Win one for The Wood: Can Hogs recreate miracles and beat LSU?

McFadden and 2007 Razorbacks had a theme that led to one of the greatest wins in Arkansas history

Two-time Heisman Trophy runnerup Darren McFadden "brings the wood" while being honored Nov. 12, 2016, during a break in the Arkansas Razorbacks game against the LSU Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Seven straight setbacks. Six by a total of just 25 points. One fired coach. Another likely to pack up in about three weeks.

Yes, the numbers are quite ugly for the 2025 Arkansas Razorbacks football team. Can't get much worse, you'd think. But it might.

On tap are road games against the LSU Tigers and Texas Longhorns, before what amounts to a merciful end to a disastrous season in the home finale with the Missouri Tigers.

If these Hogs are still hungry enough, they might scratch out a victory down in The Swamp on Saturday, when they kick off 11:45 a.m. on the SEC Network.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) hands off to running back Braylen Russell (0) during the third quarter agains the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Bulldogs won 38-35 in the Hogs' last outing on Nov. 1. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

If you think it's hopeless, the Razorbacks have faced worse odds. Look up the definition of hopeless and you'll find a description of what the Hogs faced against LSU in 2002.

Here's my advice on how the Hogs can win again. Adopt an old motto and "Bring the Wood."

That's what the Razorbacks did in what has to be the greatest game ever in the Arkansas-LSU rivalry.

#TBT from my days w/tha @ArkRazorbacks​ #GoHogs

Caption this photo! #WPS pic.twitter.com/szt0krFSsv

— Darren McFadden (@dmcfadden20) March 26, 2015

Just in this century, Arkansas has bested LSU in three fantastic finishes. First up is ...

Triple overtime starring RunDMC

This was Houston Nutt's final game as Arkansas' coach and the 2007 showdown pitted No. 1-ranked LSU against the best backfield in Hogs history: Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis.

Spoiler alert: Arkansas won 50-48 in triple overtime down in Baton Rouge, La., with McFadden running for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He even passed for a TD while frequently taking the direct snap in the "Wild Hog" formation.

"That was the last game I coached D-Mac," Nutt said. "You talk about highlight after highlight. I thought he won the Heisman that day."

Besides their talented trio of backs, what enabled Arkansas to upset LSU in front of their 92,606 frenzied fans?

"Our theme was 'Bring the wood' and our guys certainly did that day," said Nutt, the Hogs' coach from 1998-2007.

"I got 'em all ball bats. Bring the wood."

"I GOT THAT WOOD!"

In 2007, Darren McFadden ran for 206 yards and 4 total TD in @RazorbackFB's 3OT upset of No. 1 LSU in Death Valley 💪 pic.twitter.com/tbDakDRWft

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 23, 2020

McFadden broke his own school rushing record that day, which he set the year before. He finished with 1,830 yards which is still the Hogs' all-time best.

His 206 rushing against LSU is 11th on Arkansas' single-game list. He holds that record also, with an incredible 321 rushing yards against South Carolina earlier in 2007.

Of course, RunDMC finished second in the 2007 Heisman Trophy voting, just as he'd done the year before.

Complementing McFadden's big day were Hillis running for 89 yards and Jones 85 as Arkansas finished with 385 yards on the ground against one of the best run defenses in the country.

LSU coach Les Miles devised a scheme to stop McFadden and the “Wild Hog” formation. He assigned two linebackers to McFadden, who was a triple threat to run, hand off or throw while taking the direct snap.

Much to Miles' dismay, McFadden was quite comfortable in the quarterback role and executed a flawless play-action fake on his 24-yard touchdown pass to Hillis in the fourth quarter.

“There’s a point where I thought we were going to defend that thing pretty well,” Miles said that day. “There were two pretty good LSU tacklers ready to tackle that guy and he didn’t go down. It definitely affected us.”

LSU's season didn't end with the disappointment at the hands (and legs) of the Hogs, despite McFadden and the Razorbacks taking them to the woodshed.

The Tigers beat Tennessee 21-14 in the SEC Championship Game a week later, then topped Ohio State in the BCS Championship game, 38-24, in the Superdome in New Orleans to win the national championship.

Five years earlier, the Hogs had reached the SEC Championship game in Atlanta instead of LSU because they beat the Tigers.

They did it by pulling off a magic trick. That became known as ...

The Miracle on Markham

This is arguably the greatest ending of any Razorback football game in the 131-year history of the program.

LSU led 20-14 with only 34 seconds left. The Tigers had just eaten up 5:53 of the clock with a 15-play drive to seemingly clinch the win. Some fans were even leaving War Memorial Stadium, thinking the game was decided.

Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones took over with just 34 ticks remaining. On his own 19-yard line. With no timeouts. Nobody figured they had a chance.

Factor in that Jones was more a runner than a passer as a sophomore in his first season as the starting quarterback. For the game, he'd completed only 2-of-13 passes.

Hopeless, indeed, or so it seemed.

But Jones hit a 50-yarder on the first play to Richard Smith. Rumor is the LSU secondary coach was fired at that moment.

Suddenly, at the LSU 31, the Hogs had a chance. Jones threw incomplete deep. Then it happened.

The improbable. The impossible. The miracle. A 31-yard touchdown pass in the back corner of the end zone, from Jones to DeCori Birmingham.

Arkansas' wild celebration of the touchdown cost them a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, making the PAT a 35-yarder but David Carlton drilled it for the win.

What the clip didn't show was LSU's shell-shocked coach shaking hands with Nutt when it ended. LSU's coach was Nick Saban.

LSU coach Nick Saban smiles as Chad Lavalais (93, left) and Stephen Peterman (72) kiss the ADT National Championship Trophy after winning the 2004 Nokia Sugar Bowl, defeating Oklahoma 21-14 on Jan. 4, 2004. | USA TODAY NETWORK

By 2008, Saban had guided LSU to the BCS National Championship in '04, flopped as the Miami Dolphins coach for two years with a 15-17 record, and become Alabama's coach.

Also in 2008 was another crazy ending at War Memorial Stadium on Markham Street...

Miracle on Markham II

Sequels are never as good as the first, at least not in Hollywood. Only The Godfather and Lord of the Rings spawned Oscar-worthy sequels.

Taking home Best Picture honors in 1974 was The Godfather Part II while in 2003 it was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Six years after Birmingham's touchdown shocked everyone by giving Arkansas an amazing come-from-behind victory, the media declared another Razorbacks rally to be worthy of the sequel title.

Don't tell Hogs quarterback Casey Dick and receiver London Crawford this 2008 win didn't live up to its predecessor.

Dick took the snap with just 27 seconds remaining and his pass on fourth-and-four found Crawford in the same part of the end zone where Birmingham hauled in Jones' throw.

Arkansas again escaped with a big win, 31-30. It capped coach Bobby Petrino's first season as the Head Hog, giving the team a 5-7 record, 4-4 in the SEC.

It was a sign of great times ahead. Petrino's records the next three years were:

• 8-5, 3-5 in the SEC
• 10-3, 6-2 in the SEC
• 11-2, 6-2 in the SEC

Those indeed, were the good ol' days.