The History Of The Texas Rivalry

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – When Arkansas and Texas tip-off Saturday afternoon at the Toyota Center in Houston, a long storied rivalry will be renewed.

The Razorbacks and Longhorns have not met in six years, but if you dip back into the 90’s, some of the fiercest battles featured the Hogs against the burnt orange.

The Rivalry Facts
• Texas has lost to Arkansas more than any other program in the country, falling to the Razorbacks 86 times. Saturday marks the 154th meeting all time.

• Saturday’s matchup in the Lone Star Shootout will move Texas into a first place tie with SMU for the most games played against a single opponent in program history. Arkansas has won the matchup 56 percent of the time.

• In postseason play when it matters most, the Razorbacks are 6-1 against Texas. Arkansas won the Southwest Conference Tournament Championship three times at the hands of the Longhorns and advanced to the 1990 Final Four at the expense of its then conference foe.

• The Razorbacks have a decisive 16-3 edge against Texas on a neutral court, including a 5-1 advantage in Houston, where Saturday’s game will be held.

• Arkansas holds the three longest winning streaks in the all-time series, putting together runs of 12, eight and seven consecutive wins against the Longhorns.

A Look At The History
• In a two-year period from Jan. 7, 1989 through Jan. 10, 1991, Arkansas dominated the series, winning seven straight games.

Let’s take a look at three of the most memorable games during this stretch.

Todd Day’s Poster Ready Slam
Arkansas faced Texas three times during the 1988-89 season. When the Longhorns came to Fayetteville on Dec. 8, 1989, freshman Todd Day threw down a dunk that had a rowdy Barnhill Arena going crazy.

Mayberry’s Magic
Ranked No. 3 in the country, Arkansas traveled to Austin, Texas, on Feb. 4, 1990 and found itself down by three with eight seconds left when Lee Mayberry went to work, draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. Arkansas dominated the extra period and came away with a 103-96 overtime victory.

The Dynasty Begins
In the spring of 1990, Arkansas entered its Elite 8 matchup with Texas as the No. 4 seed looking to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1978. Behind 18 points and seven assists from Mayberry, Arkansas knocked off the Longhorns and started a stretch of three Final Four appearances in a six-year span.