HOGS STEP ON COTTON BOWL FIELD FOR FIRST TIME

DALLAS – The No. 24 Arkansas Razorbacks today conducted a 40-minute “walk-through” at the Cotton Bowl stadium under sunny skies in Dallas. Arkansas (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will square off against the No. 7 Missouri Tigers (11-2, 7-1 Big 12) tomorrow in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. Kickoff is slated for 10:40 a.m. CST.

The Cotton Bowl is known affectionately as “The House that Doak Built” in honor of the 1948 Heisman Trophy winner and SMU legend Doak Walker. This was the first time junior running back Darren McFadden, a two-time winner of the Doak Walker Award given annually to the nation’s top running back, has stepped foot on the historic Cotton Bowl field.

McFadden, a two-time runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, comes into the game with 4,485 career yards and 40 touchdowns. In 2007 he has tallied 1,725 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, while throwing for 123 yards and four additional touchdowns through the air.

On Tuesday the curtain will fall on Frank Broyles’ legendary 50-year career as head coach and athletic director at the University of Arkansas. In 2008 Broyles will transition to a full-time fundraiser for both the Razorback Foundation and the University of Arkansas.

It is fitting that Arkansas’s final athletic contest with Broyles as its athletic director is the AT&T Cotton Bowl. Broyles, a member of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, coached in four Classics (winning in 1965 and 1976, losing in 1961 and 1966) during his 19 years as the Hogs’ head coach. He became the Razorbacks’ athletic director in 1973. This is Arkansas’ fifth appearance in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic with Broyles as athletic director, with the Hogs compiling a 1-3 record in the previous four games.

Many may not remember that Broyles’ first head coaching job was at Missouri in 1957, where he compiled a 5-4-1 record with the Tigers. He joined Arkansas in 1958, posting a record of 144-58-5 while winning one national championship in 1964 and seven Southwest Conference titles.

Arkansas will be the designated home team in tomorrow’s Classic and will be donned in red.

The 72nd AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic will be televised nationally for the 10th consecutive year on FOX Sports. The legendary Pat Summerall, who played at Arkansas from 1949-51, will handle the play-by-play duties. This is the first time Summerall will broadcast a game in which his alma mater has participated. Former Dallas Cowboy Brian Baldinger is the color analyst, with Jeanne Zelasko and Krista Voda reporting from the sidelines.

For the 16th consecutive year, the Classic will be broadcasted nationally on Westwood One Radio. Brad Sham, the “Voice of the Dallas Cowboys,” will do play-by-play. Terry Bowden again will serve as Sham’s color analyst.