When the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders step onto the field on Sunday, fans will immediately notice that the game with have an un-mistakable Arkansas flavor to it.
Former Arkansas Razorback running backs Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns and Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders will be going head-to-head in a critical matchup between two teams hoping to stay in the AFC Wild Card hunt.
McFadden, currently leads the NFL in rushing with 519 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Hillis ranks 32nd with 197 yards and has scored two touchdowns.
While Hillis is embroiled in a contract controversy in Cleveland and a time-share with emerging running back Montario Hardesty, McFadden is the lead back for the Raiders and despite being in a time-share with running back Michael Bush, McFadden is the dominant weapon on offense in Oakland.
Back in their days in Fayetteville, McFadden was the lead back along with—current Cowboys running back, Felix Jones—and Hillis was the fullback and occasional fullback for the Razorbacks.
McFadden would rush for 4,955 total yards (4,590 yard rushing, 365 yards receiving) and rush for 43 total touchdowns (41 rushing, two receiving) and set various SEC rushing records, such as most rushing yards ever by a Razorback freshman with 1,113 and fifth most rushing yards all-time with 1,647 yards during his sophomore year.
As a true freshman, Hillis would rush for 240 yards and score eight total touchdowns (six rushing, two receiving)
In his sophomore year, Hillis would serve as the primary blocker for McFadden during his breakout sophomore season and would tally 947 all-purpose yards and score seven touchdowns.
For his career at Arkansas, Hillis would accumulate 2,227 total yards (967 yards rushing, 1,197 yards receiving, 213 kick return yards and 257 yards on punt returns.
And since both Razorback running backs have entered the NFL, Hillis and McFadden have found recent success.
McFadden, 24, who rushed for a combined 856 yards in his first two years in Oakland would rush for 1,157 yards in 2010 and has rushed for a total of 3,050 yards—2,013 yards rushing and 1,037 yards receiving— along with 19 total touchdowns, 15 rushing and four receiving.
Hillis, 25, who would spend the his two years on the Denver Broncos bench—behind Knowshon Moreno, Cornell Buckhalter and Ryan Torain—would have a mere 347 career yards rushing before being traded to Cleveland for quarterback Brady Quinn and a sixth-round pick in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012.
Hillis would have a breakout year in Cleveland and rush for 1,177 yards and score 13 total touchdowns, 11 rushing, two receiving in 2010. Hillis would also be second on the Browns in receiving with 477 yards.
For his NFL career, Hillis has accumulated a total of 2,249 total yards—1,574 yards rushing, 675 yards receiving and 199 yards in kickoff return yardage.
Both backs are tough, versatile and have a knack for being physical inside runners with the ability to explode to the edge.
When the natives of North Little Rock(McFadden) and Conway(Hillis) square off on Sunday you can bet that there will be proud yells of “Wooo, Pig, Sooie” echoing from from proud Razorback fans and alumni everywhere.
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