Austin ? In its heyday, no rivalry was better than Texas vs. Arkansas.

It was a regular showdown on the third Saturday in October, one week after UT played Oklahoma.

It was about the grudge between border states, with Southwest Conference supre-macy usually at stake. It took on national significance from 1960-70 as eight games featured at least one team ranked in the Top 10.

It was Ken Hatfield’s punt return for a touchdown that sent Arkansas to an undefeated season and a claim for a national title in 1964, one year after Texas won its first title.

It was “The Big Shootout” of ’69, when President Nixon watched the No. 1 Longhorns beat the No. 2 Razorbacks 15-14 and declared them national champions.

It was the sideline battle of wits between coaches Darrell Royal and Frank Broyles, close friends who announced after the ’76 game that they were both retiring.

And then it came to and end. Arkansas bolted the Southwest Conference for the SEC after the 1991 season and the Hogs and Horns haven’t met during the regular season since.

Until today, when Arkansas (1-0) travels to Austin, Texas, to face No. 6 Texas (1-0).

“It’s good for these two programs,” said James Street, the UT quarterback in 1968 and ’69. “It’s good for football.”

Texas coach Mack Brown, left, watches the Longhorns practice with former UT coach Darrell Royal. The Southwest Conference rivalry between Texas and Arkansas was at its peak when Royal led the Longhorns. Now nonconference opponents, the teams will meet again today at Austin.

Taken as a whole, the rivalry is lopsided. The Longhorns won the first meeting in 1894, Arkansas won the last in the 2000 Cotton Bowl, and the Longhorns hold the all-time lead of 54-20.

But what makes it special is the handful of memorable plays, the overlapping excellence in the era of Royal and Broyles and the rivalry that’s typical between border states.

For Arkansas, the only SWC school not in Texas, there was always the feeling of wanting to take down its big, cocky neighbor — even though its roster was peppered with natives of the Lone Star State.

“Here we were, this outpost in northwest Arkansas,” said Bill Montgomery, a Dallas-area native who was the Razorbacks’ quarterback 1968-70. “It was a great source of pride for the state.”

In 1961, No. 3 Texas rolled to a 33-7 victory over No. 10 Arkansas. The Longhorns were No. 1 when they beat the seventh-ranked Razorbacks 7-3 a year later, spurred by a goal-line stand in the third quarter.

Arkansas won 14-13 in ’64 behind Hatfield’s electrifying punt return. The play is still diagramed in detail in the school’s media guide.

It was Texas’ only loss that year and Royal went into the Arkansas locker room to warn the Razorbacks that if they lost later in the season, the Longhorns would be waiting.

Arkansas didn’t give up another point in the next five games and finished the regular season 10-0, but was ranked second to Alabama in the final wire-service polls, which did not include bowl games. The Football Writers Association did, however, and they crowned the Razorbacks as national champions after they beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl and Texas knocked off ‘Bama in the Orange Bowl.

When they met again in ’65, third-ranked Arkansas beat top-ranked Texas 27-24.

Those back-to-back losses still stand out to Royal as much as his 167 wins and two undisputed national titles.

“I always think about the ones that got away,” he said.

The rivalry remained in-tense, then turned bittersweet once Arkansas bolted the dying SWC four years before it collapsed. In their finale meeting as conference foes, the Hogs won 14-13.

Nostalgic feelings were stirred before the 2000 Cotton Bowl meeting. Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt added an edge to it by flashing an upside down Hook ’em Horns hand gesture following his team’s 27-6 romp.

As for the in-season renewal of the rivalry, Texas coach Mack Brown began lobbying for it soon after arriving in Austin before the 1998 season.