FAYETTEVILLE — For one night the Arkansas Razorbacks could forget about Houston Nutt’s hot seat and their recent fourth-quarter failures and just revel in the joy of a thorough woodshed whipping.

Arkansas ganged up on overmatched North Texas, mainlining a stream of confidence provided by the Mean Green, all for the low, low price of the $ 425, 000 game guarantee.

The Razorbacks (2-2 ) ran away early, blending their alwaysexplosive running game with a big-play passing attack to grind up the Mean Green 66-7 before a crowd of 66, 343 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The Razorbacks had lost their previous two games to Alabama and Kentucky in heartbreaking fashion.

“This game was very important coming off a tough loss,” Nutt said. “But I tell you, nobody wants to win more than these players.”

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Arkansas was in confidencebuilding mode from the start.

Seven players scored touchdowns, including two each from star tailbacks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, as the Razorbacks racked up 713 total yards, the second-highest total in school history.

The outburst included three 100-yard rushers, three touchdown passes from Casey Dick and 446 rushing yards, the 10 th-highest total in school history.

Jerell Norton capped the performance with a school-record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown with 31 seconds left in the game.

Moments later, receiver London Crawford, his early-season woes forgotten with a 61-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, led the student section in singing the Arkansas fight song.

Arkansas’ man coverage did a number on a North Texas Spread attack that entered the game with the fifth-best passing offense in the country, holding the Mean Green to 189 yards in the air.

Arkansas caught one early break — an illegal participation penalty on a punt that would have ended the Razorbacks’ first possession — then proceeded to slice and dice the North Texas defense.

Jones scored on a 35-yard end around, triggered by center Jonathan Luigs’ kickout block on the left edge, two plays after the North Texas infraction.

“I’m not saying that would have made the difference in a win or a loss, but from a momentum standpoint, when you come into a place like this... and playing a team that’s hungry, and you get a stop on the opening possession, you’ve got to take advantage of that,” North Texas Coach Todd Dodge said. “And we didn’t.”

The Razorbacks had amassed 221 total yards and a 24-0 lead in the first quarter before the Mean Green (0-4 ) notched their initial first down. Arkansas scored on its first five possessions to lead 31-0 just 50 seconds into the second quarter. McFadden and Jones did all their damage in the game’s first 26 minutes. Each rushed for more than 130 yards — the seventh game in which they broke the 100-yard mark together — and they both scored two touchdowns.

“We accomplished what we wanted to tonight,” McFadden said. “I thought this game brought a lot of confidence back to the team. I thought the passing game stepped up very well tonight, and the defense played well also.” Brandon Barnett, the third-string Arkansas tailback, got enough playing time in the second half to rack up 105 yards and a touchdown. Dick had one of his best games, completing 12 of 21 passes for 210 yards. The yardage was the second-most in his career, trailing the 228 he amassed against South Carolina last season. “They were giving us the short passes all night, so the passing game gained confidence every time we completed a pass,” Dick said. “I think the offense will be rolling from here on out.”

The Razorbacks defense gobbled up North Texas’ Spread offense, which came in averaging 378 passing yards per game. The Mean Green’s dink-and-dunk game finally got cranked up late in the second quarter. Quarterback Giovanni Vizza capped an 80-yard drive with his 1-yard touchdown run to cut the Arkansas lead to 45-7 late in the opening half.

The outcome, however, had already been decided.

Dick found Crawford streaking unguarded on play-action for a 61-yard score on Arkansas’ second possession.

The junior also threw touchdown passes of 37 yards to Robert Johnson and 5 yards to Lucas Miller, the first career touchdown catch for both players. Dick’s night was over one series after the touchdown to Miller, which came on the Razorbacks’ first series of the second half, set up by Michael Grant’s interception at the North Texas 19.

Arkansas improved to 2-0 against Sun Belt Conference competition and helped ease the sting of back-to-back SEC losses that had fans grumbling and booing at the end of last week’s home loss to Kentucky. Game sketch RECORD Arkansas 2-2, North Texas 0-4 STARS Arkansas running back Darren McFadden had 138 rushing yards and two scores by halftime, and backfield mate Felix Jones almost matched him with 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Casey Dick’s three touchdown passes matched a career high, and his 210 passing yards were the second-most of his career. KEY STAT Arkansas’ 713 yards was the second-best in school history, trailing only the 859 yards amassed against Pittsburg (Kan. ) State in 1936. UP NEXT Arkansas takes on Football Championship Subdivision member Chattanooga at 6 p. m. Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.