Few SEC matchups have delivered as many wild swings, late heartbreaks and signature Arkansas moments as the Razorbacks’ series with Tennessee. The teams have met only 21 times, but the list of memorable games keeps growing.
Start with the near-miss that still stings in Fayetteville. Arkansas fell 41-38 in Knoxville after Matt Jones dragged the Razorbacks back from a 17-3 second-half deficit and tied the game with just under four minutes left in regulation. Jones hit Richard Smith wide open down the right sideline for a then school-record 92-yard touchdown, and the extra point made it 17-17.
"The coaches have told us never to quit," Jones said after the game. "We were down seven at our own 8, I kept thinking about that."
The game stretched all the way to the sixth overtime before Arkansas had to settle for a field goal. Jones missed DeCori Birmingham open in the middle of Tennessee’s defense, and on the next snap, Vols quarterback Casey Clausen found tight end Jason Witten on a post route for the winning touchdown.
A decade earlier, Arkansas pulled off one of its first major SEC breakthroughs under interim coach Joe Kines. The Razorbacks had lost three straight after beating South Carolina in Week 2 and were trailing by eight with just over two minutes left when Orlando Waters ripped off a 71-yard punt return touchdown.
A failed two-point try kept Arkansas behind by two, but Darwin Ireland recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt. That set up the finish: Todd Wright drilled a 41-yard field goal with two seconds left, his fourth make of the afternoon, to give Arkansas the win.
There was also the day Arkansas snapped a long Knoxville drought. After opening the season with three straight losses, the Razorbacks looked in trouble when Evan Berry returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and Josh Dobbs added another score midway through the first quarter.
But Bret Bielema’s team answered, tied the game at 17 by halftime, then opened the second half with a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to grab its first lead. Arkansas held Tennessee to just 90 second-half yards and left with its first win in Knoxville since 1992.
More recently, Arkansas got a huge home win in a game that’s been brought up all week by fans, media and coaches because it was the Razorbacks’ last SEC victory at home in over two years. Backup quarterback Malachi Singleton guided a 4-play, 59-yard scoring drive that helped Arkansas pull out an epic Saturday night win while several top teams around the country were falling on the road.
The Hogs outgained No. 4 Tennessee 431-332 and owned the clock by more than 11 minutes, 35:29 to 24:31.
One of the most painful losses in Arkansas history also belongs on this list. In a battle between undefeated teams, Clint Stoerner was tripped up by offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth with 1:44 left and Arkansas leading 24-22, a play that turned into disaster.
"OH MY GOODNESS! He stumbled and fumbled and Billy Ratliff recovered," play-by-play man Bob Carpenter exclaimed.
Tennessee then scored the game-winning touchdown on Travis Henry’s run with 25 seconds remaining, finishing off a 28-24 Vols victory and crushing Arkansas’ national championship hopes.
Then there was the 31-14 Arkansas win with ESPN College Gameday in town for the first and only time in school history. The Razorbacks entered on an eight-game winning streak and ranked No. 11 nationally, then rolled behind Darren McFadden, Jamaal Anderson and Marcus Monk.
McFadden turned "The Wildcat" into a national talking point, lining up at running back, quarterback and receiver while rushing for 181 yards and two touchdowns and adding a passing score. The win gave Arkansas redemption against the defending national champions, and fans rushed the field and carried the goalpost down Dickson Street.
Another classic came when Tennessee led 24-14 in the third quarter before Stoerner found Boo Williams for a 53-yard touchdown to pull Arkansas within three. The defenses then tightened for the next 17 minutes before Anthony Lucas caught a 23-yard post route to put Arkansas ahead 28-24 with a little more than three minutes left. Tennessee drove to the 15-yard line, but Tee Martin overthrew his receiver in the back of the end zone on fourth down, sealing the Razorbacks’ victory.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Quarterback Situation Just Got More Uncertain Before Arkansas
Tennessees quarterback picture has become even murkier heading into the trip to Arkansas, with Faizon Brandon now dealing with an injury and listed as questionable for the game. The uncertainty adds another layer to a position that was already under a spotlight after Brandon was benched in the previous game against Auburn, when George MacIntyre stepped in and gave the Volunteers a steadier look through the air.
Josh Heupel acknowledged Brandons injury status but stopped short of mapping out how Tennessee will handle the position this week. That leaves the Volunteers waiting on two fronts: whether Brandon can get healthy in time, and whether the staff chooses to lean back toward MacIntyre after his efficient relief work against Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Playoff Margin Could Shift Before The Alabama Game
Tennessees early surge has the Volunteers sitting at 4-1 and hovering near the College Football Playoff bubble, which means the margins around them matter almost as much as what happens in Knoxville. Before Tennessee even gets to its Week 7 meeting with Alabama, a handful of high-profile games elsewhere could reshape the picture around the Vols and the teams theyre being compared against.
UCLAs trip to Oregon, Houstons matchup with Kansas State and, most notably, Alabama against Georgia all carry ripple effects for Tennessees playoff standing. The Vols do not play Georgia this season, so the Bulldogs remain part of the broader conversation only from a distance, but Alabama is still very much in front of them on the schedule and in the committee conversation. By the time Tennessee gets its shot at the Crimson Tide, the playoff margin could already look different. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has A Clear Arkansas Opportunity If The Vols Can Deliver
Tennessee heads into its SEC matchup with Arkansas with a blueprint in hand, and the film from the Razorbacks loss to Texas A&M points to an opening the Vols will want to press. Tennessees spread offense and run game have been the focus of the prep work, with DeSean Bishop set to be a central figure as the Vols try to stress a defense that showed vulnerabilities in its most recent outing. It is the kind of game plan that can travel well if Tennessee can stay on schedule and force Arkansas to defend the full width of the field.
George MacIntyre is expected to make his first career start, which adds another layer to a game Tennessee already views as an opportunity. Arkansas still brings a defense coordinated by Jim Knowles, so the challenge is not hard to identify, even if the tape suggests some cracks to attack. For the Vols, the question is whether they can turn those areas into a real advantage on the road, and whether MacIntyres debut can stay steady enough to let the rest of the offense do its work. [Read more 🡒]