A stunned silence fell upon the 92,606 crowd in Tiger Stadium on Friday evening as LSU’s dreams of a BCS National Championship all but slipped away. The Arkansas Razorbacks (8-4, 4-4) defeated No. 1 LSU 50-48 in the third overtime, marking the second time the Tigers (10-2, 7-2)have lost in triple overtime this season. “We understand that this cost us and what was at stake,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “I’ll look first at me and some of the calls I made. The kids played awfully hard. I’m very proud of them.”
The Tigers’ hopes ended on a failed two-point conversion pass by LSU senior quarterback Matt Flynn, one of 25 seniors to be honored before the last home game of the season.
Flynn’s two-point attempt, requiredonce teams begin the third overtime, was intercepted.
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said the win was the biggest of his career.
“For three or four hours, however long the game was, all I know is we were the best team in the country today,” Nutt said. “What [our team] did today is just absolutely phenomenal and so well deserved.”
The Razorbacks rushed for 385 yards while holding LSU to 204 rushing yards. Junior running back Darren McFadden accumulated 206 rushing yards, three touchdowns and threw for score as well.
Nutt said he wanted to use the Razorbacks’ “Wildhog” formation with McFadden as quarterback for at least 30 percent of the snaps. “Their defense is so fast, so good, that we had to do something that we felt like gave us an advantage,” Nutt said.
Senior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey said there was only silence in the Tigers’ locker room after the game.
“I think everybody is still kind of numb,” Dorsey said. “Of course it’s disappointing when you lose, but you can’t sit and mope around. You have to move on.”
LSU senior running back Jacob Hester turned in a career-high performance, rushing for 126 yards on 28 carries.
Hester also had a 54-yard would-be touchdown reception called back midway through the fourth quarter because of an ineligible receiver downfield. “Obviously our National Championship dreams are pretty much all but gone,” Hester said. “It’s a tough game. We made a lot of big plays, but we couldn’t make that final one.”
LSU passed for 209 yards in comparison to Arkansas’ 128. Arkansas junior quarterback Casey Dick completed 10-of-18 passes for 94 yards.
Flynn completed 22-of-47 for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
“He led this team,” Hester said of Flynn. “He never got flustered.”
Junior receiver Demetrius Byrd led the Tigers with a career-high two touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Ali Highsmith also had a career-high night with 19 tackles, the most by an LSU player since 1999.
The game started slow offensively for both teams.
Kicker Colt Davidmade a 32-yard field goal and 49-yard field goal to put the Tigers on the board in the first quarter.
McFadden scored in the second quarter on a 16-yard run to give Arkansas a 7-6 advantage going into the half.
Arkansas struck first in the second half with a 73-yard touchdown run by McFadden to give the Razorbacks a 14-6 advantage.
The Tigers did not score a touchdown until the 7:48 mark in the third quarter, when Hester scored on a 12-yard run and Flynn rushed for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14-14.
Arkansas took a 21-14 lead with yet another long rushing touchdown when senior fullback Peyton Hillis scored on a 65-yard run.
LSU once again answered the Razorbacks’ offensive attack, tying the game at 21-21with Flynn’s 7-yard pass to Byrd with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter.
The Razorbacks took a 28-21 advantage when McFadden threw a 24-yard pass to Hillis with 5:06 left in regulation.
LSU tied the game at 28-28 with Flynn’s 2-yard pass to Byrd at the 0:57mark in the fourth quarter.
Flynn scored a 12-yard rushing touchdown in LSU’s first overtime possession, while Dick answered with a 10-yard pass to Hillis to keep the Razorbacks’ hopes alive.
In the second possession, McFadden scored on a 9-yard run. Hester then scored on a 2-yard run to send the game into the third overtime.
Arkansas went on offense first in the third overtime, taking an 8-point advantage when Hillis rushed for a 3-yard touchdown and junior running back Felix Jones rushed for the required two-point conversion.
LSU answered when senior quarterback Matt Flynn threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Brandon LaFell.
Arkansas senior cornerback Matterral Richardson secured the win forthe Razorbacks when he intercepted Flynn’s attempted pass for the two-point conversion.
The Razorbacks’ win broke LSU’s 19-game home winning streak, the longest in the nation. The Tigers had previously not lost at homesince Miles’ opening game in Tiger Stadium against Tennessee on Sept. 26, 2005.
The 98-point scoring total marks the highest total in Tiger Stadium history.
—Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]