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The Arkansas Razorbacks used a record-setting performance to down Kansas State in the 2016 Liberty Bowl by a 45-23 score. Here’s a breakdown of the Hogs’ win.
5 TAKEAWAYS
- Arkansas (8-5) tied the Liberty Bowl record for first downs with 30 and set the game’s second-highest mark for total yards with 569. The Hogs’ 24 points were the second-most ever scored during a half against the Wildcats in a bowl game.
- The Razorbacks’ win marks the first time in program history that the team has won bowl games in consecutive seasons and the first time they’ve won three-straight bowl games, including the Hogs’ 2011 Cotton Bowl victory, also, over Kansas State.
- With 185 yards on the ground, Alex Collins moved passed Ben Cowins for second on Arkansas’ all-time rushing leaderboard. Should the junior (3,703 yards) return to Fayetteville for his senior year, he’d need just 887 yards to supplant Darren McFadden atop the list. Collins’ three touchdowns against Kansas State give him 20 in the year, breaking Bill Burnett’s team record for rushing scores in the season.
- The Liberty Bowl might have marked the last game in the storied career of Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder. The 76-year-old coach has 193 wins against 101 losses in 24 seasons in Manhattan. Among the litany of former coaches that learned under the tutelage of Snyder was Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema, who served as Wildcat co-defensive coordinator during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
- Arkansas’ Jonathan Williams was in the backfield for the game’s final snaps in a classy move by Bret Bielema, allowing the injured running back to see the field one last time in a Razorbacks’ uniform. Williams was slated to be the team’s featured back this season, but foot surgery this summer derailed any hopes of playing significant time this season. Rather than take a medical redshirt, Williams has declared for the NFL Draft, leaving Fayetteville with 2,321 career yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.
REPORT CARD
Offense: (A) – The Razorback offense played nearly flawless with a record-setting, 569-yard performance.
Defense: (C-plus) – The Arkansas defense was vulnerable to big plays that allowed the Wildcats to hang around through three quarters, but it ultimately clamped down, holding Kansas State to just 79 rushing yards and 163 yards passing. Ryan Pulley sealed the game with an interception of Joe Hubener with 4:31 left to play.
Special Teams: (C) – Cole Hedlund hit a 26-yard field goal, but had a 46-yard attempt blocked at the end of the first half. Arkansas had a tough time keeping the ball away from dynamic Kansas State kick returner Morgan Burns, who tallied 91 return yards.
Coaching: (A) – Eric Mateos stepped in for the departed Sam Pittman and coached the Arkansas offensive line to another dominating performance. All told, Bret Bielema outcoached his mentor, Bill Snyder.
Overall: (B-plus) – Arkansas ends the year with an overall dominating performance and enters the offseason riding an emotional high.
GAME PLAN
Arkansas wanted to establish its rushing attack early to open up its passing game and was able to do just that, racking up 254 yards on the ground and 315 via the air. The Razorbacks used eight different players to tally 569 total yards.
GAME BALLS
- Alex Collins, RB – The junior had 185 rushing yards, scored three touchdowns and had 74 kick-return yards for a total of 259 all-purpose yards.
- Brandon Allen, QB– The senior threw for 315 yards and a TD in his final game with the Razorbacks.
- Jeremy Sprinkle, TE – The junior had 81 yards in receptions, including a touchdown.
INJURY UPDATE
- Things got tense with 2:35 left to play in the first half when Dominique Reed lay motionless on the turf after taking a shot to the head from Kansas State free safety Sean Newlan. Reed left on a stretcher with a suspected neck injury, bringing back memories of freshman running back Rawleigh Williams III, who suffered a harsh, season-ending neck injury earlier in the year. The junior was able to return to the stadium after the game, prompting head coach Bret Bielema to chime in on the wide receiver’s condition: “He is alive and well … and smiling.”
- Hunter Henry hobbled off the field after hauling in a 43-yard pass for a first down on third-and-13 early in the fourth quarter. Henry finished tied with Drew Morgan for the team lead with 92 receiving yards in the game.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
