LITTLE ROCK — With 1:58 to play, the Mad Hatter, Les Miles, tried to dial up one more magical moment in what had been an almost charmed season. This time he needed an onside kick to bounce his way.
This would not be a grasseating game for the LSU head coach.
Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino had his goodhands team up front, and as fate would have it, Cobi Hamilton, who burned the Tigers for touchdowns of 80 and 85 yards, went up and came down with that onside kick.
There was a bit of drama to follow, but when the clock ran out, Hamilton’s final catch had given the Hogs the game and a legitimate shot at the BCS Sugar Bowl.
The “SEC moment” camewhen referee Steve Shaw stopped the clock so dingedup Knile Davis could leave the field, under his own power, with 1:41 to play. LSU was out of timeouts.
Because of the official’s timeout, Arkansas burned only 44 seconds before punting on fourth down.
Patrick Peterson made a fair catch, but he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, putting the nation’s No. 5 team at its 6.
LSU quarterbackJordan Jefferson threw an incompletion, then was gangtackled and stripped of the ball at the 1. Jerry Franklin recovered, and the No. 12 Razorbacks had won their sixth consecutive game, their fifth over a ranked team this season.
Now, if Auburn beats South Carolina in next Saturday’s SEC Championship Game, the Razorbacks should be the highest-ranked SEC team in the BCS standings and headed to New Orleans for the first time since 1980.
The Razorbacks brought the Boot home with team play, taking everything LSU gave them and grabbing even more.
LSU is fast. The Tigers’ defense is like an Olympic relay team, but on a brilliant day for football at WarMemorial Stadium, the Tigers weren’t ready for a foot race with Hamilton.
Knile Davis gave the Hogs their first touchdown, which came on a 14-yard run during which Davis hurdled a tackler at the 10. Later, with the score tied 7-7, the Hogs had thirdand-9 from their 15 when Ryan Mallett found Hamilton at the UA 35. Hamilton made a small duck to shuck the safety, then raced untouched down the left sideline for an 85-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
Peterson returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards, setting up the Tigers’ gametying touchdown. The Hogs’ coverage broke down so badly on Peterson’s return that kicker Alex Tejada had to help save a touchdown on that one, and Tejada also was the last guy between Peterson and theend zone on the second-half kickoff.
It didn’t bode well that the Razorbacks failed to capitalize on a first-quarter LSU fumble at the Tigers’ 24, but they got their luck the old-fashioned way - they made it.
With just six seconds to go in the half, Mallett dropped back and, with good protection, found Hamilton over the middle just before midfield. He made one move and hit the left sideline at full speed.
Peterson was the only thing between Hamilton and the end zone, but Jarius Wright took Peterson out of the play as Hamilton scored his second touchdown to give the Hogs the lead at the half.
Hamilton, who was a teammate of Mallett’s at Texas High and was a track standout,had 3 catches for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns. Arkansas’ other receivers caught 10 passes for 156 yards.
It took a team effort - which included 152 yards rushing by Davis and 320 passing yards from Mallett - for the Razorbacks to win. That fourth-down, 39-yard touchdown pass to Joe Adams in the fourth quarter was especially significant, but nothing was more important than the Razorbacks’ defense holding LSU to 294 yards.
The best team won, and it should move way up in the BCS rankings when they are released tonight.
Sports, Pages 27 on 11/28/2010