100 Things Arkansas Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

by Rick Schaeffer, Quinn Grovey (Foreword by)

Overview

From famed moments such as the Razorbacks winning the 1994 NCAA Tournament to lesser known trivia, including which uniform configuration is considered a curse or knowing the animal that was the school's original mascot, 100 Things Arkansas Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die reveals the most critical moments and important facts about Arkansas football and basketball. With details on past and present players, coaches, and teams that are part of the university's storied history, this book contains everything Hogs fans should know, see, and do in their lifetime and encapsulates what being a Razorbacks fan is all about.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623689520
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Series:	100 Things...Fans Should Know Series
Sold by:	INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP - EPUB - EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Rick Schaeffer was the sports information director with the University of Arkansas athletic department for 24 years and the radio color commentator for Razorbacks football for a decade. He is the founder of Champions for Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides support, training, and resources for youth organizations in Arkansas . Quinn Grovey was the starting quarterback at Arkansas from 1987 to 1989, leading the Razorbacks to Southwest Conference Championships in 1988 and 1989. They both live in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Read an Excerpt

100 Things Arkansas Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

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By Rick Schaeffer

Triumph Books

Copyright © 2014 Rick Schaeffer
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62368-952-0

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CHAPTER 1

Frank Broyles

After a standout career in three sports at Georgia Tech interrupted by a brief time in the military during World War II, Frank Broyles became an assistant football coach at Baylor at age 22. He hoped to become a head coach by the time he was 30 and he was looking for a school that didn't have to fight an in-state rival for support.

He found just what he was looking for in Fayetteville, Arkansas. At the time of his first visit, Fayetteville was a tiny hamlet nestled into the foothills of the Ozarks. Yet even as a Baylor assistant coach he couldn't help but notice Razorbacks everywhere when the Bears visited for their Southwest Conference football game.

"I grew up in Georgia and there was fierce rivalry between Georgia and Georgia Tech," said Broyles. "Georgia got most of the good football players because Georgia Tech was limited to students who wanted to major in engineering. That changed later.

"The first time I was in Arkansas I thought how wonderful it would be to coach somewhere that enjoyed the support of the entire state. From that point on, Arkansas was the job I truly wanted."

Broyles later moved back to his alma mater, Georgia Tech, as an assistant coach. He was on the staff when the Yellow Jackets met Arkansas in the 1955 Cotton Bowl. He got to know UA athletic director John Barnhill at events surrounding the game, and when Coach Bowden Wyatt left the Hogs for Tennessee shortly after the Cotton Bowl, Broyles told Barnhill he would love the job.

Barnhill liked Broyles but wasn't interested in hiring the young coach; his policy was to hire head coaches only. He felt Arkansas was prestigious enough to lure a coach who already had been successful in directing a program. Broyles was disappointed but didn't give up his dream of coaching the Razorbacks.

Broyles' first head coaching job came at Missouri. He directed the Tigers in 1957 and planned to stay in Columbia for a while. But, after the season, Jack Mitchell, the coach hired by Barnhill when Wyatt left, decided to leave Arkansas to become head coach at Kansas. This time Barnhill called Broyles. Famously, Broyles quipped, "Barney, what took you so long?"

The Razorbacks lost their first six games in 1958 and Broyles wondered if he had made a good decision. Arkansas fans might have been wondering if Broyles was the right man for the job. Fortunately for the young Georgia Tech grad, the Hogs won their last four.

The winning had just begun. Arkansas won or shared Southwest Conference titles in each of the next three seasons. During an era when there weren't many bowl games, the Hogs visited the Gator Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl twice in a four-year period.

After a disappointing 5–5 season in 1963, the Hogs went undefeated in 1964 and earned the post-bowl version of the national championship by beating Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl. The Razorbacks were 10–0 in 1965, stretching their school-record winning streak to 22 before falling to LSU in the Cotton Bowl at season's end.

Broyles' team closed the decade strong with a 28–5 record from 1968–70, including two more trips to the Sugar Bowl. His last great hurrah as a coach came in 1975, when the Razorbacks stunned second ranked Texas A&M 31–6 in the regular-season finale and earned a trip to the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas thumped SWC co-champion Georgia 31–10 in the Cotton Bowl to finish the season 10–2.

Early in the 1976 season, Broyles decided it would be his last as coach. He and close friend and coaching rival Darrell Royal each coached their last game against each other in a regular-season finale that had been earmarked for television long before the season began.

In 1973 Broyles had added the title of athletic director. (It was not uncommon during that time for one man to be both head football coach and athletic director. Bear Bryant at Alabama and Royal at Texas were among those who held both positions.) After Broyles coached his last game, he remained as athletic director. His strong leadership produced an all-sports program with facilities that late in his tenure were ranked best in the SEC.

Broyles was responsible for three expansions of Razorback Stadium; the renovation of Barnhill Arena; construction of Bud Walton Arena, Baum Stadium, the John McDonnell Outdoor Track, the Tyson Indoor Track Center, the George Billingsley Tennis Center, the Broyles Athletic Center, and the Pat and Willard Walker Indoor Workout Facility and Weight Room; and brokered an agreement for the Hogs golf team to play at the Blessings.

He hired only two basketball coaches during his first 28 years as athletic director: Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson, and both men took Razorbacks basketball to never-before-experienced success, including a national championship under Richardson. Broyles hired just one track coach, John McDonnell, who earned the greatest record of any coach in the history of the NCAA by guiding the Razorbacks indoor track, outdoor track, and cross country teams to a combined 40 national championships. His only two hires in baseball, Norm DeBriyn and Dave Van Horn, both took the Hogs to the College World Series.

Broyles said Arkansas was "the only job I ever wanted. Everywhere I went I told people what a privilege it was for me to be at Arkansas. It was 50 years of absolutely loving my job."A member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his coaching achievements, Broyles' last day as AD was December 31, 2007. It was the completion of 50 years on the job. A statue of Broyles now graces the entry into the Broyles Athletic Center, the complex that housed UA football coaches from 1975 through 2012 and still offices the current administrative staff.

CHAPTER 2

Hugo Bezdek

While Arkansas fielded its first football team in 1894, the program resembled little more than a club sport before Hugo Bezdek was hired as head coach before the 1908 season. Before him, seven different faculty members had rotated as coach in the program's first 14 seasons, and the first seven teams played no more than five games in a year.

Bezdek, born in Prague, was a fullback at the University of Chicago, where he earned his degree. He went on to serve as head football coach at Oregon for a year before moving to Arkansas, where he took on the double assignment of football and baseball head. After an initial 5–4 gridiron campaign, Bezdek discovered Steve Creekmore playing intramurals.

Creekmore became Bezdek's quarterback for the next two seasons and Arkansas went 7–0 in 1909 and 7–1 in 1910. Then known as the Cardinals, Arkansas beat LSU 16–0 and Ouachita Baptist 55-0 on a two-game road swing to win the unofficial Championship of the South in 1909. The distinction was a big deal at a time when there were no polls, bowls, or even an NCAA.

Bezdek is given credit for Arkansas' official mascot name change. He described his 1909 team as "a wild band of razorback hogs." In five years, Bezdek compiled a record of 29–13–1. His winning percentage of .686 stood as the best in Arkansas history until Frank Broyles eclipsed it during his 19-year career.

Bezdek wasn't yet 30 when he left Arkansas to return to the University Oregon as head football and baseball coach. He remained there through the 1917 season, then served as head football coach at Penn State for a dozen years.

In those days, the Major League Baseball season ended before the college football season began, and there was little for a college football coach to do between regular seasons. So Bezdek took on quite a summer job in managing the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1917, 1918, and 1919 seasons before returning to his college football teams in the fall.

At Penn State, his teams were always successful. Indeed, his Nittany Lions advanced to the Rose Bowl when it was the only postseason contest in college football.

Believe it or not, Bezdek holds even more coaching distinctions. He was the first coach of the Cleveland Rams when they entered the National Football League in 1937. He continued to coach through the first three games of the 1938 campaign as well, but compiled a miserable record of 1-13.

His NFL career may have been ignominious, but his accomplishments on the collegiate level earned Bezdek a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Why Otis Douglas?

Of all the football coaching hires made through the years, the one that makes the least sense was Otis Douglas. John Barnhill had revived the program from 1946 to 1949, but was suffering from health problems. As athletic director, it was his task to replace himself as head coach going into the 1950 season. Douglas was then an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, who were winning big in the NFL. Barnhill listened to fans complaints that the Hogs did not have a "pro" attack. With that in mind, he hired Douglas knowing the decision would either be brilliant or awful.

As it turned out, it was awful. Douglas assumed the players were adults and treated them as he did the pro players in his charge. Discipline among players was practically nonexistent. In his book The Razorbacks, Orville Henry quoted Fred Williams, who would go on to star for the Chicago Bears, as saying, "We didn't win many games but we didn't lose any parties." Arkansas finished 2–8, 5–5, and 2–8 in Douglas' campaigns. None of those teams won a game in the state of Texas, a rather essential element in competing in the SWC since all of the schools except Arkansas were in Texas. Many of his players, including Williams, Dave "Hog" Hanner, Pat Summerall, Lamar McHan, Lew Carpenter, and Bob Griffin, went on to long NFL careers. Unfortunately, Douglas was not able to win much with those players while he was at Arkansas.

CHAPTER 3

John Barnhill

A guard at Tennessee in the late 1920s, John Barnhill was an assistant coach at his alma mater for 10 seasons before the Volunteers' legendary coach, General Robert Neyland, left the program to serve in World War II. Barnhill was named interim head coach in Neyland's absence, which spanned the entire war. In five seasons, Barnhill compiled a record of 32–5–2, good enough for nearly any coach to keep his job. However, Barnhill wasn't in a typical position. When Neyland returned to Knoxville, the old coach took the reins again.

Arkansas was quick to nab Barnhill as head football coach when he became available. Barnhill recognized the power of being in a state with just one major program and pioneered significant moves that are still being used today. First, he knew many of Arkansas' best college football prospects were leaving the state. And who could blame them? The Razorbacks had posted just one winning record in the nine years before Barnhill arrived. He became determined to keep the best players in state by building statewide support. When Clyde Scott, who could have gone anywhere after leaving the military at the conclusion of the war, joined Barnhill at Arkansas, it was a significant step toward making the Razorbacks attractive for in-state players.

In his effort to build statewide support, Barnhill declared the Razorbacks would not play any other in-state schools — in any sport. The Hogs had played Arkansas A&M in football as recently as 1944, but Barnhill's declaration has stood the test of time. The University of Arkansas hasn't played a football game against anyone else from within the state's borders since.

"John Barnhill realized that most of Arkansas' limited resources would be needed to have a great football program," said Frank Broyles. "It was vital to have the support of the entire state. He did everything he could to unite the people in every corner of our state behind the Razorbacks."

Barnhill also recognized the impact radio could have on his program and initiated the idea, later enhanced by Broyles, of giving game broadcasts free of charge to any stations in Arkansas that would carry them. That effort pretty much eliminated competition from broadcasts of LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and others. And since this was long before the days of college football on television, Barnhill was able to dominate the football landscape for his Razorbacks.

Scott had a sensational season as running back and safety, and Barnhill's first team won the Southwest Conference championship and met national power LSU in the Cotton Bowl. Despite making just one first down on a field frozen by an overnight ice storm, Arkansas held back the Tigers for a 0–0 tie.

Barnhill's second team won six games, including a victory over William and Mary in the Dixie Bowl, but the Hogs finished just 5-5 in the next two seasons with an injured Scott on the bench.

After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after the 1949 campaign, Barnhill stepped down as head football coach but remained as athletic director. He stayed in that spot until 1970. His most notable hire, of course, was Broyles, whom he secured as football coach in December 1957.

"We were a very poor state, but John Barnhill could write a letter to our top 100 financial supporters and get more aid from those 100 than anyone I've ever known," said former sports information director Bob Cheyne. "He got facilities because people believed in him. He did everything for the University of Arkansas, not for John Barnhill. He never promoted himself."

Broyles greatly admired Barnhill and kept most of his policies intact. In addition, the two formed a personal relationship. Broyles noted, "Barney lived in Fayetteville until he died. I consulted with him frequently after he retired."

When Arkansas built a new facility for basketball in the mid-1950s, the school named it after its athletic director. Cheyne said, "Barney never would have wanted the field house named after him but members of the athletic council insisted. A professor of biology who knew Barnhill well knew Barnhill was the reason we would have that field house."

After renovations came Eddie Sutton, then Nolan Richardson, who coached the basketball Razorbacks, and Barnhill Arena became one of the most feared places in the country for visiting teams. Today, the facility is used for volleyball and gymnastics.

CHAPTER 4

Cardinals to Razorbacks

During the Civil War, troops from Arkansas were frequently referred to as "Razorbacks" in reference to the wild boars that were plentiful in the state at that time. The term was a familiar one, already linked to the state. However, when the University of Arkansas started a football program in 1894, it chose "Cardinals" as the school nickname. The school color was heliotrope, a shade of purple.

Hired as head football coach in 1908 at the ridiculously young age of 24, Hugo Bezdek frequently compared his team to razorbacks because of the way they fought and clawed to the very end of every game. Students liked the term, and adopted Razorbacks a second nickname. In Bezdek's mind the mascot already had changed. After all, he figured, razorbacks were much more tenacious than cardinals.

Late in the 1909 season, after Arkansas won two games on a road trip, Bezdek and his players were greeted with great enthusiasm by students and other fans when their train rolled into the station at Fayetteville. One of the wins on the two-game road swing was over LSU, already recognized as a regional powerhouse. It was a happy scene. In their first 15 years, Arkansas football teams had won more than four games only once. The 1909 squad was different; it ultimately finished 7–0 and was recognized as unofficial "Champion of the South," a very prestigious title at the time.

Steve Creekmore, who quarterbacked Arkansas to a combined record of 14-1 in 1909–10, said years later that his team used an early version of the hurry-up offense. There was no such thing as the huddle in football during those years, but Arkansas operated at a fast pace. Its players would line up and snap the ball as soon as the official set it ready for play.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from 100 Things Arkansas Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Rick Schaeffer. Copyright © 2014 Rick Schaeffer. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword by Quinn Grovey,
Introduction,
1. Frank Broyles,
2. Hugo Bezdek,
3. John Barnhill,
4. Cardinals to Razorbacks,
5. 1964 Football National Champions,
6. 1994 Basketball National Champions,
7. Nolan Richardson,
8. The Greatest Decade,
9. Wear Schoonover,
10. 1978 Orange Bowl,
11. Original Southwest Conference Member,
12. Moving to the Southeastern Conference,
13. The Big Shootout,
14. Powder River Play,
15. Eddie Sutton,
16. Darren McFadden,
17. Felix Jones,
18. Ken Hatfield,
19. 22 in a Row,
20. Seven Overtimes,
21. Ryan Mallett,
22. Lou Holtz,
23. The Triplets,
24. Billy Ray Smith Sr. and Jr.,
25. The 25 Little Pigs,
26. Calling the Hogs,
27. Brittenum to Crockett,
28. Stoerner to Lucas,
29. Miracle on Markham,
30. Ken Hatfield's Punt Return,
31. Tailgating at War Memorial Stadium,
32. Clyde Scott,
33. Lance Alworth,
34. Pat Summerall,
35. Montgomery to Dicus,
36. Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson, and Pete Carroll,
37. Orville Henry,
38. Bob Cheyne,
39. Corliss and Scotty,
40. MayDay,
41. Jon Richardson,
42. Hogs on the Helmets,
43. Joe Ferguson,
44. Frank vs. Darrell,
45. Outland Winners: Loyd Phillips and Bud Brooks,
46. Thumper,
47. Bill McClard,
48. Steve Little,
49. Paul Eells,
50. Bud Campbell,
51. Bobby Petrino,
52. First BCS Bowl,
53. Jarius Wright,
54. Tyler Wilson,
55. Mike Anderson Returns,
56. U.S. Reed Beats Louisville,
57. Barnhill Arena,
58. Bud Walton Arena,
59. Reynolds Razorback Stadium,
60. Running Through the "A",
61. Gary Anderson, Bowl MVP,
62. Steve Atwater,
63. Quinn Grovey,
64. Wilson Matthews,
65. Scott Bull to the Immortal Teddy Barnes,
66. Lunney to Meadors,
67. Joe Adams Punt Return,
68. Robert Farrell Sneaks Behind Them,
69. Cissell's Kick Beats Texas,
70. Ronnie Caveness,
71. Madre Hill,
72. The Burls Way,
73. Houston Nutt,
74. Bret Bielema,
75. The First Team,
76. All-Century Team,
77. Eating at Herman's and Mary Maestri's,
78. Radio at the Catfish Hole,
79. Dean Weber,
80. Mike Nail,
81. Chuck Barrett,
82. Harold Horton,
83. Dennis Winston vs. USC,
84. The Bequettes,
85. Three Overtimes at LSU,
86. Dedication of Frank Broyles Field,
87. Jeff Long,
88. Visit Crystal Bridges,
89. Zach Hocker,
90. Billy Moore,
91. Shawn Andrews,
92. Dennis Johnson,
93. The 1981 Texas Game,
94. Beating Texas in the Cotton Bowl,
95. Broyles vs. Bobby Dodd,
96. Kendall Trainor,
97. Broyles Athletic Center,
98. Visit the Broyles Center Museum,
99. World's Largest Scoreboard,
100. Razorback Foundation,
Acknowledgements,
Sources,