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Arkansas squares off with Texas in the Texas Bowl on Monday night in Houston. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. EST on ESPN.
As an old Southwest Conference rivalry in renewed, here are five Longhorns players Arkansas fans must know.
Tyrone Swoopes: The quarterback position has largely been an issue for Texas this season, but Swoopes is capable of an outburst at a moment’s notice. The sophomore is averaging 196 yards per game and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 13 to 10. He’s turnover prone, and the Longhorns will use the run to take some pressure off of Swoopes. However, he registered 300-yard games against Oklahoma, Iowa State and Oklahoma State and can do it again.
Malcolm Brown: Brown is a key part of the Texas rushing attack, on which offensive coordinator Joe Wickline relies heavily. Brown has had a nice season splitting carries with his battery mate Johnathan Gray. Brown has amassed 683 yards and six touchdowns on 176 carries. Expect the Longhorns to establish Brown early and often.
Johnathan Gray: The other part of the duo with Brown, Gray has been a solid second option this season in Austin. Gray had the statistically better season with less carries, totaling 628 yards and seven touchdowns on 141 carries. The junior averaged 4.5 yards per carry and is a versatile back, able to run between the tackles and off the edge.
John Harris: When looking at the numbers, it seems simple: Stop Harris and Texas can be beaten. Far and away Swoopes’ favorite target, Harris has caught 64 passes for 1,015 yards and seven touchdowns. The Garland, Texas native has totaled nearly double the amount of receiving yards of the next closest receiver. When the Longhorns do throw the ball, Arkansas must key on Harris.
Malcom Brown: Yes, there’s another Malcom Brown, this one on defense. The anchor of the Texas front four from his defensive tackle position, Brown has recorded 88 total tackles and 6.5 sacks. A junior from Brenham, Texas, Brown is a force on the defensive interior at 6-foot-2, 320-pounds.
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
