What better way to culminate Sam Pittman’s inaugural season at Arkansas than with a bowl game?

Though it feels like an eternity, it hasn’t actually been long since the Razorbacks last made a bowl game. The Hogs played in the Belk Bowl during the 2016 season, losing 45-23 to Virginia Tech.

Arkansas is on its 3rd head coach since then and this one appears to be a keeper.

Pittman not only got the Hogs back to a bowl but also snapped their 20-game SEC losing streak this season. Their 3 conference victories are triple the amount they had in the past 3 seasons. Even though Arkansas finished the regular season 3-7, this year as a whole has been one massive win.

There could be one more victory, too.

Pittman will get a chance to make the season even more special on New Year’s Eve when Arkansas faces TCU (6-4) at 7 p.m. local in the Texas Bowl. TCU opened as a 6-point favorite.

The teams have quite a bit of history dating to when they were members of the Southwest Conference. Arkansas holds a 44-24-2 lead all-time in the series, though TCU won the most recent meeting in 2017.

This year, they look to be fairly evenly matched.

TCU isn’t overwhelming with either its running or passing attack on offense. Dual-threat quarterback Max Duggan is the main threat, and he leads the team in passing and rushing yards. He has a total of 2,321 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Darwin Barlow and Zach Evans split carries behind him.

Arkansas has at times proven difficult for opposing quarterbacks this season. Their 1.3 interceptions per game are tied for the 10th-best in FBS. They forced 6 against Ole Miss. Perhaps Duggan struggles against this defense.

That said, the Razorbacks haven’t faced a quarterback with his mobility. He has twice this season rushed for more than 100 yards. It will be interesting to see how Barry Odom changes his strategy to attack/contain Duggan.

Switching sides, the Arkansas offense draws a tough matchup against the Horned Frogs.

TCU ranks 33rd overall in team defense and 3rd in the Big 12. They tend to give up a bit more through the air, which could work in the Razorbacks’ favor. Treylon Burks has been one of the best receivers in the SEC this season while Mike Woods gives Feleipe Franks a deep threat.

If Trelon Smith can manage to get going on the ground, the Razorbacks have a good chance in this one.

Finally, there is the coaching comparison.

The Hogs are dealing with a first-year guy in Pittman while TCU has 20-year veteran Gary Patterson. The discrepancy is obvious, but it doesn’t feel like a huge barrier.

Pittman brought with him plenty of experience as an assistant, plus has done enough to earn the trust of Hogs fans. With the way this season has gone, it wouldn’t be that shocking to see him achieve yet another milestone in an already memorable year.

Arkansas hasn’t won a bowl game since the 2015 season, and Lou Holtz is the last Hogs coach to win a bowl game in his first year. Holtz, of course, led the Hogs to an Orange Bowl victory to cap an 11-1 season in 1977.

As football comes to a close, Razorbacks fans will have time to reflect on the year that passes.

When they do so, they’ll likely be thankful for the man who got them bowling again in 2020 and know that this is only the beginning of what is in store.