Missouri 38, Arkansas 7
Arkansas was in transition when it arrived at the 2008 Cotton Bowl, navigating through an eventful season that concluded with a three-overtime win at top-ranked LSU and coach Houston Nutt’s departure a few days later.
Bobby Petrino had been hired, but spent bowl the month observing the team while interim coach Reggie Herring guided the Razorbacks during the Cotton Bowl. Petrino, Herring and the rest of the Arkansas faithful certainly didn’t enjoy gameday.
The Razorbacks had Heisman Trophy finalist and Doak Walker Award winner Darren McFadden in the backfield, but Missouri’s Tony Temple stole the show. The back rushed for a Cotton Bowl record 281 yards and four touchdowns, repeatedly gashing Arkansas’ defense en route to an enormous day.
Missouri led 28-0 in the third quarter before the Razorbacks recorded their only score on McFadden’s three-yard touchdown run. But Temple made the final impression, wrapping up his performance with a 40-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Missouri a 38-7 win.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Temple broke Rice halfback Dickey Maegle’s record of 265 rushing yards set in the 1954 Cotton Bowl on the touchdown run. He was named the game’s offensive most valuable player. Tigers safety William Moore was named outstanding defensive player after notching a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown in the win.
McFadden did reach one milestone in the blowout loss. His 105 rushing yards pushed him to 4,590 in his career, which ranks second in SEC history.
— Sources: Arkansas and the Cotton Bowl