Arkansas: 2026 Southeastern Men's Basketball Champions

 

NASHVILLE, TN. (KLRT) – The Arkansas men’s basketball team has clinched their first SEC Tournament Championship since 2000 with a win over Vanderbilt on Sunday.

Arkansas: 2024 Liberty Bowl Champions

 

MEMPHIS — Liberty was accompanied by fireworks Friday night. 

Arkansas racked up the yards and lit up the scoreboard at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, defeating Texas Tech 39-26 in a Liberty Bowl game that at times resembled the shootouts when these teams were members of the Southwest Conference. 

The Razorbacks — shorthanded due to dozens of players opting out or entering the transfer portal — capped a 7-6 campaign and claimed their third bowl trophy since 2021. Arkansas improved its all-time Liberty Bowl record to 4-3, with all wins coming since the 2009 season. 

“The bottom line is that we've got a good football team…and I'm really proud of the kids,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “A lot of times people will ask you, 'Are you ready to play in a bowl game?' Hell, yeah. We're going into a bowl game. It's exciting. It's hard to get to, and they're awful hard to win. Fortunately, we were able to win tonight.” 

Playing without his three top pass catchers from the regular season, Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green completed 11 of 21 passes for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns to earn the bowl’s most valuable player award. He also rushed 15 times for 81 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown carry on the Razorbacks’ opening drive. 

“Taylen took over,” Pittman said. “We have Taylen Green, a lot of teams don't, and it gives us an opportunity to win.”

Green’s 422 all-purpose yards led a 559-yard output for Arkansas. The Razorbacks had 500-plus yards for the fourth time under first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. 

Texas Tech had 497 yards on offense. 

Arkansas scored on its first three possessions. All were aided by chunk plays.

Green’s touchdown run came one play following a 70-yard run by Rodney Hill on the Razorbacks’ second offensive snap. 

The Red Raiders answered with a 37-yard field goal by Gino Garcia to cut the deficit to 7-3, but Green found Isaac TeSlaa for gains of 18 and 56 yards to quickly move Arkansas to the Texas Tech 1. Braylen Russell ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Razorbacks a 14-3 lead. 

Texas Tech (8-5) came away empty handed in the red zone on its ensuing possession. Facing fourth-and-goal at the Arkansas 5, quarterback Will Hammond threw incomplete to Coy Eakin with Kee’yon Stewart in coverage in the end zone. 

Three plays later, Green threw a 94-yard touchdown pass to Dazmin James to put the Razorbacks ahead 21-3. James caught a third-and-9 slant at the 15. 

“If you go back, on the season I think we were worst in the country on giving up explosive plays,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “That’s something that’s got to be a big deal during winter football school, it’s got to be a big deal in the spring and we’ve got to get better at that.”

James broke a tackle at the 24, was aided by a downfield block by Krosse Johnson, then broke another tackle attempt near the Texas Tech 15.

It was the first career reception for James, who broke the program’s record for longest touchdown catch. The previous record of 92 yards from Matt Jones to Richard Smith was set in 2002 at Tennessee. 

“My first catch ever as a collegiate athlete to catch the ball and go 94 yards, it feels amazing,” James said.

James caught 3 passes for 137 yards, all before halftime. He appeared to injure his knee on a 24-yard catch early in the second quarter, but returned to make a 19-yard catch on Arkansas’ final offensive snap of the half. That catch set up Matthew Shipley’s 40-yard field goal as time expired to give the Razorbacks a 24-19 halftime lead. 

“It was tough, right there in the end, to give up that field goal going into half because they had kind of grabbed the momentum back,” McGuire said. “It felt like we had gotten some momentum going and then they grabbed it back.”

Shipley added a 36-yard field goal on the first drive of the second half to put Arkansas ahead 27-19. 

Green threw complete to CJ Brown for 31 yards on third-and-11, then 47 yards to running back Tyrell Reed for a touchdown to increase the lead to 34-19 with 7:15 to play in the third quarter. 

Like James, Reed’s touchdown catch doubled as the first reception of his career. 

“Just because you guys don't know about them doesn't mean that they're not good players,” Pittman said. “But now you know about them a little bit.” 

A 43-yard field goal by Shipley with 5:02 left in the fourth quarter increased the Razorbacks’ lead to 39-19. 

Hammond threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Eakin with 3:06 to play. The Red Raiders’ onside kick attempt went out of bounds and Arkansas ran out the clock, taking a knee inside the red zone to end the game. 

After allowing 346 yards to Texas Tech before halftime, Arkansas’ defense clamped down for most of the second half. Defensive backs Marquise Robinson and Miguel Mitchell each intercepted Hammond — Robinson’s at the Arkansas 7 after the Red Raiders entered the red zone. 

The Razorbacks also recorded their first safety since 2022 when Anton Juncaj sacked Hammond in the end zone with 14:21 remaining in the fourth quarter. The safety was set up when Devin Bale’s punt was fair caught by Jordan Brown at the Texas Tech 2. 

The Red Raiders outscored Arkansas 16-3 in the second quarter. Isaac Smith sacked Green for a safety early in the quarter and J’Koby Williams had a 54-yard touchdown run on the next drive to cut the lead to 21-12. 

Receiver Jalin Conyers added a 2-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation with 1:58 remaining before the half to make the score 21-19. 

But Green led a solid 2-minute drive to put the Razorbacks in scoring position. He scrambled 3 times for 22 yards on the possession before finding James to set up the field goal. 

James and TeSlaa (3 catches for 107 yards) became the first Arkansas receiving tandem to go over 100 yards in a bowl game since Chuck Dicus and Bruce Maxwell at the Sugar Bowl to end the 1969 season. 

Hill rushed for 81 yards on 8 carries. Russell had 20 carries for 50 yards a week after removing his name from the transfer portal. 

Green rushed for 97 yards when adjusted for sacks. He was sacked twice for 16 yards lost. 

Hammond, a freshman who made his first career start, completed 20 of 34 passes for 280 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Caleb Douglas was his top receiver with 5 catches for 115 yards. 

Williams led Texas Tech with 15 carries for 123 yards. The Red Raiders’ leading rusher, Tahj Brooks, elected not to play in the game after traveling with the team to Memphis. 

Why Arkansas Won

The Razorbacks had 15 offensive plays with double-digit yardage, including 6 plays of 31 yards or more against one of college football’s worst defenses. 

Texas Tech outgained Arkansas 346-341 during the first half, but the Razorbacks made more defensive stops after halftime. 

Player of the Game: Arkansas QB Taylen Green

Green had pass plays of 18, 56, 94, 24, 19, 33, 31 and 47 yards, and run plays of 12, 13, 27 and 15 yards. 

He had 422 all-purpose yards and accounted for 4 touchdowns. It was the fourth time he rushed for a touchdown and passed for a touchdown in the same game this season — the type of dual-threat performance that made Green attractive to Arkansas coaches when the former Boise State quarterback entered the transfer portal last offseason. 

With 341 passing yards, Green broke the Arkansas program record passing yards in a bowl game, previously set when Bill Montgomery passed for 338 yards during a 27-22 loss to Ole Miss at the Sugar Bowl to end the 1969 season. 

The last Arkansas quarterback to pass for 300 yards in a bowl game was Brandon Allen, who had 315 yards during a 45-23 victory over Kansas State at the Liberty Bowl to end the 2015 season. 

3-0

Sam Pittman became the first Arkansas coach to win his first three bowl games. 

Pittman led the Razorbacks to their second Liberty Bowl victory. Arkansas defeated Kansas 55-53 in triple overtime in Memphis in 2022. 

In Pittman’s first bowl game, the Razorbacks defeated Penn State 24-10 at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. 

Prior to Pittman, the only Arkansas coach to win his first two bowl games was Bret Bielema, with wins of 31-7 over Texas at the 2014 Texas Bowl and the 45-23 win over Kansas State at the Liberty Bowl to end the 2015 season. Pittman was an assistant for both of those teams, but did not coach in the latter of the two bowls because he had left to be an assistant coach at Georgia by that time. 

Pittman, who concluded his fifth season as Arkansas’ coach Friday, has a 30-31 overall record. The Razorbacks posted their third season with a winning record during his tenure. 

Pittman coached Friday's game while using a cane. He was 24 days removed from hip replacement surgery. 

Texas Tech Series

Arkansas improved its all-time record against Texas Tech to 30-8. 

The teams are scheduled to play again in 2030 in Lubbock, Texas, and 2031 in Fayetteville. 

Up Next

Arkansas is scheduled to open the 2025 season with an Aug. 30 game against Alabama A&M in Fayetteville. It will be the third consecutive season the Razorbacks open with an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision. 

Arkansas: 2022 Liberty Bowl Champions

There have been 64 AutoZone Liberty Bowl games but none may have been wilder than Wednesday's 55-53 triple overtime thriller won by Arkansas football.

Twenty-four Liberty Bowl records were set or tied at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, including seven by Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels. Per ESPN, Daniels is the second FBS player in the last 25 years with at least 500 passing yards and six total touchdowns in a bowl game.

Kansas rallied from a 25-point second half deficit to force overtime, including two touchdowns in 24 seconds plus the game-tying two-point conversion. It was the second Liberty Bowl to go to overtime with Arkansas outlasting ECU 20-17 on Jan. 2, 2010.

Here's a breakdown of what records were set.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl records set

Most total offense by one team: 681 - Arkansas (old record - 575 by Indiana, 1988)

Most points scored by one team: 55 - Arkansas (old record - 47, Colorado, 1969)

Most combined points scored: 108 (old record - 84, Louisville (44) vs Boise State (40), 2004)

Most points scored in a quarter: 24 - Arkansas, first quarter

Most points scored in half (including overtime): 40 - Kansas

Most combined second half points (including overtime): 64

Most touchdowns by a team: Seven - Arkansas and Kansas

Most combined touchdowns: 14

Most combined total yards: 1,284 (old record - 1,139 in 2018)

Most passing yards by team: 544 - Kansas (old record - 423 by Illinois, 1982)

Most total offense (individual): 565 - Jalon Daniels, Kansas (old record - 413 by Tony Eason, 1982).

Most touchdown passes: Five - Daniels (old record - four, shared by five others, most recently Taylor Cornelius, 2018)

Most passing yards: 544 - Daniels (old record - 423 by Tony Eason, 1982)

Most touchdowns scored: Six - Daniels (old record, five Kyle Allen, 2014, and Dak Prescott, 2013)

Most completions: 37 - Daniels (old record - 35 by Tony Eason, 1982)

Most points accounted for: 38 - Daniels (old record, 30 by Kyle Allen, 2014, and Dak Prescott, 2013)

Most first downs: 32 - Kansas (old record, 30 by Ole Miss, 1989 and Arkansas, 2015)

Most passing first downs: 25 - Kansas (old record, 18 by Illinois, 1982)

Longest Liberty Bowl game by periods: Three overtimes

AutoZone Liberty Bowl records tied

Most receptions: 10 - Luke Grimm, Kansas (held by three others, most recently Allen Lazard, 2017)

Most points scored in half (non-overtime): 31 - Arkansas, first half (shared by Boise State, 2004 and Colorado, 1969)

Most pass attempts: 55 - Daniels (shared with Tony Eason, 1982)

Most tackles in a game: 12 - Chris Paul Jr., Arkansas (shared by Randy White, 1974)

Arkansas records set

Most rushing yards in bowl game: 394 (old record, 361 in 1990 Cotton Bowl)

Most points scored in bowl game: 55 (old record, 45 in 2016 Liberty Bowl)

Kansas records set

Most passing yards in single game: 544 - Daniels

Most touchdowns in a single game: Five - Daniels

Arkansas: 2022 Outback Bowl Champions

TAMPA, Fla. -- — Arkansas football is on the rise.

KJ Jefferson picked up 104 of his 110 rushing yards in the second half and threw for 90 more to lead No. 22 Arkansas past Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl on Saturday. Raheim Sanders had 79 yards and two touchdowns on 13 rushing attempts and Dominique Johnson added 85 yards on 11 carries as the Razorbacks finished with 361 yards on the ground.

"We've come a long way," Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said.

Arkansas (9-4), coming off four consecutive seasons of four or fewer wins, got its first nine-win year since going 11-2 in 2011. The Razorbacks also played in their first bowl game since the 2016 Belk Bowl.

"I believe in this program and where it's headed," Sanders said. " I know coach Pittman has a plan in place and this is just the beginning. We want to compete at the highest level. In order to do that we have to win these games, beat these teams and continue to raise our game."

Sean Clifford went 14 of 32 or 195 yards for Penn State (7-6). He gained 47 yards on the ground on 11 attempts.

"I thought our guys played extremely hard but we didn't play well enough, obviously, to win the game," Penn State coach James Franklin said,

Jefferson ran 20 times while completing 14 of 19 passes. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound sophomore was sacked five times and limited to 6 yards rushing on 11 carries during the first half.

"I'm just embracing it," said Jefferson, who was the game's MVP.

Jefferson and Sanders had TD runs, and Cam Little made a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter to put Arkansas up 24-10.

Arkansas took the opening kickoff in the second half and put together a seven-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with Jefferson's 8-yard TD run.

Jefferson was hurt and left for several plays after a 34-yard dash later in the third period, and was replaced by Malik Hornsby. He had a 32-yard run to set up Sanders' 1-yard score with 2:00 left in the quarter.

"We did a really good job in the first half of limiting explosive runs," Franklin said. "But in the second half they made an adjustment, a commitment to run the quarterback."

Jefferson said he had the wind knocked out of him on the play. Hornsby had 67 yards on four carries.

Penn State led 10-7 at the half thanks to a 43-yard field goal by Jake Pinegar. The Nittany Lions tied it at 7 early in the second quarter when Clifford took advantage of blown coverage and hit a wide open KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 42-yard touchdown.

"I don't know. I wouldn't say I'm frustrated, we just have to take this loss to heart and work harder in the offseason to get better next season," Lambert-Smith said. "We needed to do the little things. We had to play better and execute better."

Arkansas took a 7-0 lead on the last play of the first quarter when Sanders had a 3-yard TD run. The Razorbacks converted a pair of fourth-down plays during the drive, including Jefferson avoiding a sack and running for 13 yards.

MISSING PLAYERS

Both teams were impacted by bowl opt outs. Penn State was without leading receiver Jahan Dotson; defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and tackle Derrick Tangelo; safety Jaquan Brisker; and linebackers Ellis Brooks and Brandon Smith.

"We need to thank Penn State," Pittman said. "Penn State had a lot of guys go to the NFL and coach Franklin elected to play the game. I respect that big time."

Arkansas played without wide receiver Treylon Burks and defensive end Tre Williams.

NUMBERS

Jefferson had his streak of 171 consecutive passes without an interception end when Ji' Ayir Brown picked off his second throw of the game in the first quarter. Brown finished with two interceptions. … Penn State DE Smith Vilbert had three sacks. ... Arkansas S Joe Foucha had an interception in the end zone and a sack during the second half.

------

Arkansas Razorbacks: 2016 Liberty Bowl Champions

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The biggest storyline coming into Saturday's Autozone Liberty Bowl was the relationship between the two head coaches, Bill Snyder and Bret Bielema. Afterward, it was all about Alex Collins.

The Arkansas running back rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Razorbacks past Kansas State 45-23.

In what was a scary moment late in the first half, Arkansas wide receiver Dominique Reed had to be carted off the field after he sustained an apparent head/neck injury. After the game Bielema said Reed was fine, but had been "knocked out."

What this win means for Arkansas: As an Arkansas fan, you can look at this season in two ways. One, the Razorbacks finished strong, winning six of their final seven games, including Saturday's bowl win. But there's always the what if? What if they didn't lose early to Toledo and Texas Tech? What if they hung on to second-half leads against Texas A&M, Alabama and Mississippi State? Regardless, just like last year, the bowl win will give this team momentum heading into 2016. It's clear Bielema has Arkansas moving in the right direction.

What this loss means for Kansas State: Give Snyder and this Wildcats team credit. They battled. Despite a former junior college wide receiver starting at quarterback -- Kody Cook played pretty well by the way -- they scored points and kept the game close until the fourth quarter. They were just outmatched at the end of the day. The 77-year-old Snyder intends to return in 2016, and that means Kansas State will once again be competitive.

Player of the game: OK, you already know this one. What a day for Collins. The junior has yet to declare early for the NFL, but it might be a foregone conclusion after Saturday. Just have NFL scouts go look at his touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. He broke five tackles as he powered through the Kansas State defense on a 14-yard touchdown run. With the score, Collins set the Arkansas single-season record with 20 touchdowns on the year. He also moved into second all-time with 3,703 career rushing yards.

Unsung hero: Collins stole the show, but Arkansas tight end Jeremy Sprinkle did his part in the victory. Playing second fiddle to Hunter Henry all season, Sprinkle has never gotten the credit he probably deserves. But the junior tight end finished with four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown and proved that if Henry opts to leave early for the NFL, the Razorbacks will be just fine at the tight end position next season.

Top play: There's open, and then there's Winston Dimel on this play. The Kansas State fullback must have been hiding behind his offensive lineman prior to the snap because when he slipped out to run a route, nobody on Arkansas picked him up. He was almost surprised with how open he was, but he caught the pass and took it in for a 48-yard touchdown, his second of the day.

Arkansas: 2014 Texas Bowl Champions

At SEC Media Days in Birmingham last summer, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema addressed a room of reporters as he previewed the season. “I'll take a minute to talk about last year,” Bielema said. He took a long pause. “That's about all I need to do.”

Nothing really needed to be said about the Razorbacks’ 2013 campaign. InBielema’s first season in Fayetteville, the Hogs lost nine straight games to end the year and finished 3-9. That mark included a 0-8 SEC record. The learning curve appeared steep for Bielema, who left a Wisconsin program fresh off three straight Rose Bowl berths to inherit an SEC bottom-feeder.

On Monday, Arkansas put a bow on a season that put last year’s forgettable campaign behind it. Bielema’s crew embarrassed Texas 31-7 in the Texas Bowl to finish 7-6. One year ago, the Razorbacks looked as far away from SEC contention as any team in the league. Now, the Hogs are bowl champions and on the cusp of returning to relevance.

Arkansas didn’t seem fazed by the common advice not to mess with Texas. In fact, it floored the gas and didn’t let up against the Longhorns. The Hogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter before Texas running back Johnathan Gray fumbled in his own end zone. Arkansas’ Taiwan Johnson hopped on the loose ball to give his team a 17-0 lead with 8:13 until halftime.

Bielema’s defense did a stellar job against Tyrone Swoopes and the Texas offense. The ‘Horns managed a stunning 59 yards of offense on 43 plays (1.37 yards per play). At the beginning of the fourth quarter, coach Charlie Strong’s team had 23 total yards. This is a Texas team that matured as the season progressed –- which points to a positive future under Strong –- but it simply didn’t show up in Houston.

For the Razorbacks, seven wins won’t lead to an SEC title, especially in the SEC West. However, Bielema simply needed to take a step forward with this roster this year. One could argue Arkansas took a few big steps. It earned its first SEC win under Bielema with a 17-0 win over LSU on Nov. 15. The Razorbacks routed Ole Miss 30-0 the next week. They also lost close games to Alabama and Texas A&M. No matter who the Hogs faced, they showed plenty of fight.

Arkansas won’t reach a New Year’s bowl anytime soon if it can’t hang with the SEC West’s big boys. But the program graduated from SEC doormat to conference spoiler in just one season, and there’s no telling what the future holds under Bielema. The Razorbacks can now enjoy some momentum during the offseason, which they didn’t have last year. Next season, that should at least give Bielema something to talk about.

On the tough times in Atlanta and lucky pennies

On the tough times in Atlanta and lucky pennies

As if things weren't any worse for the Falcons, after Michael Vick got 23 months in prison for dogfighting, head coach Bobby Petrino leaves town on a midnight plane for Fayetteville to be the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. The players and owners watch Petrino smiling and calling out the Hogs, and don't have anything other than "Traitor," Coward," "Unmanly queef," "Cancer," "Abuser," and what have you to say on national television.

On a poll by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, over 60% say that it's Petrino's fault for this whole mess. However, there are nearly a quarter of voters who say that the whole organization should be blamed. I agree with them. In defense of Petrino, owner Arthur Blank, general manager Rich McKay, and the players should also clain responsibility.

* Blank and McKay should have known about what Petrino did just to be the head coach of the Falcons. At Louisville, he duped the administration, and the school, and the players into thinking that he will be their coach. Now they understand how it feels to have been duped at Louisville. And the people and Arkansas should have known the bigger picture, and they will be the next ones to be duped. Watch.

* The players should have embraced Petrino more. When you're not winning, and there is no chemistry, you have to rally around your coach. But they weren't winning, and they weren't delivering. It probably was better for Petrino to leave than to have to go the distance and face the music. They say that no one should question your fanhood. Shouldn't it be the same in terms of questioning your manhood? Mike Gundy, send help!

This team HAS hit rock bottom. Mark Bradley of the AJC is not lying. And they will be in flux for while. Enjoy breaking out the brown bags, Falcons fans. And while you're at it, bring a dakimakura.

---

I love picking up pennies.

On the bus, or on the sidewalk, I see a penny, and I pick it up. Once I pick it up, I think, "Oh. Something good might happen today." On rare occasion it could be a nickel, dime, or quarter. But that's because it fell off my wallet or pockets. But when I pick up a penny, I know something good is going to happen. Maybe not today, but somewhere down the road.

---