1970 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

1970 Arkansas Razorbacks football
ConferenceSouthwest Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 12
APNo. 11
Record9–2 (6–1 SWC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDon Breaux (1st season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorCharlie Coffey
Base defense4–3
Captains
Home stadiumRazorback Stadium
War Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1969
1971 →
1970 Southwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Texas $ 7 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
No. 11 Arkansas 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Texas Tech 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
Rice 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
SMU 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
TCU 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 1
Baylor 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Texas A&M 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1970 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. In their 13th year under head coach Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks compiled a 9–2 record (6–1 against SWC opponents), finished in second place behind Texas in the SWC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 402 to 144.[1][2] The team finished the season ranked #11 in the final AP Poll and #12 in the final UPI Coaches Poll.

Defensive tackle Dick Bumpas was a consensus All-American for Arkansas in 1970, with Chuck Dicus also earning first-team honors.[3] Bill McClard averaged 7.3 points per game from the kicking position, the best in the nation for 1970. McClard converted on 50 of 51 extra points and 10 of 15 field goals. McClard connected on a 60-yard field goal against the Mustangs of SMU. This is the third-longest field goal in Arkansas history.[4] Quarterback Bill Montgomery completed 80% of his pass attempts (12 of 15) against Oklahoma State, tied for sixth-best in Arkansas history in that category.[5] Arkansas gained 658 yards (296 pass 362 rush) against TCU, the third most in the history of the Razorbacks.[6]

The Razorbacks' October 24 game vs. Wichita State at Little Rock was the Shockers' first since the devastating plane crash three weeks earlier in Clear Creek County, Colorado which killed 14 players and 17 others, including WSU head coach Ben Wilson and athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer. Razorback fans saluted the Shockers' courage with standing ovations before and after the game.

Hours after losing 42–7 at Texas, the Razorbacks' bowl window slammed shut when LSU routed Ole Miss 61–17 to clinch the Southeastern Conference championship and an Orange Bowl bid vs. Big Eight Conference champion Nebraska. The Orange Bowl agreed to take the Southwest Conference runner-up if LSU lost either of its last two games vs. Tulane and Ole Miss. The Tigers defeated the Green Wave 26–14 one week prior to its destruction of the Rebels. By making that deal, the Razorbacks withdrew themselves from consideration from lower-tier bowl games such as the Bluebonnet, which took 6–5 Alabama to face Oklahoma, or the Sun, which took the Razorbacks' SWC rival, Texas Tech, a 24–10 loser to Arkansas in Lubbock, to play Georgia Tech.

  1. ^ "Arkansas Yearly Results (1970-1974)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  2. ^ "1970 Arkansas Razorbacks Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  3. ^ Consensus All-America Team. 1970 All-Americans. Infoplease.com. Retrieved on October 11, 2008.
  4. ^ "Arkansas Football Records-Longest Field Goals." 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks Media Guide. Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine pg. 113. University of Arkansas. Retrieved on October 11, 2008.
  5. ^ "Arkansas Football Records-Completion Percentage." 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks Media Guide. Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine University of Arkansas. Retrieved on October 11, 2008.
  6. ^ "Arkansas Football Records-Team Yards-Game." 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks Media Guide. Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine University of Arkansas. pg. 126. Retrieved on October 11, 2008.