By Darin 
November 23, 2007. The air in Baton Rouge was thick with anticipation—this was supposed to be the night the No. 1 LSU Tigers secured their path to the BCS National Championship. Instead, they walked into a buzzsaw led by Arkansas’s unstoppable running back, Darren McFadden. In a triple-overtime epic that tested the limits of endurance and offensive firepower, the Razorbacks shocked the college football world, handing LSU a heart-stopping 50-48 loss and momentarily throwing the national title race into complete chaos. This game wasn’t just a rivalry win; it was a legendary display of skill and grit, proving why the SEC is home to the most dramatic finishes in sports.
The McFadden Show: Rushing, Passing, and Raw Power
The contest quickly became a showcase for Darren McFadden, one of the most decorated running backs in SEC history. Facing the nation’s top-ranked defense, McFadden was unstoppable, dominating every facet of the Arkansas attack. He tore through the vaunted LSU defensive line, racking up an incredible 206 rushing yards and three crucial rushing touchdowns.
But McFadden’s most dazzling play wasn’t a run—it was a pass. Displaying his exceptional versatility, he executed a perfect toss for a touchdown, adding another layer of offensive creativity that the LSU defense simply couldn’t handle. Every time the Tigers seemed ready to pull away, McFadden and the Razorbacks answered, forcing the game into overtime and setting the stage for one of the rivalry’s greatest finishes.
The Three-Overtime Thriller and the Final Interception
The intensity escalated in the extra periods. Three grueling overtimes saw both offenses trade blows, keeping the entire stadium on a knife’s edge. In the third overtime, Arkansas scored to take a narrow two-point lead. Facing the possibility of yet another overtime, LSU Head Coach Les Miles opted to go for the two-point conversion and the win.
With the entire game resting on one defensive stand, Arkansas cornerback Matterral Richardson stepped up as the hero. Richardson brilliantly read the play and intercepted the Tigers’ two-point conversion pass, instantly ending the game in a spectacular 50-48 upset victory for the Razorbacks. The interception sealed a chaotic, high-stakes victory that immediately wiped out LSU’s clear path to the title.
Article from Nov 24, 2007 The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana)
Conclusion: A Championship Detour
While the loss was a devastating blow on that late November evening, the football gods had other plans for the Bayou Bengals. Due to a bizarre series of upsets elsewhere in the country over the next week, LSU recovered the top spot in the polls. They went on to defeat Tennessee for the SEC Championship and ultimately beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl to claim the 2007 BCS National Championship. Despite LSU’s incredible recovery, the 2007 Arkansas vs. LSU triple-overtime battle remains the signature performance of Darren McFadden’s collegiate career and one of the most exhilarating and chaotic upsets in the storied history of the SEC.