1969 Razorbacks deserve more appreciation

On a cold Saturday, Dec. 6, 1969, most of America stood still.

They sat in front of 50 million TVs, half the total owned, and tuned in to ABC for The Big Shootout.

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Richard Nixon, a Longhorns fan and the sitting president, was there as were hundreds of other dignitaries.

Media came from coast to coast to cover what would later be known as the Game of the Century.

Arkansas opened the season as The Associated Press’ No. 2-ranked team and Texas as No. 4.

As usual, there were changes in the poll with the Hogs eventually dropping to No. 4 and working their way back to No. 3 behind No. 2 Texas. Michigan beat No. 1 Ohio State the week before the Arkansas-Texas game.

The Buckeyes, who were the defending national champions, opened the season No. 1 and beat every opponent by at least 27 points until the Wolverines defeated them 24-12. They have hated each other ever since.

That set up The Big Shootout, but more than anything, it thrust the University of Arkansas Razorbacks into the national limelight.

In those days, there was one game televised each Saturday. To be one of the teams chosen you had to be very, very good, and that’s why it was called the game of the week.

It was a team Arkansas Coach Frank Broyles had painstakingly put together.

He beat Bear Bryant for Bill Montgomery and managed to slip Chuck Dicus out of Odessa, Texas. He also convinced Bruce James’ mom — Bear was also after James — to let her son move that far from Moss Point, Miss.

The list of hand-picked players goes on and on.

This Saturday, the team that lost to Texas 15-14 will be honored, and they should feel the full open-armed appreciation and respect of Razorbacks Nation.

They may not have won that game, but they played in it, and no other team can say that.

They were well coached, well prepared and had opportunities to win it, but in the end they didn’t, and it wasn’t anyone’s fault.

Apparently, some of the players took a miscue personally for many years.

Montgomery said Monday at the Little Rock Touchdown Club that he would have never thrown two interceptions, one in the end zone, if the play calling had been different.

Arkansas could have kicked a field goal on his first interception. The Razorbacks probably should have as it would have turned out to be the winning points.

Broyles, though, was well aware his close friend Texas head Coach Darrell Royal was throwing everything he had in his playbook at this game.

After Arkansas took a 14-0 lead, Texas scored and without hesitation went for two. That was Royal’s mentality that day — whatever it took to win.

That game, though, was not lost by any single player. No penalty cost the Hogs the game. No lack of coverage.

It was a great college football game.

Each team had four firstteam All-Americans on it, and they played like it.

That day Americans reveled in the play on the field.

A tiny, land-grant college in the mountains of Northwest Arkansas was going toeto-toe with the oil rich and mighty Texas Longhorns.

That day there were no losers.

It was just a game.

A great college football game that everyone of those Longhorns and Razorbacks would remember for the rest of their life because it was the greatest game of the century, and they got to be part of it.

Friday night those Razorbacks are getting together as a team to share their lives and memories.

Saturday afternoon they will walk out into the stadium again and be presented to the fans as one of the greatest teams in Razorbacks history because they were.