By Scott Faldon
Times Record • sfaldon@swtimes.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ 49-14 win against Vanderbilt wasn’t the most memorable performance of the year. Despite that, it will be in the record books thanks to Ryan Mallett
The Razorback quarterback finished with 409 yards on 27-of-44 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. That was good for a QB rating of 161.95.
The 409 yards was a new single-game high for an Arkansas quarterback.
In fact, Mallett now owns the four most-prolific passing games in school history. In addition to Saturday’s effort against Vanderbilt, Mallett posted 408 yards against Georgia in 2009, 405 against Troy in 2009, and 400 against Troy earlier this season.
“It definitely feels better with a win, there’s no doubt,” Mallett said of setting the record. “Last year, they told me, I didn’t really care, we got beat (52-41 by Georgia). But this year it’s pretty special.”
Saturday’s game was the 32nd time an Arkansas quarterback threw for more than 300 yards.
It was Mallett’s fourth 400-yard game and his 10th time to throw for more than 300 yards as a Razorback. Clint Stoerner topped 300 passing yards four times, Casey Dick three times and Joe Ferguson twice. Bill Montgomery, Ronny South, Nathan Dick and Brad Taylor each threw for more than 300 once each.
In the first half, Mallett moved into second place on the Razorbacks’ career passing list with 6,073 yards. He moved past Barry Lunney Jr. (5,782 yards), Casey Dick (5,856) and Matt Jones (5,857).
He also moved to third on the career touchdown passes list with 48, past Dick’s 47 TD tosses.
Most importantly, Mallett came out of the game on his own terms for the first time in three weeks. Two weeks ago at Auburn, he left the game in the second quarter with a concussion. Last week against Ole Miss, a bruised shoulder sidelined Mallett in the third quarter following a lengthy lightning delay. He didn’t mind leaving Saturday’s game with a 42-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a lot better than coming out the way I did the last two weeks, there’s no question about it,” Mallett said.
Funky Decision
After Arkansas scored early in the second quarter to cut Vanderbilt’s lead to 14-13, Commodores head coach Robbie Caldwell sent backup quarterback Jerod Funk into the game.
Funk, who’d played in just three of Vandy’s seven games, had attempted just 10 passes and completed four for 112 yards.
His second pass was tipped and intercepted by Rudell Crim, who returned it to the Vandy 20. Three plays later, Ryan Mallett hit Jarius Wright for a 15-yard touchdown. Arkansas scored 19 unanswered points to turn a 14-13 Vanderbilt lead into a 32-14 Arkansas advantage at halftime.
Funk didn’t return until the fourth quarter, where he promptly threw an interception to Jerico Nelson, who returned it for a TD.
Funk’s stat was line was 2-of-5 passing for 11 yards with two interceptions. That works out to a minus-21.52 quarterback rating.
Most Starters Return
As Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said earlier in the week, wide receiver Joe Adams did not play against Vanderbilt. But the other two starters injured in the Ole Miss game — quarterback Ryan Mallett and wide receiver Greg Childs — did.
Mallett was, obviously, OK after bruising his right shoulder last week against Ole Miss.
Childs caught five passes for 87 yards, with a long of 39 yards. But he left the game after the second play of the fourth quarter with another injury. Petrino said the extent of the injury was not known Saturday night.
Long-time Coming
D.J. Williams’ touchdown catch midway through the first quarter was his first since the Troy game in 2009, snapping a 10-game streak without a score for the senior.
Jarius Wright caught his first touchdown pass of the season in the second quarter. Wright didn’t have to wait as long for his second. It came less than five minutes later.
Hocker Gets Miss
After Williams’ TD, Zach Hocker’s extra point failed. Holder Austin Tucker mishandled the snap resulting in a failed kick scored to the team, not individually to Hocker.
Regardless of the official scoring, it was the first PAT miss of the season for Arkansas and snapped a streak of 28 consecutive made extra points by Hocker.
As No. 19
Arkansas entered Saturday’s game with a 4-1 record as the No. 19-ranked team. The Razorbacks’ only loss while playing as No. 19 was to Santa Clara, 21-12, in 1951. The last time Arkansas won in that poll slot was a 41-39 win against Baylor in 1981.
Crip Hall Award
D.J. Williams was named the Crip Hall Award winner.
He finished with four catches for 31 yards and one TD.
The Crip Hall Award is given annually to the senior with the most outstanding Homecoming game performance. It is named the former Secretary of State of Arkansas, who served from 1937-61. The Crip Hall winner is honored at a banquet hosted by the Fort Smith Razorback Club in the spring.
Saturday was the 89th Homecoming in Arkansas history.
The Razorbacks are now 53-32-4 in Homecoming games. Arkansas now has a five-game winning streak in those games.
