2002 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

American college football season February 2026 November 2011 2002 Arkansas Razorbacks football Arkansas_wordmark_2014.png Southeastern Conference Western Division SEC 9–5 5–3 Houston Nutt 5th Multiple option Dave Wommack 1st 4–3 Richie Butler Chuck Nalley Sparky Hamilton Raymond House Fred Talley Gavin Walls Razorback StadiumWar Memorial Stadium SEC Western Division co-champion SEC Championship Game L Lost 3–30 vs. Georgia Music City Bowl L Lost 14–29 vs. Minnesota The 2002 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Houston Nutt, the Razorbacks compiled an overall record 9–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for second in the SEC's Western Division. Because Alabama, which had the best record in the SEC West at 6–2, was ineligible for postseason play, Arkansas shared the division title with the other second-place finishers, Auburn and LSU. The Razorbacks advanced to the SEC Championship Game, which they lost to Georgia. Arkansas was then invited to the Music City Bowl, where the Razorbacks were defeated by Minnesota. The team played home games at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. Schedule 2002 AP Central September 7 6:00 pm w y Boise State Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR 41–14 70,142 September 14 6:00 pm w y South Florida War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR 42–3 55,817 September 28 6:45 pm l Alabama Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR ESPN 12–30 73,551 October 5 6:45 pm l y Tennessee 10 Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN ESPN 38–41 6OT 105,688 October 12 11:30 am w y Auburn 24 Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL JPS 38–17 84,692 October 19 1:00 pm l Kentucky Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR 17–29 61,573 October 26 1:00 pm w y Ole Miss Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR rivalry 48–28 71,723 November 2 1:00 pm w y Troy State War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR 23–0 42,817 November 9 11:30 am w y South Carolina Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC JPS 23–0 79,307 November 16 1:00 pm w y Louisiana–Lafayette Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR 24–17 54,843 November 23 1:30 pm w y Mississippi State Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS 26–19 40,108 November 29 1:30 pm w LSU 18 War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR rivalry CBS 21–20 55,553 December 7 5:00 pm l y 22 Georgia 4 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA SEC Championship Game CBS 3–30 74,835 December 30 1:00 pm l y y 25 Minnesota The Coliseum Nashville, TN Music City Bowl ESPN 14–29 39,183 2002 Arkansas Razorbacks Schedule and Results https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/arkansas/2002-schedule.html College Football at Sports-Reference.com Sports Reference August 20, 2025 2002 Football Schedule https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/sport/m-footbl/schedule/?season=2002-03 University of Arkansas August 20, 2025 Game summaries Boise State Broncos 0 0 0 14 Razorbacks 14 10 10 7 Arkansas beat Boise State for their first win of 2002. An impressive day on the ground, 217 yards, coupled with seven Boise State turnovers, helped secure the Razorback victory."Arkansas 41, Boise State 14." Sep 7, 2002. Arkansas Downs Boise State 41–14 In Season Opener https://web.archive.org/web/20080918115107/http://www.arsnonline.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=13&allpages=1&theme=Printer September 18, 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network. Retrieved on February 25, 2008. A blocked punt, a passing TD and then a rushing TD put the Razorbacks off to a 21–0 advantage. After two field goals and a TD strike to Decori Birmingham, the Hogs were out to a 34–0 lead, but the Broncos got on the board twice to make it 34–14. A fake field goal gave the Hogs a first down before Jones hooked up with Richard Smith on an 18-yard touchdown pass that closed the scoring at 41–14. BOI ARK collapsed 1 10:00 BOI 18 :10 Other Jesse Warner (BOI) punt blocked by Tony Bua returned for 22-yard touchdown by Bo Mosley (ARK), Shawn Andrews kick good 0 7 1 3:15 ARK 83 2:10 RecTD Mark Pierce 14 Matt Jones good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 14 2 9:45 ARK 43 1:40 RushTD Cedric Cobbs 38 good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 21 2 7:00 ARK 46 3:35 FG 32 Brennan O'Donohoe 0 24 3 8:30 ARK 31 1:50 RecTD Decori Birmingham 6 Matt Jones good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 31 3 6:00 ARK 8 1:40 FG 33 Brennan O'Donohoe 0 34 3 :30 BOI 41 3:40 RecTD Lou Fanucchi 17 B.J. Rhode good Jesse Warner 7 34 4 7:30 BOI 49 :12 RecTD Lou Fanucchi 49 B.J. Rhode good Jesse Warner 14 34 4 7:20 ARK 51 3:20 RecTD Richard Smith 22 Matt Jones good Brennan O'Donohoe 14 41 14 41 South Florida Bulls 0 0 0 3 Razorbacks 21 14 7 0 Thirty five first half points and 547 yards of total offense set the Razorbacks well on their way to their second win of the season, at the expense of the South Florida Bulls. Only a field goal with a minute left in the game kept the Razorbacks from having a shutout, which would have been their first in two years."Arkansas 42, South Florida 3." September 14, 2002. Razorbacks Improve to 2–0 with 42–3 Pasting of South Florida https://web.archive.org/web/20061025200342/http://www.arsnonline.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=14&page=1 October 25, 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network. Retrieved on February 25, 2008. Back-up quarterback Tarvaris Jackson led a 94-yard scoring drive of his own, after three scoring drives by Matt Jones. Jackson would eventually transfer from Arkansas to Alabama A&M after Matt Jones became the apparent starting quarterback."Vikings 2006 Draft Review." Round 2 pick 64 — Tarvaris Jackson, Alabama State Scout.com Retrieved on February 25, 2008. South Florida had eight consecutive wins, the second-longest win streak in the nation, coming into this contest. USF ARK collapsed 1 9:55 ARK 64 2:06 RushTD Mark Pierce 1 good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 7 1 7:00 ARK 30 2:20 RecTD Richard Smith 23 Matt Jones good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 14 1 2:04 ARK 38 2:01 RushTD Cedric Cobbs 20 good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 21 2 15:00 ARK 94 4:11 RecTD George Wilson 12 Tarvaris Jackson good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 28 2 6:49 ARK 92 3:50 RushTD De'Arrius Howard 6 good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 35 3 14:04 ARK 80 4:42 RecTD George Wilson 5 Matt Jones good Brennan O'Donohoe 0 42 4 4:20 USF 8 3:43 FG 32 Santiago Gramatica 3 42 14 41 Alabama Crimson Tide 14 3 3 10 Razorbacks 0 7 3 2 Both Santonio Beard and Shaud Williams went over 100 yards for Alabama as the Tide beat Arkansas 30–12 at home."Alabama vs. Arkansas." Box Score, Stats, and Game Summary. USA Today. Retrieved on February 25, 2008. The Razorbacks never were within striking distance, as the Tide jumped out to a 14–0 lead, the first touchdown being an 80-yard scamper by Williams on the first play from scrimmage. A Crimson Tide field goal and Matt Jones TD run pushed the score to 17–7, but the Razorbacks could not penetrate the end zone again, as the two teams swapped field goals. A fourth quarter 50-yard touchdown pass from Brodie Croyle finished the Hogs, who tacked on an intentional safety to make the final 30–12. Jones struggled throwing the ball, going just 7-of-18 for 111 yards with two interceptions. The loss was only the fourth home loss under Houston Nutt. ALA ARK collapsed 1 14:15 ALA 80 :05 RushTD Shaud Williams 80 good Brian Bostick 7 0 1 11:50 ALA 80 2:33 RecTD Sam Collins 28 Brodie Croyle good Brian Bostick 14 0 2 15:00 ALA 20 2:38 FG 28 Brian Bostick 17 0 2 8:17 ARK 76 2:10 RushTD Matt Jones 7 good David Carlton 17 7 3 14:48 ARK 32 2:00 FG 33 Brenan O'Donohoe 17 10 3 12:32 ALA 63 2:06 FG 36 Brian Bostick 20 10 4 13:36 ALA 0 :35 FG 37 Brian Bostick 23 10 4 9:51 ALA 49 :05 RecTD Zack Fletcher 49 Brodie Croyle good Brian Bostick 30 10 4 2:25 ALA -1 1:58 SafetyOther Crimson Tide Safety 30 12 14 41 Tennessee Razorbacks 0 3 0 14 3 3 0 6 6 3 # 10 Volunteers 3 7 0 7 3 3 0 6 6 6 A six-overtime shootout was the result of the meeting between the Volunteers and the Razorbacks at Neyland Stadium in 2002. The battle-tested Razorbacks had come out victorious from a seven-overtime affair against Ole Miss the year previous."2001 SEC Football Standings." 2001 SEC Results. SEC Sports.com. Retrieved on February 20, 2008. This was the longest game in NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) history. Arkansas' success in (especially multiple) overtime situations provoked Coach Houston Nutt into being quoted as saying at the beginning of the first overtime: "This is our game. We're ready.""Epic-tested Arkansas beaten in sixth overtime." Arkansas 38, #10 Tennessee 41 ESPN.com Retrieved on February 20, 2008. This overtime loss was the first for Arkansas in their football history."No. 10 Tennessee Slips Past Arkansas 41–38 In Six Overtimes." October 6, 2002. Tennessee 41, Arkansas 38 https://web.archive.org/web/20061025201653/http://www.arsnonline.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=16&page=1 October 25, 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network. Retrieved on February 20, 2008. The game began relatively low-scoring, with the Volunteers holding a 17–3 lead for the majority of the game. Tennessee leading rusher Cedric Houston missed the game with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Arkansas had injury problems of its own, and became one-dimensional with Cedric Cobbs, the Hogs' starting running back, missing much of the second half with a turf toe injury. The Razorbacks got the ball with ten minutes left in the fourth quarter and scored two touchdowns in a span of 4½ minutes. The tying touchdown was a 92-yard touchdown pass to Richard Smith from Matt Jones. Said Jones of that play after the game, "The coaches have told us never to quit, and we were down seven at our own 8, I kept thinking about that." This was at the time the longest offensive play in the history of Arkansas football, since surpassed by Broderick Green's 99-yard rush against Eastern Michigan in 2009."Arkansas Football Record Book." Longest Play Touchdowns. https://web.archive.org/web/20110517161118/http://www.hogwired.com/pdf1/80884.pdf?ATCLID=1147378&SPSID=30726&SPID=2419&DB_OEM_ID=6100 May 17, 2011 Page 136. Hogwired.com. Retrieved on February 20, 2008. Both teams swapped field goals for the first two periods. The third was scoreless, despite an opportunity for Arkansas to shut the door with a field goal attempt. Arkansas then scored on a Matt Jones run, but failed the two-point conversion, which is required versus an extra point in the third overtime or later. The Volunteers answered the call on their first play, a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tony Brown, but the Volunteers also failed the two, sending the game into a fifth extra period. Tennessee's Jabari Davis then ran into the end zone, but fumbled the ball as he crossed the plane of the goal line, but teammate and backfield mate Troy Fleming fell on the ball giving Rocky Top a six-point lead. Quarterback Casey Clausen was then sacked on the two point try. De'Arrius Howard ran in for the Hogs, but an interception by Tennessee's Julian Battle kept the game continuing to a sixth overtime. David Carlton kicked a 47-yard field goal for Arkansas in the sixth overtime, but future NFL All-Pro tight end Jason Witten caught a touchdown pass from Casey Clausen, ending the game in dramatic fashion, 41–38. ARK TENN collapsed 1 9:00 TENN 52 1:53 FG 22 Phillip Newman 0 3 1 :20 TENN 67 1:50 RushTD Jabari Davis 3 good Phillip Newman 0 10 2 11:36 ARK 52 3:41 FG 45 Brennan O'Donohoe 3 10 4 1:03 TENN 81 4:04 RushTD Jabari Davis 80 good Phillip Newman 3 17 4 10:01 ARK 61 2:18 RushTD De'Arrius Howard 11 good Brennan O'Donohoe 10 17 4 3:45 ARK 92 :10 RecTD Richard Smith 92 Matt Jones good Brennan O'Donohoe 17 17 OT TENN 8 FG 33 Phillip Newman 17 20 OT ARK 12 FG 29 Brennan O'Donohoe 20 20 2OT ARK 13 FG 29 Brennan O'Donohoe 23 20 2OT TENN 9 FG 32 Phillip Newman 23 23 4OT ARK 25 RushTD Matt Jones 6 pass from Jones incomplete to Pierce 29 23 4OT TENN 25 RecTD Tony Brown Casey Clausen 25 pass from Clausen incomplete to Witten 29 29 5OT TENN 25 RushTD Jabari Davis 12 QB Draw by Clausen no good 29 35 5OT ARK 25 RushTD De'Arrius Howard 1 pass from Jones to Wilson intercepted by Battle. 35 35 6OT ARK -4 FG 47 Brennan O'Donohoe 38 35 6OT TENN 25 Other Jason Witten 25-yard touchdown reception from Casey Clausen 38 41 38 41 Auburn Razorbacks 7 17 7 7 No. 24 Tigers 10 7 0 0 Arkansas came out strong after their six overtime game with Tennessee. The Hogs Fred Talley rushed for 241 yards, 80 of those in one play, in a 38–17 upset of the Tigers at Auburn."Razorbacks not too weary to upset Auburn." Arkansas at Auburn Recap. ESPN. Retrieved on February 20, 2008. 241 yards remains to this day the most given up by an Auburn defense to a single rusher. Talley was a pleasant surprise fill-in for injured starter Cedric Cobbs. Talley lead the Hogs in a 426-yard rushing effort as a team. Talley had only 123 yards in the first four games of the year. Fullback Mark Pierce also had a 44-yard run on a fourth-and-one, with Matt Jones adding a 70-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter. Auburn seemed the likely one for a big day on the ground with a touted running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams. A year previous Cadillac had his break-out game against Arkansas, moving him from third to first on the depth chart at the expense of the Razorbacks. Said Arkansas defensive tackle Jermaine Brooks on Williams, "We gave the Cadillac a flat tire" and, "we just got sick and tired of [hearing about Williams]. If you stop him, you stop Auburn." ARK AUB collapsed 1 8:00 ARK 51 5:20 RushTD De'Arrius Howard 3 good David Carlton 7 0 1 3:00 AUB 66 :07 RecTD Devin Aromashodu 66 Daniel Cobb good Damon Duval 7 7 1 1:45 AUB 3 :57 FG 33 Damon Duval 7 10 2 15:00 ARK 80 4:20 RushTD Mark Pierce 2 good David Carlton 14 10 2 5:42 AUB 89 3:42 RushTD Cadillac Williams 9 good Damon Duval 14 17 2 1:40 ARK 80 :05 RushTD Fred Talley 80 good David Carlton 21 17 2 :25 ARK 8 :16 FG 21 David Carlton 24 17 3 11:02 ARK 83 2:22 RushTD Mark Pierce 44 good David Carlton 31 17 4 3:25 ARK 72 :15 RushTD Matt Jones 70 good David Carlton 38 17 38 17 Kentucky Wildcats 3 6 20 0 Razorbacks 7 3 7 0 Arkansas' ground game continued to impress, with 293 yards, 182 of those from freshman Fred Talley. Overall, Arkansas had 515 yards of total offense to UK's 332. Quarterback Matt Jones set career marks with 15 completions and 210 yards."Kentucky 29, Arkansas 17." Oct 19, 2002. Kentucky Rallies In Second Half For 29–17 Victory Over Arkansas. https://web.archive.org/web/20080918123413/http://www.arsnonline.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=17&page=1 September 18, 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network. Retrieved on February 25, 2008. None of this, was enough as Kentucky managed a 29–17 victory. Kentucky drove the opening kickoff 40 yards and kicker Taylor Begley hit on a 50-yard field goal. Arkansas had their field goal blocked on the ensuing possession, but fullback Mark Pierce later rumbled for a 34-yard score for the Razorbacks. An Arkansas field goal added to the lead to make it 10–3. Jared Lorenzen threw a touchdown pass right before halftime, but the extra point was blocked by Pervis Osborne of Arkansas. Arkansas held a one-point edge coming out of halftime when the Wildcats came out with a twenty-point scoring flurry. First a Matt Jones interception gave the Wildcats good field position, setting up an Artose Pinner TD run. Then, an 86-yard punt return by Derek Abney gave Kentucky a 22–10 lead, following a missed extra point. Razorback De'Arrius Howard scored from one yard out, but Jared Lorenzen hit Aaron Boone on a screen pass that went 18 yards to paydirt. Arkansas had two red zone opportunities in the fourth quarter, but neither team could dent the scoreboard, and Kentucky won, 29–17. UK ARK collapsed 1 14:45 UK 40 1:54 FG 50 Taylor Begley 3 0 1 10:11 ARK 86 :21 RushTD Mark Pierce 34 good David Carlton 3 7 1 2:01 ARK -6 5:00 FG 26 David Carlton 3 10 2 7:50 UK 51 5:40 RecTD Tommy Cook 4 Jared Lorenzen no good Taylor Begley 9 10 3 14:55 UK 12 :05 RushTD Artose Pinner 12 good Taylor Begley 16 10 3 12:20 UK 86 :05 Other Punt by Richie Butler (ARK) returned 86 yards by Derek Abney (UK) for a touchdown, Taylor Begley kick no good 86 22 10 3 11:39 ARK 65 3:30 RushTD De'Arrius Howard 1 good David Carlton 22 17 3 4:53 UK 16 :40 RecTD Aaron Boone 18 Jared Lorenzen good Taylor Begley 29 17 29 17 Ole Miss Rebels 2 9 3 14 Razorbacks 10 17 14 7 Arkansas ran for 257 yards, and Ole Miss QB Eli Manning threw for 414 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions."Arkansas Rips Ole Miss 48–28." October 26, 2002. Hogs Force Five Turnovers Against Rebels https://web.archive.org/web/20061025195551/http://www.arsnonline.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=19&allpages=1&theme=Printer October 25, 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network. Retrieved on February 24. The first points of the game came for the Rebels when Matt Jones was called for intentionally grounding in the end zone, which by rule is scored a safety. Ole Miss gained a 2–0 lead, but fumbled near the close of the first quarter, resulting in a Razorback field goal. Lerinezo Robinson for the Hogs then returned a fumbled kickoff eight yards for a touchdown, giving Arkansas a 10–2 lead. Jonathan Nichols of Ole Miss then hit a 48-yard field, but a Jimmy Beasley interception of Eli Manning set up Arkansas for a 34-yard option keep touchdown by Matt Jones, giving an edge to the Hogs, 17–5. Manning then connected with Justin Sawyer, but the two point play was no good. First a field goal, then a touchdown closed out the first half for the Razorbacks, the TD set up by a 55-yard punt return by Decori Birmingham, to the Ole Miss 20. The Rebels began the second half with 25-yard field goal. A 63-yard run by Fred Talley set up another Razorback touchdown, and Razorback Tom Crowder recovered the kickoff fumbled by Ole Miss in the end zone, to push the score to 41–14. Manning completed a drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass, but with just over ten minutes left, it was too little to late. Each team then added another touchdown before the Razorbacks homecoming game went final, 48–28. The Razorbacks' outstanding ground game was helped out by five Rebels turnovers, which led to 24 Razorback points. MISS ARK collapsed 1 10:50 ARK -3 :48 SafetyOther Matt Jones intentional grounding in the endzone, penalty results in safety 2 0 1 5:02 ARK 67 :50 FG 29 David Carlton 2 3 1 1:49 ARK 10 :05 Other Lerinezo Robinson recovers fumbled kickoff for touchdown 10 good David Carlton 2 10 1 1:30 MISS 44 4:19 FG 47 Brad Nichols 5 10 2 11:07 ARK 34 :04 RushTD Matt Jones 34 good David Carlton 5 17 2 11:07 MISS 75 2:30 RecTD Justin Sawyer 13 Eli Manning pass from Manning to Flowers incomplete 11 17 2 3:40 ARK 20 1:40 FG 37 David Carlton 11 20 2 :32 ARK 22 :08 RecTD George Wilson 22 Matt Jones good David Carlton 11 27 3 15:00 MISS 72 3:40 FG 25 Brad Nichols 14 27 3 9:13 ARK 80 1:12 RushTD De'Arrius Howard 5 good David Carlton 14 34 3 8:01 ARK 1 :02 RushTD Lerinezo Robinson 1 good David Carlton 14 41 4 13:04 MISS 36 2:30 RecTD Jason Armstead 20 Eli Manning good Brad Nichols 21 41 4 5:30 MISS 80 2:00 RushTD Eli Manning 1 good Brad Nichols 28 41 4 3:13 ARK 55 :10 RushTD De'Arrius Howard 38 good David Carlton 28 48 28 48 Troy State Trojans 0 0 0 0 Razorbacks 7 6 3 7 The game was dominated by both defenses, despite a lopsided finish. Troy State's ninth-ranked defense held Arkansas under 150 total yards and six first downs."Razorbacks Shut Out Troy State 23–0." Troy State at Arkansas Recap. https://web.archive.org/web/20080918121227/http://www.arsnonline.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=20&allpages=1&theme=Printer September 18, 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network. Retrieved on February 22, 2008. Arkansas shut out their first opponent since blanking Southwest Missouri State 38–0 in 2000. Special teams stepped up for the Hogs, and two blocked punts, one recovered in the end zone, helped out a struggling offense. TROY ARK collapsed 1 5:34 TROY -4 :48 Other Trojans punt blocked, recovered by Bo Mosley (ARK), advanced for a touchdown. David Carlton kick good good David Carlton 0 7 2 2:20 ARK 31 :28 RecTD George Wilson 10 Matt Jones no good David Carlton 0 13 3 15:00 ARK 41 4:00 FG 27 David Carlton 0 16 4 4:35 TROY 48 :09 Other Hansell Bearden (TROY) pass across the middle intercepted by Bo Mosley (ARK), returned for a 48-yard touchdown. David Carlton kick good 48 0 23 0 23 South Carolina Razorbacks 0 10 7 6 Gamecocks 0 0 0 0 Arkansas beat South Carolina at home as the Hogs won their second consecutive game by the count of 23–0. Matt Jones completed 10 of 18 passes for 113 yards and two scores. Defenders Gavin Walls, Eddie Jackson and Lawrence Richardson had interceptions that each lead to Arkansas points. All of these turnovers helped add to Arkansas' turnover margin of plus-1.88 per game."Arkansas vs. South Carolina." Game Story and Box Score. USA Today. Retrieved on February 22, 2008. ARK USC collapsed 2 14:50 ARK 36 :58 RecTD George Wilson 4 Matt Jones good David Carlton 7 0 2 11:40 ARK 35 :50 FG 43 David Carlton 10 0 3 14:52 ARK 73 3:32 RecTD Carlos Ousley 47 Matt Jones good David Carlton 17 0 4 14:35 ARK 17 :50 FG 27 David Carlton 20 0 4 11:48 ARK 10 1:43 FG 22 David Carlton 23 0 23 0 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns 0 10 0 7 Razorbacks 10 7 0 7 Arkansas won their fourth straight game and improved to 16–0 in non-conference play under Houston Nutt with this win. Matt Jones lead rushers with a season-high 129 yards, and the Razorbacks out gained the Ragin' Cajuns on the ground 263 yards to 61."Louisiana–Lafayette vs. Arkansas." Game Recap. USA Today. Retrieved on February 22, 2008. The Hog defense had held every opponent out of the end zone for nine quarters until a pass from Eric Rekieta to Fred Stamps late in the second quarter. Future NFL cornerback Charles Tillman recovered a blocked punt in the fourth quarter, which was the first time since 1991 the Hogs allowed a touchdown off a blocked punt. ULL ARK collapsed 1 7:00 ARK 61 :30 RushTD Matt Jones 62 good David Carlton 0 7 1 4:00 ARK 53 :20 FG 22 David Carlton 0 10 2 8:10 ULL 70 2:30 RecTD Frederick Stamps 24 Eric Rekieta good Sean Comiskey 7 10 2 4:30 ARK 70 :48 RecTD Carlos Ousley 24 Matt Jones good David Carlton 7 17 2 :26 ULL 13 :26 FG 25 Sean Comiskey 10 17 3 3:03 ARK 58 3:56 RecTD Decori Birmingham 19 Matt Jones good David Carlton 10 24 4 3:06 ARK -2 1:20 Other Razorbacks punt blocked, recovered by Charles Tillman (ULL), advanced for a touchdown. good Sean Comiskey 17 24 17 24 Mississippi State Razorbacks 7 12 0 7 Bulldogs 3 0 3 13 Arkansas went to Scott Field to play winless-in-the-SEC Mississippi State. The Razorbacks defense held on a fourth down play which saved the game. The Razorbacks ran for 237 yards, 121 of those from freshman tailback De'Arruis Howard. Fred Talley fell just short of his fourth 100-yard game as he ran for 94 yards. Mississippi State used two quarterbacks, Kevin Fant was 14-of-26 for 115 yards with an interception. Kyle York entered in the third quarter and went 11-of-22 for 174 yards with one interception and two TDs. Bulldogs kicker Brent Smith scored the first points of the contest, but two Matt Jones touchdown passes put the Hogs up 14–3. Kevin Fant was sacked by Clarke Moore in the end zone to add two more points for Arkansas. David Carlton added a field goal, his fifth consecutive made field goal. Mississippi State added its own field goal, just before fullback Mark Pierce reached the end zone from five yards out. A comeback was engineered by replacement quarterback Kyle York for the Bulldogs, but it fell seven points short, 26–19. ARK MSU collapsed 1 14:50 MSU 61 7:00 FG 25 Brent Smith 0 3 1 8:09 ARK 75 3:20 RecTD George Wilson 8 Matt Jones good David Carlton 7 3 1 3:30 ARK 86 9:50 RecTD Mark Pierce 15 Matt Jones good David Carlton 14 3 2 8:40 MSU -5 :40 SafetyTackle Kevin Fant Clark Moore 16 3 2 7:40 ARK 50 2:10 FG 25 David Carlton 19 3 3 6:40 MSU 37 3:20 FG 32 Brent Smith 19 6 3 2:30 ARK 57 5:00 RushTD Mark Pierce 5 good David Carlton 26 6 4 13:20 MSU 78 2:20 RecTD Antonio Hargro 21 Kyle York from York to Hargro is no good pass 26 12 4 5:40 MSU 81 2:09 RecTD Ray Ray Bivines 26 Kyle York good Brent Smith 26 19 26 19 LSU No. 18 Tigers 7 3 7 3 Razorbacks 0 0 7 14 Arkansas and LSU played in War Memorial Stadium for the Golden Boot, a gold trophy that resembles the two states of Arkansas and Louisiana, forming a boot. Arkansas clinched the SEC West crown with this win, moving the Razorbacks to 9–3 overall."LSU – Arkansas Winner to Represent the West." November 24, 2002. SEC Week 14. https://web.archive.org/web/20080320102229/http://www.secsports.com/index.php?s= March 20, 2008 SECSports.com Retrieved on February 26, 2008. With nine seconds left, Quarterback Matt Jones threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Decori Birmingham, and kicker David Carlton made a long extra point to finish the Tigers off, 21–20."Jones to Birmingham proves memorable in 'Miracle on Markham'." Jan 17, 2006. http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/sportstraveler/2006/01/17/Jones_to_Birmingham_proves_memorable_in_Miracle_on_Markham Jones to Birmingham proves memorable in 'Miracle on Markham' • Take One - FOX Sports Blogs 2015-10-20 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081007222643/http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/sportstraveler/2006/01/17/Jones_to_Birmingham_proves_memorable_in_Miracle_on_Markham October 7, 2008 Fox Sports. Retrieved on February 23, 2008. Down 20–14 with 34 seconds remaining, the Razorbacks first play was a 50-yard pass to Richard Smith."Jones to Birmingham leaves Tigers stunned." The Miracle on Markham ESPN. Retrieved on February 23, 2008. After an incompletion, Jones found Birmingham in the end zone, who outleaped Randall Gay for the catch. As Hog fans poured onto the field, Arkansas was then penalized 15 yards for excessive celebration, moving the go-ahead extra point to the 35-yard line. Carlton's kick was long enough, but curved left and just snuck in the goal post for a 21–20 lead. Houston Nutt later said that when he was sharing with Jones the plays to run Jones simply said, despite completing only two passes up to that point, "I've got it." The finish was similar to the Bluegrass Miracle, which involved the same LSU Tigers winning on a last-second 75-yard Hail Mary pass to Devery Henderson to beat the Kentucky Wildcats. LSU ARK collapsed 1 9:58 LSU 86 3:38 RecTD Skyler Green 67 Marcus Randall good John Corbello 7 0 2 3:18 LSU 57 3:18 FG 48 John Corbello 10 0 3 13:03 ARK 61 4:13 RushTD Mark Pierce 1 good David Carlton 10 7 3 8:26 LSU 89 2:06 RushTD Marcus Randall 5 good John Corbello 17 7 4 7:57 ARK 80 :24 RushTD Fred Talley 56 good David Carlton 17 14 4 6:23 LSU 53 5:40 FG 29 John Corbello 20 14 4 :34 ARK 80 :25 RecTD Decori Birmingham 31 Matt Jones good David Carlton 20 21 20 21 Georgia—SEC Championship Game No. 4Bulldogs 17 6 0 7 #22 Razorbacks 0 0 3 0 Arkansas represented the Western Division of the SEC in the SEC Championship game in 2002. Arkansas was down 17–0 to Georgia before they gained one yard in the contest, giving the conference title to the Bulldogs. With the loss, Arkansas had only scored six points in two SEC title game appearances, while in contrast, Razorback opponents have scored 64 points against them. Arkansas would make a much better showing their next time in Atlanta, but fail to win again in the 2006 SEC Championship Game against the Florida Gators. Arkansas got off on the wrong foot as punter Richie Butler's punt was blocked, setting up a one-yard touchdown run for Georgia running back Musa Smith. Another run by Smith pushed the Bulldog advantage to 14–0. Three Georgia field goals added to the score to make it 23–0. Arkansas had only one scoring drive, but even that was on life support, kept alive by two personal fouls, one after an incompletion on 3rd and 23. Georgia added a touchdown, won the game 30–3, and with the victory won the Southeastern Conference. Coach Houston Nutt said after the game, "I felt like they were playing with 12 men, they have few weaknesses." UGA ARK collapsed 1 13:00 UGA 2 1:10 RushTD Musa Smith 2 good Billy Bennett 7 0 1 10:28 UGA 62 :20 RushTD Musa Smith 17 good Billy Bennett 14 0 1 6:32 UGA 52 1:58 FG Billy Bennett 29 17 0 1 :19 UGA 42 :22 FG Billy Bennett 42 20 0 2 9:54 UGA 59 2:34 FG Billy Bennett 39 23 0 3 7:22 ARK 65 5:07 FG David Carlton 27 23 3 3 :41 UGA 81 2:10 RecTD Benjamin Watson 21 David Greene good Billy Bennett 30 3 30 3 Minnesota—Music City Bowl Razorbacks 7 0 0 7 Golden Gophers 6 6 7 10 2002 Music City Bowl Minnesota kicker Dan Nystrom made five field goals as the Golden Gophers upset Arkansas in the Music City Bowl."Minnesota kicker Big Ten's all-time leading scorer." Music City Bowl Recap. ESPN. Retrieved on February 28, 2008. Nystrom was named the MVP, a rarity for a kicker. Nystrom could have had a sixth attempt, but Minnesota instead went for a first down on a fourth and five and was denied with 2:46 remaining in the game. Arkansas, the best rushing team in the SEC, had only eighty yards on the ground. This was well below their average of 226.9 yards per game. A halftime pass caught by Smith in the end zone would have given Arkansas a halftime lead, but Smith was declared out of bounds, and the score was nullified. The Razorback defense, ranked 40th best in the nation, bent but did not break. The Gophers were stopped and had to settle for field goals three times inside the Arkansas 7. ARK MIN collapsed 1 14:47 ARK 74 2:11 RecTD George Wilson 2 Matt Jones good David Carlton 7 0 1 11:54 MIN 82 2:16 FG Dan Nystrom 24 7 3 1 6:06 MIN 5 :34 FG Dan Nystrom 45 7 6 1 2:33 MIN 62 3:14 FG Dan Nystrom 21 7 9 2 10:21 MIN 79 2:34 FG Dan Nystrom 22 7 12 3 6:51 MIN 70 3:20 RecTD Ben Utecht 19 Asad Abdul-Khaliq good Dan Nystrom 7 19 3 :26 MIN 55 1:56 FG Dan Nystrom 29 7 22 4 11:11 MIN 49 2:18 RushTD Thomas Tapeh 33 good Dan Nystrom 7 29 4 7:38 ARK 73 2:02 RecTD Richard Smith 10 Ryan Sorahan good David Carlton 14 29 14 29 Personnel Coaching staff 2002 Arkansas Razorbacks coaching staffHead coach Head coach – Houston Nutt Offensive coaches Quarterbacks – David Lee Running backs – Danny Nutt Receivers – James Shibest Tight ends – George Pugh Offensive line – Mike Markuson Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dave Wommack Middle and strong side linebackers – Bobby Allen Outside linebackers/strong safeties – Chris Vaughn Defensive line – Kacy Rodgers Secondary – Dave Wommack Administrative staff Athletic director (AD) – Frank Broyles Director of football operations – Louis Campbell Strength and conditioning – Don Decker Recruiting coordinator – George Pugh Roster 2002 Arkansas Razorbacks f 6 Sr Ken Hamlin FS y https://web.archive.org/web/20021017033944/http://www.hogwired.com/tableroster.asp?Home_ID=2 *Houston Nutt Awards and honors All–SEC Fred Talley (RB Sr.) 1st Team All-SEC Offense (Coaches'), 2nd Team All-SEC Offense (AP) Shawn Andrews (OT, So.) 1st Team All-SEC Offense, Jacobs Blocking Trophy Ken Hamlin (FS Jr.) 1st Team All-SEC Defense Ahmad Carroll (CB, So.) 2nd Team All-SEC Defense Tony Bua (OLB Jr.) 2nd Team All-SEC Defense 2002 SEC Football Awards All-Americans Offense Shawn Andrews (OT, So.) AP/Coaches 1st Team Defense Ahmad Carroll (CB, So.) Coaches 2nd Team Ken Hamlin (FS Jr.) AP/Coaches 1st Team Tony Bua (LB/FS Jr.) AP/Coaches 2nd TeamArkansas Football History, Honors, and Lettermen https://web.archive.org/web/20110517160349/http://www.hogwired.com/pdf3/80885.pdf?ATCLID=1147378&SPSID=30726&SPID=2419&DB_OEM_ID=6100 May 17, 2011 Statistics Arkansas native Matt Jones was the signal caller for the Razorbacks in 2002. Jones also played basketball on the Razorback basketball team. Jones currently holds the SEC record for most rushing yards by a quarterback, but with the advent of the Spread offense in college football, and new dynamic players in the SEC, his record is in danger of being broken. Opponent Comp Att Yards TD INT Rush Rush yds Rush TDBoise State7141063011700South Florida912148205540Alabama718111027501Tennessee10201831021441Auburn71367006841Kentucky15262100112520Ole Miss71478114351Troy71577118220South Carolina101811320790Louisiana–Lafayette91311820131291Mississippi State81590205-10LSU4161271111460Georgia91660006130Minnesota1225118127130Season12123516061681196205 References Arkansas Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football seasons Arkansas Razorbacks football