want to. I think there was a little bit of pressure on him."

Arkansas entered the game knowing the record was no guarantee, considering McFadden didn't play in the second half of last week's 66-7 win against North Texas. In fact, the most debated question entering the night was whether he would stay on the field long enough to break the record against a team coming off a 45-16 loss to The Citadel.

McFadden got plenty of chances -- 25 carries -- in a surprisingly tight game. He started strong by rushing for 41 yards on Arkansas' first scoring drive, then capped it with a two-yard plunge to make it 7-2.

But then McFadden's night started to unravel -- by the Heisman Trophy candidate's lofty standards.

He ripped through a big hole later in the first quarter, but the ball was poked out of his hands and recovered by the Mocs. In the second quarter, McFadden lined up in the Wildcat formation -- the only time he did so during the game -- and had a shotgun snap slip through his fingers. It was recovered by UTC to wipe away another first-half scoring chance.

"I guess they played good defense," McFadden said.

The Mocs converted the turnover into a touchdown, closing Arkansas' lead to 14-9 in the second quarter.

"He's not a fumbler," coach Houston Nutt said. "He's got to keep that ball protected, got to keep it locked up and he knows that."

McFadden eventually eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the second half, but his night ended after a nine-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Nutt said McFadden has had sore ribs for a couple of weeks, but they were re-aggravated when he took a shot under his pads against a UTC team that showed off plenty of physical play against the bigger, deeper Razorbacks.

McFadden spent the next few minutes pacing the sideline, then headed to the Arkansas locker room with trainer Dean Weber for treatment.

"I took him out once I knew his ribs were, for sure, bothering him," Nutt said. "We weren't going to take a chance."

McFadden said his ribs were sore, but wasn't concerned about his health or performance. He said his primary goal was helping Arkansas win another game and the record was "not something to distract" him.

McFadden now needs 32 yards to break Cowins' school record and will get the chance against Auburn next week. Jones said he's confident his teammate will bounce back after a disappointing finish Saturday.

"I just tell him to keep pushing. It's not over yet," Jones said. "He knows he's a very valuable player on this team. He's just feeling a little pressure right now, that's all. I just tell him to go out and play your game. We'll get things done."

THAT FIGURES

11 Passing yards allowed by Arkansas' defense Saturday

12 School-record punts for Tennessee-Chattanooga

17 School-record 100-yard rushing games for Darren McFadden

32 Yards needed for McFadden to break the school's career rushing record

62 Punt return yards for Arkansas cornerback Jerell Norton, more than doubling the Razorbacks' previous season total of 27 punt return yards in the first four games

GAMEBREAKER

ARKANSAS 34, CHATTANOOGA 17

WHY THE RAZORBACKS WON

Arkansas running back Darren McFadden fumbled twice in the first half, and his teammates also looked like they were unprepared and going through the motions. But fellow tailback Felix Jones scored a pair of second-half touchdowns to help the Razorbacks pull away and avoid an embarrassing loss.

WHY THE MOCS LOST

Tennessee-Chattanooga managed to hang with Arkansas and make the game closer than many had expected. But the Mocs gained only 11 yards passing, and they allowed 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to have their upset chances dashed.

QUOTE BOARD

"We hung in the game for a long, long time. I'm proud of these guys. (Arkansas) coach (Houston) Nutt was very complimentary after the game, and I appreciated that."

Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Rodney Allison, talking about his team's better-than-expected performance Saturday night.

"First snap was just on me. It was a pure mental mistake. I thought I heard some things I didn't. They weren't ready for it, and that's the result."

Arkansas center Jonathan Luigs, talking about his errant snap that resulted in a safety on the Hogs' first play.

"I didn't think ever that we were going to lose. But I was just disappointed in myself and in how we all played. We didn't play like we should. We have a lot of talent on this team, and it didn't show."

Arkansas fullback Peyton Hillis, talking about his mindset throughout and after Saturday's game.

"I read an article called, 'You Pay For What You Get.' And they just wanted to beat us for a paycheck. But I think the first play of the game, you know we scored and then we thought, 'Wow, we can make a run at this.'"

UTC free safety Chris Camacho, talking about the Mocs' confidence as the game progressed.

"That was a season low? We'll take it, we'll take it. Put that in the paper."

UTC free safety Chris Camacho, talking about holding Darren McFadden to a season-low in rushing yards.