Arkansas rolls over Longhorns 38-28
It started ugly and, while UT hung around long enough to give some hope to the faithful, it ended ugly. The Longhorns, whose fans expected nothing less than a national championship this season, laid an egg against a previously unheralded Arkansas team.
AUSTIN -- It was a postgame celebration unlike any seen around here in years.
This triumph led to a head coach conducting the band through a rendition of the team's fight song, players posing jubilantly for group photographs, and a player circling the gathering to bury a school flag just outside the end zone.
And the Hook 'Em Horns signs -- just like the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns -- were put down ... way down.
The Arkansas Razorbacks celebrated energetically, and when you consider that the last 20 visitors to set foot in Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium departed defeated, their merriment is understandable.
Arkansas not only topped Texas in their 75th meeting but did so in near-dominant fashion, rolling up 438 yards of offense to claim a convincing 38-28 victory Saturday before a mostly stunned crowd of 83,271.
One would think stunned also would be the general feeling of the Longhorns, who suffered their first loss at home since a 35-17 decision to Kansas State on Oct. 2, 1999. That an unranked team -- a 13-point underdog, to boot -- ended the hopes UT's seniors had of finishing their careers without ever losing a home game probably didn't help matters.
For the first time in three years, the Longhorns' first loss of the season won't come to Oklahoma in Dallas.
"I don't know if stunned is the word," said Texas coach Mack Brown, whose squad next plays against Rice at Reliant Stadium. "I'm unhappy, really disappointed ... just crushed."
As are the alumni and fans, Mack. Obviously, Arkansas was much better than advertised. Perhaps the Longhorns are simply not as good as their #5 ranking. Whatever, barring several minor miracles, any talk of a BCS championship in Austin will likely have to wait until next year.
I just hope Coach Brown has a thick skin. He's going to need it this week.
