The University of Arkansas scored its biggest victory of the year two days before the Razorbacks ever took the field against Florida.

Thursday was when the Arkansas Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Mount Ida’s John David Terry, who had sued the university over e-mails sent to former Razorbacks quarterback Mitch Mustain. Mustain is long gone, of course, now working as USC’s backup quarterback, which is a pretty good gig if you can get it.

Mustain showed that late Saturday night by completing 5 of 8 passes for 111 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. Mustain also threw an interception, but he clearly is better off now than he was two years ago at Arkansas.

Hog fans surely remember that 2006 season, the one in which Mustain went 8-0 as a starter while playing under offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn — his former high school coach — and among a talented cast that included future NFL first-rounders Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Less than two years later, those already feel like the good ol’ days.

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They feel that way because after watching Arkansas absorb another lopsided loss on Saturday, 38-7 to Florida, it doesn’t look like the Hogs will be heading to another SEC Championship Game any time soon. It also makes one wonder who were the real winners and losers in the soap-opera struggle that involved Mustain, Malzahn and former Coach Houston Nutt.

Here are your winners: Mustain. He might not be starting at USC, but at least now he’ll be able to sink or swim based on his abilities. At Arkansas, he became little more than a pawn in Nutt’s quest to run an unchecked program. Nutt. Despite squandering Arkansas’ best shot to date at an SEC championship, Nutt won enough games in 2006 to secure his immediate future. He also later managed to secure millions of dollars before taking his act to the other side of the Mississippi River. Malzahn. Moving from the SEC to Conference USA isn’t usually a good career path for coaches, but it has proved to be perfect for Malzahn. Allowed to run his own show, Malzahn just might come back to Arkansas next month with a ranked Tulsa team. Damian Williams. Also embroiled in the fiasco at Arkansas two years ago, Williams was the first to take his talents to USC. These days, he’s the Trojans’ leading receiver, with team highs in catches (20 ), yards (310 ) and touchdowns (4 ).

And your losers: Teresa Prewett. Author of the infamous “Mr. Interception King” e-mail, Prewett could be the poster child for adults who get far too wrapped up in the games played by college boys. Anyone reading the entire “Mr. Interception King” e-mail, in fact, could be forgiven for finding it about as shallow as the water in your average urinal.

Hog fans. While it’s fair to argue that Arkansas got an upgrade in coaching when Bobby Petrino was hired to replace Nutt, the team’s play this season has been mostly painful to watch. So, not only were Arkansas fans cheated in 2006, but they now must patiently wait as Petrino and Co. put forth a reconstruction plan.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that on Thursday, the whole mess was finally put to rest.

It’s sure to be revisited when Nutt brings Ole Miss to Fayetteville in less than two weeks, but here’s hoping Hog fans won’t let themselves be consumed by the past. The future is far more important.

As for Arkansas’ immediate future, well, it doesn’t look that bright. But even after another blowout loss, Petrino said something that offered a glimmer of hope for those who love to call the Hogs.

“We talk to [the players ] all the time about caring about the football team, caring about winning, the fact that care is an action word,” Petrino said. “Their actions in practice and their actions getting ready for the game, and competing in the game, show that they really do care a lot.”

So do Arkansas’ fans, and that’s why Thursday was a victory, because now they can channel their care into what happens on the field and not off it.