Razorbacks Ready For Wildcats
Bowl Central | Bowl Guide | Hype Video | Bielema Press Conference
Liberty Bowl: Kansas State | Saturday, Jan. 2 | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | Memphis, Tenn.
Kickoff: 2:20 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN
Tickets: SOLD OUT
Arkansas will meet Kansas State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl – the second consecutive bowl game for the Razorbacks. For the 20th time in school history, Arkansas is playing in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons. This will mark the school’s 41st bowl appearance and fifth in the Liberty Bowl. Arkansas is 1-3 all-time in the game and posted a 20-17 overtime victory against East Carolina on Jan. 2, 2010.
The Series
All-Time Record: Kansas State leads, 3-2
Last Game: Arkansas 29, No. 11 Kansas State 16 (2012, Cotton Bowl)
In Fayetteville: Kansas State leads, 1-0
Streak: L1
In Manhattan: Kansas State leads, 2-0
Streak: L2
In Little Rock: Arkansas leads, 1-0
In Arlington: Arkansas leads, 1-0
Games Decided by 7 Points Or Less: Kansas State leads, 2-0
The Opponent
Kansas State is led by legendary head coach Bill Snyder. This season marks Snyder’s 24th as head coach at Kansas State. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Snyder holds a career record of 193-100. After starting the season 3-0, Kansas State dropped its next six games. The Wildcats battled back and won their final three contests of the regular season, finishing 6-6.
The Wildcat offense is led by quarterback Joe Hubener. The junior signal caller tallied 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, which rank third among FBS quarterbacks. The Wildcats rank seventh in scoring offense, eighth in rushing offense and ninth in both passing and total offense, among Big 12 teams.
Defensively, senior defensive lineman Travis Britz, sophomore defensive lineman Will Geary and sophomore linebacker Elijah Lee earned All-Big 12 honors. Lee led the team in tackles with 75. Britz registered 11.0 tackles for loss on the season, while junior defensive lineman Jordan Willis logged a team-high 13.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Kansas State ranks first in the Big-12 in rushing defense, allowing 159.42 yards per game. The Wildcats also rank sixth in scoring defense, ninth in passing defense and sixth in total defense, among Big 12 teams.
On the back of All-American returner Morgan Burns, Kansas State has been especially dominant on special teams. Burns led the nation with four kickoff return scores this season. Place kickers Jack Cantele and Matthew McCrane also earned All-Big 12 status.
Connections
– Head coach Bret Bielema served as co-defensive coordinator under Coach Snyder in 2002 and 2003.
– Wide receivers coach Michael Smith played for Snyder at K-State and also spent 15 years on the K-State coaching staff.
– Director of Recruiting E.K. Franks served in multiple coaching and support staff positions at Kansas State from 2000 to 2003.
News & Notes
– With a 50-point effort against Mississippi State, the Razorback offense broke the 50-point plateau for the fourth time in the final six games. The four 50-point games are the most in a single season in program history, breaking the previous record of three set in 2007, 1916 and 1910.
– Three of Arkansas’ 50-point games have come in SEC action which is also a single-season record, breaking the 2003 mark of two.
– Arkansas has 279 points over the last six games, which is more than the Razorbacks scored in their first season (248) under Bielema.
– Arkansas is averaging 46.5 points over the last six games, which is 12.8 more than any other SEC team over its past six games.
– Arkansas is the only school in the SEC and one of eight nationally to have both a 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher this season.
– Senior quarterback Brandon Allen has passed for 3,125 yards thus far, the fifth-best single-season mark in school history.
– Junior running back Alex Collins has totaled 1,392 rushing yards this year, ranking No. 3 in the program’s single-season charts.
– Arkansas is joined by Stanford as the only two programs to have a semifinalist for the Manning Award (QB), Doak Walker Award (RB) and John Mackey Award (TE).
– Junior tight end Hunter Henry captured the 2015 John Mackey Award and also earned NCAA Consensus All-America status.
– Arkansas’ tight end corps is tops in the SEC, totaling 955 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.
– Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle’s combined 955 yards receiving ranks second nationally (first in Power 5) among FBS tight end duos.
– Henry has now led SEC tight ends in first down receptions for three-straight seasons.
– Arkansas has produced a 1,000+ yard rusher in three straight seasons – four total in that span.
– Bret Bielema-led teams have combined for 321 rushing touchdowns in his 10 years as a head coach.
– Arkansas led the SEC in scoring in SEC games, averaging 34.4 points per conference game.
– Arkansas is one of just four teams in the nation to have less than 11 turnovers.
