The 1966 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...

in the

Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...

(SWC) during the

1966 NCAA University Division football season The 1966 University Division football season was marked by some controversy as the year of "The Tie", a famous 10–10 game between the two top-ranked teams, Michigan State and Notre Dame on November 19. Both teams were crowned national champions ...

. In their ninth year under head coach

Frank Broyles John Franklin Broyles (December 26, 1924 – August 14, 2017) was an American college football player and coach, college athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach for one season at the University of Missour ...

, the Razorbacks compiled an 8–2 record (5–2 against SWC opponents), finished in a tie for second place in the SWC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 218 to 73. Arkansas defensive tackle

Loyd Phillips Loyd Phillips (May 2, 1945 — December 27, 2020) was an American professional football player and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He was the winner of the 1966 Outland Trophy as the country's most outstanding interior lineman whil ...

and defensive back

Martine Bercher Martine Bercher (February 23, 1944 – December 7, 2005) was an American football defensive back for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 1962-1966. He was a member of the 1964 National Championship team that won the 1965 Cot ...

were selected as first-team players on the 1965 College Football All-America Team. Phillips finished ninth in the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

voting and won the

Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...

, awarded to the best interior lineman in the land. Bercher gained an average of 15.5 yards per punt return, the fifth-best mark in the nation. The Arkansas defense gave up the seventh-lowest point total per game, 7.3. Shocking losses to Baylor and

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

prevented Arkansas from its third consecutive berth in the

Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium i ...

. The Razorbacks' 21-16 loss to the Red Raiders at Lubbock in the season finale handed the Cotton Bowl berth to SMU, which Arkansas defeated 22-0 in Fayetteville the week before blowing it vs. Tech.

Schedule

Game summaries

Texas

Arkansas' third consecutive victory over Texas."Arkansas Nips Texas, 12-7." Palm Beach Post. 1966 Oct 16.

References

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

Arkansas Razorbacks football seasons

Arkansas Razorbacks football The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Weste ...

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