KNOXVILLE, Tennessee - Arkansas now knows what it is
like to be on both ends of the longest games in major college
football history.
Casey Clausen's 25-yard pass to Jason Witten in the sixth
overtime lifted 10th-ranked Tennessee to a 41-38 Southeastern
Conference victory over the Razorbacks in the second longest
game ever.
Arkansas (2-2, 0-2 SEC West) defeated Mississippi on November 3,
2001 in a seven-overtime classic, 58-56. The Razorbacks had
numerous chances in this one but failed to come through.
"It was a heavyweight fight," Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said.
"You have energy when you win a game like this. Ole Miss lost
game after game last year. I'm worried about that happening to
us."
The Razorbacks got the ball first in the sixth extra session but
went backwards and settled for a 47-yard field goal by backup
kicker David Carlton that made it 38-35.
Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 East) wasted no time in taking advantage as
Clausen hit a wide-open Witten down the middle for the
game-winning score. The Volunteers, who lost to Florida last
month, avoided a second loss at home for the first time since
1994.
"It was an incredible effort by Jason Witten," Tennessee coach
Phillip Fulmer said. "He did a nice job with execution. We had
some great throws and protection."
Arkansas missed a golden opportunity to win in the third
overtime when Tennessee tailback Derrick Tinsley fumbled and
linebacker Jimarr Gallon recovered. But the Razorbacks called
some conservative running plays to set up a 38-yard field goal
attempt by Brennan O'Donohoe, who was wide left.
"In the third overtime, the game is over," Nutt said.
"Absolutely. We played well enough to win."
The Volunteers took a 35-29 lead in the fifth overtime on Troy
Fleming's recovery in the end zone of Jabari Davis' 12-yard run
but the two-point conversion failed. Arkansas was penalized on
its possession and pushed back to its 30-yard-line but got a
break when Volunteers strong safety Julian Battle was whistled
for pass interference on split end George Wilson, giving the
Razorbacks a first down and new life.
Arkansas tied it with a one-yard TD plunge by De'Arrius Howard
and had a chance to win. But Matt Jones had his two-point try
intercepted to keep the game going.
"Our players fought their guts out," Nutt said. "We were one
play away. This one os hard on them."
The first two overtimes featured offenses in which neither team
was able to move the ball. Both squads settled for field goals
in the first two extra sessions.
After neither team scored in the third overtime, Jones put
Arkansas ahead with a scrambling six-yard touchdown run but was
incomplete on a two-point try. Clausen had a 25-yard TD pass to
Tony Jones to tie it before he failed to win the game with an
incompletion on the conversion try.
"This is the type of football game that gels a football team,"
Fulmer said. "I am excited about the way we played. We had the
heart and guts to take it to them."
The Razorbacks needed the longest pass play in their history to
force overtime. Flanker Richard Smith snuck behind the
Volunteers' secondary and scored on a 92-yard pass from Jones
for a 17-17 tie with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
"Coaches have told us never to quit and when we were down seven
at our own eight, I kept thinking about that," Jones said. "I
rolled out and kept waiting to see who would come free and I
found Richard Smith down the sideline."
"It was a missed assignment, a blown coverage" Battle said.
The first half was a defensive battle in which Tennessee emerged
with a 10-3 lead. David scored on a three-yard TD run and
opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 58-yard TD run
for a 17-3 cushion.
Davis carried 25 times for a career-high 135 yards to spearhead
Tennessee's rushing attack. Clausen completed 19-of-28 passes
for 294 yards and Kelley Washington had six catches for 112
yards, his third 100-yard game and sixth of his career.
"Casey and Jabari were warriors," Fulmer said. "We had a lot of
young guys step up (also)."
Arkansas scored its first touchdown with just under seven
minutes remaining on a 11-yard TD run from Howard to cut the
deficit to 17-10.
Clausen hit Washington for a 27-yard pass for a first down but
Tennessee's next drive stalled. Dustin Colquitt boomed a 50-yard
punt and Arkansas' Decori Birmingham made an ill-advised fair
catch on at his own 8-yard line. Jones hit Smith for his long
touchdown on the next play.
Tennessee has won nine of the last 10 meetings and five straight
in Knoxville.
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