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Razorbacks go back to Memphis again, this time against Texas Tech

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorbacks will rekindle an old Southwest Conference rivalry when they meet Texas Tech in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on December 27 at 6 p.m. on ESPN inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

Hopefully, this game will have better weather. The Razorbacks have had some problems with that in night games played in the stadium over the last 53 years.

The Hogs will make their 45th bowl appearance but meet the Red Raiders in a bowl game for the first time. The last time the two teams met on the field was in 2015 but the two programs faced off annually from 1957-1991 as members of the Southwest Conference. Arkansas is 29-8 all time vs. Texas Tech.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman has the Hogs in a bowl game for the fourth time in five years and in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl for the second time in his tenure. Arkansas won a triple-overtime thriller over Kansas to end the 2022 season.

Pittman joins Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz, Ken Hatfield and Houston Nutt as the only Arkansas coaches to lead their teams to bowl games in four of their first five seasons.

The Razorbacks will make their seventh appearance in the Liberty Bowl dating back to 1971 against Tennessee (sloppy field after lots of rain in early December). The Hogs have played Auburn (1984), Georgia (1987), East Carolina (2010 when it was so cold beverages were freezing), Kansas State (2016) and Kansas in the team’s six prior appearances.

Razorbacks finish strong to finally subdue pesky Roadrunners, 75-60

FAYETTEVILLE — Adou Thiero recorded his second career double-double with a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds and Arkansas outscored UTSA 48-28 in the second half for a 75-60 victory Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas, down five at halftime, started the second half with an 8-0 run and later had a 9-0 run. Overall, the Razorbacks dominated the start of the second half by outscoring the Roadrunners 21-6 to start the period for a 48-38 lead with 11:47 left. Thiero scored nine in the run and Johnell Davis added eight.

UTSA hung around for the next two minutes until Trevon Brazile threw down an alley-oop from Davis. That put the Hogs up 11 and Arkansas held a double-digit lead the rest of the game.

Davis finished with 13 points (10 in the second half) and Thiero scored 17 of his 26 points in the second half. Boogie Fland dished out seven of the team’s 15 assists.

Primo Spears led UTSA with 19 points and Marcus Millender scored 18.

Arkansas returns to the road to play in the annual Jimmy V Classic in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Dec. 7. The Razorbacks will face Michigan and play after game one of the Classic – Tennessee vs. Miami. Both games will be televised on ESPN.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard DJ Wagner
Arkansas Razorbacks guard DJ Wagner / Nilsen Roman-HitThatLine.com

FIRST HALF: UTSA 32, Arkansas 27

• Arkansas scored first but neither team led by more than five points until UTSA went on an 8-0 run late to lead by seven (30-23) with 2:09 left. After a Razorback free throw, UTSA took its largest lead of eight points on a dunk by Mo Njie with 25 seconds left.

• D.J. Wagner sank a 3-pointer with four seconds left to provide the halftime score of 32-27 in UTSA’s favor.

• Arkansas only shot 38.5% but did have seven assists on its 10 made baskets. However, Arkansas had eight turnovers while forcing just two.

• Arkansas only committed one foul in the half. It is the fewest in the first half by a Razorback team (records date back to 1981-82 season). The previous low was 6 against Mercer on Nov. 19, 2021. (HogStats)

Arkansas Razorbacks point guard Boogie Fland
Arkansas Razorbacks point guard Boogie Fland / Nilsen Roman-HitThatLine.com

SECOND HALF: Arkansas 48 – UTSA 28

• Arkansas opened the second half with an 8-0 run to take a 35-32 lead.

• The Razorbacks shot a blistering 66.7% from the field while holding UTSA to 39.3% shooting.

• Arkansas was also 10-of-11 from the line in the half (14-of-19 overall). UTSA only attempted three second-half free throws (3-of-3) and was just 5-of-5 at the line for the game.

• Adou Thiero did not miss a shot in the second half, going 5-of-5 from the field and 7-of-7 at the line. He added six rebounds and two assists.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Adou Thiero

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Adou Thiero / Nilsen Roman-HitThatLine.comGame Notes:

• For the first time this year, Arkansas’ starting lineup was Boogie Fland, D.J. Wagner, Johnell Davis, Adou Thiero and Jonas Aidoo.

• UTSA won the opening tip. It was the first time this year an opponent won the tip.

• Jonas Aidoo scored the game’s first points, a dunk at 19:22.

• Karter Knox and Trevon Brazile were Arkansas’ first subs.

• Aidoo nearly got a double-double in his first start with eight points and seven rebounds.

• Arkansas, which entered the game second in the SEC in fewest fouls at 14.9 per game, only committed seven fouls. That is the second-fewest by the Razorbacks in a game since 1981-82.

• Arkansas out-rebounded UTSA, 38-22. UTSA only grabbed four offensive rebounds and had zero second-chance points. The last time an opponent had zero second-chance points was Rice in the 2019-20 season opener (Nov. 15, 2019).

• Arkansas improved 7-0 all-time versus UTSA.

• Adou Thiero has set or tied career highs in every stat category except rebounds each of the nine games this season.

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Hogs lose Luke Hasz to portal; will anybody be left to catch passes?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Maybe the coaches knew it, but when the social media dropped that tight end Luke Hasz has decided to enter the transfer portal, most Arkansas fans were, well, surprised. Maybe shocked for some.

After playing in all 12 games during the Razorbacks’ 6-6 season, Hasz caught 26 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns. When the Hogs find out their bowl fate next week, wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa will be the leading receiver available for quarterback Taylen Green.

The top three receivers, Andrew Armstrong, Isaiah Sategna and now Hasz, are either getting ready for the NFL Draft or in the transfer portal. While there is always the possibility players in the portal could return to Arkansas, that is a tiny number that do that.

Part of the whole issue that’s the way things are going these days in the world of free agency in college football. The other reasons behind it we don’t know right now.

With Hogs coach Sam Pittman recuperating from hip replacement surgery earlier this week, we’re not going to hear from him about it, either. Let’s not start acting like it’s the end of the world, either. It’s not really new with the Razorbacks having nearly half the roster turning over each year.

This does open opportunities for other players on the roster along with an incoming group of receivers for the second year of Bobby Petrino’s offense. In the past, we’ve seen that improve each year as the players develop in the system, but there is no baseline to how that progresses with the transfer portal now.

Green is expected to return for his second season, but we saw at times the offense struggling passing after he lost his top receivers last season. Armstrong emerged as the No. 1 receiver and piled up a lot of yards, primarily on crossing routes and led the SEC in total yards, but scored just one touchdown. They still need playmakers at the receiver position going forward.

It’s early in the process and we don’t know the receivers they will be able to pick up out of the portal.

Departing Transfers

• TE Luke Hasz
• TE Ty Washington
• TE Var’Keyes Gumms
• WR Jaedson Wilson
• WR Isaiah Sategna
• WR Davion Dozier
• OL Patrick Kutas
• OL Amaury Wiggins
• QB Malachi Singleton

 

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