Kansas vs Arkansas game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Wednesday, December 28
Kansas vs Arkansas prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Wednesday, December 28
Kansas vs Arkansas AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction Game Preview
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Kansas vs Arkansas How To Watch
Date: Wednesday, December 28
Game Time: 5:30 ET
Venue: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Kansas (6-6), Arkansas (6-6)
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Kansas vs Arkansas AutoZone Liberty Bowl 5 Things To Know
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
– Whatever happens in this, Kansas has already won. Lance Leipold took the woeful football program to its best season in a long, long time, with the six wins the most in a season in the last 14 years. Win, and it’ll be the first winning season and first bowl win since taking the Insight in 2008.
It hasn’t always been a smooth campaign, but it was the story of the first half of the year. The offense is fun, the defense is … the offense is fun, and the coaching is as good as any in the bowl season.
– Arkansas knows what it’s like to have to fight back from a rough run. Last season was the first winning season since 2016, and head coach Sam Pittman followed it up with a good 6-6 campaign, but an unfulfilling one. There were too many close, tough losses, but it’s here with a chance for back-to-back winning seasons.
The Hogs are missing a whole lot, including defensive coordinator Barry Odom, who’s off to live the life as new the head coach at UNLV. QB KJ Jefferson is back, but there are a slew of key starters transferring or sitting out. The depth is about to be challenged.
– There haven’t been a ton of bowls for Arkansas. over the last ten years, but it’s good when it gets there. The Hogs have won four of their last five – including the Outback last year against Penn State – and five of the last seven.
– Kansas beat Minnesota in the 2008 Insight. That was a long time ago, but the program comes in this on a three-game winning streak and winning five of its last six after dropping the 1981 Hall of Fame to Mississippi State.
– One of the longest running bowls before the big ones, the Liberty has been rolling since 1959. It was on a run of fantastic games with four straight by five points or fewer, and six in seven by eight points or fewer. And then Texas Tech blew past the late Mike Leach’s Mississippi State team – it was missing a few key offensive linemen – 34-7 in last year’s clunker.
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Why Kansas Will Win The AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Like all Power Five programs, Kansas is missing a few of its players who made the season solid, but again, it’s nothing compared to what the Hogs lost.
The biggest killers missing are in the defensive back seven. Star linebacker Drew Sanders and Bumper Pool were the team’s top two tacklers, and the secondary is undergoing a few major changes. Kansas should be able to take advantage of all the new guys.
The Jayhawks led the Big 12 in third down conversions – Arkansas, even with all its parts and despite being amazing at getting to the quarterback, was awful defensively on third downs. They can hit the deep shots, and QB Jalon Daniels and company will keep the offensive pressure on.
Daniels and the ground game should get moving, too. The Hogs were 1-4 when giving up 190 rushing yards or more, the Jayhawks were 5-1 when getting that many or more and …
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Why Arkansas Will Win The AutoZone Liberty Bowl
The Jayhawks were 1-5 when they didn’t get to 190 rushing yards, but that’s not their problem.
Arkansas might not be anything special defensively other than generate sacks, but the Kansas D really doesn’t stop anyone’s ground game and can’t come up with enough third down stops. The effort is there, and sometimes there are enough takeaways to survive, but there aren’t any tackles for loss.
Arkansas might have lost a ton, but other than C Ricky Stromberg – sort of a big one – the line is intact and the backfield is as solid as any in the bowls. The Kansas D can’t generate the pressure needed to bother KJ Jefferson or slow down star RB Raheim Sanders.
The Jayhawks are 0-5 when allowing 230 rushing yards or more – that shouldn’t be a problem for the Hogs.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
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