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Liberty Bowl by the numbers: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech

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Liberty Bowl by the numbers: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech


AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Texas Tech (8-4) vs. Arkansas (6-6)

6 p.m. CST Friday (ESPN)

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee

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0 Starts for Texas Tech QB Will Hammond, who will open under center for the Red Raiders against Arkansas after No. 1 QB Behren Morton had shoulder surgery. Morton threw for 3,335 yards and 27 TDs in 2024. Hammond has completed 15-of-23 passes for 191 yards with one TD and no interceptions this season. Hammond won’t have 1,000-yard receiver Josh Kelly to throw to on Friday. The wide receiver has opted out of the game.

1 Previous appearance in the Liberty Bowl for Texas Tech, which defeated Mississippi State 34-7 on Dec. 28, 2021. That kicked off the Red Raiders’ current three-game bowl winning streak that has boosted Texas Tech’s bowl record for 17-23-1.

2 Players in the nation had at least 2,800 passing yards and 500 rushing yards entering the bowl season – Arkansas QB Taylen Green and Washington State QB John Mateer. Green has completed 219-of-360 passes for 2,813 yards with 13 TDs and nine interceptions and run 141 times for 521 yards and seven TDs.

5 2-point conversions have been given up by Arkansas in 2024, tied for the most in the nation entering the bowl season. Texas Tech has scored four 2-point conversions this season.

7 Appearances in the Liberty Bowl for Arkansas when the Razorbacks take the field on Friday, the most in the game’s history (two ahead of Mississippi State). The Razorbacks have a 3-3 record in the Liberty Bowl after winning their past three appearances. Arkansas defeated East Carolina 20-17 in overtime on Jan. 2, 2010, Kansas State 45-23 on Jan. 2, 2016, and Kansas 55-53 in three overtimes on Dec. 28, 2022, and lost to Tennessee 14-13 on Dec. 20, 1971, Auburn 21-15 on Dec. 27, 1984, and Georgia 20-17 on Dec. 29, 1987. Overall, Arkansas has a 17-24-3 bowl record.

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8 Victories and three losses for Arkansas against opponents from the Big 12 and its predecessor conferences in bowls. In bowls against other conferences, the Razorbacks have a 9-21-3 record. Overall, Arkansas has a 34-14 record against Big 12 opponents since 1928, when the Big Six formed, including a 39-31 loss in two overtimes to Oklahoma State on Sept. 7.

10 Victories, 19 losses and two ties for Texas Tech against SEC opponents. The Red Raiders played their first game against an SEC opponent on Jan. 1, 1954, when Texas Tech scored a 35-13 victory over Auburn in the Gator Bowl. The Red Raiders have a 4-6-1 record in bowl against SEC opponents.

21 Victories and 11 losses for SEC teams in the Liberty Bowl. The 1965 Liberty Bowl was all-SEC, with Ole Miss beating Auburn 13-7. Big 12 teams have a 4-7 record in the Liberty Bowl. The SEC has a 4-4 record against the Big 12 and its predecessor conferences in the Liberty Bowl.

29 Victories for Arkansas and eight victories for Texas Tech in the Razorbacks-Red Raiders series, although Texas Tech won the most recent meeting 35-29 on Sept. 19, 2015, and has victories in three of the past four meetings. Thirty-two of the 37 meetings came when the teams were members of the Southwest Conference together from 1960 through 1991.

34.5 Points per game have been scored against the Texas Tech this season, the highest average yielded by any bowl participant this season. The Red Raiders led the Big 12 in scoring during the regular season with an average of 38.6 points per game.

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97 Third-down snaps were converted into first downs by Texas Texas in 2024, the most in the nation entering the bowl season. The Red Raiders have had 196 third-down snaps, tied for the second-most in the nation and have converted 49.5 percent into first downs, the sixth-best rate in the nation.

103 Yards and two TDs on 20 rushing attempts in 2024 for Rodney Hill, who is listed as the No. 1 running back on Arkansas’ depth chart for Friday’s game. Ja’Quinden Jackson led the Razorbacks with 790 yards and 15 TDs on 149 rushing attempts this season, but he has opted out of the game.

231 Plays from scrimmage gained at least 10 yards for Arkansas in 2024, the second-most in the nation entering the bowl season.

1,140 Receiving yards for Arkansas WR Andrew Armstrong, the most in the SEC this season. But Armstrong has opted out of the bowl, as has No. 2 receiver Isaiah Sategna, leaving WR Isaac TeSlaa as the Razorbacks’ leading receiver entering Friday’s game. TeSlaa has 438 yards and three TDs on 25 receptions in 2024.

1,505 Rushing yards for Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks this season as he replaced Byron Hanspard as the Red Raiders’ career rushing leader in 2024. By running for at least 109 yards in each of his 11 games this season, Brooks lifted his career total to 4,557 rushing yards, the fourth-most in Big 12 history. Brooks is in Memphis with Texas Tech, but his participation in Friday’s game has not been confirmed by the team.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.





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Single‑Vehicle Crash Injures Arkansas Woman West of West Plains – Ozark Radio News

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April 4, 2026

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Single‑Vehicle Crash Injures Arkansas Woman West of West Plains – Ozark Radio News






A 23‑year‑old woman from Calico Rock, Arkansas, was seriously injured Friday afternoon in a single‑vehicle crash on U.S. 160, two miles west of West Plains.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 3:55 p.m. when the westbound 2021 Nissan Sentra ran off the right side of the roadway near Highway JJ. The car struck an embankment and came to rest on the north side of the road.

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The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, suffered moderate injuries. She was airlifted by Air Evac to Cox South Hospital in Springfield.

 

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Arkansas Wins Afternoon Semifinal, Rack Up Four Regional Titles

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22 hours ago

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April 4, 2026

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Arkansas Wins Afternoon Semifinal, Rack Up Four Regional Titles


The No. 9 Gymbacks started their regionals weekend on a strong note on Friday as they placed first in the afternoon semifinal and saw two athletes earn a total of four individual regional titles.

Arkansas’ score of 197.175 was good to punch a ticket to Sunday’s regional final, the Gymbacks’ third straight appearance in the round of 16. Arkansas ultimately placed second among the eight teams across both semifinals and were one of just two 197+ marks on the day. The Gymbacks had the top scores of their session on bars (49.375) and beam (49.150) along with taking the top spot of the afternoon.

The day was highlighted by a big all-around performances from Morgan Price and Joscelyn Roberson. Price scored 9.900+ on three of four events and totaled 39.575 on the day, which held on to win her the regional all-around title, Arkansas’ first since 2018. Her 9.950 on vault was good for a four-way tie for first, also Arkansas’ first individual champion on the event since 2018. Price’s top finishes of the day were rounded out with third overall on bars and floor.

Roberson delivered her trademark consistency on beam and earned her ninth 9.950 score on the event this season, which earned her the regional crown outright. She is one of just two Gymbacks to score a 9.950 on beam at regionals, the first regional beam crown for Arkansas since 2009, and only the second ever. Her 9.925 on floor came in a three-way tie for first on the event for her second title of the day. Roberson compiled an all-around total of 39.425, which placed her in fourth overall.

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Price and Roberson’s combined four titles are the most in a regional ever for Arkansas, and most since 2013.

Floor

Arkansas opened the day on floor. Hailey Klein and Leah Smith earned 9.850 scores in the first and third positions, and Allison Cucci went second with a 9.825. Scores went up from there, as Morgan Price earned a season high 9.900 up fourth for the Gymbacks. She was followed by her sister, Frankie, who scored 9.875. Roberson closed the rotation with a 9.925, which brought the team’s event score to 49.400.

Vault

Smith continued the strong start to her day with a stuck Yurchenko full that went 9.900 in the lead-off spot on vault for Arkansas. Following a 9.700 from Roberson, Klein scored 9.800 midway through the vault rotation. Lauren Williams earned a 9.775 next, and brought up Morgan Price in fifth. She put down a spectacular vault that scored 9.950, giving the Gymbacks some momentum. Cucci went 9.825 in the anchor spot and Arkansas concluded vault with a 49.250 score.

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Bars

Bars began big for the Gymbacks with Roberson leading off with a 9.850 and Klein and Smith following with a pair of 9.875s. Freshmen Cucci and Avalon Campbell earned marks of 9.850 and 9.800, respectively, to keep Arkansas in a good spot. Morgan Price delivered a great routine in the sixth position that went 9.925, and the Gymbacks tallied a total of 49.375 on bars.

Beam

Arkansas closed out the meet on beam and got a nice start from lead-off Priscilla Park. She stuck her dismount and scored a 9.850 for the Gymbacks. Klein went next and delivered a 9.800 to cap her all-around day. After a 9.650 from Weaver, Cucci began to build the scores again with a 9.750. Morgan Price kept it going with a 9.800 that only featured movement on the dismount, and Roberson was next at anchor. Once again, she was nearly flawless and put a bow on the rotation with a 9.950. Arkansas’ final beam score was 49.150.

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The Gymbacks will face off with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 8 Missouri and Ohio State in Sunday’s regional final. The top two teams will advance to the NCAA Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas April 16-18. The meet is slated for 4 p.m. CT at Historic Memorial Coliseum in Lexington and will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live scoring via Virtius.

More Information

Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Gymnastics. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackGym).



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Source: Butch Jones hiring DeMarkco Butler as Chief of Staff – Arkansas State Football

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April 3, 2026

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Source: Butch Jones hiring DeMarkco Butler as Chief of Staff – Arkansas State Football


DeMarkco Butler is leaving Kent State after one season to become chief of staff for Arkansas State Football, sources tell FootballScoop. 

Butler joined the Golden Flashes on Aug. 28, 2025, as assistant general manager and director of player personnel under then-interim head coach Mark Carney. In that role, he oversaw key aspects of football operations and player personnel management for a Kent State program that competed in the Mid-American Conference. His arrival came as the Flashes looked to stabilize and build infrastructure following coaching transitions.

A veteran of college football operations, Butler most recently served as assistant athletic director for football operations and player personnel at the University of Central Missouri, a role he held since joining the Mules in 2022. There, he managed day-to-day program logistics, player personnel duties, and acted as a liaison between the football team and university departments and external partners. His experience also includes director of football operations positions at Western Illinois University and a brief stint at Baylor University earlier in his career.

Butler played college football at Monmouth College (Ill.), earning his bachelor’s degree in communications and business with a minor in Spanish in 2010. He went on to earn a master’s degree in sport management from Western Illinois in 2016, where he began his administrative career as a graduate assistant in facilities, events, and game-day operations before advancing to an operations assistant role from 2014-15.

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The move to Arkansas State represents a step up in responsibility and conference profile. As chief of staff under head coach Butch Jones, Butler will support high-level program operations in the Sun Belt Conference, working closely with the head coach on staff coordination, strategic planning, and day-to-day execution. The Red Wolves have been active in reshaping their support staff entering the 2026 season, and Butler’s background in player personnel and operations makes him a natural fit to help provide continuity and efficiency behind the scenes.

Butler’s quick ascent through operations and personnel roles highlights a career built on logistics, recruiting support, travel coordination, and building program infrastructure at multiple levels. His time at Kent State, though brief, added FBS experience to a resume that previously featured strong work at the Division II level.

Arkansas State, coming off recent staff adjustments, now adds a proven operator in Butler as it pushes forward under Jones. Sources tell FootballScoop Butler is on the job and is working with Jones in hiring additional support staff. 

The move continues a trend of experienced operations and personnel specialists moving between Group of Five programs seeking greater stability and support-staff depth. Butler’s track record positions him well to contribute immediately in Jonesboro as the Red Wolves prepare for spring practices and the 2026 campaign.



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