The Arkansas Razorbacks rule when it comes to winning overtime games and Saturday was no different as the Razorbacks won their sixth overtime game since 2001.Mitch Mustain threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to freshman Ben Cleveland in the second overtime and Jeremy Davis made the extra point to give Arkansas a 24-23 win over Alabama on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide had taken a 23-17 lead on a one-yard pass from John Parker Wilson to Nick Walker, but Leigh Tiffin finished a horrendous afternoon of kicking by missing the extra point. Tiffen had already missed a 33-yard field goal attempt in the first half, a 30-yarder late in the fourth quarter and a 37-yarder that would have won it in the first overtime.
Arkansas faced third down at the 11 on its final possession but Alabama lost track of Cleveland and he came down with Mustain’s pass in the end zone to tie it. Arkansas kicker Davis had missed an extra point in the third quarter but when the ball sailed between the uprights the Razorbacks charged onto the field. The Razorbacks have won two conference games in a row for the first time since 1998, Nutt’s first season as a coach.
Arkansas added to its legacy of overtime thrillers. The Razorbacks are now 6-1 in overtime although this was their first home game that required an extra session. Arkansas won the two longest games in NCAA history, seven overtimes over Ole Miss in 2003 and Kentucky in 2001. The Razorbacks also lost a six-overtime game to Tennessee in 2002.
Bet on College Football at BetRoyal
Mustain, the Razorback’s prized freshman, threw three interceptions including one in the first overtime that gave Alabama a great opportunity to win but Tiffin couldn’t capitalize missing wide right.
Arkansas needed a missed kick to win last week too. The Razorbacks edged Vanderbilt 21-19 Vanderbilt kicker Bryant Hahnfledt’s 48-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter fell short.
Mustain went 7-of-22 for 97 yards but when it mattered most, he found Cleveland, a teammate of his last year at Springdale High School in Arkansas.
Wilson, a sophomore, was nearly flawless in his first road start. He went 16-of-20 for 243 yards and three touchdown’s including a 78-yard scoring pass to DJ Hall in the second quarter that made it 7-3. Alabama led 10-3 at halftime but Arkansas scored on Darren McFadden’s three-yard run early in the third quarter. Davis missed the extra point, leaving the score at 10-9 but Randy Kelly returned Wilson’s fumble 29-yards for a touchdown later in the period and Mustain threw to McFadden for a two-point conversion to make it 17-10. That was Arkansas’ first takeaway of the season. The Razorbacks were the last team in Division 1-A to force a turnover.
Wilson threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Keith Brown with 13:36 remaining to tie it at 17.
Arkansas has next weekend off before traveling to play No.2 Auburn. Alabama is at No.5 Florida next weekend.
The Razorbacks went 0-4 against the spread in 2006. Arkansas was installed as a 1 ½ point favorite early in the week and the line moved to –3 by kickoff.
Get the latest college football point spreads here.
