HawgBeat Decade in Review: Arkansas' 10 best football wins of the 2010s

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December is more than halfway over, which means another year has nearly come and gone. With the end of this year also comes the end of a decade: the 2010s.

It was a decade that began with promise - Bobby Petrino taking the football team to new heights, Mike Anderson returning to Arkansas and Dave Van Horn coming off his second trip to the College World Series - and had plenty of low points along the way before now trending back up, with new football and basketball coaches and the baseball team rolling at a historic rate.

Before we say goodbye to the 2010s and enter the 2020s, HawgBeat is taking a look back at the past 10 years with a series of lists that will remember the best players, games, coaches and moments that defined the decade.

Next up is our countdown of the 10 best football wins of the last 10 years…

10. “Borderline Erotic” win in 2014 Texas Bowl

Dec. 29, 2014 - Arkansas 31, Texas 7

The Bret Bielema era got off to a rough start, but things turned around enough at the end of the 2014 season for the Razorbacks to earn a bowl bid. Although the Texas Bowl isn’t a flashy bowl, it provided an intriguing matchup for Arkansas fans - especially older ones who remember the Southwest Conference days.

Leading up to the game, a picture surfaced on Twitter that seemed to show Bielema making the “Horns Down” sign during a photo opportunity with Texas coach Charlie Strong. It is believed to have just been a twitch of his hand, but it still added to the pregame excitement.

When the game finally kicked off, the Razorbacks dominated after a slow start that saw the first quarter end with a 3-0 score. They exploded for a 21-point second quarter and cruised to a 31-7 win behind a strong defense. The Longhorns managed just 2 rushing yards on 18 attempts and only 57 yards on 13 of 25 passing, leading to just seven total first downs. Arkansas forced two turnovers, including a fumble recovered by Taiwan Johnson in the end zone for a touchdown.

The final score could have been worse, as the Razorbacks had a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line before kneeling three times to run out the clock. It was a moment Bielema famously described as “borderline erotic” during the following summer’s SEC Media Days.

9. Largest Comeback in UA History

Oct. 28, 2017 - Arkansas 38, Ole Miss 37

The end of Bielema’s tenure was also ugly, as the Razorbacks struggled to a 4-8 record that ultimately ended in his firing just minutes after the season.

However, there was one bright spot in late October when they traveled to Oxford, Miss., for an 11 a.m. kickoff between the two teams at the bottom of the SEC West standings. The Rebels needed less than 30 seconds to strike first, but Arkansas answered with a long drive of its own to tie it up before things went south.

Ole Miss scored 24 straight points to take a 31-7 lead early in the second quarter. With backup quarterback and redshirt freshman Cole Kelley making his third start and the game being on the road, it seemed like the Razorbacks were well on their way to another blowout loss.

Instead, they showed some life before halftime, sparked by Santos Ramirez stripping the ball from a receiver on the sideline and recovering it. That led to a 15-yard touchdown run by Kelley with less than three minutes left in the half and then Josh Liddell returned an interception 54 yards. Kelley also turned that turnover into points by finding Deon Stewart in the end zone with 13 seconds to spare.

Arkansas managed to carry that momentum into the second half with an opening-drive touchdown to pull within three, but Ole Miss kicked a pair of field goals to lead by nine early in the fourth quarter. The Razorbacks had seemingly run out of gas until Kevin Richardson’s 22-yard scoop-and-score with six minutes left.

After forcing a punt on the ensuing possession, Arkansas marched down the field, eating up nearly the rest of the clock on a 12-play drive that ended with a game-winning 34-yard field goal by Connor Limpert - who had to make the kick multiple times as the Rebels used all three of their timeouts in an effort to ice him.

The 24-point comeback is the largest in school history and came less than a year after the Razorbacks blew a 24-point lead against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl for the largest collapse in school history. It was also Arkansas’ last SEC win of the decade. Had they not pulled off the comeback, the Razorbacks would be entering the 2020s on a 25-game SEC losing streak instead of 19.

8. Second Straight Shutout in 2014

Nov. 22, 2014 - Arkansas 30, No. 8 Ole Miss 0

Fresh off its first SEC win in two years, Arkansas welcomed a top-10 Ole Miss team to Reynolds Razorback Stadium and kept its momentum going.

The Rebels came into the game averaging 33.4 points and averaged 419.1 yards for the season, but the Razorbacks’ defense dominated them. They forced six turnovers - three interceptions and three fumbles - and held them to just 63 rushing yards on 33 attempts.

Arkansas didn’t put up huge numbers offensively, but took advantage of the short fields to build a 17-0 lead in the game’s first 15 minutes. It was never really close, with Rohan Gaines supplying the highlight of the day with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Coupled with a game further down on the list, it was the Razorbacks’ second straight shutout win over a ranked opponent. It was the first time an unranked team had ever done that and just the second time an unranked team had multiple shutouts over a ranked team in the same season, joining North Carolina Pre-Flight in 1942.

7. Cotton Bowl Champions

Jan. 6, 2012 - No. 7 Arkansas 29, No. 10 Kansas State 16

The Razorbacks reached No. 3 in the BCS rankings before losing their regular-season finale at No. 1 LSU, but still had a chance to win 11 games with a trip to the Cotton Bowl.

They did just that, jumping out to a 19-0 lead highlighted by a 51-yard punt return for a touchdown by Joe Adams - the fifth of his career and the last by an Arkansas player in the decade. Interestingly, Kansas State got on the board with a blocked PAT return following Jarius Wright’s 45-yard touchdown catch from Tyler Wilson.

Collin Klein, the Wildcats’ star quarterback, found the end zone through the air and on the ground immediately before and after halftime, respectively, to cut the Razorbacks’ lead to 19-16. However, the defense stiffened and Arkansas added another touchdown - Wilson to Cobi Hamilton - and Zach Hocker field goal to pull away for the win.

That gave the Razorbacks just their second 11-win season in school history, joining the 11-0 national championship team in 1964. We didn’t know it at the time, but it was also the final game of the Bobby Petrino era.

6. Marathon Overtime win over Auburn

Oct. 24, 2015 - Arkansas 54, Auburn 46 (4OT)

With Gus Malzahn coming to town, the Razorbacks were on the brink of spiraling, sitting at 2-4 at the season’s halfway point. They - and Bielema - desperately needed a win.

It seemed like Arkansas would get that win when Cole Hedlund capped a long time with a 25-yard field goal that gave it a 24-21 lead with about a minute remaining in the game. However, the Tigers quickly moved the ball into field goal range and forced overtime with four seconds left. That’s when things got crazy.

After giving up a touchdown to Auburn in three plays, the Razorbacks had to convert a fourth down on their possession to keep the game going - and they did with a Brandon Allen touchdown pass to Drew Morgan.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the second overtime period and then again in the third overtime, with Arkansas once again doing so on fourth down. Finally, in the fourth overtime, Allen hit Morgan for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play and then converted the two-point try. Auburn managed just one yard on its possession, as Jared Collins and Josh Liddell broke up passes on third and fourth down, respectively.

The victory sparked a stretch of six wins in seven games that included another one of the games listed below.

5. “Childs Please” to beat Georgia

Sept. 18, 2010 - No. 12 Arkansas 31, Georgia 24

Having lost a shootout against the Bulldogs the year before, Arkansas headed to Athen, Ga., in the third week of the 2010 season for its first true test to see if it was a legitimate contender in the SEC under third-year head coach Bobby Petrino.

The Razorbacks were well on their way to passing the test with flying colors, leading 24-10 entering the fourth quarter, but Georgia scored twice to tie it up late in the game.

The Bulldogs got to midfield with about a minute left before Jake Bequette came up with a sack to force a punt. Only 47 seconds remained when Arkansas took over at its own 27-yard line, but Petrino wasn’t content with going to overtime.

Instead, Ryan Mallett hit back-to-back passes to D.J. Williams totaling 33 yards, setting up one of Arkansas’ best plays of the decade. Mallett completed a pass along the sideline to Greg Childs, who avoided a tackle and went 40 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

Moments after crossing the goal line - with just 15 seconds left - ESPN announced Dave Pasch gave the memorable line, “Childs, please!”

4. Snapping the SEC Losing Streak

Nov. 15, 2014 - Arkansas 17, No. 20 LSU 0

When LSU came to Fayetteville in 2014, the Razorbacks were in the midst of their worst conference losing streak in school history. They hadn’t won an SEC game since the weather-shortened blowout over Kentucky on Oct. 13, 2012 - a span of more than two years that included 17 losses.

As has been the case several times in the series, that didn’t matter with the Golden Boot at stake. Arkansas’ defense was dominant, limiting the Tigers to 123 total yards - 36 rushing, 87 passing - and racking up four sacks in a shutout.

Even though it was just a 17-point game, it never felt like the Razorbacks were in danger of losing. LSU had four three-and-outs and made it into Arkansas territory just three times - ending with two missed field goals and a fumble.

In a way, the score was perfect, though. The Tigers were 17th in the College Football Playoff ranking and lost 17-0, helping the Razorbacks snap their 17-game SEC losing streak.

When the clock finally expired, Reynolds Razorback Stadium went nuts. The Arkansas players rushed over to LSU’s sideline to grab the Golden Boot Trophy and then fans stormed the field, creating the chaotic scene captured in this epic photo:

3. Dramatic Comeback in 2011 Southwest Classic

Oct. 1, 2011 - No. 18 Arkansas 42, No. 14 Texas A&M 38

Considering the Razorbacks have yet to beat Texas A&M since it joined the SEC, it might be hard to believe that they actually swept the Aggies in the Southwest Classic when it was still a non-conference game.

It wasn’t easy, though. In a top-20 matchup early in the 2011 season, Arkansas trailed Texas A&M 35-17 at halftime. With their high-powered offense, though, it wasn’t an insurmountable deficit for the Razorbacks.

Led by Wilson’s school-record 510 passing yards and Jarius Wright’s then-record 281 receiving yards, Arkansas managed to rally and tied it up early in the fourth quarter. The game-tying score actually came on a pass to Hamilton that he fumbled and Wright recovered in the end zone.

However, the Aggies responded with a long field goal drive to regain the lead with 4:22 remaining. It lasted less than three minutes, though, as Wilson led the Razorbacks down the field with Broderick Green scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard run.

Arkansas gave up 230 rushing yards to Christine Michael, but stuffed him for no gain on a fourth-and-two play to seal the victory.

2. Pour Some Sugar on Me

Nov. 27, 2010 - No. 12 Arkansas 31, No. 6 LSU 23

Arkansas and LSU played some classics at War Memorial Stadium, with their last matchup in Little Rock being one of the most memorable for Arkansas fans. It wasn’t another Miracle on Markham or even clinch a division title, but it still had plenty of significance.

The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the first half, highlighted by 85- and 80-yard scores by Hamilton. The latter of those touchdowns is legendary, as the Razorbacks got the ball with six seconds left in the half and instead of taking a knee to go into halftime with a 14-14 tie, Petrino decided to take a shot with Mallett. It paid off as Hamilton caught the pass and avoided tackles by future first-round draft picks Morris Claiborne, Patrick Peterson and Eric Reid.

That put the Razorbacks up 21-14 and they never gave up the lead. A couple of third-quarter field goals pulled the Tigers within one, but Mallett hit Adams for a 39-yard score and Hocker added a field goal to stretch the lead out to 11.

LSU had another chance to tie it in the final minute, but Jordan Jefferson fumbled deep in his own territory and Arkansas recovered. Instead of trying to add to their lead, the Razorbacks took a knee to burn the final 39 seconds and send War Memorial Stadium into a frenzy.

Fans threw sugar cubes into the air as “Pour Some Sugar on Me” blared from the speakers because the victory all but guaranteed Arkansas a spot in the Sugar Bowl - its first and only appearance in a BCS bowl.

1. The Henry Heave

Nov. 7, 2015 - Arkansas 53, No. 19 Ole Miss 52 (OT)

This game would probably deserve a spot on this list even if Arkansas found a way to win without the crazy play that made this game legendary.

It was an epic shootout in which neither team led by more than seven points and the score was tied at the end of each quarter: 7-7, 17-17, 31-31 and 45-45. Both quarterbacks - Brandon Allen for the Razorbacks and Chad Kelly for the Rebels - were sensational.

Just to get to overtime, Allen threw a touchdown pass to Dominique Reed with 53 seconds left and Arkansas’ defense had to get a fourth-down stop. That stop actually almost helped the Razorbacks win in regulation, but Hedlund’s 47-yard attempt was blocked.

After Ole Miss scored in three plays, Arkansas found itself facing a fourth-and-25 thanks to a delay of game penalty, 10-yard sack and two incompletions. Allen hit Hunter Henry with a pass well short of the sticks in front of the Rebels’ sideline, which started celebrating as he was slung to the ground.

However, he heaved the ball back over his head to keep the play alive. Dan Skipper, the 6-foot-10 lineman, got a hand on it and the ball miraculously bounced into the hands of Arkansas’ best player, Alex Collins, who then raced down the opposite sideline for the first down. Thinking he needed to score, Collins actually tried lateraling the ball, but in a heads-up play, Reed fell on it to retain possession.

Two plays later, the Razorbacks got into the end zone with a touchdown pass - Allen’s school-record sixth of the game - to Morgan and opted to go for the win rather than play a second overtime. The attempt initially failed, but Ole Miss was called for a face mask to give Arkansas new life - which it capitalized on by converting on a quarterback keeper.

Allen - who completed 33 of 45 passes for 442 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions - was carried off the field by his teammates. In a losing effort, Kelly was 24 of 34 passing for three touchdowns and added 110 yards and three more scores on the ground.

To cap the incredible night, Bielema ended his postgame press conference with a Freudian slip, telling reporters he wanted to “hop on my wife” instead of the plane. This game prevented Ole Miss from winning the SEC West, enabled Alabama to win the national championship and was named the best college football game of the 2015 season by SBNation.

Dec. 18 - Top Football Recruits of the 2010s (top 10 on offense and defense)

Dec. 19 - 10 Best Football Wins of the 2010s