GAME THREAD: NCAAF: ARKANSAS (7-4) at LSU (10-1)

NCAAF: ARKANSAS at LSU

<div class="pre">NCAAF FINAL IN OT 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -- -----
ARKANSAS 0 7 14 7 22 50
LSU (1) 6 0 15 7 20 48 FINAL IN OT

LSU-FG, C David 32 YD 1:41 1st Qtr
LSU-FG, C David 49 YD 7:44 1st Qtr
ARKANSAS-TD, D McFadden 16 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 7:27 2nd
Qtr
ARKANSAS-TD, D McFadden 73 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 5:11 3rd
Qtr
LSU-TD, J Hester 12 YD RUN (M Flynn RUN FOR TWO-POINT
CONVERSION) 7:12 3rd Qtr
ARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 65 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 9:14 3rd
Qtr
LSU-TD, D Byrd 7 YD PASS FROM M Flynn (C David KICK)
12:38 3rd Qtr
ARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 24 YD PASS FROM D McFadden (A Tejada
KICK) 9:54 4th Qtr
LSU-TD, D Byrd 2 YD PASS FROM M Flynn (C David KICK)
14:03 4th Qtr
LSU-TD, M Flynn 12 YD RUN (C David KICK) 1st Ot
ARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 10 YD PASS FROM C Dick (A Tejada
KICK) 1st Ot
ARKANSAS-TD, D McFadden 9 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 2nd Ot
LSU-TD, J Hester 2 YD RUN (C David KICK) 2nd Ot
ARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 3 YD RUN (F Jones RUN FOR TWO-POINT
CONVERSION) 3rd Ot
LSU-TD, B LaFell 9 YD PASS FROM M Flynn 3rd Ot


ARKANSAS LSU
First downs 21 25
Rushed-yards 53-385 48-204
Passing yards 128 209
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 1-7
Return yards 3 11
Passes 13-24-0 22-47-0
Punts 7-32 8-37
Fumbles-lost 3-1 3-0
Penalties-yards 9-62 4-35
Time of possession 28:33 31:27


Individual Statistics

RUSHING: ARKANSAS-Darren McFadden 32-206, Peyton Hillis 11-89, Felix
Jones 9-85, London Crawford 1-5. LSU-Jacob Hester 28-126, Keiland
Williams 10-47, Matt Flynn 9-27, Charles Scott 1-4.

PASSING: ARKANSAS-Casey Dick 10-18-94- 0, Darren McFadden 3-6-34- 0.
LSU-Matt Flynn 22-47-209- 0.

RECEIVING: ARKANSAS-Peyton Hillis 5-62, Lucas Miller 1-16, Marcus Monk
2-12, D.J. Williams 1-12, Felix Jones 2-10, Robert Johnson 1-8, Andrew
Davie 1-8. LSU-Richard Dickson 5-69, Early Doucet 7-52, Demetrius Byrd
6-46, Brandon LaFell 3-22, Charles Scott 1-20.


Att: 92,606</div>

 

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Ticker) -- Darren McFadden bolsteredhis fading Heisman Trophy hopes while Arkansas became the latestschool to throw a monkey wrench into the national championshippicture.


McFadden rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another asunranked Arkansas shocked No. 1 Louisiana State intriple-overtime, 50-48, in the Southeastern Conferenceregular-season finale for both schools.


The wild victory somewhat salvaged what had been a lost seasonfor the Razorbacks (8-4, 4-4 SEC West), who may have saved thejob of embattled coach Houston Nutt.


Reports began circulating last weekend that Nutt would be firedregardless of the outcome of this contest. But Nutt wasmasterful in this contest, often using a McFadden-based shotgunoffense which baffled LSU's vaunted defense.


Conversely, Tigers coach Les Miles could not have hoped to endhis regular season on a worse note. A former player andgraduate at Michigan, Miles has widely been linked to the jobopening in Ann Arbor.


The loss will drop the Tigers (10-2, 6-2 West) from the top spotin the Bowl Championship Series and cost them a berth in thenational title game. LSU still can clinch a BCS bowl bid with awin next weekend in the SEC championship game.


"This team is not happy," Miles said. "We understand what thiscost us and what was at stake. We now have to look forward toplaying another game, a very important game and one that is muchbigger than the one we just played. That is what we have tofocus on."


It was the Razorbacks' first win over the nation's top-rankedschool since October 17, 1981, when they rolled to a 42-11triumph over Texas.


"I am really proud of our team today. I thought they played witha lot of heart and character," Arkansas coach Houston Nuttsaid. "I've never been so proud of a group that just competed sohard and played so well. For three or four hours - however long<div class="pre">the game was all I know is we were the best in the country</div>today."


This upset was not nearly as easy, as LSU rallied for a trio ofsecond-half ties and took a seven-point lead in the firstovertime.


But the Tigers ultimately had no answer for McFadden, whofinished with 205 yards on 31 carries and also completed 3-of-5passes for 34 yards.


"He's a Heisman Trophy guy. The guy deserves the trophy," Nuttsaid of McFadden. "It's not right for his name not to bementioned as No. 1 right now. He blocks; he catches; hequarterbacks; he throws; he reads; he runs the football withpassion and determination, and he really deserves a seriouslook."


<div class="pre">"I knew how good he was I watched him a year ago. I was not</div>surprised. I was surprised how successful he was against us, butnot about the running back," Miles said. "He has a greatcombination of power and speed. If he is not the first playertaken at his position I would be surprised. He certainly had aHeisman performance today."


After McFadden rumbled for a 10-yard run down to LSU's 3-yardline, fullback Peyton Hillis rumbled into the end zone to giveArkansas a 50-42 lead. It was the fourth score of the contestfor Hillis, who had 151 yards of total offense.


The Tigers clawed within 50-48 on Matt Flynn's 13-yard TD toEarly Doucet. But Flynn's pass on the ensuing two-point attemptwas intercepted by cornerback Matterral Richardson in the backof the end zone, sending Arkansas into a wild celebration whileending LSU's national title hopes.


<div class="pre">"Being a leader, that's something I always want to do carry my</div>team on my back," McFadden said. "I feel like that's somethingI did tonight. It's a great feeling. We haven't beat LSU sinceI've been here."


Flynn scampered for a 12-yard score on the first possession ofovertime to give LSU a 35-28 lead. But the Razorbacks answeredwhen Casey Dick hooked up with Hillis for a 10-yard score.

After McFadden coasted for an easy nine-yard TD to give Arkansasthe lead in the second overtime, LSU forged a 42-42 tie onJacob Hester's two-yard plunge.


The Tigers forged a 28-28 deadlock with a minute remaining inregulation when Flynn found Demetrius Byrd for a two-yard scoreon fourth down.


The game-tying score came five minutes after Arkansas took a28-21 lead on McFadden's 24-yard scoring strike to Hillis.

Arkansas stormed out of the gate in the second half, as McFaddenraced down the left sideline for a 73-yard TD run just fiveminutes into the third quarter.


McFadden received a key late block from Dick, who took out LSUsafety Chad Jones to help give the Razorbacks a 14-6 lead.

The Tigers forged a 14-14 tie two minutes later on Hester's12-yard TD run and Flynn's diving two-point conversion, but theRazorbacks reclaimed the lead on the ensuing possession whenHillis burst up the middle for a 65-yard score.


Flynn capped off the wild third quarter with a seven-yard TDstrike to Byrd, whose leaping grab in the end zone knotted thescore at 21-21.


LSU took an apparent lead midway through the fourth quarter whenFlynn found Hester for a 54-yard score. But the play wascalled back, as the Tigers were flagged for an illegal receiverdownfield.

 

NCAAF: ARKANSAS at LSU

<div class="pre">NCAAF FINAL IN OT 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL --- --- --- --- -- ----- ARKANSAS 0 7 14 7 22 50 LSU (1) 6 0 15 7 20 48 FINAL IN OTLSU-FG, C David 32 YD 1:41 1st QtrLSU-FG, C David 49 YD 7:44 1st QtrARKANSAS-TD, D McFadden 16 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 7:27 2ndQtrARKANSAS-TD, D McFadden 73 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 5:11 3rdQtrLSU-TD, J Hester 12 YD RUN (M Flynn RUN FOR TWO-POINTCONVERSION) 7:12 3rd QtrARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 65 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 9:14 3rd QtrLSU-TD, D Byrd 7 YD PASS FROM M Flynn (C David KICK) 12:38 3rd QtrARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 24 YD PASS FROM D McFadden (A TejadaKICK) 9:54 4th QtrLSU-TD, D Byrd 2 YD PASS FROM M Flynn (C David KICK) 14:03 4th QtrLSU-TD, M Flynn 12 YD RUN (C David KICK) 1st OtARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 10 YD PASS FROM C Dick (A Tejada KICK) 1st OtARKANSAS-TD, D McFadden 9 YD RUN (A Tejada KICK) 2nd OtLSU-TD, J Hester 2 YD RUN (C David KICK) 2nd OtARKANSAS-TD, P Hillis 3 YD RUN (F Jones RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION) 3rd OtLSU-TD, B LaFell 9 YD PASS FROM M Flynn 3rd Ot ARKANSAS LSUFirst downs 21 25Rushed-yards 53-385 48-204Passing yards 128 209Sacked-yards lost 0-0 1-7Return yards 3 11Passes 13-24-0 22-47-0Punts 7-32 8-37Fumbles-lost 3-1 3-0Penalties-yards 9-62 4-35Time of possession 28:33 31:27Individual StatisticsRUSHING: ARKANSAS-Darren McFadden 32-206, Peyton Hillis 11-89, Felix Jones 9-85, London Crawford 1-5. LSU-Jacob Hester 28-126, Keiland Williams 10-47, Matt Flynn 9-27, Charles Scott 1-4.PASSING: ARKANSAS-Casey Dick 10-18-94- 0, Darren McFadden 3-6-34- 0. LSU-Matt Flynn 22-47-209- 0.RECEIVING: ARKANSAS-Peyton Hillis 5-62, Lucas Miller 1-16, Marcus Monk2-12, D.J. Williams 1-12, Felix Jones 2-10, Robert Johnson 1-8, AndrewDavie 1-8. LSU-Richard Dickson 5-69, Early Doucet 7-52, Demetrius Byrd6-46, Brandon LaFell 3-22, Charles Scott 1-20.Att: 92,606</div>