LITTLE ROCK — 2 Passes completed by Matt Jones during first nine possessions for Arkansas 2 Passes completed by Jones during 25 seconds on Arkansas’ final drive 46 Yards passing for Jones before final drive 81 Yards passing by Jones during 25-second drive 140 Houston Nutt’s record at War Memorial Stadium after 21-20 victory over LSU
What they said
after the game
“We won a game in
the last 13 seconds,
and today we lost a
game in the last 36 seconds. So, Sometimes
you say they balance themselves out. Well, I guess we were a victim of that today.”
- LSU Coach Nick Saban
“It’s just a blessing
from the heavens.” - Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt “You see a little
opening, but you’ve
just got to give him
a chance. You can’t throw it out of bounds.
You’ve got to just give him a chance and hope he comes down with it.” - Matt Jones, on his
touchdown pass to DeCori Birmingham “I kept feeling people hitting my legs and my
heels. But I just dug down and tried not to be denied.” - Fred Talley, on his 56-yard
touchdown run that pulled Arkansas within within 17-14. What they’re saying today
“I was responsible
for the ‘Miracle on
Markham Street,’ or whatever they call it.
I remember it like it was yesterday. ... That
drive is something
that still sticks with me to this day. But it was a heck of a throw
by Jones in the back in the end zone there.
... We made him look
like Joe Namath on that last drive.”- Florida Coach Will Muschamp, LSU’s defensive
coordinator at the time “I remember a lot
about that game. You don’t forget those
kind. A lot of it was not good execution by our defense, but it was a great player making
great plays for them.
Matt Jones was a great player.”
- Nick Saban, now the coach at Alabama, recalling the 2002 game
What they wrote WALLY HALL Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
As time ran out on the third quarter, Matt Jones came to his feet and raised his arms over his head. Four fingers showed on both hands.
Arkansas trailed 17-7.
Then dozens of other Razorbacks flashed the sign that means, “The final quarter belongs to us.”
Believe it.
Another Miracle on Markham Street and another notch in Houston Nutt’s War Memorial Stadium belt as the Razorbacks got their first lead after 59:51 of play. It was good for a 21-20 victory.
Believe it, Nutt is 14-0 in The Rock.
SCOTT CAIN Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
In a season that has at times defied college football’s laws of nature, Arkansas saved its most powerful miracles for the last ticks of the regular season.
Unable to throw effectively all day, Arkansas struck not with one but two thunderbolts that covered 81 yards in 25 seconds. Quarterback Matt Jones fired both, the second a 31-yard touchdown pass to backup flanker DeCori Birmingham with nine seconds to play, to deliver the Razorbacks from desperation to delirium.
Sports, Pages 32 on 11/22/2012