What's Changed. So strong is Bobby Petrino's reputation as a passing puppeteer that it survived even the purgatory of Casey Dick, starting quarterback, which is no small task. True, Dick's completion percentage and overall efficiency were roughly steady from his junior season under the run-based mantra of Houston Nutt, with more interceptions and fewer touchdowns. But the Razorbacks actually moved the ball through the air, which hardly seemed possible with Dick at the helm from 2005-07 -- consider that Dick had exactly two 200-yard passing games in 23 starts under Nutt, compared to an average of 235 yards per game last year, including three 300-yard games, a 282-yard effort in a near-upset against Ole Miss and a 197-yard, two-touchdown, zero-INT performance off the bench against LSU, ending with a 24-yard game-winner on the final throw of his career. [read more]

The Razorbacks had the longest winning streak in college football at 16 straight wins when Texas came to Fayetteville in 1965. The Horns had a 26-1 record over the last 2 years, the lone loss coming at the hands of the Razorbacks the previous October. The Horns were ranked #1 in the country, the Hogs #2.

The rivalry was now becoming one of the biggest in the nation, and NBC came to town to broadcast the game as its game of the week.

The whole state was consumed with the game in the week leading up to the contest. Reverend Andrew Hall of First Baptist Church of Fayetteville was sitting in his study during that week and felt that things were getting out of hand. He picked up his pencil and wrote

Football is only a game
Eternal things are spiritual

Then even Reverend Hall was caught up in the moment as he added

Nevertheless BEAT TEXAS

His message appeared on the church's marquee.

42,000 fans packed Razorback Stadium as Arkansas prepared to take the field. Once again Broyles turned the pregame speech over to Wilson Matthews. All-American defensive tackle Loyd Phillips would later say, "If Wilson Matthews couldn't fire you up before a game, you didn't have a pulse."

National media packed the press box. Sports Illustrated sent photographer Neil Leifer to do a cover shot with the latest technology: a "fish-eye lens" that could take a picture at 360 degrees. Right before kickoff Leifer put the camera on the field facing up and told the Hog offense to huddle up around it. At the time Harry Jones was still playing in place of the injured Jim Lindsey. When Broyles walked by and saw Lindsey standing off to the side he told him to join the huddle and get in the picture.

A year later, offensive lineman Dick Cunningham ran across Leifer at an NFL game when Cunningham was playing for the Buffalo Bills and asked him how the photo turned out. Leifer responded, "You're not gonna believe this, but that was the picture we were gonna put on the cover. But our editors said there was no way we could put it on the cover, there were 12 guys in the huddle."

Arkansas took an early lead when the Hogs' special teams forced a fumble on a punt return deep in Texas territory and Glen Ray Hines and Martine Bercher recovered it in the end zone.

Texas drove, but the Hog defense forced a fumble that flew into the air and was caught by Tommy Trantham who returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. The Hogs missed the extra point and led 13-0.

The Razorback offense refused to let up and drove 60 yards for a touchdown, capped by Jon Brittenum's 11 yard touchdown pass to Bobby Crockett to put the Hogs up 20-0.

Texas came roaring back though, and scored 11 points in the 2nd quarter to make it 20-11 at the half. The Horns had the momentum and kept scoring, and late in the 4th quarter took the lead 24-20.

With 4:06 left in the game, the Hogs took over on their own 20. They had not made a 1st down yet in the 2nd half, and Broyles turned to Brittenum and Crockett.

On 1st down Brittenum hit Crockett with a 22 yard pass. The injured Jim Lindsey provided senior leadership and ran for 6 yards. And Brittenum continued to hit Crockett as every fan in Razorback Stadium was on their feet.

On 3rd and 4 from the Texas 15, Crockett was double-covered but still made a leaping catch inches away from the end zone. Brittenum scored on a quarterback sneak, and Arkansas won 27-24.

The Hogs had beaten mighty Texas two years in a row, had a 17 game winning streak, and now had the inside track to the national championship.

Next up: Razorback History-Triumph and Heartbreak

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The average Arkansas Razorbacks fan might not care how, or maybe even why, the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate scores are calculated.

But if the potential of a scholarship loss enters the conversation because of problematic APR performance, ears perk up.

While Arkansas exceeded the APR benchmark score in 18 of its 19 athletic programs in the latest four-year scores released by the NCAA in May, the lone sport below the 925 benchmark score - men's basketball with an 888 - is in a trouble spot.

Scholarship losses can occur for a team with a score less than 925 when a player who is academically ineligible leaves the program before his eligibility expires, but do not appear imminent for the Razorbacks. However, they can't be ruled out for the next APR reporting period.

"Our most recent score we've added is of particular concern for us," Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long said.

The transition from the Stan Heath regime to John Pelphrey had its inherent personnel issues.

"Coaching changes, that's when things seem to go haywire at schools," said Barry Booker, the former Vanderbilt player and veteran SEC basketball television analyst. [read more]

In 1965 the first American combat troops arrived in Vietnam. Bonanza was the most popular show on television. The Sound of Music was playing in movie theaters. And the Arkansas Razorbacks entered the college football season with a 12 game winning streak and visions of a second national championship.

The Hogs had graduated 14 senior captains from the 1964 team including quarterback Fred Marshall, punt returner Ken Hatfield, and guard Jerry Jones. The coaching staff returned intact. On defense Jim McKenzie was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, Wilson Matthews coached linebackers, and Johnny Majors coached defensive backs. On offense Bill Pace coached the backs and called the plays, Merv Johnson was offensive line coach, and Barry Switzer coached the ends. Broyles was the CEO.

While the 1964 team was built around defense, the 1965 Hogs were the highest scoring team in the nation. Jim Lindsey and Bobby Burnett returned in the backfield and Bobby Crockett was an All-American split end. Harry Jones was moved from safety to wingback. Jon Brittenum stepped up to fill Marshall's shoes at quarterback.

The defense was led by returning defensive end Bobby Roper and defensive tackles Jim Williams and Loyd Phillips, who would have an All-American season.

The Porkers opened the season with a 28-14 win over Oklahoma State at War Memorial Stadium. They followed that with a 20-12 win over Tulsa at Fayetteville, a 28-0 shutout over TCU in Little Rock, and a 38-7 win over Baylor at Waco.

Brittenum was playing so well he got his own song, "Jon Brittenum, Quarterbackin' Man," a hit on AM stations in Arkansas. Lindsay broke a rib in the season opener and Jones stepped in and quickly became known as "Light Horse Harry." Jones not only got his own song like Brittenum, he also landed on the cover of the November 8, 1965 edition of Sports Illustrated beneath the headline

ARKANSAS
THE NEW DYNASTY

Once again, the Texas game loomed large. On October 16, 1965 the undefeated and #1 ranked Longhorns traveled to Fayetteville to take on the undefeated and #2 ranked Hogs before a national television audience.

Next up: Razorback History-The 1965 Texas Game