Top 5 Heartbreaking Losses for Arkansas Football

#1: 2012 vs. Louisiana Monroe, Hogs Lose 34-31 in OT

Now for the granddaddy of them all. This is one of the hardest games to relive, truly because it is the most heartbreaking Arkansas game in history. It was the game where a weak nonconference team came into Arkansas and knocked the crap out of the #8 team in the nation. I know it’s shocking that we were #8, but we were.

The game didn’t seem like it was going to be that awful in the beginning. The game began with the score tied 7-7. But after touchdown catches by Cobi Hamilton and Mekale McKay, and a rushing touchdown by Knile Davis, the Hogs had an easy 28-7 lead with 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

But not too long later is when ULM decided to step it up. Going into the fourth quarter, the Warhawks were still down 28-14. With an early score in the 4th, ULM was nonexistent until the final minute. Quarterback Kolton Browning connected with a receiver for a 23 yard touchdown to tie up the game 28-28, which sent the game into overtime. With the momentum on Monroe’s side, the Hogs were doomed from the start. The Warhawks had a bad case of the Underdog Syndrome and it was not curable. Arkansas couldn’t muster a touchdown in OT, settling for a field goal. ULM took the ball next, and it looked like the Hogs could hold them for a moment. But on 4th and 1, ULM not only converted for the first down, but Kolton Browning ran the rest of the 16 yards for a Warhawk touchdown and win.

With the Hogs losing that game, we figured out just how bad this team was. It was a harsh defeat, but also a harsh realization. The hype that was built even after Petrino’s firing was just way too high, and it ultimately made for some very heartbreaking games. The ULM game is what started the downfall of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and it’s what made playing at War Memorial so terrifying to even our own fans.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Where’s Toledo!?” That’s a good question. Toledo was certainly an upset, but I don’t think it broke my heart the way the MSU game did this year. We played awful against Toledo, and they played great. We under-performed, and it cost us. But MSU these last 3 years? That’s way more heartbreaking, in my opinion.

Next: Battle Line Rivalry Trophy Revealed for Arkansas vs. Mizzou

So that’s it, you’ve made it through the heartache for a second time. I really hope you enjoyed this little cluster of sadness, and I also hope that you were able to fight back the tears while doing so. But just remember that even though there have been lots of games that didn’t go our way in the past, there are still countless times where it has gone our way. It’s the ups and downs of our Hogs that mold us into the greatest fans on the nation.

Woo pig.