Oklahoma entered the game with Arkansas with a 4-1 record, the loss coming at Kansas 11-0. The Cardinals (as they were called prior to 1910) had won three of four games, including a 33-0 victory over Ole Miss. The loss came at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis 24-0 to St. Louis University, one of the forward passing pioneers in college football.

Owen's favorite play was the crossbuck. The quarterback (or tailback in the single wing) fakes to a back going in one direction but hands the ball to another back heading to the other side of the line. The temporary misdirection allows blockers to get a good angle on defenders.

Owen's team was in "crippled condition and it is probable that several of the men will enter the game not in the pink of condition."

Word from Fayetteville was that "the practice this week has been exceptionally long and late, consisting mostly of signal and trick-play practice ..." Like the Sooners, the Cardinals were plagued by injuries. Two of Arkansas' best players, Captain Willis Nelson and QB Steve Creekmore, would stay on the sideline during the game. They would be sorely missed.

Arkansas started strong, taking the opening kickoff and driving for a touchdown, which was scored by star RHB Clinton Milford who took a forward pass from drop kick formation at the 20. The try for point failed. 5-0 Arkansas

Oklahoma took the kickoff and marched to the tying touchdown. Fred Capshaw made several long runs to set up a pass from the Arkansas 30 that Porter English caught and carried to paydirt. Charles Armstrong failed to add the point to keep the score tied at five.

Later in the half, Capshaw tore off a 40y run only to have a penalty negate it. No problem. He took the ball on the next play and gained another 40 before being tackled by Claude Sparks on the two. But Oklahoma fumbled the ball, and Arkansas recov­ered. The half ended with the score tied 5-5.

The second half was all Sooners. They took the kickoff and drove into Arkansas territory thanks to long runs by C. W. Wantland and Capshaw. When the march bogged down at the 20, Armstrong kicked a field goal to make it 9-5 Oklahoma.

The Sooner scoring parade continued with Capshaw plunging over the goal to culminate a drive highlighted by Claud Pickard's 15y run. 15-5 Oklahoma

Armstrong scored the next touchdown "after the Sooners had worked their way down the field." 21-5 Oklahoma

The final touchdown came on one of Owen's trick plays while the ball was being carried in from out of bounds. As the Sooners walked in from the sideline, E Vernon Walling suddenly tossed the ball to James Nairn, and he quickly threw a forward pass to Wantland who ran 50y to cap the scoring.

Roy Campbell, the big Sooner center, was so excited by the play and the victory that he did handsprings all the way from Boyd Field to the new gymnasium where the Sooners dressed.

Final Score: Oklahoma 27 Arkansas 5

Coach Bezdek is credited with coining the term "Razorbacks" for the Arkansas team during the 1909 season. One of his players recalled: "We were on a trip in Texas, getting off the train for a stroll ... Somebody yelled, 'Here come the hogs.' See, there were a lot of jokes about Arkansas at that time. Bezdek stopped and thought a minute. He said, 'Hmmm, boys, I like that. We're the Razorbacks from now on.'" The new nickname caught on, and in 1910 the UA student body voted to change the school's mascot. Arkansas became the Razorbacks.