Conference Southwest Conference 1946 record 6–3–2 (5–1 SWC) | AP No. 16 Home stadium Razorback Stadium | |
Head coach John Barnhill (1st year) | ||
The 1946 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1946 college football season. In their first year under head coach John Barnhill, the Razorbacks compiled a 6–3–2 record (5–1 against SWC opponents), finished in a tie with Rice for first place in the SWC, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 136 to 92. The Razorbacks advanced to the 1947 Cotton Bowl Classic, playing LSU to a scoreless tie.
After winning only five conference games all decade, the Razorbacks matched that total in one year, earning a shared SWC crown with Rice University. Ken Holland led the Razorbacks with 397 rushing on 112 carries (3.5 yards per carry). Quarterback Aubrey Fowler led the team in passing, completing 18 of 40 passes for 320 yards. Future College Football Hall of Famer Clyde Scott led the Razorbacks in receiving with 11 catches for 183 yards. Scott also won a silver medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
Cotton Bowl Classic
The 1947 Cotton Bowl Classic was a match-up of rivals who had not played since 1937. The game sold out, but snow and twenty degree weather kept some fans at home from what would come to be known as the Ice Bowl. The Hogs defense kept Y.A. Tittle's Tiger offense out of the end zone from the Arkansas 1, 6, 7, and 8 yard lines, but Arkansas could not capitalize on any of the stops, and gained a lone first down the entire game. The final two plays proved the cold did not stop the teams from having a flair for the dramatic, as Razorback Clyde Scott (a future College Football Hall of Famer) tackled LSU receiver Jeff Odom at the Razorback one, preserving the tie. The Tigers then attempted the go-ahead field goal, but a bad snap ended the game on the final play.
Source: Razorback Bowl History – 1947 Cotton Bowl