Kansas State Wildcats vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
A pair of disappointing teams in the regular season will try to close out the year with a win when the Kansas State Wildcats meet the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday afternoon at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
After a 3-0 start, injures piled up for Kansas State in a six-game skid to begin Big 12 play that included some close losses to top teams. The Wildcats were able to rally and win their final three contests of the season to reach 6-6.
The Kansas State quarterback situation has been unsettled all season long and is still up in the air for Saturday. Joe Hubener may get the start, but expect plenty of snaps for do-it-all playmaker Kody Cook.
Arkansas came into the season with high expectations that were quickly dashed with a 1-3 start that included a loss to Toledo. However, the Razorbacks were really rolling over the last month of the season and won five of six to finish at 7-5.
The Razorbacks rely on strong play in the trenches, and were dominating the line of scrimmage to end the season. Alex Collins was one of the more productive running backs in the nation, racking up nearly 1,500 total yards and 17 touchdowns.
Saturday’s game begins at 3:20 PM eastern on ESPN and can be streamed on the WatchESPN app. Further details for the Liberty Bowl are below:
Date: Saturday, January 2, 2016
Start Time: 3:20 PM eastern
Location: Memphis, TN
Stadium: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: ESPN Radio, Sirius XM Channel 80
Ticket information: For ticket information, click here.
Keys to Victory
For Kansas State to be competitive in this game, it needs to find a way to not get pushed around in the trenches on both offense and defense. The Wildcats may be able to do that defensively at least, as they racked up three sacks per game in the regular season, one of the best marks in the country.
However, Arkansas is going to present a difficult challenge. Right tackle Dan Skipper leads a massive offensive line unit that just may be too much physically for Kansas State. The Wildcats need a huge game out of defensive linemen Jordan Willis and Marquel Bryant to have a chance come Saturday.
If the Wildcats aren’t able to disrupt the Arkansas backfield, they will be in for a long day. Kansas State had one of the worst secondaries in the nation this season, allowing over eight yards per pass attempt according to TeamRankings. While Arkansas is typically thought of as a run-first team, quarterback Brandon Allen led a very efficient passing attack this season and could easily take advantage of Kansas State’s poor pass defense
On the offensive side of things, Kansas State is going to have to find a way to pass the ball. The weakness of the Razorbacks is the secondary that was even worse than that of Kansas State in the regular season.
The Wildcats did not have a good passing offense this year, as Hubener really struggled. Cook’s numbers throwing the ball aren’t great either, but the offense as a whole was much better when he was in the game.
If Cook is able to recapture the magic of his performances against Oklahoma State and West Virginia, Kansas State may be able to keep up with the efficient Arkansas offense and make this a game.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: ARK -12.5
Moneyline: ARK -470, KSU +395
O/U: 54.5
Prediction
The Wildcats’ weaknesses play right into the Razorbacks’ strengths, making this a very difficult matchup for Kansas State. Arkansas figures to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the side of the ball to win fairly comfortably given how it played down the stretch
Allen has quietly been excellent this season and should be able to take advantage of the poor Kansas State secondary. That’s only going to open up the game for Collins, and Arkansas can follow its gameplan of controlling the clock with its rushing attack.
On the other side of the ball, Kansas State has not yet proven it can pass effectively, which it needs to do to win this game. Cook can make some plays, but it’s going to be difficult to match the offensive efficiency of Arkansas.
Final Score: Arkansas 34, Kansas State 17