In 1933, Thomsen's Razorbacks had the best record in the Southwest Conference, but Arkansas had to forfeit their first conference championship because Thomsen played Heinie Schleuter, an ineligible athlete. Schleuter had told Thomsen he could play, but actually had no remaining eligibility. A member of the SMU Mustangs noticed him as a former Nebraska Cornhusker, forcing the Hogs to give up their first conference title. The Razorbacks won their first conference championship in 1936. However, TCU received the Southwest Conference's bid to the first Cotton Bowl, leaving Arkansas out of the bowl picture. Thomsen popularized the forward pass at Arkansas, attempting over 300 aerials, which caught fire across the Southwest Conference. Thomsen used two quarterbacks, Dwight Sloan for wet weather,