Skeptics silenced
Telling thumping led to division title
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks came into Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 7, 2006, with their first 2-0 SEC start since 1998, but not much respect.
The knock on the Razorbacks was they had lucked out in winning 21-19 at Vanderbilt and beating Alabama 24-23 in double-overtime because of their opponents’ kicking miscues.
Vanderbilt’s Bryant Hahnfeldt missed a 48-yard fieldgoal attempt in the final minute.
Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin was 1 of 4 on field-goal attempts — including missing a 30-yarder with three minutes left in the fourth quarter and a 37-yarder in the first overtime — and missed an extra-point attempt
in the second overtime.
Skeptics said the Razorbacks’ SEC victories were flukes. Oddsmakers agreed, installing No. 2 Auburn as a 16-point favorite.
But there was nothing fluky about the Razorbacks’ 27-10 victory over the Tigers.
“That was a decisive win
for us,” Arkansas center Jonathan Luigs said. “Auburn was No. 2 in the country, and we went down there and really put it on them.
“We beat them by 17 points, but I think it could have been more than that. In the second half, our strategy really was just to hang onto the ball and milk the clock.”
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville quarterback Mitch Mustain attempted just two passes in the second half and finished the game 7 of 10 for 87 yards.
“We really dominated them physically in the trenches,” said Houston Nutt, the Razorbacks’ coach from 19982007.
Arkansas rushed 45 times for 279 yards. Auburn rushed 31 times for 60 yards.
“We won the old-fashioned way,” Razorbacks defensive coordinator Reggie Herring said after the game. “We ran the ball right down their throats, and they couldn’t run the ball consistently on us. That’s the bottom line.”
No team had rushed for more than 250 yards on Auburn since 2002, when Arkansas rolled up 426 — including 241 by Fred Talley — in a 38-17 victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Tailbacks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and the Razorbacks’ offensive line pounded the Tigers’ defense into submission.
“It’s hard to swallow when you get beat by a more physical team,” Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville, a Camden native, said after the game.
McFadden rushed 28 times for 145 yards and Jones rushed 13 times for 104 yards.
Auburn hadn’t allowed a rushing touchdown in its first five games, but McFadden scored on a 63-yard run and Jones on a 1-yarder.
“I think this is what everybody’s been looking for, me and Felix bringing that onetwo punch,” McFadden said after the game. “Today we showed it.”
Arkansas 5-7 receiver Reggie Fish gained 28 yards on his only carry when he hid behind the offensive linemen, took a handoff and broke away to the Auburn 6 to set up the Razorbacks’ final touchdown.
“We went down there with the mindset of running the ball, and we were able to do that,” Luigs said. “They ran a three-man front to blitz, and we hit some seams, and Darren and Felix busted some big runs.”
Arkansas had lost its previous 11 games against nationally ranked teams after winning 38-28 at No. 5 Texas in 2003.
Auburn was the highest-ranked team the Razorbacks had beaten on the road since a 14-13 victory at Texas in 1964 and, the Tigers were 20-1 in their 21 previous SEC games.
“Today we got beat by a good football team,” Tuberville said. “We got beat to the punch, outcoached.
“We got beat by our brand of football.”
The game kicked off at 11 a.m. as the first part of a CBS doubleheader, so the Razorbacks were back in Fayetteville in time for dinner.
“That was a fun plane ride home,” Luigs said. “It was great to get back early and really be able to celebrate and enjoy the rest of Saturday.”
The Razorbacks sacked Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox five times.
“We were big underdogs, but we knew we were better than everybody thought,” Razorbacks defensive tackle Keith Jackson Jr., who had two sacks, said after the game. “People said we’d been getting lucky, and we came out with a tremendous focus to show them we’re a good team.”
Marcus Monk caught just one pass, but it was for a 50yard touchdown from Mustain that put Arkansas ahead 10-0 in the first quarter.
Razorbacks fans comprised about 3,000 of the announced crowd of 87,451, but Hog calls were clearly heard in the fourth quarter as the Auburn faithful left the stadium.
“We wore them out and broke their will,” Arkansas guard Stephen Parker said after the game. “There’s no better feeling, especially on the road.
“Here in their stadium, to hear our fans louder than their fans in the second half was amazing.”
The Razorbacks were alone atop the SEC West at 3-0 and went on to win their first outright division title since 1995.
“Winning at Auburn was critical,” Nutt said. “Once we beat Auburn, we knew if we stayed focused and took care of business that we were going to win the West.”
“We wore them out and broke their will.” Arkansas guard Stephen Parker after the Razorbacks’ 27-10 victory over Auburn on Oct. 7, 2006