Sports

Arkansas secures Liberty Bowl victory in 39-26 win

Published

2 weeks ago

December 28, 2024

MEMPHIS – Behind a stellar performance from quarterback Taylen Green, the Arkansas Razorbacks capped their season with a commanding 39-26 victory over Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl on Friday night.

Green showcased his dual-threat abilities, throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns while adding 81 rushing yards. His 94-yard touchdown pass to Dazmin James set a Liberty Bowl record and helped the Razorbacks (7-6) amass 573 yards of total offense.

“All the stats you see, I didn’t do it by myself,” Green said, emphasizing the team effort in Arkansas’ first bowl win since 2021.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman praised his team’s performance, highlighting their resilience and ability to capitalize on Texas Tech’s weaknesses. “We’ve got good players,” Pittman said. “Just because you guys don’t know about ’em doesn’t mean they’re not good players.”

The Razorbacks surged to an early 21-3 lead in the first half, powered by explosive plays like James’ record-setting catch and run. Although Texas Tech (8-5) closed the gap before halftime, Arkansas controlled the second half with key defensive adjustments that held the Red Raiders scoreless until the final minutes.

Pittman credited his defense for forcing Texas Tech to rely on freshman quarterback Will Hammond, who started in place of the injured Behren Morton. Hammond finished with 280 passing yards and a touchdown but struggled to overcome Arkansas’ revamped defensive strategy.

“We made adjustments to make Hammond throw more and limit his ability to run,” Pittman said. “We also wanted to make Taylen (Green) a bigger factor in our offense, and it paid off.”

Texas Tech’s head coach Joey McGuire acknowledged the challenges his team faced, particularly the absence of star running back Tahj Brooks, who opted out for personal reasons. “At the end of the day, Arkansas out-executed us,” McGuire said.

Game Takeaways

Arkansas Razorbacks: Arkansas exploited Texas Tech’s struggling secondary, which ranked last in the Big 12. Green’s 341 passing yards were well above the Red Raiders’ season average allowed. The victory solidifies a strong finish to the season for a Razorbacks team looking to build momentum heading into 2025.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: With true freshman Will Hammond under center and Brooks unavailable, Texas Tech’s offense showed flashes but was ultimately undone by big plays and second-half mistakes. Despite Hammond’s promising 280-yard performance, the Red Raiders’ defensive lapses sealed their fate.

Sports

Hogs fall to Ole Miss, remain winless in SEC play

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2025

Grant Merrill

FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas Razorbacks (11-4, 0-2 SEC) remain winless in conference play after a tough 73-66 loss to No. 23 Ole Miss (13-2, 2-0 SEC) on Wednesday night. Despite a strong start and home-court advantage, Arkansas couldn’t hold off the Rebels, who surged ahead in the second half to secure the win.

The Razorbacks opened with a commanding 10-5 lead, setting the tone for a competitive first half. Arkansas led for most of the period until Ole Miss tied the game at 36-36 on a Sean Pedulla three-pointer with just 31 seconds remaining in the half. That shot marked a pivotal moment, as it was the last time Arkansas held a lead in the game.

Coming out of halftime, Matthew Murrell’s layup gave Ole Miss an early advantage in the second half. Although Arkansas guard Boogie Fland quickly answered with a jump shot to tie the game at 38-38, the Rebels responded with a three-pointer from Davon Barnes, putting them ahead for good.

Ole Miss extended its lead in the final moments, with D.J. Wagner’s layup bringing the score to 72-64 with just 21 seconds remaining. Arkansas managed to close the gap slightly, but the Razorbacks couldn’t convert critical opportunities, leaving them with another SEC loss.

For Arkansas, the loss highlights the challenges of conference play and the need for resilience as they seek their first SEC win under legendary coach John Calipari. The Razorbacks will look to regroup and capitalize on their next opportunity to break into the conference win column.

Sports

Hogs, #22 Ole Miss set to tangle in SEC home opener

Published

2 days ago

January 8, 2025

Staff Reports

Who: rv/rv Arkansas Razorbacks (11-3, 0-1 SEC) vs #23/22 Ole Miss Rebels (12-2, 1-0 SEC)
What: Arkansas plays its 2025 SEC home opener.
When: Wednesday – Jan. 8 – 6:00 pm (CT)
Where: Fayetteville, Ark. • Bud Walton Arena/Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: ESPN2 / Watch ESPN (Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 132 / XM: 191 || SXM App Channel 961
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live Stats

– Arkansas Game Notes
– Ole Miss Game Notes
– SEC Notes/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas will host #23/22 Ole Miss on Wednesday (Jan. 8) for the Razorbacks’ 2025 SEC home opener. Tipoff is set for 6 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Later this week, Arkansas stays in Fayetteville to host #8 Florida on Saturday (Jan. 11). Tipoff is set for 3 pm.

NOTES:
Versus Ole Miss

This will be the 87th meeting between Arkansas and Ole Miss. Arkansas owns a 52-34 advantage all-time in the series thanks to an 18-11 mark in games played in Fayetteville and a 24-2 advantage in neutral-site games.
Since Arkansas joined the SEC, the Razorback lead in the series is just 30-28 as the Hogs have won 9 of the last 12 in the series.
Ole Miss won the last meeting, 77-51, on Jan. 24, 2024, in Oxford. Arkansas was short-handed in the loss as it was without leading scorer – Tramon Mark (migraine) – for the game and leading rebounder – Trevon Brazile (knee soreness) – missed the second half. Arkansas got off to a slow start with eight turnovers in the first nine minutes but only committed two the rest of the first half and ended with 14 for the game. Ole Miss outscored the Hogs 17-2 on points off turnovers and raced out to a 24-9 lead. However, Arkansas answered with a 14-5 run to cut its deficit to six (29-23) with 4:08 left in the first half. Ole Miss led 38-26 at the break and put the game away midway through the second half with an 8-0 run to go up 63-43 and held at least a 20-point cushion the rest of the way.

Arkansas in SEC Home Openers

Arkansas will play its first SEC home game Wednesday by hosting Ole Miss.
The Razorbacks are 20-13 all-time in SEC home openers.
Arkansas is 4-4 when Ole Miss is the first home SEC game.

Razorbacks Are Pretty Good Shooting Overall

Arkansas ranks 9th in the NCAA (2nd in the SEC) in overall field goal percentage at 50.7% while ranking 19th in the NCAA (3rd SEC) in effective FG% (57.3%).

Less of a Threat

Arkansas is holding its opponents to 29.6% shooting from 3-point range. As good as that sounds, it ranks only 9th in the SEC but does rank 53rd in the NCAA.

Block Party

Arkansas has blocked at least five shots nine times this season and ranks 5th nationally in blocked shots, averaging 6.0 per game.

For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X.

Sports

Top ranked Tennessee trounces Hogs in SEC opener

Published

5 days ago

January 5, 2025

Staff Reports

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In their SEC opener, top-ranked Tennessee leveraged its rebounding prowess and perimeter shooting to defeat #23 Arkansas 76-52 on Saturday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Volunteers out-rebounded the Razorbacks 51-29 and converted 10-of-26 three-point attempts to maintain their top-ranking status. Chaz Lanier led the charge for Tennessee, scoring 29 points, including five three-pointers, while Igor Milicic Jr. contributed a double-double with 13 points and an impressive 18 rebounds.

Despite Arkansas shooting 38% from the field and delivering a strong defensive showing with 10 blocked shots, the Razorbacks struggled on the boards, conceding 24 offensive rebounds to Tennessee. The Volunteers’ ability to capitalize on second-chance opportunities proved critical, as they recorded 18 assists on their 28 made baskets compared to Arkansas’ nine assists on 20 field goals. The game marked Arkansas’ first time losing the second half this season, as Tennessee extended its lead after halftime to secure the win.

In the first half, Arkansas held an early 12-9 lead before Tennessee’s 14-2 run shifted the momentum. The Razorbacks faced scoring droughts and struggled from the free-throw line, going just 3-of-8 compared to Tennessee’s 7-of-8. Tennessee dominated the boards, out-rebounding Arkansas 27-12 in the first half, and entered the break with a 42-27 lead. Chaz Lanier scored 14 of his game-high 29 points in the opening period, while D.J. Wagner led Arkansas with eight points, contributing to his season-high 17-point performance.

The second half saw both teams struggle offensively, with Tennessee shooting 37.5% and Arkansas 34.5% from the field. However, the Volunteers continued to excel from beyond the arc, making 5-of-12 three-pointers compared to Arkansas’ 2-of-17. Tennessee’s lead never dipped below 13 points, thanks to timely three-pointers and contributions from Lanier, who added 15 points in the second half. Jonas Aidoo also made an impact in the period, recording all five of his rebounds and four points.

The loss drops Arkansas to 10-4 overall and 0-1 in SEC play, while Tennessee improves to 14-0 and 1-0 in the conference. The Razorbacks will look to bounce back as they return to Bud Walton Arena for a two-game homestand starting with Ole Miss on Wednesday, January 8, at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2, offering Arkansas a chance to regroup and refocus after a challenging start to conference play.