Arkansas Razorbacks football

Arkansas Razorbacks Football
2016 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
First season	1894
Athletic director	Jeff Long
Head coach	Bret Bielema 4th year, 23–23 (.500)
Stadium	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
Field	Frank Broyles Field (Razorback Stadium)
Seating capacity	72,000 (Fayetteville) 55,000 (Little Rock)
Field surface	Powerblade 2.5 (Fayetteville) FieldTurf (Little Rock)
Conference	SEC
Division	Western
All-time record	700–475–40 (.593)
Bowl record	15–23–3 (.402)
Claimed nat'l titles	1 (1964)[1]
Conference titles	13
Division titles	4
Consensus All-Americans	24
Colors	Cardinal and White[2]
Fight song	Arkansas Fight Song
Mascot	Razorback
Marching band	Best in Sight and Sound
Rivals	LSU Tigers Ole Miss Rebels Texas A&M Aggies Texas Longhorns Missouri Tigers
Website	arkansasrazorbacks.com

The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program has 13 conference championships, 45 All-Americans, and an all-time record of 700–475–40. The Razorbacks are the 23rd-most successful team in college football history by number of wins. Home games are played at locations near the two largest campuses of the University of Arkansas System: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The Arkansas Razorbacks have 84 active NFL players currently in the 2015 NFL Season.

History

Early years (1894–1914)

The first University of Arkansas football team was formed in 1894 and coached by John Futrall, who was a Latin professor at the University.^[3] That team played three games: two against Fort Smith High School and one against Texas.^[3] Before the 1909 season, the teams was called the Arkansas Cardinals and a bird was the school's mascot. The name and mascot changed following the 1909 season when the football team, coached by Hugo Bezdek, finished 7–0.

Arkansas prevailed over powerhouses Oklahoma, LSU and Washington of St. Louis in 1909, and was declared unofficial champions of the South and Southwest.^[3] It was with the help of Steve Creekmore that this was accomplished. Creekmore became perhaps the first Razorback star, a quarterback from Van Buren who initially played only intramurals.^[3] Bezdek used Creekmore to install a very early edition of the hurry-up offense, as the team never huddled and chased the ball after every play.^[3] Creekmore was also known for "fast and slippery running, blocking, and passing" and could also return punts and tackle well.^[3]

There are differing stories about the origins of the 'Razorbacks' mascot, however. The Texarkana Arkansas High School mascot and athletic emblem is the Razorback with red and white serving as the school colors. The Razorback mascot was selected in 1910 to replace the Cardinal as the University of Arkansas mascot. In exchange for its use, the university provided used athletic gear to Texarkana Arkansas High; this practice is no longer used. With the new name and mascot, the Hogs defeated LSU 51–0 and gave Texas A&M their only loss in 1910, but fell short of another perfect season, losing 5–0 to Kansas State.^[4]

In 1913, Arkansas quarterback J. L. Carter and the Razorbacks lost to Ole Miss, and took a fateful train to Arkadelphia to play Ouachita Baptist. While Carter was eating, he was invited to a meeting of Ouachita boosters. He transferred (which took place immediately, this being permissible at the time) and defeated Arkansas 15–9 in 1914.^[3]

The Hogs would be contacted by L. Theo Bellmont in 1913 in his attempt to create an intercollegiate conference to regulate use of ringers. Hugo Bezdek, since replaced by E. T. Pickering, had recommended that the Hogs join a conference before he left to coach at Oregon.

Early Southwest Conference (1915–1957)

The Razorbacks joined the Southwest Conference (SWC) as charter members in 1915. The conference also included teams from Texas (Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M) and Oklahoma (Oklahoma, Oklahoma A&M). Southwestern (TX) would also join, but leave the following year. The 1916, 1917, and 1919 teams were led at quarterback by "Arkansas' greatest athlete" Gene Davidson. The Razorbacks didn't have a winning conference record until 1920, and didn't win the conference championship until 1936. Arkansas had the best record during the 1933 season, but had to forfeit the SWC Championship because Ulysses "Heine" Schleuter, who had no eligibility remaining, played on the team. Schleuter had told coach Fred Thomsen that he was eligible, but he was recognized by an SMU player during the game as a former Cornhusker. The Hogs did accept an invitation to the 1934 Dixie Classic, a precursor to today's Cotton Bowl Classic.

Arkansas became rivals with Ole Miss due to proximity. Although not SWC members, Ole Miss played Arkansas intermittently until a yearly series began from 1952–1961.

During the 1938 season, the Razorbacks replaced their 300-seat stadium known as The Hill with Bailey Stadium, named after Arkansas governor Carl Bailey. It was known as University Stadium for one game before being changed to honor the governor. This stadium still exists today, although heavily renovated, as Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the current home of the Razorbacks.

Arkansas won the conference championship in 1946, earning a bid in the 1947 Cotton Bowl Classic with LSU. The game would become known as the Ice Bowl, as a winter storm hit Dallas before the game. The two rivals battled to a scoreless tie, with Razorback great Clyde Scott tackling an LSU Tiger at the one yardline to preserve the tie on the second-to-last play of the game. LSU would fail to complete the field goal attempt on the next play. The Razorbacks defeated William & Mary the next year in the 1948 Dixie Bowl.

In 1954, the Ole Miss rivalry would catch fire. The Hogs played the Rebels in War Memorial Stadium on October 23, 1954. The Rebels were ranked #5 by the AP Poll entering the game, and Arkansas was picked to finish last in the SWC.^[5] The contest would be decided by a 66-yard halfback pass from tailback Buddy Bob Benson to blocking back Preston Carpenter, the only score of the game. This is referred to as the Powder River Play, and "perhaps the most important in Arkansas football history to that time" by Orville Henry, a member of the 1954 team.^[6] The Hogs would get back to the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1954, only to be defeated by Georgia Tech. Frank Broyles was an assistant under Jacket head coach Bobby Dodd in the game.

During this period, Arkansas developed rivalries with Texas and Texas A&M because of the closeness of those campuses.

Broyles era (1958–1976)

Frank Broyles was hired as head football coach in 1957 and served in that position for 19 years. Arkansas would grow into a national power with Broyles at the helm, including several conference championships and a national title.

Arkansas would earn a share of the 1959 SWC Championship, splitting with Texas. Arkansas lost only to #3 Texas and #6 Ole Miss during the season. The Hogs went to Jacksonville and defeated Georgia Tech in the 1960 Gator Bowl 14–7, avenging an earlier Cotton Bowl Classic defeat. Barry Switzer was a co-captain on the team. Some, including University Chancellor and student during 1958, John White,^[7] view the Razorback football team during this period as a revival of Arkansas, which was recovering from the Little Rock Nine and racial segregation problems.^[7]

The 1960s was the best decade in Arkansas football history. ESPN ranked Arkansas the 19th^[8] most prestigious program in college football, but if only this decade was included, the Hogs would be 10th.^[8]

1960 brought another SWC crown, and a Cotton Bowl Classic invitation for the Hogs, who were ranked as high as 7th during the season.^[9] The Razorbacks lost to #2 Ole Miss and #20 Baylor, but defeated #11 Texas in Austin, bringing the championship to Fayetteville.^[10] The Hogs lost to Duke, 7–6, because of a blocked extra point.^[11]

The following season brought another shared SWC championship with Texas.^[12] The Hogs were defeated by the Longhorns 33–7, as well as the #9 Ole Miss Rebels, warranting an invitation to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. #1 Alabama defeated the Razorbacks 10–3.^[13] The Crimson Tide had been declared National Champions before the game, which was the procedure at the time. The Hogs would fight this system in 1964, when the same Alabama team would claim the 1964 AP crown before losing the Orange Bowl to the Texas Longhorns, a team Arkansas defeated in Austin, Texas during the regular season. Arkansas won the Cotton Bowl Classic over Nebraska, 10–7

Broyles' team was awarded the 1964 National Championship by the Football Writers Association of America and the Helms Athletic Foundation.^[14][15] The FWAA and HAF awarded their National Championships to Arkansas, who was the only team to go undefeated through the bowl games that year. At the time, the Associated Press (AP) and UPI awarded their national titles before the bowl games, and gave their trophies to the Alabama.^[16]

The next season, 1965, the Razorbacks were 10–0 in the regular season, and were once again the Southwest Conference Champions. That sent the Razorbacks back to the Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year's Day, this time to play against LSU. Because of the controversy in determining the national champions in 1964, the AP poll would wait until after the bowl games to announce its champion. With top-ranked Michigan State losing in the Rose Bowl, the #2 Razorbacks had a chance to become national champions, but were defeated 14–7 by the Tigers.^[17]

Arkansas would return to the field in 1966 ranked fifth, but losses against unranked Baylor and Texas Tech would prevent the 8–2 Hogs from playing in a bowl game. Loyd Phillips was a consensus All-American defensive tackle on the team.^[18] Phillips also took home the Outland Trophy.^[19]

After struggling in 1967, the Hogs returned to the postseason in 1968. #9 Arkansas defeated #2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, 16–2. Sophomore receiver Chuck Dicus scored the only touchdown of the game for the Razorbacks.

In 1969, the Razorbacks had another chance to claim the national title, when #2 Arkansas played the #1 Texas Longhorns, coached by Darrell Royal, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The game, known as "The Big Shootout" or the Game of the Century, is perhaps the most notable football game in Razorbacks history. Arkansas led 14–0 at after three quarters, but Texas stormed back and took a 15–14 lead on a two-point conversion, after a questionable passing play was called late in the game by then coach Frank Broyles, which was intercepted by Texas. President Richard Nixon was in attendance, and proclaimed Texas the national champions, even though they had a bowl game to play, and Penn State was also undefeated. Arkansas lost to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, 27–22, and Texas beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl Classic for the national title.^[20]

The 1970s brought more success for Broyles, led by Razorback standouts Chuck Dicus and Ben Cowins. The 1970 Razorbacks would go 9–2, with the nine consecutive wins bookended by losses in the opener to #10 Stanford and the finale to #1 Texas. The 1971 Razorbacks went 8–3–1, including upset wins over #7 Cal and #10 Texas. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl, but lost to #9 Tennessee 14–13.^[21] The 1972–1974 seasons would be mediocre, as Arkansas struggled to defeat the Texas teams. The Hogs went 11–8–2 against schools in Texas, but failed to beat the University of Texas during the span. The highlight of the period was an upset of #5 USC in War Memorial Stadium.

Broyles would win his seventh and final Southwest Conference championship in 1975. The contest with Texas A&M was moved until the end of the year, as it was expected to decide the Southwest Conference championship. The Razorbacks did not disappoint, as Arkansas defeated #2 Texas A&M, 31–6, in War Memorial Stadium. The win forced the Aggies to share the conference championship with Texas and Arkansas. However, the tie-breaker went to Arkansas, thus Arkansas received the invitation to the Cotton Bowl Classic. The Cotton Bowl Classic berth would also be Broyles' last appearance. Arkansas would fall behind Georgia early on in that game, but came roaring back to beat the Bulldogs easily, 31–10. Arkansas finished ranked #7 in the AP and #6 in the UPI that season.

Broyles coached the Razorbacks in 1976, but with limited success before Lou Holtz took over the head coaching position for 1977.

Holtz era (1977–1983)

After Broyles left coaching and became athletic director at Arkansas, he hired Lou Holtz to take his former position. Holtz served as head football coach from 1977 through the 1983 season.

Holtz led the Razorbacks through a 10–1 regular season, losing only to #2 Texas. The #6 Hogs were invited to play in the Orange Bowl against #2 Oklahoma.^[22] The Sooners had a chance to become national champions with a win over the shorthanded Razorbacks, who had suffered a season-long rash of injuries and player suspensions. Prior to Christmas, the University announced that star running back Ben Cowins, leading receiver Donny Bobo, and back-up running back Michael Forrest would all be sent back to Fayetteville.^[23] Following the suspensions, numerous African-American players on the team threatened to boycott the game. The always-quotable Holtz said two days before the game, "I'm one step short of suicide".^[23]

The Razorbacks found an unlikely hero in Roland Sales, who rushed for 205 yards on 23 carries and two scores. Sales also led the Hogs in receiving in the contest. In addition, Holtz used 3rd string running back Randy Richey, who added 98 rushing yards and a touchdown on only 5 carries. The Hogs ended the Sooners' hope with a 31–6 victory.^[17] This game is notable as one of the biggest upsets in Razorback football history. Ironically, University of Arkansas alumnus Barry Switzer coached the Sooners in the contest, and late in the game, future Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt played quarterback for Holtz.^[24]

In 1978, the Razorbacks went 9–2 during the regular season, losing back-to-back games at #8 Texas and #11 Houston. A 49–7 win over #16 Texas A&M did give the Hogs a Fiesta Bowl berth, but the Razorbacks and UCLA Bruins would battle to a 10–10 tie.^[25]

In 1979, Holtz's Razorbacks won a share of the Southwest Conference (sharing with Houston). The 10–2 Hogs defeated nemesis #2 Texas in Little Rock, but lost an outright conference title to #6 Houston in Fayetteville. Earning a bid to the Sugar Bowl, the #6 Hogs were set to play #2 Alabama with a chance at the national championship. Instead, Alabama defeated the Razorbacks 24–9, winning their sixth claimed national title.^[17]

The Razorbacks would continue to succeed under Holtz, winning the 1980 Hall of Fame Classic following 1980 and defeating the #1 Texas Longhorns 42–11 in 1981. Despite winning another bowl game in 1982, a 6–5 season in 1983 would be the end of the Holtz era. At the time, athletic director Frank Broyles stated that Holtz had resigned and was not fired, but two decades later Broyles acknowledged that Holtz was indeed fired because his actions were negatively affecting the fan base.^[26]

Holtz left the program with a mark of 60–21–2. His teams reached six consecutive bowls (1977–1983), but only won one split conference championship. Holtz used a very conservative option offense.

Ken Hatfield, The Three Yards In A Cloud Of Dust Era(1984–1989)

Ken Hatfield replaced Holtz in 1984. Hatfield played defensive back for Broyles on the 1964 national championship team. He had a record of 55–17–1 and won back-to-back Southwest Conference titles in 1988 and 1989, Hatfield's last two years, and to date the Razorbacks' last conference titles. Despite this success, Hatfield had a somewhat frosty relationship with Broyles, and lost out on several recruits when other coaches spread rumors that he was in Broyles' doghouse. When Broyles signed a new five-year contract as athletic director, Hatfield abruptly resigned to accept the head coaching post at Clemson.^[27][28]

During this period, Broyles engineered Arkansas' move from the Southwest Conference to the Southeastern Conference (SEC), effective with the 1992 season.^[29]

Final days of the Southwest Conference, transition to the SEC

Hatfield's resignation left Broyles in a desperate situation. There was not enough time to find a high-profile replacement, and National Signing Day was only three weeks away. Offensive coordinator Jack Crowe was due to follow Hatfield to take the same position at Clemson, but Broyles talked him into remaining in Fayetteville as head coach. The Razorbacks slumped to 3–8 in 1990, and barely qualified for a bowl in 1991. Following a loss to The Citadel in the 1992 season opener, Broyles fired Crowe and named defensive coordinator Joe Kines interim coach for the rest of the season.^[28][30] Danny Ford, who was replaced by Hatfield at Clemson in 1990, took over in 1993. Ford led the Razorbacks to the SEC West title in 1995, but that was one of only two winning seasons in his tenure.

Houston Nutt, The Mediocre Era (1998–2007)

On December 10, 1997, Houston Nutt was hired by the University of Arkansas to succeed Danny Ford.

In his first year, the Arkansas Razorbacks were 9–3 and won a share of the SEC Western division title. The Razorbacks received their first-ever invitation to the Citrus Bowl where they lost to the University of Michigan Wolverines, ending the season ranked 16th. During this season, Nutt was selected as the Football News' National Coach of the Year.^[31]

Nutt resigned during a press conference at Arkansas on November 26, 2007, three days after the Razorbacks defeated the #1 LSU Tigers 50–48 in three overtimes.^[31] Over the course of his 10 seasons coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks, Nutt compiled a record of 75–48 and his teams went to bowls 8 out of the 10 seasons.^[31] His teams were first in the SEC West 3 times: in 1998 (shared with Mississippi State), 2002 (shared with LSU & Auburn), and 2006 (outright). The Hogs played in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in 2002 and 2006.

Bobby Petrino (2008–2011)

After Nutt's departure, Bobby Petrino came to Arkansas from the Atlanta Falcons to become head coach. The 2008 season was expected to be a transition year for the team and Petrino. Though eliminated from bowl contention, Petrino led the Razorbacks to a last-second victory over rival and defending national champions LSU to finish the season 5–7 and a conference mark of 2–6. His 2009 Razorbacks made dramatic improvement. Led by Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett at quarterback, the Razorbacks nearly defeated the Tim Tebow-led Florida Gators, who were ranked #1 in the country at that time, in Gainesville. The Hogs went on to win the 2010 Liberty Bowl against East Carolina and finish with a record of 8–5. The 2010 Arkansas Razorbacks improved on their 2009 record and won 6 in a row to end the year after earlier losses to Alabama and Auburn. Arkansas finished the season 10–2 overall and earned a BCS bowl berth, the first in Arkansas history. The Razorbacks lost the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans against the sixth ranked Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 31–26. Though the result was later vacated by the NCAA as a result of sanctions against Ohio State, the game was the first game ever played between the two teams. Under Petrino's tutelage, quarterback Ryan Mallett broke numerous school passing records in 2010 as well. In 2011, the reins were handed to Tyler Wilson after Mallett went to the NFL. Wilson picked up where Mallett left off, and Arkansas spent more than half the season ranked in the top ten. After beating Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl Classic by a score of 29–16, the Razorbacks finished with an 11–2 record and a #5 final ranking in the AP poll, the school's highest ranking since 1977. The eleven wins also tied a school record. The only two teams to beat the Hogs that year were Bama and LSU, the two teams that played each other for the national championship.

On April 1, 2012, Petrino was involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in rural Madison County, near Crosses. After initially stating publicly that he was alone, both in a written press release and during a press conference, it was discovered in the police report of the accident that Petrino had been riding with a passenger, former Arkansas All-SEC volleyball player Jessica Dorrell. In his acknowledgement of the report, Petrino admitted to having engaged in a "previous inappropriate relationship" with Ms. Dorrell. As a result of this information, Athletic Director Jeff Long placed Petrino on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation.^[32][33]

On April 10, 2012, after his investigation, Long announced that he had fired Petrino with cause, saying that Petrino "engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior designed to deceive me and members of the athletic staff, both before and after the motorcycle accident." He also revealed that in addition to his previously-undisclosed personal relationship, Petrino had secretly paid Ms. Dorrell $20,000 and had used his influence to ensure that she was selected from an applicant pool of 159 people for a position on the football coaching staff.^[34]

John L. Smith, The Just Smile Era (2012)

On April 23, 2012, thirteen days after Petrino's firing, John L. Smith was announced as Arkansas' head football coach. Smith was signed to a 10-month contract worth $850,000.^[35] His hiring was met both with approval and some controversy. A significant number of current players expressed their strong approval for the Smith hire.^[36] Some critics, however, argued that he had abandoned his previous post at Weber State after only 4 1/2 months and that he was merely "leasing himself to the Razorbacks for a year."^[37] The Razorbacks struggled to a 4–8 record in 2012 despite starting the season with high expectations and being ranked in the Top 10 nationally. Smith was not retained after the season.

Bret Bielema, The Wake Me When It's Over Era (Also called the Three Bottles of Vodka in a cloud of gas Era) (2013–present)

On December 4, 2012, it was announced that Bret Bielema would leave the Wisconsin Badgers to become the head coach of the Razorbacks for the 2013 season.^[38][39] The Razorbacks started the season with a 34–14 win over the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. This was followed by wins over the Samford Bulldogs and Southern Miss at War Memorial Stadium and Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, respectively. Arkansas then lost to Rutgers and were 3–1 going into conference play. Arkansas lost all 8 conference games to finish the season 3–9. It was the first time that Arkansas had been winless in the SEC since they joined the conference in 1992 and their first winless in-conference season since 1942, when they were a member of the Southwest Conference. The 2014 season was brighter, with the Hogs winning all 4 non-conference games, but finishing 2–6 in the SEC (6–6 overall), though all 8 opponents were ranked in the Top 25 and the two wins were back-to-back shut out wins over ranked teams LSU and Ole Miss.^[40] The Razorbacks were only outscored by a margin of 12 points in conference play. They ended the 2014 season with a record of 7–6 after beating the Texas Longhorns in the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl (31–7).^[41]

Coaching history

Name	Seasons	Overall	Overall Win %	Conference	Conference Win %	Bowls	Bowl Win %
Bret Bielema	2013–present	19–20	.487	7–17	.292	2–0	1.000
John L. Smith	2012	4–8	.333	2–6	.250	–	–
Bobby Petrino	2008–2011	34–17	.667	17–15	.531	2–1	.667
Reggie Herring†	2007	0–1	.000	—	—	0–1	.000
Houston Nutt	1998–2007	75–46	.620	42–38	.525	2–5	.286
Danny Ford	1993–1997	26–30–1	.465	16–23–1	.413	0–1	.000
Joe Kines†	1992	3–6–1	.350	3–4–1	.438	—	—
Jack Crowe	1990–1992	9–15	.375	6–10	.375	0–1	.000
Ken Hatfield	1984–1989	55–17–1	.760	36–10	.783	1–6	.143
Lou Holtz	1977–1983	60–21–2	.735	37–18–1	.670	3–2–1	.583
Frank Broyles	1958–1976	144–58–5	.708	91–36–5	.708	4–6	.400
Jack Mitchell	1955–1957	17–12–1	.583	8–9–1	.472	—	—
Bowden Wyatt	1953–1954	11–10	.524	7–5	.583	0–1	.000
Otis Douglas	1950–1952	9–21	.300	4–14	.222	—	—
John Barnhill	1946–1949	22–17–3	.560	10–13–1	.438	1–0–1	.750
Glen Rose	1944–1945	8–12–1	.405	3–7–1	.318	—	—
John Tomlin	1943	2–7	.222	1–4	.200	—	—
George Cole	1942	3–7	.300	0–6	.000	—	—
Fred Thomsen	1929–1941	56–61–10	.480	26–42–3	.387	0–0–1	.500
Francis Schmidt	1922–1928	42–20–3	.669	14–13–2	.517	—	—
George McLaren	1920–21	8–5–3	.594	4–1–1	.750	—	—
J. B. Craig	1919	3–4	.429	1–2	.333	—	—
Norman Paine	1917–1918	8–3–1	.708	0–2–1	.167	—	—
T. T. McConnell	1915–1916	8–6–1	.567	1–3	.250	—	—
E. T. Pickering	1913–1914	11–7	.611	—	—	—	—
Hugo Bezdek	1908–1912	29–13–1	.686	—	—	—	—
Frank Longman	1906–1907	5–8–3	.406	—	—	—	—
A. D. Brown	1904–1905	6–9	.400	—	—	—	—
D. A. McDaniel	1903	3–4	.429	—	—	—	—
Charles Thomas	1901–1902	9–8	.529	—	—	—	—
Colbert Searles	1899–1900	5–2–2	.667	—	—	—	—
B. N. Wilson	1897–1898	4–1–1	.750	—	—	—	—
John Futrall	1894–1896	5–2	.714	—	—	—	—
† denotes Interim Head Coach. Source: "Razorback Football Coaching History". Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network. Retrieved 2008-01-11.

Rivalries

Ole Miss Rebels

The Razorbacks first played the Rebels in 1908. Arkansas and Mississippi played many times sporadically in the following years. In addition to several occasional years of playing each other, the two teams played each other from 1940–47 and 1952–62 on an annual basis. The Razorbacks and Rebels also met twice in the Sugar Bowl played in New Orleans, in 1963 and 1970. Since 1981, the two teams have played each other annually in football. In 2001, Arkansas and Ole Miss had an NCAA record seven-overtime game in Oxford, Mississippi. The amount of overtimes has since been tied, but has not yet been beaten. (Arkansas won by a final score of 58–56) The recent Houston Nutt controversies and departure to Ole Miss has added to and heightened the long-standing rivalry between the schools. Arkansas had played Ole Miss more total times than any other SEC opponent, until Texas A&M joined the conference in 2012.^[42]

Arkansas-Ole Miss: All-Time Records

Games played	First meeting	Last meeting	ARK win	ARK loss	Ties	Win %
62	October 10, 1908 (won 33–0)	October 15, 2016 (won 34-30)	35	27	1	56.5%

LSU Tigers

Since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1992, the Razorbacks have developed a rivalry with the LSU Tigers. The game was played annually the day after Thanksgiving and was televised on CBS until 2014 when LSU played Texas A&M on Thanksgiving and Arkansas played Missouri that week. The winner of the game has taken home the "Golden Boot", which is a 24-karat gold trophy in the shape of the two states, since its creation in 1996.^[43]

In 2002, the rivalry gained some momentum as the game winner would represent the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game. The game (called "Miracle on Markham") was won by Arkansas on a last second touchdown pass by Matt Jones.^[44] In 2006, the Tigers snapped the SEC West champion Razorbacks' 10-game winning streak when they beat Arkansas in Little Rock, 31-26.^[45] In 2007, Arkansas stunned top-ranked LSU in triple overtime, 50–48, giving them their first win in Baton Rouge since 1993, and their first victory over a top-ranked team since beating Texas in 1981, winning back the Golden Boot trophy (after 4 consecutive seasons in the hands of LSU) in the process.^[46] In 2008, the Razorbacks defended the trophy, winning 31–30 on a last minute touchdown drive. LSU currently leads the series 38–22–2.^[47]

Arkansas-LSU: All-Time Records

Games played	First meeting	Last meeting	ARK win	ARK loss	Ties	Win %
61	December 5, 1901 (lost 15–0)	November 12, 2016 (lost 38-10)	22	38	2	35.4%

Texas Longhorns

Though the Arkansas-Texas game has not been regularly played since Arkansas's departure from the Southwest Conference in 1991, the Longhorns are still considered by many to be the Razorbacks' top rival. There are several reasons for this, including the result of the 1969 Game of the Century (also known as "The Big Shootout"), which eventually led to the Longhorns' 1969 national championship.^[48] The Longhorns won the meeting in 2008, 52–10. The Razorbacks and Longhorns revived the rivalry in the 2014 Texas Bowl with Arkansas earning a 31–7 victory, also giving Coach Bret Bielema his first bowl win at Arkansas.^[47]

Arkansas-Texas: All-Time Records

Games played	First meeting	Last meeting	ARK win	ARK loss	Ties	Win %
78	November 29, 1894 (lost 54–0)	December 29, 2014 (won 31–7)	22	56	0	28.2%

Texas A&M Aggies

The Razorbacks first played the Texas A&M Aggies in 1903. From 1934–1991, the two had played annually as Southwest Conference members. However, the series ceased in 1991 when Arkansas left the SWC to join the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas leads the all-time 41–28–3.^[47] On March 10, 2008, officials from both schools announced the revival of the series beginning on October 3, 2009. The game was played in Cowboys Stadium, and was won by Arkansas. 47–19.^[49] The initial agreement between the two schools allowed the game to be played for at least 10 years, followed by 5 consecutive, 4-year rollover options, allowing the game to be played for a total of 30 consecutive seasons.^[50][51][52]

Following A&M's move to the SEC, the 2012 game was played at Kyle Field, and the 2013 game was played at Arkansas, and thereafter resumed at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arkansas-Texas A&M: All-Time Records

Games played	First meeting	Last meeting	ARK win	ARK loss	Ties	Win %
72	October 31, 1903 (lost 6–0)	September 24, 2016 (lost 45–24)	41	29	3	56.2%

Missouri Tigers

Arkansas and Missouri first met in 1906 in Columbia, Missouri. The annual meeting started in 2014 and is called the Battle Line Rivalry. On November 23, 2015, a new annual trophy has been unveiled for the series.

Arkansas-Missouri: All-Time Records

Games played	First meeting	Last meeting	ARK win	ARK loss	Ties	Win %
7	November 10, 1906 (lost 11–0)	November 27, 2015 (won 28–3)	3	5	0	42.86%

All-time record vs. SEC teams

Opponent	Won	Lost	Tied	Percentage	Streak	First	Last
Alabama	8	19	0	.296	Lost 10	1962	2016
Auburn	11	14	1	.442	Lost 1	1984	2016
Florida	2	9	0	.182	Won 1	1982	2016
Georgia	4	10	0	.286	Lost 1	1969	2014
Kentucky	3	4	0	.429	Won 1	1998	2012
LSU	22	38	2	.371	Lost 1	1901	2016
Mississippi State	16	10	1	.611	Won 1	1916	2016
Missouri	3	5	0	.375	Lost 1	1906	2016
Ole Miss	34	28	1	.540	Won 3	1908	2016
South Carolina	13	9	0	.591	Lost 2	1992	2013
Tennessee	5	13	0	.278	Won 2	1907	2015
Texas A&M	41	29	3	.582	Lost 5	1903	2016
Vanderbilt	7	2	0	.778	Won 3	1949	2011
Totals	168	189	8	.471

Uniforms

The Razorbacks have always worn cardinal red jerseys. The team wore red helmets with players' numbers on the side through 1963, and in 1964 the first helmets with an early version of the razorback logo appeared. Throughout the team's history, Arkansas has typically worn red jerseys with white pants at home and white jerseys with white pants on the road. However, red pants were introduced on an occasional basis during the Lou Holtz era, and have been an alternate off and on for several years. From 1998 to 2002, and then again in 2004, red pants were the standard on the road while white pants were worn as an alternate. Wearing red pants at home, which some fans consider a curse, happened so infrequently that many forgot it was possible. The Razorbacks wore all red in 2000, but did not wear them again until 2008 in the Cotton Bowl Classic. However, when coach Bobby Petrino took the reins, he developed an entirely different uniform, and the Hogs came out for the season opener in all red. This marked the first time for all red to be worn in consecutive games and also the first time that red pants were worn with a white stripe. It is unknown how many alternate jerseys may have been designed.

However, since the end of the Petrino era, the uniforms have been changed to a new Nike outfit, with two full variations of a new Cardinal and White-out, as well as a standalone throw-back of the 1964 era uniforms.

Recruiting

Arkansas Razorbacks Football Scout.com team recruiting rankings:

Class	Scout.com Rank	Commits	Top Commit
2015	T-21	24	Ty Storey
2014	33	25	Bijhon Jackson
2013	34	23	Alex Collins
2012	19	26	Jonathan Williams
2011	17	32	Brey Cook
2010	35	26	Calvin Barnett
2009	20	31	Darius Winston
2008	24	25	Joe Adams
2007	34	27	Seth Oxner
2006	30	26	Mitch Mustain
2005	32	24	Darren McFadden
2004	27	32	Peyton Hillis
2003	23	24	Chris Baker
2002	24	25	Vickiel Vaughn

Championships

National championships

Year	Coach	Selectors	Record	Bowl	Bowl Result
1964	Frank Broyles	FWAA, HAF	11–0	Cotton Bowl Classic	Arkansas 10, Nebraska 7
National Championships				1
A name in bold indicates the team who was winner of that bowl.

^[14][15][53]

Conference championships

Arkansas has won 13 Southwest Conference championships.

Conference affiliations

• 1894–1914: Independent
• 1915–1991: Southwest Conference
• 1992–present: Southeastern Conference

Season	Conference	Coach	Overall Record	Conference Record
1936	SWC	Fred Thomsen	7–3	5–1
1946†	SWC	John Barnhill	6–3–2	5–1
1954	SWC	Bowden Wyatt	8–3	5–1
1959†	SWC	Frank Broyles	9–2	5–1
1960	SWC	Frank Broyles	8–3	6–1
1961†	SWC	Frank Broyles	8–3	5–1
1964	SWC	Frank Broyles	11–0	7–0
1965	SWC	Frank Broyles	10–1	7–0
1968†	SWC	Frank Broyles	10–1	6–1
1975†	SWC	Frank Broyles	10–2	6–1
1979†	SWC	Lou Holtz	10–2	7–1
1988	SWC	Ken Hatfield	10–2	7–0
1989	SWC	Ken Hatfield	10–2	7–1
Conference Championships			13
† Denotes co-champions

Divisional championships

Arkansas has made 3 appearances in the SEC Championship Game as winner of the SEC Western Division but are 0–3 in those appearances.^[53] Arkansas was also the SEC Western Division co-champions in 1998 with Mississippi State but lost to the Bulldogs during the regular season, resulting in Mississippi State representing the West in the SEC Championship Game. In 2002, Alabama had the best conference record in the West with a 6–2 mark, but was on probation by the NCAA and was barred from post season play. Arkansas played in the SEC Championship Game due to winning the tiebreaker for a three-way tie with Auburn and LSU, both of whom Arkansas defeated during the regular season.

Season	Division	SEC CG Result	Opponent	PF	PA
1995	SEC West	L	Florida	3	34
2002	SEC West	L	Georgia	3	30
2006	SEC West	L	Florida	28	38
Division Championships			3

Bowl games

The Razorbacks are 6–13–2 in New Year's Six bowl games (Rose, Peach, Cotton, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange). The bowl they have won the most is the Cotton Bowl Classic, with a 4–7–1 record.

Season	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1933	1934 Dixie Classic	Centenary	T 7–7
1946	1947 Cotton Bowl Classic	LSU	T 0–0
1947	1948 Dixie Bowl	William & Mary	W 21–19
1954	1955 Cotton Bowl Classic	Georgia Tech	L 14–6
1959	1960 Gator Bowl	Georgia Tech	W 14–7
1960	1961 Cotton Bowl Classic	Duke	L 7–6
1961	1962 Sugar Bowl	Alabama	L 10–3
1962	1963 Sugar Bowl	Ole Miss	L 17–13
1964	1965 Cotton Bowl Classic	Nebraska	W 10–7
1965	1966 Cotton Bowl Classic	LSU	L 14–7
1968	1969 Sugar Bowl	Georgia	W 16–2
1969	1970 Sugar Bowl	Ole Miss	L 27–22
1971	1971 Liberty Bowl	Tennessee	L 14–13
1975	1976 Cotton Bowl Classic	Georgia	W 31–10
1977	1978 Orange Bowl	Oklahoma	W 31–6
1978	1978 Fiesta Bowl	UCLA	T 10–10
1979	1980 Sugar Bowl	Alabama	L 24–9
1980	1980 Hall of Fame Classic	Tulane	W 34–15
1981	1981 Gator Bowl	North Carolina	L 31–27
1982	1982 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl	Florida	W 28–24
1984	1984 Liberty Bowl	Auburn	L 21–15
1985	1985 Holiday Bowl	Arizona State	W 18–17
1986	1987 Orange Bowl	Oklahoma	L 42–8
1987	1987 Liberty Bowl	Georgia	L 20–17
1988	1989 Cotton Bowl Classic	UCLA	L 17–3
1989	1990 Cotton Bowl Classic	Tennessee	L 31–27
1991	1991 Independence Bowl	Georgia	L 24–15
1995	1995 Carquest Bowl	North Carolina	L 20–10
1998	1999 Florida Citrus Bowl	Michigan	L 45–31
1999	2000 Cotton Bowl Classic	Texas	W 27–6
2000	2000 Las Vegas Bowl	UNLV	L 31–14
2001	2002 Cotton Bowl Classic	Oklahoma	L 10–3
2002	2002 Music City Bowl	Minnesota	L 29–14
2003	2003 Independence Bowl	Missouri	W 27–14
2006	2007 Capital One Bowl	Wisconsin	L 17–14
2007	2008 Cotton Bowl Classic	Missouri	L 38–7
2009	2010 Liberty Bowl	East Carolina	W 20–17
2010	2011 Sugar Bowl	Ohio State	L 31–26
2011	2012 Cotton Bowl Classic	Kansas State	W 29–16
2014	2014 Texas Bowl	Texas	W 31–7
2015	2016 Liberty Bowl	Kansas State	W 45–23
Total	41 Bowl Games	15–23–3

Awards and honors

Player awards

• John Mackey Award

Hunter Henry – 2015

• John Mackey Award

D.J. Williams – 2010

• Doak Walker Award

Darren McFadden – 2006, 2007^[54]

• Walter Camp Award

Darren McFadden – 2007^[55]

• Dave Rimington Trophy

Jonathan Luigs – 2007^[56]

• Outland Trophy

William "Bud" Brooks – 1954^[57]

Loyd Phillips – 1966^[57]

Coaching awards

• Walter Camp Coach of the Year

Lou Holtz – 1977^[58]

• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year

Lou Holtz – 1977^[59]

• Football News Division I-A National Coach of the Year

Houston Nutt – 1998^[60]

• SEC Coach of the Year

Houston Nutt – 2001^[60]

Houston Nutt – 2006^[60]

All-Americans

Every year, players are selected by several publications to be placed on their All-American team for that season. The NCAA officially recognizes five All-American lists which include AP, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News (TSN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF). A consensus All-American is determined using a point system; three points if the player was selected for the first team, two points for the second team, and one point for the third team. Arkansas has had 47 All-Americans (24 consensus) in its history.^[61][62][63]

Name	Position	Years at Arkansas	AFCA	AP	FWAA	TSN	WCFF
Travis Swanson	C					2013
Cobi Hamilton	WR			2012
Joe Adams	PR			2011	2011	2011	2011
D.J. Williams	TE			2010
Lance Alworth	B	1959–1961			1961
Shawn Andrews*	OT	2001–2003	2002; 2003	2003	2002; 2003	2002; 2003	2003
Jim Barnes*	OG	1966–1968		1968
Jim Benton	E	1935–1937		1937
Martine Bercher	S	1962–1966			1966
Rodney Brand*	C			1969	1969		1969
Bud Brooks*	OG/DT		1954	1954	1954		1954
Dick Bumpas*	DT	1968–1970		1970
Brandon Burlsworth	OG	1995–1998		1998
Ronnie Caveness	LB		1964	1964	1964	1964
Tony Cherico	NG	1984–1987	1987
Bobby Crockett	E				1965
Chuck Dicus*	WR	1968–1970	1969; 1970	1970			1970
Ron Faurot	DE	1980–1983
Robert Felton	OG	2003–2007		2007
Ken Hamlin	FS	1999–2002
Dan Hampton	DT	1975–1978	1978
Leotis Harris*	OG	1974–1977	1977	1977			1977
Wayne Harris	LB	1958–1960			1960
Hunter Henry*	TE	2013–2015	2015	2015	2015	2015	2015
Glen Ray Hines*	T		1965	1965	1965		1965
Greg Horne	P	1983–1986	1986
Bruce James	DE	1968–1970			1970
Felix Jones	TB/KR	2005–2007	2007				2007
Kenoy Kennedy	FS	1996–1999		1999
Greg Kolenda*	OT	1976–1979	1979	1979	1979		1979
Steve Korte*	OG		1982	1982	1982	1982
Bruce Lahay	K/P				1981
Steve Little*	K/P	1974–1977	1976	1977	1977	1977
Anthony Lucas	SE	1996–1999		1999
Jonathan Luigs*	C	2004–2008		2006; 2007	2007	2007	2007
Jim Mabry*	OT	1986–1989	1989	1989			1989
Wayne Martin*	DT	1985–1988		1988	1988	1988
Bill McClard	K	1969–1971	1970		1971	1971
Darren McFadden*	RB	2005–2007	2006; 2007	2006; 2007	2007	2007	2007
Billy Moore	QB				1962
Jim Mooty	B			1959
Stephen Parker	OG	2003–2006				2006
Jermaine Petty*	LB	1998–2001	2001
Loyd Phillips*	T		1965; 1966	1965; 1966	1966	1966	1965: 1966
Cliff Powell	LB	1967–1969	1969
Wear Schoonover	E	1927–1929		1929
Clyde Scott*	TB	1944–1948	1948	1948
Billy Ray Smith, Jr.*	DE	1979–1982	1981; 1982	1981; 1982	1981; 1982	1981; 1982	1981; 1982
Kendall Trainor*	K	1985–1988	1988	1988		1988	1988
Tony Ugoh	OG	2002–2006		2006
Jimmy Walker	DT	1975–1978			1978
* denotes Consensus All-Americans. Source: "History, Honors and Letterman" (PDF). Hogwired. Retrieved 2008-01-12.

Arkansas Razorbacks in the College Hall of Fame

Year Inducted	Name	Position	Years at Arkansas	Notes
2009	Billy Joe Moody	Fullback and Defensive back	1960–1962
2008	Lou Holtz	Coach	1977–1983	[64]
2004	Wayne Harris	Linebacker	1958–1960	[65]
2000	Billy Ray Smith, Jr.	Defensive end	1979–1982	[66]
1999	Chuck Dicus	Wide receiver	1968–1970	[67]
1997	Bowden Wyatt	Coach	1953–1954	[68]
1992	Loyd Phillips	Tackle	1964–1966	[69]
1984	Lance Alworth	Back	1959–1961	[70]
1983	Frank Broyles	Coach	1958–1976	[71]
1971	Francis Schmidt	Coach	1922–1928	[72]
1971	Clyde Scott	Tailback	1944–1948	[73]
1967	Wear Schoonover	End	1927–1929	[74]
1954	Hugo Bezdek	Coach	1908–1912	[75]

All-Century Team

(Selected by fan ballot prior to the 1994 season as part of the UA football centennial celebration)

Facilities

Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (formerly Razorback Stadium) is the on-campus and primary home stadium for the Razorbacks located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks began playing football at Razorback Stadium in 1938, where they beat Oklahoma A&M 27–7.^[76] The stadium was dedicated to Donald W. Reynolds for the $20 million donation from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to help finance the major expansion in 2001, which raised the seating capacity from 51,000 to 76,000. The playing field was dedicated to former head coach and athletic director Frank Broyles in 2007 and is now called the Frank Broyles Field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.^[77]

War Memorial Stadium

War Memorial Stadium is the secondary home stadium for the Razorbacks. War Memorial Stadium is located in Little Rock, Arkansas with a seating capacity of 53,727. War Memorial Stadium used to host either two or three Razorback football games per season. Beginning in 2014, Arkansas will only play one home game per season in Little Rock.

Willard and Pat Walker Pavilion

The Willard and Pat Walker Pavilion was built in 1998 and is the indoor practice facility for the Arkansas Razorbacks.^[76]

Arkansas Razorbacks in the NFL

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Year inducted	Name	Position	Years at Arkansas
2002	Dan Hampton	Defensive Line	1975–1978
1978	Lance Alworth	Back	1959–1961

Future opponents

Non-division opponents

Arkansas plays Missouri as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the East division among the other six schools.^[78]

2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
at Missouri	vs Missouri	at Missouri	vs Missouri	at Missouri	vs Missouri	at Missouri	vs Missouri	at Missouri	vs Missouri
vs Florida	at South Carolina	vs Vanderbilt	at Kentucky	vs Tennessee	at Georgia	vs South Carolina	at Florida	vs Kentucky	at Vanderbilt

Non-conference opponents

Announced scheduled as of June 25, 2015

2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
vs Louisiana Tech	vs. Florida A&M (Little Rock)		vs. Michigan		vs. Texas
at TCU	vs. TCU	vs. North Texas
vs. Texas State	vs. New Mexico State
vs. Alcorn State (Little Rock)	vs. Coastal Carolina

^[79]

Current season

All times Central.

2016 Arkansas Razorbacks football (6-3, 2-3)
Week	Arkansas		Opponent		Conference	Location	Time/Channel or Record	Notes
1	Arkansas	21	Louisiana Tech	20	C-USA	Fayetteville, Arkansas	1–0 (0–0 SEC)
2	Arkansas	41	at #15 TCU	38	Big 12	Fort Worth, Texas	2–0 (0–0 SEC)	2OT
3	#24 Arkansas	42	Texas State	3	Sun Belt	Fayetteville, Arkansas	3–0 (0–0 SEC)
4	#17 Arkansas	24	vs #10 Texas A&M	45	SEC	Arlington, Texas	3–1 (0–1 SEC)	Southwest Classic
5	#20 Arkansas	52	Alcorn State (I-AA)	10	SWAC	Little Rock, Arkansas	4–1 (0–1 SEC)
6	#16 Arkansas	30	#1 Alabama	49	SEC	Fayetteville, Arkansas	4–2 (0–2 SEC)
7	#22 Arkansas	34	#12 Mississippi	30	SEC	Fayetteville, Arkansas	5–2 (1–2 SEC)	Rivalry game
8	#17 Arkansas	3	at #21 Auburn	56	SEC	Auburn, Alabama	5–3 (1–3 SEC)
9	Bye Week
10	Arkansas	31	#10 Florida	10	SEC	Fayetteville, Arkansas	6–3 (2–3 SEC)
11	Arkansas	--	#19 LSU	--	SEC	Fayetteville, Arkansas	6:00 PM // ESPN	Battle for the Golden Boot
12	Arkansas	--	at Mississippi State	--	SEC	Starkville, Mississippi	TBA
13	Arkansas	--	at Missouri	--	SEC	Columbia, Missouri	1:30 PM // CBS	Battle Line Rivalry
14	SEC Championship (ineligible)					Atlanta, Georgia	3:00 PM // CBS	SEC Championship

References

External links

• Official website