A Real Rivalry – Texas, Arkansas Square Off in Texas Bowl

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas football team has been selected to play the University of Texas in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl. The SEC/BIG12 matchup will take place at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN.

The game will be the 40th bowl appearance in Razorback history and the program’s first since the 2011 season when Arkansas defeated No. 11 Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl.

“We are very excited to play in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl against a former Southwest Conference rival,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “We are looking forward to honoring the tradition of Razorbacks before us and putting on a great show in an outstanding venue against a prominent opponent.”

Arkansas has a long and rich history with the University of Texas dating back to the Southwest Conference, having played the Longhorns 77 times with the most recent meeting coming in 2008. The Razorbacks met Texas in the 2000 Cotton Bowl and picked up a 27-6 victory in Dallas.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to conclude the 2014 season at the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl and renew a longtime rivalry with the University of Texas,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. “Our bowl berth is a tremendous credit to the continued efforts of Coach Bielema, our coaching staff and, most of all, our student-athletes. The bowl game presents another opportunity to showcase the momentum of our program under Coach Bielema and the unrivaled passion of the Razorback fans. We look forward to representing our University, our entire state and the Southeastern Conference as we take on the Longhorns in Houston.”

This is Arkansas’ first appearance in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl and third game in the state of Texas this season after the Razorbacks played at Texas Tech and against Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas.

Tickets to see the Razorbacks in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl are available at ARKANSASRAZORBACKS.com and fans can find more information on the game at the Bowl Central page at www.arkrazor.com/bowl.

Official News from Houston

HOUSTON – The University of Texas and the University of Arkansas have accepted bids to play in the 2014 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, the bowl organizing committee announced today. The Longhorns will represent the Big 12 Conference, while the Razorbacks will represent the SEC Conference. The 2014 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl will be played on Monday, Dec. 29, at 8 p.m. CST and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Texas Longhorns and the Arkansas Razorbacks to the 2014 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl for our first-ever Big 12 vs. SEC game,” said Texas Bowl president Jamey Rootes. “This is a tremendous matchup between two storied programs with large and loyal fan bases.  Our community is looking forward to hosting the teams and their fans for a festive bowl week of activities across Houston and the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl game on Monday, December 29 at NRG Stadium.”

Texas and Arkansas have met a total of 77 times with the most recent game being in September 2008, a 52-10 victory for Texas. The Longhorns lead the all-time series 56-21 and have now won the last two matchups (2004, 2008). Old Southwest Conference rivals, Texas and Arkansas met for the first time in 1894 with the Longhorns winning 54-0.

Ticket prices range from $35-200. For information on luxury suites call 832-667-2160.

The Longhorns finished the regular season with a 6-6 record (5-4 in the Big 12) and qualified for a bowl game in the first season under head coach Charlie Strong. The team finished 8-5 in 2013, which was Mack Brown’s final season as head coach, and Strong joined the program on January 5, 2014.

Texas started the 2014 season off slowly and were just 2-4 after their first six games. However, the Longhorns won three straight games to become bowl eligible before losing to TCU in their final regular season game on Thanksgiving. Defensively, the Longhorns are only giving up 23.3 points per game, which is 32nd in the NCAA.

Currently, Texas ranks second in college football history in bowl appearances with 52 (27-23-2) and holds a 189–93–10 all-time record against the SEC. This season, the Longhorns have been led by their dominant running game. Senior running back Malcom Brown has rushed for 683 yards and six touchdowns while junior Johnathan Gray has run for 627 yards and seven touchdowns.

This will also be Arkansas’ first trip to the Texas Bowl, which was founded in 2006. The Razorbacks finished the regular season with a 6-6 record (2-6 in the SEC) and qualified for their first bowl game under second-year head coach Brett Bielema, who was just 3-9 (0-8 in the SEC) in 2013. The Razorbacks, like Texas, were a terrific defensive team this season. While playing in the loaded SEC West, Arkansas managed to only give up 20.3 points per game, which is 16th best in the country, and the team played eight Top 25 teams (2-6), including four in a row to end the season.

The Razorbacks running game ranks 29th in the country at 220.3 yards per game. Junior Jonathan Williams has carried the ball 188 times for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns while sophomore Alex Collins has 1,024 yards and 12 touchdowns on 187 attempts. The Razorbacks are also led by junior quarterback Brandon Allen, who has 2,125 passing yards this season to go along with 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

This will be the Razorbacks’ 40th bowl appearance in school history, which is the 14th most in college football history, and they are 13-23-3 in their previous 39 appearances. The school currently holds a 5-3 record vs. the Big 12 in bowls, including a victory over Texas in the 1999 Cotton Bowl.

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