Arkansas Loses Game but Wins Some Respect : Miami’s 18-16 Victory Doesn’t Come Easily

Arkansas may have earned more respect in losing Saturday than it did in winning its first 10 games.

The third-ranked Miami Hurricanes needed a 20-yard field goal by Carlos Huerta with 5:38 left to hand the eighth-ranked Razorbacks their first loss, 18-16.

Southwest Conference champion Arkansas, which lost to Miami, 51-7, last season, was a 17-point underdog.

“Arkansas took it to us,” Miami guard Mike Sullivan said. “They were snorting, they were panting, they were shoving. They were playing the way we should have played.”

Miami dominated the statistics, with advantages of 26-6 in first downs and 438-186 in total yards.

But the Razorbacks, playing a top-20 team for the first time this season, stopped Miami on downs twice inside the Arkansas 30-yard line, and an 80-yard touchdown run by Arkansas’ Barry Foster in the first quarter helped keep the game close.

“Hopefully, this game will show college football that Arkansas is for real,” Foster said.

The Razorbacks, who will play UCLA in the Cotton Bowl, fell to 10-1. Miami, which will play Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, stayed in contention for the national championship by improving to 9-1.

“About the only time we were enthusiastic was at the end of the game,” Hurricane Coach Jimmy Johnson said. “I’ve been screaming and hollering at them all week, telling them that Arkansas is a better team than 51-7. But they just weren’t listening to me.”

Miami’s defense finally took charge in the fourth quarter, holding Arkansas to minus-14 yards and no first downs.

Huerta’s field goal, his third of the game, capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive. Arkansas’ Steve Atwater dropped a potential interception in the end zone one play before the kick.

Miami quarterback Steve Walsh completed 33 of 50 passes for 361 yards. The completion total broke the school record of 31, set by Walsh earlier this season against Michigan.

But Walsh failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season, and the Hurricanes’ point total was their lowest since a 14-10 Fiesta Bowl loss to Penn State two seasons ago.

“Defensively, our effort was as good as any we’ve had in the 5 years I’ve been at Arkansas,” Coach Ken Hatfield said.

Huerta opened the scoring with a 36-yard field goal. He now has 19 field goals, breaking the single-season school record of 17 set last year by Greg Cox.

Arkansas’ Kendall Trainor kicked his 23rd straight field goal without a miss, a 58-yarder that hit the crossbar and bounded over to tie the score, 3-3. The kick was the longest of Trainor’s career but was 9 yards shy of the school record.

Two trick plays later in the first quarter helped the Hurricanes score their only touchdown. On fourth and 1 at the Miami 46, Maurice Crum ran 9 yards on a fake punt. The Hurricanes faked an end-around on the next play, and Walsh threw long to Dale Dawkins for a 44-yard gain to the Arkansas 1.

Cleveland Gary dove over on the next play for the touchdown.

Then Foster scored untouched on his 80-yard run up the middle to tie the score again, 10-10. He found a gaping hole at the line, split the Miami safeties and pulled away from them as he raced downfield.

The run was the Razorbacks’ longest in 12 years, and the touchdown was the first this season against the Hurricanes in their six home games.

Miami took a 12-10 lead in the second quarter when defensive end Bill Hawkins tackled Arkansas quarterback Quinn Grovey for a safety. Grovey was trying to run wide on an option when Hawkins caught him a yard deep in the end zone. Huerta’s 45-yard field goal put the Hurricanes ahead, 15-10.

But Grovey hit Foster with a 16-yard touchdown pass on third and goal to give Arkansas a 16-15 lead with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Grovey scrambled to elude Miami’s pass rush before throwing to Foster, who ran in from the 5.

The pass was Arkansas’ second completion. The first was earlier in the 73-yard drive, when Grovey hit Foster on fourth and 2 for a 31-yard gain to the Miami 9.