When Arkansas and Texas A&M suited up on Halloween for the first time in a half-century, it reminded us here at Enter the Razorback that the Hogs have quite an impressive history of gridiron battles on All Hallow’s Eve.
Arkansas and Texas A&M christened their decades-long rivalry at the dawn of the 1900s, an antiquated era of college football, “when the forward pass was illegal and both touchdowns and field goals were worth five points.”
Their duel marked not only the first Saturday Halloween of the 20th century, but also the first football game between the schools.
This humdrum game between Arkansas and A&M began an unintentional, intermittent tradition, as the programs clashed on Halloween six more times over the ensuing century.
Before their 2020 showdown, Arkansas and A&M hadn’t played each other on Halloween in 50 years.
Arkansas couldn’t keep pace with the high-octane Aggies, who scored on their first four drives. A late touchdown made the game seem closer than what the final score hinted.
The 2020 contest also marked the first Aggies-Hogs Halloween duel as SEC foes, as well as Arkansas’ first haunted outing against a worthy opponent since 1998.
The Hogs didn’t find out until game day that the Tigers were retiring Bo Jackson’s jersey at halftime, a revelation that seemed neither to inspire the team nor deflate them.
Despite a career day from Auburn running back James Bostic — 211 rushing yards and two touchdowns — the game has lingered as little more than a headscratcher for both programs. In describing a tie to The Birmingham Newsin 2016, former Arkansas quarterback Barry Lunney, Jr., framed it as akin to “kissing your sister, not much to remember about that.”
Arkansas scored all 17 of its points against A&M during the first half and then weathered three stoppages in the second half thanks to rowdy Aggies fans.
The shutout against A&M was the second of five straight for an Arkansas defense that allowed a paltry 5.8 points per game en route to the National Championship. It was also Arkansas’ ninth straight win over A&M, which still stands as the Hogs’ longest winning streak in the rivalry.
Dubbed the “passing-est team in the nation” thanks to their prolific aerial attack — throwing a then-unimaginable 29 times per game — Arkansas thumped A&M to spark a mid-season turnaround.
Another bit of trivia: Arkansas’ prolific passing in 1936 bested even that of the vaunted Green Bay Packers, who won the NFL title that year throwing the pigskin just under 22 times per game.
Arkansas dominated on both sides of the ball, rolling to a 38-0 halftime lead in College Station thanks in part to two A&M fumbles early in the game.
Led by All-American defensive end Bruce James, the Razorbacks sacked Aggies quarterback Lex James 11 times for -118 yards.
The 39-point shellacking is the largest Hogs victory in the series. It was also part of six straight Arkansas wins on Halloween dating back to 1953, when the Hogs thrashed the Aggies 41-14.
Arkansas did its best to frighten the Razorback faithful who made the trek to Auburn — committing five turnovers and nearly blowing a 17-7 lead — before going ahead on a rushing touchdown late in the third quarter.
CBS highlighted Arkansas’ prowess as a second-half team, noting the Razorbacks needed comebacks to win three of their four SEC games and had outscored opponents 137-33 in the final two quarters.
2. Hogs use “toes to advantage” | Oct. 31, 1925 | Arkansas 12, LSU 0
Cole scored a 45-yard touchdown and booted a field goal to help lead Arkansas to its fourth straight victory in the series, which still stands as the Hogs’ longest win streak over the mighty Tigers.
Arkansas was in dire need of a victory after back-to-back losses had derailed a promising season when they welcomed A&M into Fayetteville for Homecoming weekend.
But the Hogs, 21-point favorites against the Aggies, found themselves locked in a scoreless tie at halftime.
Bleacher Report’s article ranking the top 10 best games of the Arkansas-LSU rivalry barely scratched the surface. To be fair, though, BR was only recounting games in the Battle for the Golden Boot era, a “tradition” that began in 1996.
The rivalry actually dates back to the early 1900s. The Hogs and Tigers first squared off in 1901, when LSU thumped Arkansas 15-0. Despite the underwhelming contest, it ignited an annual battle that spanned the next three decades.
Below are Enter the Razorback’s top 10 most memorable games between the neighboring states:
10. Establishing the Golden Boot — LSU 17, Arkansas 7
Kevin Faulk, left, rushed for over 4,000 yards and scored 46 touchdowns during his four years at LSU.
By the mid-90s, Arkansas was slowly finding its niche in the SEC. The Hogs were fresh off of their first SEC Championship Game appearance in ’95 and seemed primed to become a formidable program in the conference.
Beating the Tigers in the inaugural Battle of the Golden Boot would have been a great way to build the momentum. But LSU had other plans.
Since joining the SEC, the Hogs were 2-2 against the Tigers. LSU was suddenly in the unfamiliar position of being the underdog in a conference rivalry. Adding to its woes, the Hogs were winning handily at Tiger Stadium. And since the decades old rivalry finally had some hardware to legitimize it, the Tigers were ready to add it to their trophy case.
The Tigers opened the game with a dominating first quarter, outscoring the Hogs 14-0. Neither team managed a score in the second period, but LSU added to its sizable lead on a field goal late in the third quarter to take a commanding 17-0 lead.
Despite intercepting LSU’s Herb Tyler twice and recovering two fumbles, Arkansas’ offense never managed to convert the turnovers into points. The Hogs lone touchdown came late in the third quarter when running back Chrys Chukwuma slipped into the end zone from three yards out.
9. Tigers hold off Hogs — LSU 17, Arkansas 15
Hogs fans are still kicking Chris Balseiro for this one.
Wrapping up what would be another dismal 4-7 season under Houston Nutt, Arkansas entered its annual matchup with LSU in 2005 on a surprising two-game win streak. The Tigers, meanwhile, were ranked No. 3 in the country and gunning for their third SEC West title in five years.
LSU was a heavy favorite. And the Tigers probably thought they could win easily even if they left their second string in. But that’s where you’ve got to give Nutt some credit as a coach — he was an excellent motivator. And that “rah-rah” attitude was exemplified by the ’05 Battle for the Golden Boot.
Trailing 19-3 late in the third quarter, Arkansas rallied to pull within 19-17 at the start of the fourth period. Running back Darren McFadden carried the offensive burden, scoring the team’s only touchdown. But two missed field goals from Balseiro — one from 28 yards — doomed the Hogs.
8. Undefeated in The Rock no longer — LSU 55, Arkansas 24
Nick Saban sayshe doesn’t like to run up the score. But Hog fans know better.
Back-to-back 52-point thrashings will make you doubt his philosophy.
After the inception of the Golden Boot in 1996, the trophy changed hands on almost a yearly basis. And the Hogs could usually count on a win in Little Rock. During Nutt’s tenure, the Razorbacks rarely lost in the capital city, and they were perfect against LSU in War Memorial Stadium between 1997-2002.
That streak came to an abrupt end in 2003.
No. 3 LSU steamrolled Arkansas 55-24 en route to winning a national championship. The 32-point thrashing was the largest disparity since the 1929 contest. It was also the Tigers’ second largest margin of victory in the series.
The Razorbacks managed to keep it close in the early going, with the first quarter ending in a 10-10 tie. But in the second quarter, LSU exploded for 24 points to take a commanding 34-10 lead. The Tigers continued the offensive onslaught in the second half, scoring three more touchdowns. LSU’s resounding win also started a streak of four straight victories over the Hogs.
7. LSU survives in overtime — LSU 33, Arkansas 30
For the briefest of moments in November 2009, Razorback fans could finally say that the Battle for the Golden Boot meant as much to LSU as it did to Arkansas.
With Hogs kicker Alex Tejada lining up for a potential game-tying field goal in overtime, LSU’s players linked arms on the sidelines. They huddled together, some watching the game while others had their head down. A similiar situation was unfolding on the Hogs’ sideline.
It was a defining moment in the rivalry.
Prior to Tejada’s theatrics, LSU safety Chad Jones leveled Arkansas receiver Joe Adams with a bone-jarring hit. The frightening collision stopped play for nearly 10 minutes while CBS treated viewers to an array of replays. As brutal as the hit was on Adams, it was Jones who took the brunt of the blow, knocking himself out of the game. The penalty gave the Hogs a second shot at the end zone, too, and they responded with a touchdown to take a 30-27 lead.
However, the Tigers stormed back to tie the game on a long field goal with four seconds left in regulation. Holding LSU to a field goal on its first possession in overtime, the Hogs only needed a chip shot of their own to force a second overtime. But Tejada’s kick was wide, and the Razorback faithful were crushed.
The ’09 match-up was especially noteworthy as a barometer for how competitive the series had become. It was the fifth game in five years that the outcome was decided by five or less points.
6. The Miracle on Markham — Arkansas 21, LSU 20
After Arkansas departed the Southwest Conference for the SEC in 1992, the Little Rock games lost some of their luster. For more than 50 years, War Memorial Stadium was the pivotal site for many of the Hogs’ biggest games. But by 2000, the stadium hadn’t hosted a meaningful game in nearly two decades.
That all changed when LSU came to town in 2002.
The winner of that year’s Battle for the Golden Boot would clinch the SEC West Division, automatically earning a spot in the SEC Championship Game.
For the first half, though, Arkansas played like it didn’t want to make the trip to Atlanta. No. 18 LSU dominated from the outset, shutting out the Hogs in the first half and taking a 17-7 lead into the third quarter.
Arkansas running back Fred Talley helped sway the momentum with a 56-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, cutting LSU’s lead to 17-14. However, the Tigers responded with a field goal to go up 20-17.
With time ticking away, Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones put together his best drive of the game. Jones hit Richard Smith for a 50-yard gain, then bought some time in the pocket before threading a pass through LSU’s secondary to find Decori Birmingham in the back of the end zone. The Hogs converted the extra point to pull ahead 21-20, and held LSU on defense to secure the miracle victory.
Incredibly, Jones’ final two passes — which covered a total of 81 yards and culminated in a touchdown — where only his third and fourth completions of the game.
5. Battle of top 5 teams — LSU 31, Arkansas 26
After more than seven decades of football, the LSU-Arkansas game finally got its first top 10 matchup in 2006.
No. 5 Arkansas entered the afternoon on a 10-game win streak, and the Razorbacks were guaranteed a spot in the SEC Championship Game regardless of the outcome. The Tigers, ranked ninth, were looking for to release some pent-up frustration after critical losses had derailed the their hopes for a national championship run.
The 2006 Battle for the Golden Boot was an exciting contest, punctuated by big plays from both teams. Once again, McFadden was the highlight for Arkansas, scoring on an 80-yard touchdown run that went right through the heart of LSU’s defense.
While McFadden’s touchdown pulled the Hogs to within 24-19 in the fourth quarter, Trindon Holliday responded with a breathtaking 92-yard kickoff return to put LSU up 31-19. The Hogs added a late score to cut the deficit to five, but simply ran out of time.
4. Gridlocked in Dallas — Arkansas 0, LSU 0
Snow and ice didn’t keep fans in Dallas from missing the 1947 Cotton Bowl.
The first postseason matchup between the longtime rivals, the 1947 Cotton Bowl was marred by a freak ice storm that paralyzed Dallas the week of the game. Despite hazardous conditions, nearly 40,000 fans still showed up to watch two top 10 teams slug it out.
The No. 9 Tigers entered the game with a sterling record of 9-1. Their only loss was against SEC rival Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, No. 10 Arkansas limped in at 6-3-1, with inexplicable losses to Tulsa and Ole Miss. But the Hogs had rebounded late in the year with back-to-back wins over SWC foes Texas A&M and No. 5 Rice to salvage the season.
LSU dominated (stastically) for most of the afternoon. Led by future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle, the Tigers out-gained the Hogs 271-54 in total yardage and accumulated 14 more first downs than Arkansas. But poor field conditions coupled with a stout Razorback defense — which had shut out four opponents during the regular season — thwarted several Tigers drives that reached the red zone.
Battling to a 0-0 standstill through nearly four quarters, the Tigers found themselves in possession of the ball with just a handful of minutes remaining in the game. Desperate for a score, Tittle flung a long pass to receiver Jeff Adams, who broke free near midfield and looked destined for the end zone. But Arkansas’ Clyde Scott tackled Adams near goal line with just a handful of seconds left in the game.
Now in field goal range, the Tigers decided to send out their kicking unit. But true to form, Arkansas’ defense rose to the occasion, blocking the kick as time expired to preserve the tie.
3. The Miracle on Markham II — Arkansas 31, LSU 30
No quarterback in Arkansas’ history overcame more adversity than Casey Dick.
Recruited by Nutt, Dick was benched early in his sophomore season in favor of Arkansas Golden Boy Mitch Mustain.
Forced to watch from the sidelines while Mustain guided the Hogs to a 7-1 start – largely thanks to Arkansas’ three-headed rushing attack – Dick was slowly becoming an afterthought to most fans. But as Mustain failed to progress, and the relationship between Nutt and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn deteriorated, Dick re-gained his starting role.
Rebounding in 2008 with career numbers, Dick concluded his Razorback career in story-book fashion with a memorable win over LSU. In the fourth quarter, he led the Hogs on a drive for the ages, capping his embattled career with a fourth-and-1 pass to London Crawford to tie the game. Tejada booted in the extra point to give the Hogs the one-point lead and Arkansas held on for the upset.
To date, Dick is the only Arkansas quarterback to win consecutive Golden Boot trophies.
2. Mammoth upset — LSU 14, Arkansas 7
The official program for the 1966 Cotton Bowl cost a mere $1 on game day. Today, copies easily sell for upwards of $100.
Never give your opponents “bulletin board material.” The Hogs found that out the hard way in 1966.
Winners of 22 straight and riding the nation’s longest winning streak, No. 2 Arkansas entered the 1966 Cotton Bowl hoping to secure its second consecutive national championship with a win over LSU.
The Razorbacks drew first blood, when quarterback John Brittenum completed a pass to Bobby Crockett for a 19-yard touchdown to put Arkansas up 7-0 in the opening quarter. It was the only score of the period.
LSU responded with an 80-yard drive, punctuated by running back Joe Labruzzo’s 1-yard touchdown run. On the Hogs’ next possession, Brittenum went out with an injury and was replaced by Ronny South, who was primarily used for kicking situations. Unprepared for the Tigers swarming defense, South fumbled on his first snap. LSU recovered the ball in Arkansas territory and converted the turnover into points just a few plays later when Labruzzo barreled in for this second score of the day to put LSU up 14-7.
Brittenum returned for Arkansas in the second half, but the Hogs never found any rhythm on offense. Luckily, the Razorback defense was immaculate in the third quarter. The Hogs kept LSU from gaining even one first down.
Arkansas put together two long drives in the final minutes. But Brittenum was intercepted in LSU territory and the turnover all but sealed the Hogs’ fate. With the upset, LSU jumped from the depths of the unranked all the way to No. 8. The Tigers’ victory inadvertently vaulted No. 4 Alabama to the national title. The Crimson Tide were the next highest-ranked team that won their bowl game.
1. Triple overtime thriller — Arkansas 50, LSU 48
Arkansas’ 2007 season was underwhelming at best. And that’s describing it kindly.
Fans were convinced that year’s team would break through and finally win the SEC Championship. But inexcusable losses to Alabama and Kentucky quickly squashed that dream.
Late in the season, though, the Hogs offense finally started clicking. McFadden re-emerged as a Heisman contender. Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis seemed unstoppable. And, maybe most importantly, Dick was playing better than ever. Heading into the LSU game, the Razorbacks were rolling averaging nearly 35 points per game.
Still, the Arkansas faithful knew that beating the top-ranked Tigers in Baton Rouge wouldn’t be easy.
But the Razorbacks got a Herculean effort from McFadden, who rushed for three touchdowns and threw for another, as he finished with a game-high 206 rushing yards to pace the Hogs in the stunner.
Despite losing for the second time that season, the Tigers were voted into the national championship game, where they beat No. 1 Ohio State 38-24.
Enter the Razorback 