Trivia Hog

Today's Question: What quote made famous by Coach John Barnhill is inscribed on the 1946 Cotton Bowl trophy?

Yesterday's Answer: The Razorbacks first bowl game was the Dixie Classic in 1934.

Trivia Hog

Today's Question: Name the first bowl game in which the Razorback football team appeared.

Yesterday's Answer: Ben Cowins was the first football player to gain 1,000 yards in 3 consecutive years for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Trivia Hog

Today's Question: Who was the first football player to gain 1,000 yards three consecutive years for the Hogs?

Yesterday's Answer: The Hogs lost to Ole Miss in their first nationally televised football game in 1953.

Trivia Hog

Today's Question: Did Arkansas win or lose in their first nationally televised football game?

Yesterday's Answer: Lance Alworth was the MVP of the 1961 Hula bowl.

Trivia Hog

Name the only Arkansas Razorback football player to receive the MVP award in a Hula Bowl.

From the Sports Chest: Arkansas Razorbacks 1999 Signed Team Football

August 14, 1999 – I count 55 signatures on this signature panel football that I had signed at Fan Appreciation Day 1999.  People with long lines (Coach Houston Nutt, Quarterback Clint Stoerner, Wide Receiver Anthony Lucas, etc.) were skipped on this day so that my goal of getting the signature of nearly everyone else could be accomplished. You can actually make out many of the signatures on this ball, a significant achievement from the perspective of a left-handed person with poor penmanship. The autographs written in blue ink don’t seem to have held up well 13 years later. In contrast, you can clearly make out most of the signatures in black ink.  I’d like to express a big “Thank you!” to the players that included their uniform # alongside their “John Hancock”.

This helps me identify the following signers of my 1999 Arkansas Razorbacks football team ball: Kenoy Kennedy, Raymond House, Derrick Johnson, Jamel Harris, Delancy Kent, D’andre Berry, Jim Ed Reed, John Geitner, Joe Dean Davenport, Curt Davis, Andre Ackee, Chris Brooks, Eric Parks, Orlando Green, Joe Bailey, Sparky Hamilton, Bobby Williams, Robby Hampton, Josh Melton, J.J. Jones, David Barrett, Chris Akin, Lazerius White, Nathan Ball, Rossi Morreale, Matt Burnstein, George Wilson, Mark Bokermann, Randy Garner, Michael Jenkins, Gary Brashears, Rodney Hampton, Jared McBride, Tony Dodson & Bo Lacy.

Thanks guys for your contributions to the Razorback football program and to my Razorback memorabilia collection!

From the Sports Chest: Arkansas Razorbacks 2000 NUTTin’ But Fun Towel

September 2000 – Southwestern Bell produced this promotional towel to hand out to fans ahead of the 2000 Arkansas Razorbacks football season. I can’t recall if I received this at Fan Appreciation Day in August or prior to the game on September 30, 2000 against the Georgia Bulldogs. My wife, brother and sister-in-law were standing outside the stadium looking for 4 tickets together when a kind stranger handed us free tickets to the game. We had great upper level seats on a beautiful day at Razorback Stadium. Unfortunately, Robby Hampton threw a pick-6 on the first series of the game and it was all downhill from there in a 38-7 shellacking.

The 2000 season was anything but fun. Arkansas finished 6-6 on the season (3-5 in Southeastern Conference play) and the Houston Nutt era was in a steady decline from the magical start to the 1998 season. I’ve recalled the “NUTTin’ But Fun” slogan from this towel several times since, mostly during the down years with Houston Nutt at the helm (of which there were way too many). Thankfully, the state of the Razorback program is much better today, even in light of recent events that saw the departure of Bobby Petrino and the hiring of John L. Smith as the interim coach. Hopefully, Hog fans will have much more fun during the upcoming season than they did twelve years ago.