With 3:08 left in the game, Arkansas expected to win.
It didn't matter that Florida was the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, or that the Razorbacks were unranked and 1-2 in conference play.
Arkansas kicker Alex Tejada trotted onto the field to attempt a 38-yard, go-ahead field goal with the game tied at 20, but the junior hooked the try wide left, leaving plenty of time on the clock for UF to go down the field and score.
Quarterback Tim Tebow led the final drive, and sophomore Caleb Sturgis knocked in the game-winning field goal with nine second remaining, spoiling the Razorbacks upset bid on UF's homecoming.
"That one hurts right there, we beat ourselves," Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett said. "They're a great team, but we beat ourselves."
After falling behind 20-13 with just under 10 minutes remaining, Florida took only 2:13 to tie the game up.
Running back Jeff Demps ran the ball three times for 32 yards on that drive including the game-tying 10-yard scamper, and the Razorbacks helped the Gators by committing back-to-back penalties, costing themselves 25-yards.
The first came on a pass-interference call on cornerback Ramon Broadway when he didn't turn to look for the ball on a deep throw from Tebow to wide receiver Deonte Thompson in the end zone.
The very next play, senior defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard picked up a personal foul after Arkansas successfully sniffed out a screen pass that would have went for only 1 yard.
"I didn't like them, I didn't think they were good calls," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said.
The Razorbacks moved the ball easily and into field-goal position on their next drive before Tejada missed his second field goal of the game - the first coming from 40 yards out in the third quarter.
Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino, brother of Bobby, thought his unit executed the game plan well against the No. 1 defense in the nation, especially on the ground.
Sophomore Dennis Johnson rushed for 107 yards on 14 carries, breaking tackles and gashing Florida for gains of 42, 25 and 18 yards. He added one catch for 15 yards to go with 124 yards on kickoff returns.
"That's a game we should have won, we had it," Paul Petrino said. "It's hard to take, we should've won."
Wide receiver Greg Childs said the team certainly felt it was on the way to a stunning upset after his 75-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.
The sophomore ran by UF cornerback Janoris Jenkins on third and 17 and caught a perfectly thrown ball from Mallett before safety Ahmad Black could provide help in the Gators' cover-2 defensive scheme.
With less than two minutes remaining in the first half, Childs ran by Jenkins in man coverage and caught a 46-yard pass to set up a field goal.
"Our players were very convinced that we could come out there and win the game," Bobby Petrino said. "I didn't feel like we had to do anything extraordinary to win."
