Game Primer: How To Watch, Things to Know for Kansas Jayhawks vs Arkansas Razorbacks in the Liberty Bowl
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The Kansas Jayhawks are back in the postseason sooner than many expected, as they finished Lance Leipold's second season at the helm with a 6-6 record and qualified for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis Tennessee. And the opponent is not the one that many were clamoring for in the Missouri Tigers, but instead their fellow SEC team the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Kansas ended the season on a three game losing streak, and is no longer receiving votes in the polls. However, they have been ranked as high as #19 this season. Arkansas started the season ranked in both polls, but lost their ranking after falling to 3-3 and haven't received any votes since their 21-19 loss to Liberty.
These teams have only played twice in history, in a home-and-home series back in 1905 and 1906. The Jayhawks swept that series, with a 6-0 victory in Little Rock in 1905 and a 37-5 victory in Lawrence in 1906. This is the first neutral site meeting,
Here are the essentials:
How to Watch
Wednesday, December 28th, 4:30 p.m. CST
Memphis, TN: Simmons Bank Liberty Bowl Stadium (58,325)
TV: ESPN
- Dave O'Brien (Play-by-Play), Dan Mullen (Analyst), Taylor McGregor (Sideline Reporter)
Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network
- Brian Hanni (Play-by-Play), David Lawrence (Analyst), Brandon McAnderson (Sideline)
ESPN Radio: Clay Matvick (Play-by-Play), Rocky Boiman (Analyst), Tera Talmadge (Sideline Reporter).
Online Streaming: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
The Numbers
Kansas: 6-6 (3-6 Big 12)
Arkansas: 6-6 (3-5 SEC)
Line: ARK -2.5
O/U: 70.0
Odds via SI Sportsbook
Game Coverage
Weekly Walkthrough: Liberty Bowl Week
Game Predictions from the Blue Wings Rising staff
Listen to the preview episode of the Rock Chalk Podcast with Andy Hodges of All Hogs.
Follow along during the game with live updates and analysis from both the Blue Wings Rising and Rock Chalk Podcast Twitter accounts.
Come join the conversation in the Blue Wings Rising Discord Server.
Fun Facts
The Jayhawks are 6-6 in their bowl history. They are 0-1 in the Liberty Bowl. Lance Leipold is 2-1 in bowl games, with his last victory coming in 2020 while he was at Buffalo.
Lonnie Phelps enters the game with 7 sacks on the season. That is the most since Dorance Armstrong had 10 sacks in 2016.
Both Jalon Daniels (65.7%) and Jason Bean (64.4%) are completing more than 64% of their passes, the second and third most since 2000 with a minimum of 125 attempts. The only player to accomplish a better mark was Todd Reesing in 2008, when he completed 66.5% of his passes.
