By Darin 
The Vaught-Hemingway Marathon:
On November 3, 2001, the atmosphere at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, felt like a typical SEC defensive grind. The Arkansas Razorbacks and the Ole Miss Rebels were locked in a low-scoring battle that reflected old-school Southern football—tied at 10 after three quarters and knotted at 17-17 at the end of regulation. Nobody anticipated that the next four hours would produce a legendary, record-setting avalanche of offense that would leave players and fans utterly exhausted.
When Regulation Ended, the Real Game Began
What followed was a marathon for the ages: seven overtime periods. The rules of college football overtime (starting drives at the 25-yard line) are designed for quick resolution, but on this day, neither team was willing to yield.
The sheer volume of scoring in the extra periods alone became a historic feat. The two teams combined to put 80 points on the board in overtime, trading touchdowns and two-point conversions until the scoreboard became almost unbelievable: Arkansas 58, Ole Miss 56.
The Final, Defining Stop
The game finally concluded in the seventh overtime on a play that perfectly encapsulated the tension and drama. After Arkansas successfully converted its own scoring opportunity, Ole Miss had one final chance to respond and extend the game.
Incredible Arkansas vs Ole Miss 2001 04 Nov 2001, Sun Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi) Newspapers.com
The Rebels drove down the field, poised to tie the score, but their final attempt fell agonizingly short. Razorbacks linebacker Jermaine Petty delivered the definitive defensive play of the four-hour ordeal, stopping Ole Miss tight end Doug Zeigler a mere 2 yards short of the goal line. The goal-line stand sealed the victory for Arkansas and ended what was, at the time, the longest game in NCAA football history.
The official stats confirmed the chaos: a staggering total of 988 yards of combined offense. More than just a win, the 58-56, seven-overtime thriller cemented the 2001 Arkansas-Ole Miss contest as one of the most memorable and bizarre score-fests in modern college football history, proving that even a defensive battle can spiral into an offensive epic.