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It’s an old Southwest Conference rivalry renewed as a pair of 6-6 squads battle in Houston on Monday night.
We dig into the good and bad numbers of the Arkansas’ Texas Bowl date with the Texas Longhorns.
THE GOOD
64: The Longhorns rank No. 64 nationally in rushing defense, and face their biggest test of the season in Arkansas and its duo of 1,000-yard backs in Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins. Taysom Hill and BYU gutted Texas in the second game of the season for 248 yards and five touchdowns. The Hogs will be the toughest challenge on the ground the Longhorns have faced since that game in early September.
2: With consecutive shutouts of LSU and Ole Miss, Arkansas became the first unranked team to shut out multiple ranked opponents since 1942. Head coach Bret Bielema and company are hoping the Hogs can carry the momentum from the end of the regular season to Monday night’s bowl game, and get to seven wins in just year two of the Bielema project.
8: The Razorbacks faced eight AP Top 25 opponents this season, and while Arkansas lost six of those games, it was only outscored 177-165. Bielema’s team is battle-tested, and won’t be intimidated by a six-win Texas team.
THE BAD
12: Texas ranks No. 12 in the country is passing defense, and while Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen has been efficient at times this season, he can be rattled. Coming off a game in which he spent the majority of the final 30 minutes on his back, Allen will be looking to have time to throw the football. If Texas is able to create pressure, it could be a long night.
56: The two teams have met 77 times in history, with the Longhorns dominating the series 56-21. The Razorbacks haven’t won since 2003. Texas owns the longest winning streak in the life of the rivalry, opening the series with 14 straight wins. These are two different teams, and Arkansas looks to get back in the win column.
26: Safety Rohan Gaines has been suspended for the game by Bielema, and his loss will leave a big hole in the secondary for defensive coordinator Robb Smith to fill. Gaines finished fifth on the team in tackles with 59 and marked his season with an exclamation point against Ole Miss, taking an interception 100 yards for a score.
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.
