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. 3 on our moments we'd love to remember ...

Mallett Returns Home, Records Fall
When It Happened: 2008
Who We Remember: Ryan Mallett, Bobby Petrino, Casey Dick, Rich Rodriquez,
Why We Love To Remember: Ryan Mallett certainly proved to be worth the wait for Arkansas.

Mallett transferred to the program in 2008 after it became clear he wouldn’t be a fit for Rich Rodriguez’s new system at Michigan. Mallett, who had considered Arkansas out of high school, didn’t get to suit up for the Razorbacks until 2009, but it allowed him time to soak up the offense (and a little bit of Fayetteville nightlife) before taking control of the team.

Once he took over it was clear Mallett, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound Texarkana product who grew up parking cars outside Razorback Stadium, was the quarterback Arkansas had been waiting years to find. He spent 2009 and 2010 in Fayetteville, breaking nearly every passing record along the way with his strong knowledge of the offense and even stronger arm.

Clint Stoerner, the former Arkansas quarterback, was the name beside most of the passing records for the Razorbacks before Mallett came onto the scene. We sat down with Stoerner to gather his thoughts about Mallett's record-breaking years at Arkansas:

After contemplating a jump to the NFL in 2009, he returned, telling fans to “Get ready” for a run at SEC and BCS titles. Arkansas didn’t quite make it to the championship level, but Mallett’s presence was a big factor in building confidence within the program and fan base.

Mallett left for the NFL in 2011 after guiding the Razorbacks to a 10-victory season in 2010, just the fifth time in 31 years the program reached double-digit victories.

During his relatively brief time at Arkansas, Mallett broke or tied 45 school and stadium records over two seasons, including marks for career passing yards (7,493) and touchdown passes (62). Arkansas went 18-8 in Mallett’s two seasons with the Razorbacks. He threw for 3,869 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2010 as the program earned its first BCS bowl bid

Up Next: Petrino Goes Big, Razorback Go BCS