LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A week after being benched in favor of his younger brother, Casey Dick made his final game at Arkansas a memorable one.
Dick's 24-yard touchdown pass to London Crawford with 22 seconds remaining gave Arkansas a 31-30 win over LSU on Friday night. Redshirt freshman Nathan Dick started for the Razorbacks, but Casey came on in the second half and ended his senior season by leading his team back from a 16-point deficit.
“You have to take your hat off to him,” said coach Bobby Petrino, who took over at Arkansas less than 12 months ago. “He's fought through a lot during his four years here.”
On fourth-and-1 from the LSU 24 and the clock running, the Razorbacks hastily lined up to run a play. Dick found Crawford single-covered in the end zone, and the junior held on for a touchdown.
Crawford's catch was in the same part of the end zone where DeCori Birmingham came down with the ball in 2002 to give Arkansas a one-point win over LSU. That “Miracle on Markham” gave the Razorbacks a chance to play for the Southeastern Conference title. They won't go to a bowl this season, but the months ahead should be a lot more upbeat after this win.
The Tigers (7-5, 3-5) are all but assured of a trip to a minor bowl, not what the defending national champions had in mind when they started the season ranked in the top 10. LSU, beaten by Mississippi last week, lost back-to-back games for the first time since the 2002 season and has dropped three of four.
After Alex Tejada's extra point put Arkansas ahead by one, LSU had one more chance, but Colt David was short on a 63-yard field goal attempt.
“I have seen him kick a 65-yard field goal,” Tigers coach Les Miles said. “A play would have had to have been underneath and effective enough to score.”
When it was over, the Razorbacks spilled onto the field and raced over to lift the Golden Boot, which Arkansas took home last year with a 50-48, triple-overtime win at LSU.
Casey Dick started the first 10 games this season, but Nathan took over that role last weekend in a loss to Mississippi State. Nathan Dick, a redshirt freshman, started again Friday, and Arkansas led 14-3 after the first quarter.
“My brother and I are very lucky to be able to play on the same college team. Not a lot of people get to do that,” Casey Dick said. “We support each other in everything we do and through everything that happens, and after it's all over we are still going to be brothers and nothing can change that.”
LSU outscored Arkansas 20-0 in the second quarter and led 30-21 in the third when a key penalty turned the game in the Razorbacks' favor. LSU's Tremaine Johnson was called for unnecessary roughness with Arkansas about to face fourth down and about 30 from deep in its own territory. Instead the Razorbacks drove for a field goal.
Later in that same drive, LSU's Rahim Alem received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for kicking the ball after an incomplete pass.
“Our players don't understand how much that hurts our team,” Miles said. “You can't make penalties like that and expect to win.”
Arkansas (5-7, 2-6) and LSU met as unranked teams for the first time since 1994.
Freshman Jordan Jefferson, making his first start for the Tigers, went 9-of-21 for 143 yards. He also led the team with 50 yards rushing.
Jefferson threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell early in the third quarter to make it 30-14, but Casey Dick answered with a 46-yard scoring pass to Jarius Wright to start the Arkansas comeback.
Down 30-24, Arkansas took over at its own 31 with 2:14 remaining. The first big hurdle was a fourth-and-6, which Casey Dick converted with a 21-yard pass to Carlton Salters to the LSU 33.
After Arkansas went ahead, Chad Jones returned a squib kick to the Arkansas 46. Jefferson threw toward Terrance Toliver, who came across the middle right to where one of the officials was. The ball fell incomplete, and Dick's touchdown pass to Crawford held up.
“My whole career has been a great experience with plenty of highs and plenty of lows,” Dick said. “But it's something I can look back on and be proud of.”
