Arkansas vs. Kansas in AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Score prediction, what to know

Wynston Wilcox, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read
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Kansas (6-6) and Arkansas (6-6) will meet in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Dec. 28 (4:30 p.m., ESPN).

Here are three things to know and a score prediction for the matchup:

Arkansas seeking third straight Liberty Bowl win

The Razorbacks are no strangers to the Liberty Bowl, making their sixth appearance. This will be Arkansas’s third bowl game since 2010.

Arkansas last won the Liberty Bowl in 2016, defeating Kansas State 45-23. Before its first win in the Liberty Bowl against East Carolina in 2010, the Razorbacks lost its first three appearances to Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia. Arkansas is looking for its second straight bowl win, defeating Penn State in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2022.

Third-year coach Sam Pittman has turned Arkansas football around, getting the Razorbacks bowl-eligible for the second straight season.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson, who is returning for another season, will be one of the stars in the game for the Razorbacks.

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Kansas leads all-time series against Arkansas

This will be the third time Kansas and Arkansas will play, with Kansas winning the first two games. The two haven’t played since 1906, when the Jayhawks beat the Razorbacks 37-5.

Kansas playing in first bowl game since 2008-09 season

Football has been depressing at Kansas before this season.

The Jayhawks are playing in their first bowl game since defeating Minnesota 42-21 in the Insight Bowl on Dec. 31, 2008. That was the last time Kansas football had a winning season or was bowl eligible.

This season is the first time the Jayhawks won more than five games since the 2009 season. Since taking over on April 30, 2021, second-year Kansas coach Lance Leipold has turned the Jayhawks into a more formidable opponent.

Arkansas vs. Kansas in Liberty Bowl: Score prediction

Arkansas 31, Kansas 17: KJ Jefferson, the 2022 Outback Bowl MVP last year, leads the Razorbacks to a second straight bowl win.

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Arkansas vs. Kansas in Liberty Bowl: Score prediction, what to know