2024 Kickoff Countdown- 1970 season, 9 interceptions against SMU

The 1970 Arkansas football season has largely been lost to history, but it was one of the most dominant seasons the Hogs ever produced. In this edition of the 2024 Kickoff Countdown, we'll revisit that year, including the game against SMU.

The Razorbacks went 9-2 in 1970, earning second place in the SWC. It was a great season, but it didn't start that way, with the Hogs tripping at the starting line. Arkansas lost to No. 10 Stanford 34-28 to begin the season. After falling behind 34-0, the Razorbacks stormed back in the second half after making a quarterback change. However, it wasn't fast enough.

The loss proved to be a wake-up call for Arkansas as it took its ire out on the rest of its schedule. The Hogs won the next nine games, scoring no less than 23 points and giving up no more than 14, and included wins against Oklahoma State and No. 19 Texas Tech. The average score for the middle nine games of the 1970 season was 40.7-7.5 in favor of Arkansas.

The largest margin of victory came against Wichita State, 62-0. Tragically, the Shockers lost 14 members of their football team and their head coach in a plane crash on October 2, 1970. The NCAA granted Wichita the ability to use freshman — which wasn't allowed at the time — and only three weeks after the accident, No. 9 Arkansas was their first opponent. The Shockers were greeted not with boos but with cheers as they entered the stadium.

A few weeks later, the Razorbacks made history. On November 14, Arkansas beat SMU 36-3. It wasn't a competitive match in the least. The Razorbacks picked off SMU's quarterback, Chuck Hixson, a program record of nine times, which beat Arkansas's previous record of eight set in 1950 (also against the Mustangs). That wasn't the only accomplishment to go into the record books that Saturday. Kicker Bill McClard knocked down a 60-yard field goal, which was the longest to date. It still stands as the third longest in school history.

Unfortunately, that's where the magic ended. The Hogs were pummeled by Texas to finish the season 42-7. After being denied by the Orange Bowl in favor of the SEC Champion LSU, Arkansas opted out of the postseason and pulled its name from lower bowl game considerations.