Top 5 Overtime Games for the Arkansas Razorbacks
By Matt Jenkins
#3: TIE … Arkansas @ Ole Miss (2001), Razorbacks win 58-56 & Arkansas @ Kentucky (2003), Razorbacks win 71-63. Both Games 7 Overtimes
It’s hard to separate these two games, simply for how awesome they both were. First let’s look at the 2003 Kentucky game. In the previous slide, I said the Razorbacks had two classics in 2003. This is that other classic, obviously. Arkansas came into this game losing 3 straight, and with very little momentum from what they once had after they beat Texas and Alabama. They regained some of that momentum vs. Kentucky. Arkansas jumped out to a 21-7 lead heading into halftime. But Kentucky started making their comeback. Legendary Wildcat quarterback Jared Lorenzen tied the game at 24-24 after a 13 yard touchdown pass to Chris Bernard. And then overtime happened.
Arkansas sure didn’t struggle to score in overtime, outscoring Kentucky 47-39. A good mix of run and pass, along with the leadership of Matt Jones, gave the Razorbacks the victory. The winning touchdown came from DeCori Birmingham, who scored on a 25-yard run in a record-tying seventh overtime, and Arkansas stopped Kentucky on a fourth-down play to finish the game. The football game was the longest in NCAA history, lasting just four minutes shy of five hours. The game also matched the seven overtimes in Arkansas’ 58-56 victory at Ole Miss, which leads us to the other game tied for #3 in our countdown. Arkansas vs. Ole Miss 2001.
Arkansas was 7-5 that year, including victories over #9 South Carolina, #17 Auburn. But the biggest victory of the year came from Oxford, Mississippi. The first 7 overtime game in NCAA history, and why wouldn’t the Razorbacks be involved in this piece of history? But something else big happened that night in Oxford. Instead of a party for the victorious Rebels at City Grocery, fans in Mississippi got to watch the coming out party for Matt Jones. And what a party it was for the Arkansas native. Jones stayed tough with legendary Rebel quarterback Eli Manning, leading the Razorbacks and Rebels, respectively, for 6 overtimes. Manning would throw his sixth touchdown pass in the 7th overtime, but the two point pass to Doug Ziegler was stopped by Jermaine Petty, giving Arkansas the win.
The two teams combined for 60 first downs, 130 rushing attempts (80 from the Razorbacks), 68 pass attempts, and 198 total offensive plays, while limiting mistakes, including two fumbles, eight penalties, and one sack. The win moved Arkansas to 5–3 on the year and 3–0 in overtime.
We all know the success Matt Jones had moving forward, becoming one of the greatest quarterback in Razorbacks history.
It was hard not placing this number one or two, but I believe there are two more games that are deserving of that bill.
Next: True Grit by the Razorbacks