Little Rock, Arkansas – The Arkansas Razorbacks football team won the first and only championship in the school’s history in 1964 after defeating Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl and going undefeated. They were then declared national champions.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of that championship, in which the pigs defeated the top-ranked Texas Longhorns 14–13. With their 80th meeting—their first in three years—the two institutions also reignited their rivalry in 2024.
After the Longhorns failed a two-point convert late in the game, defensive back Ken Hatfield returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to put the Hogs ahead 1-0. The Hogs would go on to win the game.
Although many people consider Hatfield’s punt return to be the most significant play in Razorback football history, he gave his brother Dick credit for the game-winning play during this week’s Little Rock Touchdown Club meeting honoring the team’s 60th anniversary.
“We caught Texas with 22 guys on the field after Dick quickly called set when they tried to send their punt team out,” Hatfield remarked. That gives us five yards and a first down. Freddie connects Bobby Crockett for the game-winning touchdown three plays later. Thus, the reason we are here today is because of Dick Hatfield.
During the meeting, quarterback Fred Marshall credited head coach Frank Broyles’ practice practices with helping the team win the national championship.
“Frank Broyles was the reason we won in 1964,” Marshall stated. He separated the offensive and defensive practices. Few other coaches took such action; instead, they carried on with their routine. We won all of those games because we practiced twice as much as the other teams.
Members of the 1964 Razorbacks would go on to win a total of six Super Bowls, one NFL championship, and ten national titles in addition to the school’s lone football national title.
Frank Broyles, Barry Switzer, Johnny Majors, Jimmy Johnson, Loyd Phillips, and Ronnie Caveness were among the team’s players and coaches who would later be elected into the College Football Hall of Fame.
With former pigs Bobby Roper and Harry Jones on his staff, Majors would go on to win a national championship in 1976 while serving as head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers.
As the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, offensive lineman Jerry Jones would go on to win three Super Bowls, with Barry Switzer winning the third and Jimmy Johnson leading the team to two. Later, Johnson and Jones would be admitted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
17 members of the 1964 Razorbacks squad have been inducted individually into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, in addition to the team as a whole.
Even though the Hogs’ sole national football championship was 60 years ago, the program is still affected by that victory and is still inspiring future generations.
