KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Casey Clausen's 25-yard pass to Jason Witten in the sixth overtime Saturday night lifted the 10th-ranked Tennessee Vols to a 41-38 Southeastern Conference victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second longest game in major college football history.
Arkansas (2-2, 0-2 SEC West) defeated Mississippi on Nov. 3, 2001 in a seven-overtime classic, 58-56. The Razorbacks had numerous chances in this one but failed to come through.
The Razorbacks got the ball first in the sixth extra session but went backwards and settled for a 47-yard field goal by backup kicker David Carlton that made it 38-35.
Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 East) wasted no time in taking advantage as Clausen hit a wide-open Witten down the middle for the game-winning score. The Volunteers, who lost to Florida last month, avoided a second loss at home for the first time since 1994.
Arkansas missed a golden opportunity to win in the third overtime when Tennessee tailback Derrick Tinsley fumbled and linebacker Jimarr Gallon recovered. But the Razorbacks called some conservative running plays to set up a 38-yard field goal attempt by Brennan O'Donohoe, who was wide left.
The Volunteers took a 35-29 lead in the fifth overtime on Troy Fleming's recovery in the end zone of Jabari Davis' 12-yard run but the two-point conversion failed. Arkansas was penalized on its possession and pushed back to its 30-yard-line but got a break when Volunteers strong safety Julian Battle was whistled for pass interference on split end George Wilson, giving the Razorbacks a first down and new life.
Arkansas tied it with a one-yard TD plunge by De'Arrius Howard and had a chance to win. But Matt Jones had his two-point try intercepted to keep the game going.
The first two overtimes featured offenses in which neither team was able to move the ball. Both squads settled for field goals in the first two extra sessions.
After neither team scored in the third overtime, Jones put Arkansas ahead with a scrambling six-yard touchdown run but was incomplete on a two-point try. Clausen had a 25-yard TD pass to Tony Jones to tie it before he failed to win the game with an incompletion on the conversion try.
The Razorbacks needed the longest pass play in their history to force overtime. Flanker Richard Smith got behind the Volunteers' secondary and scored on a 92-yard pass from Jones for a 17-17 tie with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The first half was a defensive battle in which Tennessee emerged with a 10-3 lead. Davis scored on a three-yard TD run and opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 58-yard TD run for a 17-3 cushion.
Davis carried 25 times for a career-high 135 yards to spearhead Tennessee's rushing attack. Clausen completed 19-of-28 passes for 294 yards and Kelley Washington had six catches for 112 yards, his third 100-yard game and sixth of his career.
Arkansas scored its first touchdown with just under seven minutes remaining on a 11-yard TD run from Howard to cut the deficit to 17-10.
Clausen hit Washington for a 27-yard pass for a first down but Tennessee's next drive stalled. Dustin Colquitt boomed a 50-yard punt and Arkansas' Decori Birmingham made an ill-advised fair catch on at his own 8-yard line. Jones hit Smith for his long touchdown on the next play.
