Like it is

Hogs gave Horns a beating to remember

Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs jumps over Texas defenders Casey Hampton (64) and Montrell Flowers in the 2000 Cotton Bowl, a 27-6 Razorbacks’ victory.
Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs jumps over Texas defenders Casey Hampton (64) and Montrell Flowers in the 2000 Cotton Bowl, a 27-6 Razorbacks’ victory.

It was a magical day in the kingdom known as the Cotton Bowl.

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville had not won a bowl game since 1985, and it hadn't faced the rival Texas Longhorns since leaving the old Southwest Conference.

Houston Nutt was in his second season as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and before that New Year's Day game his record was 16-7 and it looked like his longevity might challenge Frank Broyles'.

All of that was why the 2000 Cotton Bowl ranked No. 15 on the Silver Anniversary list of games since the Hogs joined the SEC.

The Razorbacks left the SWC in 1991 with a 14-13 victory over the Longhorns in Little Rock, and it took the Cotton Bowl extending a bid to the 7-4 Hogs, ranked No. 24 in The Associated Press poll, to get a shot at the burned oranges of Texas, who were ranked No. 14 after losing the Big 12 Championship Game to Nebraska.

In all honesty, games against Texas always meant more to the Razorback Nation than to the Longhorn faithful.

If Texas fans could drop their arrogance, they would admit that the two most important games on their yearly schedule back then were Texas A&M and Oklahoma.

Still, as the only member of the SWC that resided outside the state of Texas, the Razorbacks gave the Longhorns plenty of good games over the decades, even though the Horns were victorious in the most bitter of Arkansas' losses, the 1969 Big Shootout.

Nutt, who grew up in Little Rock and played two years for the Razorbacks before transferring to Oklahoma State, knew the importance of that game to the fans. In a postgame celebration after the 27-6 victory over Texas, he flashed the upside down hook 'em Horns sign, which ticked off the Longhorn Nation to no end.

Just as it did when Bret Bielema made the same gesture when he posed for a picture with then-Texas head coach Charlie Strong before the 2014 Texas Bowl.

The Longhorns had a good defense heading into the 2000 Cotton Bowl, but in that game, not as good as Arkansas'.

Freshman running back Cedric Cobbs -- who was named offensive MVP -- rushed for 98 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown run, and caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Clint Stoerner, it was the Hogs' defense that played like it was in the Horns' huddles.

Texas went with three receivers and one running back that day, but the Longhorns would have been better off staying home because the Hogs read almost every offensive play perfectly.

They held the Longhorns to just 185 yards of total offense, which was 2.9 yards per play.

The Razorbacks had eight sacks and four more tackles for losses, which resulted in a minus-27 yards rushing total for the Horns.

The guy calling all the blitzes that day was Bobby Allen, who is now the director of high school and NFL relations for the Razorbacks. His sons, Brandon and Austin, are the team's past two quarterbacks, and Austin returns for his senior season as the starting quarterback in August.

Texas was limited to field goals of 35 and 22 yards.

The Razorbacks' four losses that year had all been on the road, but that day in Dallas they couldn't have been more comfortable and confident than if they had slept in their own beds in Fayetteville the night before.

It was a thorough and complete beatdown by a defense that wanted it more and an offense that willed itself to get the victory.

Victories against Texas haven't been plentiful over the years, but that one made it nine seasons since the Hogs had lost to the Horns. Of course, the teams had played once since Texas won on Oct. 20, 1990.

Sports on 06/27/2017

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