Top 5 Single Game Performances by Razorbacks Since 2000

3) The Time When Ryan Mallet led Arkansas to beat LSU, and secure a birth their first BCS Bowl game… #12 Arkansas vs. #6 LSU, 2010 (Arkansas wins 31-23)

Similar to the previous slide, there was nothing fancy about Ryan Mallett’s number for the day. 13 of 23 passing for 320 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Those are typical numbers for the quarterback under the wings of a Bobby Petrino offense. But like Matt Jones’ performance vs. Texas, Mallett’s performance vs. LSU was significant not just for stats, but for implications. The victory led Arkansas to the Sugar Bowl, their first (and only) BCS appearance. The Razorbacks lost that Sugar Bowl game, but it never technically happened due to the ineligibility of then quarterback Terrell Pryor. Damn Ohio State. Oh well, it’s still cool to get to go to the Sugar Bowl. It’s even cooler to beat LSU and keep “The Boot” in Fayetteville.

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Despite his faults and mistakes that have happened in the NFL, Ryan Mallett is the best pure passer in Arkansas football history. From his first performance as the Hogs starter in the SEC against Georgia, when he threw for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns, it was obvious that Mallett was everything he was hyped up to be. He’s the only Arkansas QB to start in the NFL in decades, and still holds multiple passing records at Arkansas despite only playing for 2 seasons.

With everything that happened in 2010, it was likely that the winner of this game would represent the SEC in the Sugar Bowl. The game was back and forth, but the defining moment in the game was when Petrino decided to go for it on 4th and 3, with Arkansas leading LSU 21-20 in the 4th quarter. Mallet said in an article on ESPN, “It’s a play we’ve been working on since LSU last year,” Mallett said. “I could have checked out of that play, but it was man coverage and Joe made a great play to make his man miss.” Mallet laid out a perfect pass to Joe Adams, and that secured the Razorbacks win and their trip to New Orleans to meet Ohio State.

A clutch performance against a top 10 opponent to earn a trip to a BCS game? Legendary.

Next: Redemption for BA