FAYETTEVILLE — The last time Arkansas beat a No. 1 team at Reynolds Razorback Stadium 29 years ago, a Bequette was on the line.
A Bequette will be there again Saturday when No. 10 Arkansas takes on No. 1 Alabama at Razorback Stadium.
Jay Bequette was a junior starting center for Arkansas on Oct. 17, 1981, when the unranked Razorbacks beat No. 1 Texas 42-11. His son, Jake Bequette, will be a junior starting defensive end for Arkansas against the Crimson Tide.
“That is really amazing, to have history repeat itself like that 29 years later,” said Jay Bequette, a Little Rock attorney. “It’s not something you could have ever predicted.”
Jake Bequette said the 1981 Arkansas-Texas game is the only tape he’s watched of his father’s playing career, and an intense moment on the sideline with Razorbacks Coach Lou Holtz now provides comic relief.
“We always laugh about it, because late in the fourth quarter Arkansas was crushing them [42-3] and my dad snapped the ball on the wrong count and the quarterback fumbled,” Jake Bequette said. “The game’s on national TV, and they went to the sideline camera to show Coach Holtz grab his face mask and just start jacking it back and forth.”
Saturday will mark the third time Arkansas has played a No. 1 team since 2007, but only the 17th time in school history, going back to a 7-6 loss to Texas A&M at Fayetteville in 1957.
The Razorbacks are 4-12 in their matchups against No. 1 teams, most recently a 23-20 loss at Florida last season. They last beat a No. 1 team in 2007, winning 50-48 in triple overtime at LSU.
There have been other thrilling victories for the Razorbacks over No. 1 teams - 14-13 at Texas in 1964 and 27-24 over the Longhorns at Fayetteville in 1965 - as well as excruciating losses - 15-14 to Texas in 1969 at Fayetteville when the Razorbacks were No. 2 and 28-24 at Tennessee in 1998 when the Razorbacks were No. 10.
For Arkansas senior tight end D.J. Williams, Saturday’s game will mark the third time he’s played against a No. 1 team.
“I’m glad to be part of this experience again,” Williams said. “I can’t wait.”
Loyd Phillips, a starting defensive tackle for the Razorbacks in 1964-1966 andthe Outland Trophy winner as a senior, recalled the team having a “quiet resolve” before playing at Texas in 1964.
“You could hear a pin drop in that dressing room,” Phillips said. “I can’t personally remember anybody saying a word until we went out right before the game.
“Then the longer we played and stuck around, the more we all started believing we could win the game. The next year, I don’t think there was a player on our team that didn’t believe we were going to beat Texas again.”
Frank Broyles, Arkansas’ coach in 1958-1976 and athletic director in 1973-2007, sounded as if he’s as excited as the players for the Alabama game.
“I’ll be thinking about the game when I go to bed, and I’ll be thinking about it when I wake up,” Broyles said. “It’s the kind of game you don’t get to play every week.”
Broyles went 2-6 against No. 1 teams during his coaching tenure.
“It’s a big motivating factor when you play No. 1,” Broyles said. “Your players and coaches will do everything they can to prepare for a peak performance.
“My job as a coach was to make sure we didn’t get so high during the week that we used up all of our energy before the game started.”
Broyles worked as ABC’s lead analyst on college games with Keith Jackson in 1977-1985, but he didn’t work the Arkansas-Texas game in 1981 because of his connection to the Razorbacks. Instead Broyles watched with the other fans at Razorback Stadium as Arkansas piled it on the Longhorns forthe Hogs’ most-lopsided victory over a No. 1 team.
“We killed Texas, but we were kind limping going into the game,” Jay Bequette said. “We weren’t a dominant team at all.”
Texas had moved into the No. 1 spot the previous week after beating Oklahoma 34-14.
The Razorbacks were 4-1, but earlier in the season they had lost to TCU for the first time since 1958.
“When Texas looked at the film of us, they probably were licking their chops,” Jay Bequette said. “They probably were overconfident.”
But Holtz, Arkansas’ coach in 1977-1983, built up the Razorbacks’ confidence throughout the week.
“Lou had everybody drinking the Kool-Aid,” Jay Bequette said. “He told us all week, ‘It will not be a miracle when we beat Texas,’ and weall started believing him.”
Texas did its part to help the Razorbacks by having seven turnovers and several kicking game mistakes.
Arkansas had to go an average of 27 yards on its seven scoring drives, while Texas began 15 drives at its 20 or worse, including seven inside the 7.
“I played on special teams, and I was cramping up we were having so many kickoffs to cover,” said David Bazzel, a freshman linebacker for Arkansas in 1981. “That day was magical in the sense that we had the No. 1 team on our campus, and everything we did was right and everything they did was wrong.
“There was nothing better than walking off that field after beating Texas like that on your home turf.”
Bazzel doesn’t expect Alabama to play Saturday as Texas did at Razorback Stadium 29 years ago.
“Texas didn’t expect much out of us, but obviously Alabama knows they’re going to get our best shot,” Bazzel said. “We need to have a good day, and quite honestly it would be very helpful if Alabama had a bad day.
“But I don’t know if they could ever come close to how bad Texas was that day.”
Phillips said he is excited to see what the Razorbacks can do against Alabama, especially with quarterback Ryan Mallett leading the offense.
“If Mallett gets time, with his arm and our receivers, who knows what can happen?” Phillips said. “We could knock off Alabama.”
Jay Bequette said if his son’s Arkansas team beats Alabama, it will be more significant to him than beating Texas in 1981.
“You’ve never going to forget your own playing days,” he said. “But to watch your son experience something like that would be even better.”
Jake Bequette said it would mean a lot for the 2010 Razorbacks to duplicate what his father’s team did it taking down No. 1.
“Hopefully I can do that,” he said. “And not get my face mask pulled around.”Taking on No. 1
Saturday’s Arkansas-Alabama game will mark the 17th time Arkansas has played a No. 1-ranked team. The Razorbacks are 4-12 in the previous 16 matchups. Here is a rundown: 1957 No. 1 Texas A&M 7, No. 11 Arkansas 6 at Fayetteville 1961 No. 1 Alabama 10, No. 9 Arkansas 3 at New Orleans 1962 No. 1 Texas 7, No. 7 Arkansas 3 at Austin, Texas 1963 No. 1 Texas 17, No. 12 Arkansas 13 at Little Rock 1964 No. 8 Arkansas 14, No. 1 Texas 13 at Austin, Texas 1965 No. 3 Arkansas 27, No. 1 Texas 24 at Fayetteville 1969 No. 1 Texas 15, No. 2 Arkansas 14 at Fayetteville 1970 No. 1 Texas 42, No. 4 Arkansas 7at Austin, Texas
1973
No. 1 USC 17, Arkansas 0 at Los Angeles
1981
Arkansas 42, No. 1 Texas 11 at Fayetteville
1996
No. 1 Florida 42, Arkansas 7 at Fayetteville
1997
No. 1 Florida 56, Arkansas 7 at Gainesville, Fla.
1998
No. 1 Tennessee 28, No. 10 Arkansas 24 at Knoxville, Tenn.
2005
No. 1 USC 70, Arkansas 17 at Los Angeles
2007
Arkansas 50, No. 1 LSU 48 in triple OT at Baton Rouge
2009
No. 1 Florida 23, Arkansas 20 at Gainesville, Fla.
Sports, Pages 17 on 09/23/2010