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Pig Trail Nation’s Mike Irwin on AutoZone Liberty Bowl an ‘okay’ bowl
Any bowl is better than not having one for Hogs’ coach Sam Pittman in a third season with disappointing record.
Saturday Down South’s Connor O’Gara on power of transfer portal
After a crazy opening day of transfer portal, LSU’s Brian Kelly one example of what can be done grabbing players.
Razorbacks’ coach Eric Musselman previews game with UNC-Greensboro
After starting to come together last couple of games, now Hogs continue trying to get things sorted out Tuesday night.
Razorbacks climb into Top 25 with hot start
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As Arkansas continues to roll at 10-0, they have earned a spot in the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time this season, coming in at No. 21.
This marks the first time since the 2020-21 slate the program has found itself in the top 25.
The Razorbacks took care of business once again this week, taking down Troy (87-70) and Oral Roberts (92-58) to improve to their best start since 2013.
Samara Spencer is coming off two big performances where she led the team in points, including a career-high 32-point performance against ORU.
One of 15 undefeated teams in the country, the Hogs’ 10 wins is tied with Virginia and Stanford as the most among NCAA Division I programs. The Razorbacks have defeated opponents by an average scoring margin of +22.2 and has outrebounded its opponents in nine of 10 contests for a +8.0-rebounding margin.
Through 10 games, Erynn Barnum paces the Razorbacks with 15.8 points, while her and Saylor Poffenbarger lead the team in rebounding with 7.6 per game and Spencer has a team’s most 45 assists.
The NET rankings also came out on Monday, with the Razorbacks coming in at No. 23.
Arkansas continues its homestand, as the Razorbacks are set to host Lamar on Thursday, Dec. 8 for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
AP TOP 25 POLL
- South Carolina
- Stanford
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Notre Dame
- UConn
- Virginia Tech
- North Carolina
- NC State
- Iowa State
- LSU
- Arizona
- UCLA
- Michigan
- Utah
- Iowa
- Oregon
- Creighton
- Baylor
- Maryland
- Arkansas
- Gonzaga
- Oklahoma
- Kansas State
- Villanova
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Halftime is LIVE with Phil Elson, Matt Jones, and Matt Travis
11:15 – Mike Irwin
1:15- Connor O’Gara
It’s a Manic Monday: Liberty Bowl; KJ Announces Return; Two Basketball Blowouts; Transfer Portal Opens Call or text, 877-377-6963
Bud Light Next Morning Rush Podcast: Here we come Liberty Bowl
Tye, Tommy and Chuck on the upcoming Liberty Bowl, CFB Playoff, plus win over San Jose State!
The Gimme the HAWGS Chuck Podcast E37: Heading to the 901
Presented by Weichert Realtors – The Griffin Company
Another career night for Spencer lifts Hogs to big win
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas (10-0) is continuing to roll, taking down Oral Roberts (2-7) on Sunday, 92-58.
The Razorbacks outscored ORU 51-21 in the second half, after it was a four-point differential at halftime. Samara Spencer scored a career-high 32 points on her birthday, while Saylor Poffenbarger earned her first career double-double off 14 points and 13 rebounds.
The Hogs are off to its best start since 2013 and continue to stay undefeated with five games left in the non-conference slate.
The Hogs started the game with turnovers on their first two offensive possessions, but the birthday girl, Spencer, got things going with a 3-pointer.
Oral Roberts went 0-for-10 from the field with the Hogs getting a hold of three of those shots with blocks. Erynn Barnum and Poffenbarger came up with layups prior to the media timeout, as Arkansas had the 15-8 edge with 4:21 left in the quarter.
The Razorbacks fell in a scoring drought for nearly three minutes until Spencer hit 1-of-2 free throws and followed that up with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 10. Arkansas took the 22-16 lead through one quarter.
Barnum opened the quarter with a layup, but ORU went on a 4-2 run to cut the lead to six. A Chrissy Carr triple and Spencer driving layup put the Razorbacks up by 11 with 7:31 remaining in the quarter.
ORU was 0-for-4 from the field until the Golden Eagles converted on their next three possessions to cut the Arkansas lead to seven, 37-30, with 3:18 remaining in the half.
The Hogs were 0-for-6 from the field until Maryam Dauda delivered off a putback basket. ORU made 5-of-7 field goals down the stretch, including a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to four going into the break with the Razorbacks ahead, 41-37.
The Razorbacks commenced the second half on a 9-2 run, which was sparked by a Jersey Wolfenbarger layup off a nice drive to the basket. Arkansas led by nine, 50-41, with two minutes and some change into the third frame.
The Hogs cruised on a 7-3 run with big thanks to Spencer’s two 3-pointers, to lead 57-44 at the media timeout. Arkansas continued to roll and after Spencer’s sixth 3-pointer of the game, extending the lead to 72-47.
The Razorbacks outscored the Golden Eagles 32-10 in the quarter.
Arkansas entered the fourth quarter with a 73-47 lead.
The Razorbacks got off to 10-2 run, sparked by a Poffenbarger 3-pointer. At the media timeout, Arkansas was up 86-53 with five minutes and some change left in the game. The Razorbacks won 92-58.
HOG HIGHLIGHTS
• Spencer stole the show with a career-high 32 points off 10-for-17 shooting from the field and a career-high six 3-pointers. She also tallied three steals, three assists and two boards.
Carr logged 15 points with three triples along with five rebounds.
Poffenbarger earned her first career double-double with 14 points off 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 13 rebounds, five assists and one block.
Dauda recorded 10 points, her second double-digit scoring game, with a career-high eight rebounds and two blocks.
In her first start of the season, Wolfenbarger finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and a career-high in both rebounds (12) and blocks (four).
Barnum tied her career-high in assists with four.
Arkansas outrebounded its opponent for the ninth game this season, 57-41.
The Razorbacks had 16 assists on 33 field goals.
UP NEXT
The Hogs are set to host Lamar next Thursday, Dec. 8, to continue on its four-game homestand. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena with coverage of the game being broadcast on SECN+.
Hogs, Kansas to meet in Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A lot of folks will be shocked to find out Kansas made Arkansas football explode.
Thought this was going to be boring, huh? The Razorbacks and Jayhawks will play in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 as next best choice for that game after Missouri refused to play their old Big 8 rival.
But the Hogs got on the football map simply because of Kansas and Missouri.
When Jack Mitchell set sail from Fayetteville in 1957 to take over at Kansas, Frank Broyles was wrapping his first year as a head coach in Missouri.
Athletics director John Barnhill called Broyles in Columbia and wrapped up the Hogs’ new coach, thus setting in motion the first step in taking football around here to a national level.
Now the Hogs are the second choice to go to Memphis after Missouri didn’t want any part of renewing any old rivalries there.
Yes, Kansas is pretty much a basketball school that doesn’t exactly set the world on fire. They played in an Orange Bowl in 1968 with a lineman named Karl Salb from Crossett on the offensive line and lost a close one to Penn State.
Pepper Rodgers was the coach then and they didn’t get back to a big-time bowl until returning to Miami in 2007 under Eric Mangino. They downed Virginia Tech, 24-21.
The Jayhawks have played in just 12 bowl games in their entire football history. Basketball is the big sport there. They have four national championships.
Wilt Chamberlain and Adolph Rupp played there (if you don’t know who they are, Google should be your friend). The original rules of basketball by James Naismith are on campus.
The Hogs will be playing in the Liberty Bowl for the sixth time, and for the first time since a 45-23 victory over Kansas State on Jan. 2, 2016.
The Razorbacks are 2-3 all-time in the Liberty Bowl. Old-timers will remember getting hosed by the officiating crew on a cold Monday night in December, 1971, when Joe Ferguson won the MVP award, but Tennessee won the game when a phantom holding call against Bobby Nichols wiped out a game-winning field goal by Bill McClard.
The game will be the first between Arkansas and Kansas since 1905, when the Jayhawks won 37-5 in Lawrence, Kan. The Razorbacks also lost 6-0 to Kansas in 1905.
Kansas, under second-year coach Lance Leipold, is in the midst of its best season in more than a decade, but has lost six of seven games leading into the postseason. The Jayhawks began the season 5-0 and reached No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
This will be Kansas’ first time to play in the Liberty Bowl since a 31-18 loss to North Carolina State in December 1973.
The Jayhawks have not played in any bowl since they defeated Minnesota in the Insight Bowl to conclude the 2008 season.
Hog fans will be happy for a short trip to Memphis.
Coach Sam Pittman will be glad to have some extra days of practice time to look at some younger players that haven’t gotten a lot of playing time this year.
Unless you’re in the playoff, that’s about all you have to focus on for this secondary bowl trips.
Kickoff for the game is 4:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.
Brazile’s 23 leads Hogs to dominating win over Spartans
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Trevon Brazile scored a career-high 23 points and the Razorbacks out-out-scored San Jose State 59-23 in the second half to lead No. 11 Arkansas to a 99-58 victory over the Spartans on Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.
Ricky Council IV added 17 points and Nick Smith Jr., who got his first career start and saw his most extensive since missing the first six games with an injury, scored 16 points with five assists.
Despite 12 lead changes, Arkansas controlled most of the first half, but only led by five at the break. The Razorbacks, up three (44-41) at the 17:27 mark in the second half, reeled off a 15-2 run to take 16-point lead and never looked back.
Arkansas shot a blistering 75.9 percent (22-of-29) from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, while holding the Spartans to just 9-of-26 (34.6%) overall and 2-of-11 (18.2%) from deep. Brazile scored 14 of his 23 in the second half and Council scorde 10 of his 17 in the period.
The biggest boost in the second half came from Jalen Graham who scored 11 points with six rebounds in 11:39 played – all in the final 20 minutes.
San Jose State was led by Omari Moore with 21 points, but he only scored five second-half points. Sage Tolbert finished with a double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds).
Arkansas concludes the current three-game homestand on Tuesday (Dec. 6) versus UNC Greensboro. Tipoff at Bud Walton Arena is set for 6 pm and the game will be televised on SEC Network.
FIRST HALF: Arkansas 40, San Jose State 35
• The first half featured 12 lead changes, but Arkansas did lead 12:34 compared to San Jose State leading just 3:01.
• Arkansas used a 9-0 run to take a 38-31 late in the first half.
• San Jose scored the next four points before Ricky Council IV his two free throws with 0.4 seconds left before the break to provide the 40-35 score at the break.
• Nick Smith Jr., led Arkansas with 11 points and four assists while Trevon Brazile had nine points and four rebounds.
• San Jose State was led by Omari Moore’s 16 points while Sage Tolbert grabbed eight rebounds.
• Both teams shot the ball well as San Jose State was 14-31 (45.2%) from the field and Arkansas was 15-of-30 (50%).
• Arkansas had 10 assists on its 15 made field goals.
SECOND HALF: Arkansas 59, San Jose State 23
• Arkansas only led by three (44-41) at the 17:27 mark of the second half.
• The +36 scoring margin in the second half ties for the ninth-biggest point differential in a half since 1945. (It ties for the sixth-largest in the second half alone.)
• Arkansas only missed seven field goals in the second half (22-of-29) and no player missed more than one shot from the field.
GAME NOTES
• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Anthony Black – Nick Smith Jr. – Ricky Council IV – Jordan Walsh – Makhi Mitchell for the first time this season.
• Arkansas won the tip.
• Makhi Mitchell scored the game’s first points, an alley-oop layup from Anthony Black at 19:08.
• Trevon Brazile was the first Razorback sub for the eighth straight game.
• Arkansas had six “and-one” old fashion 3-point plays in the game.
• Nick Smith made his first collegiate basket at 17:57, a 3-pointer from the right wing.
• Arkansas was at its season scoring average (77 points) with 8:09 left in the game, leading 77-52.
• Second-year walkon Cade Argobast scored his first collegiate points, hitting a 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:32 left in the game.
• This is the first game all 15 Razorbacks played in a game this season and 10 scored.
• Arkansas had a season-high 22 assists, including six from Black, five from Smith, three from Davonte Davis and three from Derrian Ford.
• Joseph Pinion made his first career 3-pointer.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
