DALLAS - This time, Tony Temple is getting to keep the offensive MVP bowl trophy.

Nobody could take it away from Temple after Missouri's senior running back set Cotton Bowl records Tuesday by rushing for 281 yards and four touchdowns in the Tigers' 38-7 victory over Arkansas.

A year ago in El Paso, Texas, Temple was waiting on the field to receive the offensive MVP trophy at the Sun Bowl after rushing for 194 yards, but because Oregon State rallied for a last-second 39-38 victory, there was another vote and Beavers quarterback Matt Moore won the award.

A Sun Bowl official quietly told Temple he no longer was needed on the field, and he made a long walk back to the Missouri locker room.

After the 2008 Cotton Bowl, thousands of Missouri fans chanted "Tony ! Tony !" as the Tigers celebrated their most notable postseason victory since beating Florida 20-18 in the 1966 Sugar Bowl.

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"It's a lot better memory this year," Temple said with a smile. "That was a rough time [at the Sun Bowl ] because we knew we had a great team but we didn't play our best and didn't win.

" When you don't reach your potential, it's always disappointing."

It's hard to imagine Temple, 5-9, 205 pounds, playing much better than he did against Arkansas. He averaged 11. 7 yards on 24 carries while breaking former Rice standout Dicky Maegle's Cotton Bowl record of 265 yards on 11 carries against Alabama in 1954. In doing so, he became the first player in the game's 72-year history to rush for more than three touchdowns.

"Games like this, you can't dream about this, it just happens sometimes," said Temple, whose 281 yards set an Arkansas opponent record, surpassing the 250 Tennessee's Chuck Webb gained against the Razorbacks in the 1990 Cotton Bowl. "So many players talk about being in a zone, and I definitely was in the zone. I lost track of everything else."

Arkansas' defense lost track of Temple when it concentrated on stopping Missouri's potent passing attack.

The Tigers came into the game with the nation's No. 7 passing offense (327. 8 yards per game ) and 46 th rushing offense (164. 9 ).

Arkansas' running game was the center of pregame hype.

"We all heard about Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis," Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said, referring to Arkansas' backs. "No disrespect to those guys, but I wouldn't trade Tony for anyone.

" Tony hasn't gotten as many carries this year because we've been throwing the heck out of the football. We took what they were giving us this game. I even told the coaches, 'Let's just keep feeding it to Tony.'"

Temple had rushed for 758 yards this season going into the Cotton Bowl, including 141 against Texas A&M and 123 against Ole Miss, but Arkansas' focus was on stopping Daniel - fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting - and his talented receivers and tight ends.

"With our offense, we have so many playmakers you just never know when it's your turn," Temple said. "I was just doing my role, and I was hungry."

Temple was hungry to prove that McFadden and Jones - who rushed for a combined 150 yards on 31 carries - weren't the only talented running backs in the Cotton Bowl.

"There's a little competitive streak when you're hearing about the other team's backs all week," Temple said. "It stuck in my head a little bit."

With the Razorbacks playing seven defensive backs much of the game, Temple often didn't meet any resistance until he had broken into the secondary. He had eight runs of between 14 and 41 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown run on his last carry.

"I can't give enough credit to my offensive line, they did a great job," Temple said. "I just continued looking at them and saying, 'Let's go, let's go.'"

Temple smiled when asked about comments made by the Razorbacks earlier this week that focused on Missouri's passing game.

"When they said they weren't worried about the run, I said, 'Perfect,'" Temple said. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Temple's shrines Missouri's Tony Temple set at least three records Tuesday with his 281-yard peformance against Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl:

NCAA BOWL PREVIOUS RECORD James Gray (1989 ) Texas Tech, 280 COTTON BOWL PREVIOUS RECORD Dicky Maegle (1954 ) Rice, 265 YARDS VS. ARKANSAS PREVIOUS LEADERS Chuck Webb (1990 ) Tennessee, 250; Stephen Davis (1994 ) Auburn 246 SOURCES Cotton Bowl media guide, NCAA record book Temple's runs play by play FIRST SERIES 1-10 (Missouri 20 )/ Gain of 9 yards 2-10 (Missouri 36 )/ Loss of 4 yards TOTAL 2 carries, 5 yards SECOND SERIES 1-10 (Missouri 27 )/ Gain of 3 yards 1-10 (Arkansas 22 )/ Gain of 22 yards, TD TOTAL 2 carries, 25 yards THIRD SERIES 2-2 (Missouri 44 )/ Gain of 22 yards 2-9 (Arkansas 33 )/ Loss of 12 yards TOTAL 2 carries, 10 yards FOURTH SERIES 1-10 (Missouri 8 )/ Gain of 41 yards TOTAL 1 carry, 41 yards FIFTH SERIES 1-10 (Missouri 18 )/ Gain of 2 yards 2-8 (Missouri 20 )/ Gain of 22 yards 1-10 (Arkansas 42 )/ Gain of 38 yards 1-G (Arkansas 4 )/ Gain of 4 yards, TD TOTAL 4 carries, 66 yards SIXTH SERIES 1-10 (Missouri 20 )/ Gain of 5 yards 1-10 (Missouri 31 )/ Gain of 7 yards TOTAL 2 carries, 12 yards HALFTIME TOTAL 13 carries, 159 yards SECOND HALF SEVENTH SERIES 1-10 (Arkansas 48 )/ Gain of 1 yard 1-10 (Arkansas 32 )/ Gain of 19 yards 3-1 (Arkansas 4 )/ Gain of 4 yards, TD TOTAL 3 carries, 24 yards EIGHTH SERIES 2-10 (Missouri 43 )/ Gain of 5 yards TOTAL 1 carry, 5 yards NINTH SERIES 2-10 (Missouri 38 )/ Gain of 7 yards 2-9 (Arkansas 43 )/ Gain of 14 yards 1-10 (Arkansas 29 )/ Gain of 8 yards, lost fumble TOTAL 3 carries, 29 yards

10 TH SERIES 1-10 (Missouri 20 )/ Gain of 1 yard 1-10 (Missouri 37 )/ Gain of 14 yards 1-15 (Arkansas 43 )/ Gain of 9 yards TOTAL 3 carries, 24 yards

13 TH SERIES 1-10 (Arkansas 40 )/ Gain of 40 yards, TD TOTAL 1 carry, 40 yards SECOND HALF 11 carries, 122 yards FINAL TOTAL 24 carries, 281 yards