There have been countless highlights at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium.
In 68 years, the venerable stadium has seen its share of showdowns and fantastic finishes. What happened on the night of Oct. 24, 1970, sits near the top.
Visiting Wichita State was playing its first game since one of its team planes crashed into a mountain in Colorado on Oct. 2 on the way to play Utah State. The Gold plane carried the starters, head coach and other administrators and boosters.
Thirty-one people died in the crash including 14 players. The team voted nearly unanimously to continue the season, although the NCAA had to grant them an exemption to play freshmen, which was forbidden at the time. After two cancelations and a rescheduled game, the Shockers were set to play the No. 9 Razorbacks.
As the team took the field - some hobbling on crutches after surviving the crash - 40,000 fans rose to their feet and gave the Shockers a boisterous ovation. It has to be the only time the Arkansas faithful has showed that much support to an opponent.
“Our fans, as they should be and usually are, were so welcoming to that team,” said Chuck Dicus, a former Hogs All-American wide receiver. “That just shows you there are things in life more important than sports. I think that is the message our fans wanted to send to their team. This is bigger than this ballgame, and we want you to know we respect you and appreciate you, and we understand.”
Ray Burford, a sophomore in 1970, had rotated in and out of the WSU lineup at guard with senior Richard Stines. Stines was killed in the crash, so Burford was making the first start. He recalled many Hogs fans showing support before the game as the team walked around downtown Little Rock. He and his teammates never forgot that reception.
It’s why he will be a part of a group of 40 former Shockers and their spouses attending the Arkansas/Alcorn State game Saturday at War Memorial Stadium. Members of the 1970 Hogs team will join the group for a pregame tailgate and both teams will be recognized on the field following the first quarter. The Wichita State contingent will also have a memorial service in Little Rock on Sunday to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the crash.
“When we were in the locker room together, and then when we got the standing ovation, we knew we had done the right thing by playing,” Burford said. “I think we are coming back to Little Rock to get a little bit more of that feeling again. It’s like coming full circle for us. It’s closure.”
The Hogs fans weren’t the only ones showing compassion that week. Legendary Razorbacks Coach Frank Broyles, known for his character, talked more than once during the week about the plight facing the visitors. All-American defensive end Bruce James was told he would play four downs and sit the rest of the game.
Dicus, who had nursed a shoulder injury, suited up but wasn’t going to play in anticipation of the route.
James also said that Broyles told all of the scout team and walk-on players that if they could get to War Memorial Stadium, they would play. It was the only time many of them played during their Razorbacks’ careers.
“I saw players who got to fulfill a lifelong dream and play in a Razorback game,” James said. “If they hadn’t played that game, those guys wouldn’t have played.”
As the two teams took the field, reality set in. The three WSU captains, one on crutches with visible lacerations, came to midfield for the coin toss with tears in their eyes. The rest of the team, some of them also hobbling, came out on to the field directly behind the captains.
“I looked at them, and I kind of wondered what we were doing out there,” said James, who along with Dicus were at midfield. “It really affected me.”
James was known for his relentless motor, but the emotion got to him again once he lined up for the first play from scrimmage.
“When they broke the huddle, here comes this freshman because they had to play freshmen,” James said. “He was scared to death. I could see it in his eyes. All of this was flashing through my mind. ‘I can’t hit this kid.’ It is probably the only time I had any kind of doubt to full-speed or not go full-speed.”
As expected, Arkansas cruised to a 62-0 win, as some Hogs reserves scored for the first and only time in their careers.
“They could have won 100-0 if they wanted to,” Burford said.
For Burford and the Shockers, it was less about the outcome and more about the strength to continue. That’s a fact that was appreciated by the Hogs players, who were allowed a reprieve from Broyles’ rule of not visiting with the opponent following games.
“That team showed tremendous courage for wanting to continue their season and competing just like they were trained and coached to do,” Dicus said. “Both benches emptied, and we just talked to them and gave them our sympathies and some words of encouragement. We had a lot of respect for them and still do.”
And on Saturday the two teams will be on the field together one more time celebrating fallen teammates and a night where competition took a backseat to humanity.
“They need one more ovation,” Dicus said.