By Ryan Malashock
Special to the Arkansas News Bureau
FAYETTEVILLE – As a team captain the past two seasons, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett hadn’t experienced the tradition of “running through the ‘A’” mere minutes before the Razorbacks compete every Saturday.
That changed Saturday night, when Mallett pleaded with Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino to let him forfeit his coin-toss duties and run into Reynolds Razorback Stadium with his teammates.
Mallett wouldn’t say after No. 14 Arkansas’ 58-21 victory over UTEP whether Saturday’s contest was his last in Fayetteville. But his pregame action spoke loudly enough.
Zac Lehr • Special to the Arkansas News Bureau
“I had to control myself,” Mallett said. “I wanted to take it all in.”
Mallett said he cherished the moment. He didn’t have too bad a time during Saturday’s game, either, throwing for 215 yards and five touchdowns in the fourth consecutive victory for Arkansas (8-2).
It was Mallett’s first game with five touchdown passes this season – and the fourth of his Arkansas career. He added a rushing TD as well, and his six total touchdowns tied Madre Hill’s school record set in 1995.
“Madre, huh?” Mallett said. “He’s good company to share a record with.”
Mallett consistently picked apart the Miners defense Saturday night, completing 19 of his 26 passes. He connected on throws to nine different receivers and didn’t throw any interceptions for the fourth time this year.
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said he was impressed with Mallett’s efficiency.
“He did a nice job again of being very focused, understanding what the coverages were,” Petrino said. “He probably had maybe two errant throws, but he was very good when we got in the red zone with his accuracy.”
Mallett’s first touchdown of the night came on his fourth scoring scamper this season. The 6-foot-6, 238-pounder showed decent speed while scrambling 11 yards and awkwardly leaping into the end zone to tie the game at 7.
Several people, Mallett included, chuckled a bit about the way the quarterback capped the run.
“I think he thought he was about to get hit and was about to die,” Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “But really, there was nobody around.”
After a 70-yard touchdown run by Knile Davis, Mallett capped three consecutive drives with scoring tosses to spur the Hogs to a 35-14 lead.
Cobi Hamilton caught the first, breaking a tackle at the 5 for an 11-yard TD reception. Mallett increased the Razorback advantage to 14 points with a 32-yard strike to D.J. Williams on third-and-3 early in the second quarter.
Mallett nailed Jarius Wright on a play-action pass for a 15-yard touchdown to end the first-half scoring.
“The guys out wide made great catches all night,” Mallett said. “It seems like they’re all capable of breaking the first tackle and making a play.”
Mallett wasted no time in the second half in tossing his fourth score of the night, exhibiting swift agility on his second touchdown toss to Williams. Mallett evaded a defender, stepped to his left, rolled right and connected with Williams for a 6-yard touchdown that put Arkansas up 42-14.
He then ended his night, possibly his last in Fayetteville in a Razorback uniform, with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Gragg in the left corner of the end zone.
Mallett now has 54 touchdown passes in his Razorback career, passing Matt Jones among Arkansas quarterbacks for second all-time in school history. Clint Stoerner threw for 57 touchdowns but probably won’t hold onto that record, even if Mallett doesn’t return.
Given a chance to share whether Saturday was his last game in Razorback Stadium, Mallett passed.
“I just don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t made up my mind. It will be a big decision.”
