Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

This football season marks the 21st for the Razorbacks as members of the SEC. Having completed two decades in the league it seemed worth reflecting on how far the program has come. Which victories over the last 20 years were the sweetest? Were there losses that hurt more than others? What coaching decisions still have folks scratching their heads? ArkansasSports360.com assembled a panel aimed at answering these questions. We have our list and we'd love to hear yours.

No. 8 on our moments you would love to forget ...

Shady Stripes In Florida
When it happened: Oct. 17, 2009
Who we remember: Referee Marc Curles, Coaches Bobby Petrino and Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, Ryan Mallett, Malcolm Sheppard, CBS announcers Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson.
Why we’d like to forget: A few games in Arkansas history (Ole Miss in 1960, SMU in 1982) seemed known more for the officiating that appeared to determine the outcome than for the play on the field. Arkansas seemed on the verge of knocking off No. 1 Florida in Gainesville in 2009 if not for some odd officiating by a crew led by Marc Curles. That the SEC league office would suspend the crew for three weeks following the game indicated that if it wasn’t an outright “hosing,” at least the SEC believed the bad officiating deserved more than a reprimand.

Countless plays — late hits out of bounds that weren’t flagged, unusual spotting of the football that appeared favorable toward the home team, etc. — had the small Arkansas contingent in The Swamp, not to mention head coach Bobby Petrino, upset. The Hogs seized the momentum in the second quarter and constantly frustrated Gators' Heisman Trophy quarterback Tim Tebow. However, it was one play in the fourth quarter that even the CBS announcing crew found outlandish, and they harped on it even after the game was over.

Arkansas defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard was whistled for a personal foul by the officials, though video replay showed that he appeared to be legally taking on a Florida offensive lineman blocking 20 yards away from the play. The call kept alive a tying fourth-quarter drive by the Gators, and Florida would then win on a late march, also aided by questionable spotting leading to a short field goal, 23-20.

Arkansas had the sympathy of the nation after that loss — maybe for the first time when Hog fans had screamed foul — because it allowed Florida to remain unbeaten on its collision course with the unbeaten Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game. There, Tebow’s magic ran out. Marc Curles' crew was nowhere to be seen that weekend.

Up Next: Razorbacks kick themselves after avoidable losses ...