Game Day, Part I

Arkansas’ Darren McFadden ran hog wild — from the Wild Hog formation — against No. 1 LSU, leading the Razorbacks to a 50-48 win over the Bayou Bengals during a triple-overtime thriller on the day after Thanksgiving.

There was a dark cloud over Death Valley on Black Friday in Baton Rouge, as 92,606 fans witnessed the end of LSU’s 19-game winning streak at Tiger Stadium as well as their shot at a BCS national title. But the SEC West champs will still face either Tennessee or Georgia in the SEC title game (Dec. 1) in Atlanta.

"We understand that this cost us and what was at stake," said LSU coach Les Miles. "We now have to look forward to playing another game, a very important game and one that is much bigger than the one we just played. That is what we have to focus on."

McFadden finished with 32 carries for 206 yards and three touchdowns on the ground — passing Auburn’s Bo Jackson (1982-85) for third place on the SEC career rushing list. Taking direct snaps in the shotgun Wild Hog formation, McFadden completed 3-of-6 passes for 34 yards and one scoring strike through the air.

After finishing second to Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith in last year’s Heisman Trophy voting, McFadden made a strong case for college football’s most prestigious award against arguably the most talented defense in the country — becoming the first player to rush for over 100 yards against LSU this season.

"He’s a Heisman Trophy guy," said Arkansas coach Houston Nutt. "The guy deserves the trophy. It’s not right for his name not to be mentioned as the No. 1 guy right now. He blocks; he catches; he quarterbacks; he throws; he reads; he runs the football with passion and determination. He really deserves a serious look."

UA’s Wild Hog formation also included tailback Felix Jones and fullback Peyton Hillis, who along with McFadden ran the Wishbone-inspired offense to perfection. Jones had nine carries for 85 yards, including the game-winning 2-point conversion in the third overtime. Hillis had 11 carries for 89 yards and two scores, along with five receptions for 62 yards and two trips to the end zone.

Arkansas ran the Wild Hog formation 31 times for 294 total yards and four touchdowns — 11 times for 67 yards and one score in the first half, 15 times for 216 yards and three end zone celebrations in the second half, and five times for 11 yards over three overtimes. The Wild Hog accounted for 57 percent of the Razorbacks’ 513 total yards of offense and four of UA’s seven touchdowns.

"Their defense is so fast, so good that we had to do something that we felt like gave us an advantage," said Nutt. "With McFadden at quarterback, they had to respect the run. They had to respect Felix (Jones). They had to respect Peyton (Hillis). They had to respect the pass. It gives us the best advantage against all those great athletes."

In a back-and-forth game, LSU still had a shot to tie the game at 50-50. But when quarterback Matt Flynn’s pass was intercepted by cornerback Matterral Richardson in the back of the end zone, the Razorbacks sealed their first win over a No. 1 ranked team since whipping Texas 42-11 in 1981. And for the 12th time this season, a Top 5 team was upended by an unranked squad.

Although Miles to Michigan rumors may have had a negative impact on the Tigers, it may have been the coach’s pronunciation of "Arkansas" — which he repeatedly called "Ar-Kansas" — that gave the Hogs additional motivation.

"I heard LSU on a couple of interviews saying ‘Ar-Kansas,’" said McFadden. "They weren’t saying it right, so we wanted to let them know how to say it."

One name Miles could pronounce was McFadden, who had a big game against the Tigers last season — with 182 rushing yards, 33 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 31-26 loss that eliminated the Razorbacks from the national title picture. This year, McFadden and the Wild Hogs were able to return the favor.

"I knew how good he was. I watched him a year ago. I was not surprised," said Miles. "He certainly had a Heisman performance today."

WAC Warriors

Hawaii claimed its first outright Western Athletic Conference title with a 39-27 win over Boise State on Friday night. The Warriors victory snapped the Broncos’ 18-game WAC winning streak and ended Boise’s five-year run as the conference champ.

"I think we proved something tonight," said Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. "It was a great win for us, the school and the state."

Brennan completed 40-of-53 passes for 495 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions on his way to breaking the all-time career touchdown pass record previously held by BYU great Ty Detmer, who threw 121 touchdowns from 1988-91.

With a critical game against Washington (Dec. 1) plus a bowl game remaining, Brennan has thrown 126 TD passes since arriving on the islands in 2005.

In the de facto WAC title game, Warriors receiver Davone Bess set a school record with 15 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow wide-out Jason Rivers added 11 grabs for 113 yards and one trip across the goal line.

If Hawaii is able to defeat Washington, the Warriors will finish the season with a perfect 12-0 record. That should be good enough for coach June Jones’ team to earn a spot in the Bowl Championship Series — much like Boise State did last year. But first, fans in the Aloha State would like to savor this week’s WAC title.

"To be here, 11-0, with a ring and the WAC championship, it seems like a fairy tale," said Brennan.