The Arkansas

Razorbacks feel like they

are on top of the world, and in a very real way, the Hogs are on top of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. That is the outcome of a splendid performance where Arkansas’ offensive and defensive units perfectly complemented each other to upset No. 2 Auburn, 27-10, on the Tigers’ home field. The victory is the biggest upset of the college football season, and it ranks high in the annals of Razorback football history.

One has to reach back to the Hogs’ historic 1964 season, when Arkansas won its lone national title, to find a road victory as meaningful.

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On Oct. 17 in Austin, the ’ 64 Razorbacks held off No. 1 Texas for a 14-13 victory that propelled that team to greatness.

Every member of that squad will tell you that it was that victory which gave the team the confidence to rumble to the championship.

Certainly, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. One win is but one win.

However, such a dominating victory for a team that had struggled on both sides of the football until Saturday, should certainly let the Razorbacks know how good they can be when everyone executes.

What should be a little bit scary for the rest of the SEC is that the Hogs still have the ability to improve and the schedule the next few weeks to do it.

Congratulations have to go out to head coach Houston Nutt and his staff for preparing the team so well and for their management of the game itself.

It was a masterful job.

The Razorbacks zeroed in on a game plan and most importantly executed it for 60 minutes.

It was a dominating performance in every way, led by the offensive and defensive lines.

Those units controlled the football game, particularly in the second half when Arkansas dominated possession of the football, 20: 05 to 9: 55.

Razorback defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, an All-American lineman for Auburn in the late 1980 s, had to be proud of his troops, who vexed the Tigers all day.

The Hogs had five sacks and held Auburn to just 60 yards rushing, which is more than 120 yards under the Tigers’ average. The Razorbacks also held Auburn to just ™ yards passing, 20 yards under their average, and most importantly shut them out in the second half.

A year ago, the story was just the opposite when Auburn turned a 10-6 Razorback halftime lead into a 34-17 Tigers’ victory.

Likewise Mike Marku- son, UA offensive line coach, and Danny Nutt, UA running back coach, have to love the performance of their units.

Going into the game, Auburn was allowing opponents just 86 yards rushing a game.

The Razorbacks more than tripled that total for 279 rushing yards with Darren McFadden rushing 28 times for 145 yards and Felix Jones zipping for 104 yards on just 13 carries.

Though some will play the revisionist game and make the Tigers out to be less than what they are, Auburn is a talented, talented football team with few chinks in its armor.

But Arkansas was a buzzsaw Saturday, with the perfect game plan, the proper execution and a powerful will to succeed.

For Nutt, his staff and his players, it was just the self-assuring victory they needed to establish themselves as a true SEC contender in their own minds as well as the Razorback fanbase.

In and of itself, it was a perfect victory, and it could be a seed that grows into something even greater.

Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.