Gutsy fourth-and-one call in OT gives Louisiana-Monroe upset win over Arkansas
Facing a fourth-and-one situation down three points in overtime, many coaches would play it safe and go for the tie.
The football gods were kind to Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry, who decided to go for it against Arkansas and was rewarded with one of the first big moments of the 2012 season.
Quarterback Kolton Browning's nifty 16-yard touchdown run on fourth down ended a 34-31 ULM win and shocked Arkansas, which finished last season with a lot of talent returning and had some big-time aspirations for this season. But then Bobby Petrino happened, and now the Razorbacks have put the "L" in John L. Smith after being stunned at home by a Sun Belt team coming off a 4-8 season. ULM was about a 30-point underdog in Las Vegas.
And next week, Arkansas has to face Alabama.
[Also: Kansas State trick play leaves fans scratching heads]
Arkansas dealt with plenty of adversity in this game, as quarterback Tyler Wilson exited with a possible concussion and then cornerback Tevin Mitchel was carted off and taken to the hospital after a scary helmet-to-helmet collision. Still, ULM deserves a lot of credit, especially for its great final play.
In a do-or-die situation, Browning started left and it looked like he would be stopped cold. He reversed field, ran right and found a crease that he took all the way to the end zone for the win. The run capped off an inspired performance by the Warhawks, who outgained Arkansas 557-397.
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