INSIDE SLANT

Arkansas and East Carolina will be meeting for the first time when the teams collide in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Jan. 2. But the teams do have a link, albeit a somewhat tenuous one.

Pirates coach Skip Holtz often was in the audience when his dad, Lou Holtz, conducted press conferences when he was the head coach of the Razorbacks from 1977 through 1983, and he commented on some of those memories at a pre-Liberty Bowl press conference.

Meanwhile, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was not quite as sentimental in his remarks, instead noting the matchup problems he sees the Pirates’ defense posing for the Razorbacks.

“You look at their defensive front,” Petrino said. “They’re so big and athletic and have won a lot of games because of the pressure that they’ve put on the opposing quarterback. So it’s going to be real important for us to protect our quarterback and do a good job against their defensive front.”

The Pirates have registered 28 sacks and have 17 interceptions.

But they gave up 527 passing yards to Houston’s Case Keenum in the Conference USA Championship game, which must delight Hog quarterback Ryan Mallett. Mallett has thrown for 3,422 yards in his first season after sitting out following his transfer from Michigan.

The game is shaping up as somewhat of a home game for the Razorbacks, even though the Pirates are making their second consecutive appearance in the event.

Memphis sits right across the Mississippi River from Arkansas, and the Hogs sold more than 21,000 tickets to the game in the first week after the bid was announced.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Arkansas was hoping to finish the regular season with a five-game winning streak—and the Razorbacks came within a play or two of doing just that before losing the finale at LSU in overtime.

Even with that disappointing defeat, the four wins in their last five games brought the Hogs back from the brink after they lost four of their first seven outings and are headed to Memphis for the Autozone Liberty Bowl.

“I’ve been able to coach in it and had a great experience,” said coach Bobby Petrino, whose Louisville team beat Boise State 44-40 in 2004.

The Hogs have played in three other Liberty Bowls, the last in 1987, and will be looking for their first win.

Scouting The Offense:   The Razorbacks were the highest scoring team in the SEC, averaging 37.3 points a game to rank eighth in the country. They did most of their damage through the air as the running game produced only 136 yards a game. But behind the strong arm of QB Ryan Mallett, who led the SEC, the Razorbacks produced 303.3 yards per game passing. The Hogs were particularly impressive in the red zone, scoring on 45 of 47 trips inside an opponent’s 20-yard line, with 35 of the scores being touchdowns.

Scouting The Defense:   The Hogs had their problems defensively, giving up nearly 402 yards a game, a league high. They also were last in pass defense, surrendering nearly 252 yards per game. They were opportunistic, however, in recovering a league-high 16 fumbles. LB Jerry Franklin led the Hogs in tackles with 84.

Matchup To Watch:   Arkansas CBs Ramon Broadway and Rudell Crim vs. East Carolina WR Dwayne Harris—Whichever Hog defender is covering Harris is going to have his hands full. Harris had nine catches in the Conference USA championship game and led the Pirates with 79 receptions for the season.

Other Key Matchups:  

• Arkansas’ offensive line vs. East Carolina’s defensive front.

The Razorbacks gave up two sacks a game in the regular season and will have to contend with two first-team All-Conference USA defensive linemen in junior Linville Joseph (3.0 sacks) and senior C.J Wilson (5.5 sacks). In addition to the all-conference selections by the coaches, senior DE Scotty Robinson has 10.5 tackles for losses, including five sacks, and backup DT Josh Smith has four sacks.

• Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett vs. East Carolina’s secondary.

Mallett threw only seven picks in 367 pass attempts but will be facing an opportunistic corps of defensive backs for the Pirates. FS Van Eskridge had six interceptions in earning all-conference honors, and CB Emanuel Davis, also a coaches’ pick, had two. Overall, the Pirates had 17 interceptions, tied for 12th in the country. 

• Arkansas secondary  vs. East Carolina WRs Darryl Freeney and Dwayne Harris.

Harris leads the Pirates in receiving with 79 catches for 914 yards, and Freeney is second with 42 for 624. Freeney has been the hot receiver of late, however, with five touchdown catches in the past three games. Arkansas has only 11 interceptions, with S Tramain Thomas, CB Jerell Norton and LB Jerry Franklin leading with two each. Cornerbacks Rudell Crim and Ramon Broadway are still looking for their first interception.

Quote To Note:   “When I was kid, I watched Arkansas play in big bowl games, and I’m excited to be a part of that tradition.”—QB Ryan Mallett, upon learning of the Hogs’ invitation to the Liberty Bowl.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Bowl Breakdown:   Arkansas vs. East Carolina, Autozone Liberty Bowl, Jan. 2, Memphis, Tenn.—This will be the fourth appearance for the Razorbacks in the Liberty Bowl but their first since 1987, when they lost 20-17 to Georgia. Interestingly, their other two appearances also were against SEC teams—in 1971 against Tennessee (a 14-13 loss) and in 1984 against Auburn (a 21-15 loss). The Razorbacks were members of the old Southwest Conference at that time.

Players To Watch:  

WR Greg Childs—Childs is QB Ryan Mallett’s favorite receiver. He led Arkansas with 45 catches and averaged 19.2 yards a reception. Seven of his catches resulted in touchdowns.

WR Jarius Wright—Second on the team in receptions with 37, Wright averaged just over 49 receiving yards a game, ranking 10th in the SEC. He has the potential to break a big play.

LB Jerry Franklin—Franklin finished as the team’s top tackler with 84 stops and is the unit’s emotional leader. He has five tackles for loss and also came up with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

TB Dennis Johnson—Johnson gives the Razorbacks a threat in their return game. He averaged 26 yards on 39 kickoff returns and ran one back 91 yards for a touchdown. He also led the Hogs in rushing in the loss to LSU (78 yards on just nine carries) and finished third on the team with 321 yards on 53 attempts, a 6.1 per carry average.

Roster Report:  

• QB Ryan Mallett has matched or set 12 school records for passing and has thrown for at least one touchdown in 11 of 12 games.

• RB Michael Smith (hamstring) may benefit from the late date for the bowl game (Jan. 2). He played in only eight games but still led the Hogs in rushing with 396 yards.