2016 Liberty Bowl (January)

Last updated

2016 AutoZone Liberty Bowl
57th Liberty Bowl
1234Total
Kansas State10310023
Arkansas141071445
DateJanuary 2, 2016
Season 2015
Stadium Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Location Memphis, Tennessee
MVP Alex Collins (RB, Arkansas)
Favorite Arkansas by 11½ [1]
National anthem Betty Cantrell [2]
Referee Ron Snodgrass (Big Ten) [3]
Halftime show Craig Morgan [2]
Attendance61,136 [3]
Payout US$TBD
United States TV coverage
Network ESPN/ESPN Radio
Announcers Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, & Dawn Davenport (ESPN)
Mark Neely, Jay Walker, & Kevin Weidl (ESPN Radio)
Liberty Bowl
 < 2014 2016 (Dec) > 

The 2016 Liberty Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game played on January 2, 2016, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 57th edition of the Liberty Bowl featured the Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12 Conference against the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference. It began at 2:20 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2015–16 bowl games that concluded the 2015 FBS football season. Sponsored by automobile parts and accessories store AutoZone, it was officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. [2]

Contents

Teams

The game featured the Kansas State Wildcats against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Kansas State Wildcats

After finishing their season 6–6, the Wildcats accepted their invitation to play in the game. [4]

This was the Wildcats' first Liberty Bowl.

Arkansas Razorbacks

After finishing their season 7–5, the Razorbacks accepted their invitation to play in the game. [5]

This was the Razorbacks' fifth Liberty Bowl, giving them the new record for most appearances in the game. The Razorbacks are now 2–3 all-time in the Liberty Bowl, losing the 1971 Liberty Bowl to Tennessee 14–13, then losing the 1984 Liberty Bowl to Auburn 21–15, losing the 1987 Liberty Bowl to Georgia 20–17, and finally winning the 2010 Liberty Bowl over East Carolina 20–17 in overtime.

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP K-STARK
111:384271:52K-STWinston Dimel 10-yard touchdown run, Matthew McCrane kick good70
18:156723:23ARK Alex Collins 22-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good77
13:508464:18K-ST36-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane107
12:223241:17ARKJared Cornelius 13-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good1014
213:058643:04ARKAlex Collins 13-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good1021
22:089554:59ARK26-yard field goal by Cole Hedlund1024
20:218491:41K-ST21-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane1324
312:444742:10K-STWinston Dimel 48-yard touchdown reception from Kody Cook, Matthew McCrane kick good2024
37:549824:42ARKJeremy Sprinkel 6-yard touchdown reception from Brandon Allen, Cole Hedlund kick good2031
31:4611476:02K-ST32-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane2331
412:048784:34ARKAlex Collins 14-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good2338
44:469805:38ARKKody Walker 10-yard touchdown run, Cole Hedlund kick good2345
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.2345

Source: [3]

Statistics

Statistics [3] K-STARK
First Downs1330
Total offense, plays - yards47–24268–569
Rushes-yards (net)22–7942–254
Passing yards (net)163315
Passes, Comp-Att-Int12–25–120–26–1
Time of Possession22:3037:30

Arkansas running back Alex Collins was named the game's MVP, after gaining 185 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 carries.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Bowl</span> Annual American college football postseason game

The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic City Convention Hall in 1964. Since 1965, the game has been held at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Because of the scheduling of the bowl game near the end of the calendar year, no game was played during calendar years 2008 or 2015, while two games were played in calendar years 2010 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bret Bielema</span> American football player and coach (born 2005)

Bret Arnold Bielema is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a position he has held since the 2021 season. Bielema served as the head football coach at of the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 2006 to 2012, achieving a 68–24 record and taking them to three straight Rose Bowl Games, although they lost each time. He was the head football coach at University of Arkansas from 2013 to 2017, tallying a mark of 29–34. Bielema was an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, in 2018 and 2019 with the New England Patriots and 2020 with the New York Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Patterson</span> American football player and coach (born 1960)

Gary Allen Patterson is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the special assistant to the head coach at the University of Texas. He is the former head football coach at Texas Christian University and the coach with the most wins in Horned Frogs' history. Patterson led the TCU Horned Frogs to six conference championships—one Conference USA title in 2002; four Mountain West Conference titles in 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011; —and eleven bowl game victories—including victories in the 2011 Rose Bowl and 2014 Peach Bowl. His 2010 squad finished the season undefeated at 13–0 after a 21–19 Rose Bowl victory over the Wisconsin Badgers on New Year's Day 2011, and ranked second in the final tallying of both major polls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pelphrey</span> American college basketball coach (born 1968)

John Leslie Pelphrey is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. After being named Kentucky Mr. Basketball in 1987, he became a star college player at the University of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas–LSU football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Arkansas–LSU football rivalry, formally known as the Battle for the Boot but more recently sometimes informally called the Battle for the Golden Boot, is an American college football rivalry between the Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas and Tigers of Louisiana State University. The first game between the Razorbacks and Tigers was played in 1901. With the admission of Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1992, the rivalry became an annual game between these members of the SEC Western Division. "The Boot" trophy was first awarded to the game's winner in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas Razorbacks football</span> College football team of the University of Arkansas

The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program has one national championship awarded by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF) in 1964, and one national championship awarded by the Rothman Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments in 1977. The school does not claim the 1977 title. Arkansas has won thirteen conference championships, includes 58 All-Americans amongst its list of players, and holds an all-time record of 736–531–40. Home games are played at stadiums on or near the two largest campuses of the University of Arkansas System: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas–Ole Miss football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Arkansas–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Arkansas Razorbacks football team of the University of Arkansas and the Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi. The teams first met in 1908, and have played each other every year since 1981. Arkansas leads the series, which includes two wins by Ole Miss in postseason bowl games, the 1963 and 1970 Sugar Bowls.

The 1971 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. In their 14th year under head coach Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks compiled an 8–3–1 record, finished in second place behind Texas in the SWC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 356 to 169. The team finished the season ranked #16 in the final AP Poll and #20 in the final UPI Coaches Poll and went on to lose the 1971 Liberty Bowl to Tennessee by a 14–13 score.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Liberty Bowl</span> College football game

The 2009 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 2, 2009. The 50th edition of the Liberty Bowl, it was the first edition ever played in January. With sponsorship from AutoZone, the game was officially the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The game featured the East Carolina Pirates of Conference USA (C-USA) and the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Kentucky overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to win, 25–19.

The 2010 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 2, 2010. The 51st edition of the Liberty Bowl matched the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against the East Carolina Pirates, the Conference USA Champion. With sponsorship from AutoZone, the game was officially the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Arkansas won, 20–17, in the first Liberty Bowl to go into overtime.

The 2013 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played on December 31, 2013, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 55th edition of the Liberty Bowl, it featured the Rice Owls, the champions of Conference USA and the Mississippi State Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference. It began at 3:00 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. Sponsored by automobile parts and accessories store AutoZone, it was officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Mississippi State defeated Rice by a score of 44–7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks played their home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. They competed as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas was led by third-year head coach Bret Bielema. Dan Enos served his first season as offensive coordinator, replacing Jim Chaney who left for a job with Pittsburgh. Enos was previously the head coach of Central Michigan.

The 2015 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, in Manhattan, Kansas as they have done since 1968. The Wildcats were led by head coach Bill Snyder in his 24th overall and seventh straight season since taking over for his second tenure in 2009. 2015 was the 120th season in school history. K-State was a member of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 6–7, 3–6 in Big 12 play to finish in eighth place. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl where they lost to Arkansas.

The 1984 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played on December 27, 1984, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 26th edition of the Liberty Bowl pitted the Auburn Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The 2019 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2019, with kickoff at 3:45 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 61st edition of the Liberty Bowl, and one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. Sponsored by automotive retailer AutoZone, the game was officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

The 2020–21 NCAA football bowl games were a series of post-season games scheduled to complete the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Team-competitive games began on December 21, 2020, and concluded with the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship played on January 11, 2021. Three all-star games followed, concluding with the 2021 Hula Bowl, played on January 31, 2021.

The 2020 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2020, with kickoff at 4:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 62nd edition of the Liberty Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by automotive retailer AutoZone, the game was officially known as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Liberty Bowl</span> Postseason college football bowl game

The 2022 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 28, 2022, at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The 64th annual Liberty Bowl, the game featured the Kansas Jayhawks from the Big 12 Conference and the Arkansas Razorbacks from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game began at 4:35 p.m. CST and was aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season. The primary sponsor of the game was automotive store AutoZone and the contest was officially named the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Arkansas Razorbacks football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Arkansas Razorbacks football team will represent the University of Arkansas in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks are expected to be led by Sam Pittman in his fourth year as their head coach.

References

  1. Odds, Los Angeles Times, December 10, 2015
  2. 1 2 3 "Liberty Bowl Info". Liberty Bowl. December 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "2015 Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs. Arkansas Stats". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  4. "K-State to Play Arkansas in AutoZone Liberty Bowl". KStateSports.com. Kansas State University. December 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  5. "Arkansas Accepts Liberty Bowl Invitation". ArkansasRazorbacks.com. University of Arkansas. December 6, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.