It’s Texas week, folks.
The Longhorns and the Razorbacks will soon likely be playing every year in the SEC. For now, though, part of what makes this old rivalry so special is what used to be.
For this special series this week here on Razorbacks Wire, we’re going to count down the top five Arkansas-Texas games in history (note: for our purposes, history goes back to 1960 as anything before that can be awfully difficult to find details about).
Yes, the No. 1 game we will write about Saturday is no surprise. But you just might not guess the others.
Here is No. 3.
No. 3 Arkansas 30, No. 1 Texas 27
It almost didn’t happen. It actually probably shouldn’t have. But for a second straight year, Arkansas dispatched the Longhorns and played for a national championship later that season.
Despite being the defending national champions, Arkansas found itself ranked lower than Texas in the early weeks of the 1965 season. The top-ranked Longhorns hadn’t lost since falling to the Razorbacks the season before.
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The teams squared off in Fayetteville on that October 16, one of only three games on-campus that season. The other half, of course, came in Little Rock, at the time the far bigger city.
Arkansas scored first. A 58-yard punt pinned Texas near its own goal line. Running back Phil Harris fumbled inside his own 5 and Arkansas defensive lineman Martine Bercher pounced on it in the end zone with 5:49 left in the first quarter.
Bad luck struck Texas again on its very next drive as Harris fumbled this time at the Arkansas 23. Defensive back Tommy Trantham picked that one up and scampered 77 yards the other way for a touchdown. Texas blocked the point-after, though, and Hogs fans were wild before the first quarter even ended.
More came.
Arkansas quarterback Joe Brittenum capped a 9-play, 60-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Crockett. It was 20-0, Razorbacks, and less than 20 minutes had been played.
The top-ranked team in the country was reeling. They were also top-ranked for a reason.
Texas drove 68 yards on its next drive and finally flicked the scoreboard with a 35-yard field goal from David Conway.
Near the end of the half, momentum was gone from the Razorbacks. Texas quarterback Marvin Kristynik finished off a 9-play, 73-yard drive with a 1-yard sneak for a score and Texas added a two-point conversion. The break, it was Arkansas 20, Texas 11.
Conway hit another field goal in the third quarter, the only scoring that would happen in the period. Arkansas’ offense, which just the one sustained drive in the game, couldn’t stay on the field.
Texas eventually took the lead when Kristynik went in from 14 yards with 10:48 left. A game that was all Arkansas for 20 minutes was suddenly flipped on its head. The Longhorns had scored 21 unanswered points.
Make it 24 as Arkansas’ next drive took only about a minute off the clock and Conway tacked on his third field goal of the game to make it 24-20, Longhorns with only 4:06 left.
Arkansas had to go 80 yards in four minutes. A field goal wouldn’t do it. A touchdown was required.
Brittenum to Crockett, 22 yards.
Brittenum to Crockett, 13 yards.
Brittenum to Crockett, 8 yards.
Brittenum to Crockett 11 yards.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Arkansas found itself at the Texas 22 and that duo wasn’t finished.
On 3rd-and-4 from the 15, Brittenum rolled to his right. Crockett was headed for the right front end zone marker. The quarterback flicked the ball that direction and his wideout, diving, made the grab at the 1.
With two tight ends and three players in the backfield, Brittenum bounced his right foot, took the snap from under center, dove to his right and scored.
Ball game.
Arkansas had beaten Texas two years in a row, both times spoiling national championship hopes. The Hogs were the No. 1 team in the country again the next week.
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