Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs Arkansas: TV info, predictions and more
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema leads the Arkansas Razorbacks against his former boss, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder, in the 2015 Liberty Bowl.
The Arkansas Razorbacks entered the 2015 season with terrific momentum following a dominant 38-7 victory over Texas in the 2014 Texas Bowl. Because of the optimism surrounding the program, Arkansas was ranked in the preseason Top 25 in 2015 and the Hogs were labeled by many as a dark horse contender to win the SEC West.
The Razorbacks fell flat immediately by dropping three of their first four games and four of their first six, but recovered nicely in the second half of the season. With five wins and only a one-point loss to Mississippi State in the second half of the season, the Razorbacks are 7-5 heading into the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, where they will face Kansas State.
Kansas State and Arkansas met in the 2011 Cotton Bowl, which was the last bowl game the Razorbacks appeared in until head coach Bret Beliema took over the Arkansas program. Bielema, who served as co-defensive coordinator under legendary Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder for the Wildcats from 2002-03, appears to have righted the ship in Fayetteville and has built momentum for a program that desperately needed it.
The Wildcats have also overcome their fair share of adversity in 2015. K-State jumped out to a 3-0 non-conference record only to succumb to a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season that included several close contests against ranked opponents – such as a 36-34 loss to Oklahoma State, a 52-45 loss to TCU and a 31-24 defeat at the hands of Baylor – as well as an embarrassing 55-0 blowout loss to Oklahoma.
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Staring at the likelihood of the first losing season under Snyder since 2005 (and the first for the program since 2008), the Wildcats rallied for victories over rivals Iowa State and Kansas, then survived a 24-23 season finale against West Virginia to make it to a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season.
Liberty Bowl Information:
- Date: Saturday January 2, 2016
- Time: 3:20 ET
- Location: Memphis, TN
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- Spread: Arkansas -11
Though they have averaged 30.5 points per game this season, the Kansas State offense has been far from explosive. The Wildcats’ balanced attack has averaged 341.3 yards of total offense this season (177.1 passing yards and 164.3 rushing yards per contest), which ranks ninth in the ten-team Big 12 and No. 108 nationally.
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Quarterback Jake Huber has proven to be a highly effective runner with 613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, but has struggled as a passer by completing just 47.8 percent of his passes for 1,837 yards and nine TDs with nine interceptions.
K-State has also struggled defensively, having surrendered an average of 442.4 total yards per game, which ranks No. 101 in the country. Opponents have had particular success in the passing game with 283.1 yards through the air on average, which ranks No. 120.
Interestingly enough, however, the Arkansas pass defense ranks one spot behind K-State having allowed 284.5 yards through the air in 2015. Although, the Razorbacks have been much more adept at stopping the run, and rank No. 16 in the country in rush defense with an average of 119.6 rushing yards allowed per game.
Liberty Bowl Prediction:
Arkansas has a much stronger rush defense, but the biggest advantage the Razorbacks have against K-State in the Liberty Bowl (and the biggest reason for the team’s second-half surge) is an explosive offense that averaged 46.5 points per game over the final six weeks of the season.
Quarterback Brandon Allen (3,125 passing yards, 29 TD, 7 INT) and running back Alex Collins (1,392 rushing yards, 17 TD) have led the charge, along with football’s heaviest offensive line, and should excel against the Wildcats on January 2.
Expect Allen – who has thrown for more than 400 yards three times this season and set a school record with seven touchdown passes Nov. 21 against Mississippi State – to have another big day in his final start for the Razorbacks, and for the senior signal caller to cap lead the Hogs to a victory.