arkansas razorback football history

Barnie...

6/10/2016

 
Picture
Join us on the 6th of each month for the newest blog in our series on hawg-tales.com.  Feel free to make comments and suggestions for subjects that you would  enjoy seeing. Be sure and tell your friends about us, so they can also take part. Thanks for your support. Be sure and Like us on Facebook at hawg-tales.

Keep the history alive!

Out of Tennessee in 1946, Arkansas would find a new head football coach - John Henry (“Barnie”) Barnhill.  He would coach for four seasons until he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. After the diagnosis, he retired from coaching the Hogs to become the full-time “Top Hog” as the athletic director, where he remained until his retirement in 1970. 

Barnhill who had played guard for the Volunteers (1925–1927), had come to Arkansas after being head coach at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee (1941–1945). While at Tennessee, he led the Volunteers to a record of 32–5–2. A record like this was what the fans were eagerly awaiting.


In 1946, the Hogs would win the SWC title and go to the Cotton Bowl Classic where they met LSU. The 9–1 LSU Tigers, led by quarterback Y.A. Tittle were lining up against the 6–3–1 Razorbacks. A crowd estimated at 38,000 faced the cold weather of a wintery New Year’s Day in Dallas in what would become known as the "Ice Bowl". Throughout the game, LSU had amassed a 15–1 advantage on first downs, however the Hogs stiffened in the red zone keeping the Tigers from scoring. On the final two plays of the game, Tittle threw a pass to a streaking Jeff Adams headed for the end zone. At the last second, Clyde Scott tackled Adams at the one-yard line preventing the score. On the next play, with LSU in position to win, a bad snap at the 1 ended the LSU dream of a victory. The game ended in a 0–0 tie.

The next season brought another bowl game. The season ended with Arkansas tied for fifth in the SWC with a record of 6–4–1. January 1, saw Arkansas meet the William and Mary Indians in the 1948 Dixie Bowl at Legions Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was played before an estimated crowd of 15,000.
​

William and Mary struck first in the initial quarter when Jack Cloud scored on a touchdown run following a fumble recovery. Arkansas had attempted a quick kick, but instead it backfired, resulting with the fumble. Cloud scored again in the second quarter. However, the extra point was missed by Stan Magdziak, the William and Mary quarterback. This would not be the only gift that Magdziak would give the Hogs that day. The Hogs were now down 13–0, but not yet done.

While still in the second quarter, Arkansas quarterback Kenny Holland fired a pass to a streaking Ross Pritchard for a 59-yard touchdown. The extra point was good by Aubrey Fowler making the score now a more respectable William and Mary 13, Arkansas 7.
Now for Magdziak’s second gift, Hog defender Melvin McGaha intercepted a Magdziak pass and turned it into a 70-yard touchdown run. After a successful PAT by Fowler, Arkansas had finally made a comeback and took a 14–13 lead into halftime.

William and Mary came out after halftime and regained the lead once again on a completed pass for a touchdown from Magdziak to Henry Bland. For the third time, the Hogs got a gift from Magdziak when he missed the extra point attempt. After three quarters it was now 19–14, Indians.

During the final quarter it would take a touchdown to win the game. A field goal would do no good. With 5 minutes remaining, Leon “Muscles” Campbell would take the ball from the 7-yard line and punch it in for the go-ahead touchdown. Arkansas 21, William and Mary 19. Arkansas wins.

Barnhill would have one more season as head coach before his health would force him to give it up. He finished with a record of 22–17–3. Along the way, he had taken the Hogs to two bowl games, winning one and tying the other.

​As Athletic Director, he would later in 1958, be responsible for hiring Frank Broyles as head football coach until his own retirement.


If you are one of those rabid Razorback fans interested in knowing even more about the history of the Hog football program, then get your very own copy of "Hit That Line" from the Apple Store, Barnes and Nobles online, or the world's largest e-book publisher - Smashwords.com. This ebook contains most of the items not covered in hawg-tales.com, and focuses totally on the coaches, players, games, "Voices of the Razorbacks", and many other topics within the total history of the program.
Join us next month, as we once again recall tales of the games, players, and coaches from the past.
Send us your name and e-mail address to receive a FREE copy of the 1960's 45-rpm records in mp3 format to play on your computer, tablet, or smart phone. They make a great gift for any Razorback football history buff. Don't forget to let us know where you are from. WPS!
Submit

Comments are closed.

    Author

    Picture
    Glenn Short authors this blog. He is shown here with his daughter, although he didn't notice the orange and white outfit on her at the time. It would soon be burned.

    Archives

    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    1894 Team
    1909 Team
    1947 Cotton Bowl
    1951 Ark. Vs Texas
    1954 Team
    1963 Texas Tech
    1965 Cotton Bowl
    1965 Texas Vs. Ark.
    1971 Liberty Bowl
    1981 Texas Vs. Ark.
    1982 Ark. Vs.SMU
    1988 Ark. Vs UH
    1998 Ark. Vs Tennessee
    2000 Cotton Bowl
    2001 Ark. Vs. Ole Miss
    2003 Independence Bowl
    22 Straight
    7 Overtimes
    Bill Burnett
    Bill Montgomery
    Billy Moore
    Bobby Burnett
    Brandon Burlsworth
    Buddy Bob Benson
    Callin' The Razorbacks
    Damn Texas Refs
    Dennis Winston
    Dickey Morton
    First Bowl Game
    First Conference Champs
    Francis A. Schmidt
    Hogs First Bowl Game
    Hogs Vs. #1
    Hugo Bezdek
    Jack Mitchell
    James Street
    Jim Lindsey
    Joe Ferguson
    John Clinton Futrall
    Ken Hatfield
    Lee Roy Campbell
    "Lighthorse" Harry Jones
    Light Hoss Harry
    National Champions
    Powder River Pass Play
    Preston Carpenter
    Quarterbackin Man
    Quinn Grovey
    Razorback Red
    Short Squashed Texan
    Steve Little
    The Big Red
    The Ice Bowl
    "Tommy" Thomsen

Arkansas Razorback Football History
http://www.hawg-tales.com