Twelve years ago, Bret Bielema was Kansas State’s defensive coordinator. Now he’ll be the Wildcats’ opponent.
Bielema and his Arkansas Razorbacks (7-5) will play Kansas State (6-6) in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2, 2016 in Memphis. The kickoff is set for 3:20 p.m. ET.
Arkansas vs. Kansas State in Liberty
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 6, 2015
Bielema will battle one of his old mentors, longtime Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. Bielema served as Snyder’s defensive coordinator from 2002-03, and helped the Wildcats win the Big 12 championship in 2003.
The Liberty Bowl is the closest SEC-affiliated bowl to Arkansas’ campus. The game is a 323-mile drive from Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas will try to close out the season with its eighth win. The Razorbacks started 2-4, but have gone 5-1 since then, including wins over ranked opponents Ole Miss and LSU. The 53-52 overtime win over Ole Miss denied the Rebels a spot in the SEC Championship Game. Arkansas last reached eight wins in 2011.
Kansas State has been an up-and-down team this year. The Wildcats started the season 3-0, lost six straight games, then closed out the season with another three-game winning streak. They average 30.5 points per game, while giving up 28.4 points a contest. Kansas State’s offense is led by dual threat quarterback Joe Hubener, who has thrown for 1,837 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for 613 yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns.
The game will be shown on ESPN.
