2003 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
American college football season
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The 2003 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Houston Nutt, the Razorbacks compiled an overall record 9–4 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing fourth in the SEC's Western Division.. Arkansas was invited to the Independence Bowl, where the Razorbacks defeated Missouri. The team played home games at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Houston Nutt (6th season)
| 2003 Arkansas Razorbacks football | |
|---|---|
Independence Bowl champion | |
Independence Bowl, W 27–14 vs. Missouri | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Western Division | |
| Record | 9–4 (4–4 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Roy Wittke (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | Dave Wommack (2nd season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium War Memorial Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Georgia xy | 6 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Tennessee x | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Florida x | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 1 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 LSU xy$# | 7 | – | 1 | 13 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Ole Miss x | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas | 4 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: LSU 34, Georgia 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On November 1, Arkansas beat Kentucky in a game that went to seven overtimes. At the time, it tied the record for the most overtimes in an National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football game.
Seven Razorbacks were named to the 2003 All-SEC football team after the regular season: RB Cedric Cobbs, WR George Wilson, TE Jason Peters, OT Shawn Andrews, LB Caleb Miller, CB Ahmad Carroll, and S Tony Bua. Andrews was also awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the best offensive lineman in the SEC, for the second consecutive year. Andrews was also named a consensus All-American for the second straight season as well.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 6 | 6:00 pm | Tulsa* | W 45–13 | 69,442 | |||
| September 13 | 11:00 am | at No. 6 Texas* | ABC | W 38–28 | 83,271 | ||
| September 20 | 6:00 pm | North Texas* | No. 14 | W 31–7 | 55,825 | ||
| September 27 | 2:30 pm | at Alabama | No. 9 | CBS | W 34–31 2OT | 83,818 | |
| October 11 | 11:30 am | Auburn | No. 7 |
| JPS | L 3–10 | 74,026 |
| October 18 | 2:30 pm | Florida | No. 11 |
| CBS | L 28–33 | 73,934 |
| October 25 | 6:15 pm | at Ole Miss | No. 21 | ESPN2 | L 7–19 | 58,717 | |
| November 1 | 6:00 pm | at Kentucky | ESPN2 | W 71–63 7OT | 66,124 | ||
| November 6 | 6:30 pm | South Carolina |
| ESPN | W 28–6 | 55,617 | |
| November 15 | 1:00 pm | New Mexico State* |
| W 48–20 | 53,725 | ||
| November 22 | 1:00 pm | Mississippi State |
| W 52–6 | 62,547 | ||
| November 28 | 1:30 pm | at No. 3 LSU | CBS | L 24–55 | 92,213 | ||
| December 31 | 6:30 pm | vs. Missouri* | ESPN | W 27–14 | 49,625 | ||
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Game summaries
Tulsa
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Hurricane | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Razorbacks | 7 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 45 |
At No. 6 Texas
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Razorbacks | 14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| No. 6 Longhorns | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
North Texas
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Green | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 14 Razorbacks | 7 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
At Alabama
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 9 Razorbacks | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 34 |
| Crimson Tide | 7 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
Auburn
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tigers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| No. 7 Razorbacks | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Florida
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gators | 0 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 33 |
| No. 11 Razorbacks | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
At Ole Miss
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 21 Razorbacks | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Rebels | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
At Kentucky
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | 4OT | 5OT | 6OT | 7OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Razorbacks | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 71 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 63 |
- (Q1, 7:57) ARK DeCori Birmingham 10 yard run (Chris Balseiro kick)
- (Q1, 0:10) UK Andrew Hopewell 6 yard blocked punt return (Taylor Begley kick)
- (Q2, 8:54) ARK – Richard Smith 26 yard pass from Matt Jones (Chris Balseiro kick)
- (Q2, 6:45) ARK – Tom Crowder recovered blocked punt in end zone (Chris Balseiro kick)
- (Q3, 3:44) UK – Alexis Bwenge 51 yard pass from Jared Lorenzen (Taylor Begley kick)
- (Q4, 7:11) UK – Taylor Begley 34 yard field goal
- (Q4, 3:22) ARK – Chris Balseiro 37 yard field goal
- (Q4, 1:38) UK – Chris Bernard 13 yard pass from Jared Lorenzen (Taylor Begley kick)
- (OT) ARK – Mark Pierce 1 yard run (Chris Balseiro kick)
- (OT) UK – Alexis Bwenge 2 yard run (Taylor Begley kick)
- (2OT) UK – Alexis Bwenge 7 yard run (Taylor Begley kick)
- (2OT) ARK – Jason Peters 7 yard pass from Matt Jones (Chris Balseiro kick)
- (3OT) ARK – Chris Balseiro 25 yard field goal
- (3OT) UK – Taylor Begley 24 yard field goal
- (4OT) UK – Jared Lorenzen 1 yard run (Derek Abney run)
- (4OT) ARK – Matt Jones 3 yard run (Mark Pierce pass from Matt Jones)
- (5OT) ARK – George Wilson 15 yard pass from Matt Jones (pass failed)
- (5OT) UK – Jared Lorenzen 2 yard run (pass failed)
- (6OT) UK – Jared Lorenzen 1 yard run (Tommy Cook run)
- (6OT) ARK – Mark Pierce 2 yard run (George Wilson pass from Matt Jones)
- (7OT) ARK – DeCori Birmingham 25 yard run (Jason Peters pass from Matt Jones)
South Carolina
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamecocks | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Razorbacks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
New Mexico State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggies | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Razorbacks | 0 | 14 | 28 | 6 | 48 |
Mississippi State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Razorbacks | 0 | 21 | 21 | 10 | 52 |
At No. 3 LSU
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Razorbacks | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 3 Tigers | 10 | 24 | 21 | 0 | 55 |
Vs. Missouri—Independence Bowl
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tigers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Razorbacks | 3 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
- (Q1, 8:50) ARK – Chris Balseiro 33 yard field goal
- (Q1, 6:50) MIZZ – Zack Abron 1 yard run (Michael Matheny kick)
- (Q2, 13:09) ARK – Chris Balseiro 28 yard field goal
- (Q2, 7:24) ARK – Matt Jones 1 yard run (George Wilson pass from Matt Jones)
- (Q2, 5:59) ARK – Cedric Cobbs 41 yard run (Chris Balseiro kick)
- (Q3, 5:21) ARK – Chris Balseiro 25 yard field goal
- (Q3, 0:39) MIZZ – Brad Smith 5 yard run (Michael Matheny kick)
- (Q4, 12:57) ARK – Chris Balseiro 24 yard field goal
Arkansas RB Cedric Cobbs and LB Caleb Miller were named the bowl games Offensive and Defensive MVPs, respectively.
