Arkansas Is the King of Overtime

DeCori Birmingham scored on a 25-yard run in a record-tying seventh overtime, and Arkansas stopped Kentucky on a fourth-down play in a 71-63 victory Saturday night.

The game was the longest in NCAA history, matching the seven overtimes in Arkansas’ 58-56 victory at Mississippi in 2001. The game lasted four minutes shy of five hours.

Arkansas (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) also played a six-overtime game last year, losing to Tennessee, and beat Alabama this season in a two-overtime game. The Razorbacks have played six overtime games, winning five, since Division I-A adopted the tiebreaker in 1996.

Birmingham, a wide receiver playing tailback because of injuries, rushed 40 times for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Jason Peters scored on a two-point conversion pass after Birmingham’s final touchdown.

Kentucky (4-5, 1-4) had a fourth-and-three at the five in the seventh overtime, but quarterback Jared Lorenzen was stopped on a keeper.

Arkansas’ 47 overtime points broke the record of 41 it set in 2001 against Mississippi. The 86 combined overtime points broke the record of 80 set in the 2001 game.

Kentucky forced overtime with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Chris Bernard.