Arkansas

Taylen Green provides offseason hope in Arkansas football’s Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech

Published

1 year ago

December 28, 2024

Taylen Green provides offseason hope in Arkansas football’s Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hope springs eternal every offseason, but Arkansas football got the optimism train for 2025 off the tracks Friday night in its 2024 season finale.

The Razorbacks (7-6) led from start-to-finish in a 39-26 victory over Texas Tech at the Liberty Bowl. The Hogs racked up 559 yards on offense, held the Red Raiders (8-5) to just seven points in the second half and played a near-perfect game on special teams. In all three phases, Arkansas executed, giving the Razorbacks their third winning season in the past four years under head coach Sam Pittman.

But there is also a beacon to the hope in the form of redshirt junior quarterback Taylen Green. The Texas native was dynamic against the Red Raiders, throwing for 341 yards and running for 81 more. He accounted for three touchdowns, and as Arkansas ran away in the second half, Texas Tech’s defense had no answer.

Green will return to Arkansas for his final college season next year, and why shouldn’t coaches or fans believe he can give SEC defenses the same issues in 2025?

“Taylen took over,” Pittman said. “We have Taylen Green, a lot of teams don’t, and it gives us opportunity to win.”

Green did all of the things Arkansas fans have seen in flashes throughout the season Friday night. He hit receivers in stride and extended plays with his legs. Some of those resulted in long runs, and others finished with him finding an open target on the move.

The quarterback led Arkansas to touchdowns on its first three possessions of the game and slammed the door shut on a potential Texas Tech comeback with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Reed Jr. in the third quarter. It was the first reception of Reed’s Arkansas career.

A similar milestone was set in the first quarter. The first catch of Dazmin James’ college career resulted in a 94-yard touchdown that gave Arkansas a 21-3 lead. It was the longest touchdown reception in Arkansas history and the longest pass in Liberty Bowl history.

“It’s crazy, we were talking about that slant in the hotel, the whole week, and it came to fruition,” Green said.

Reed and James’ production keyed the Arkansas victory, but it also represented a question answered for Green’s development.

All season, Green relied heavily on wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, who accounted for more than 30% of Green’s passing yards in the regular season. Sometimes, Green keyed too much on Armstrong.

Against Texas Tech, Green showed he can thrive regardless of his weapons. In addition to Armstrong, Arkansas was without the services of Luke Hasz and Isaiah Sategna. James finished with three catches for 137 yards, and freshman CJ Brown had four catches. The only familiar target, Isaac TeSlaa, had three catches for 107 yards.

“It just speaks to our depth, not just at the receiver position, but the running backs, tight ends, O-line,” Green said. “That’s the one thing you know I knew when I committed here — I knew y’all probably didn’t know yet — but just the weapons that we have offensively. I’m just grateful and excited that they have their opportunity.”

Just as he has all season, Green deflected the praise to his teammates and coaches. He walks the walk and talks the talk as a starting quarterback and program figurehead in the SEC.

Arkansas will have plenty of holes to fill this offseason. The Hogs need to find three new starters on the offensive line and three more at wide receiver. They’ve already started finding replacements through the transfer portal and have a good foundation returning on defense.

But Green is the central focus for any offseason hope. It will be nine months before Arkansas takes the field against Alabama A&M in the 2025 season opener. Taylen Green will be under center, and that’s as good a starting point the Razorbacks can ask for.

Source link

Click to comment

Arkansas

No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks’ Historic Season Comes to an End at WCWS

Published

9 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks’ Historic Season Comes to an End at WCWS

Hunter Corneliusen
May 30, 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – No. 5 National Seed Arkansas Razorbacks’ historic season came to an end on Friday night with an 11-0 (5 inn.) loss to UCLA at the Women’s College World Series inside Devon Park.

With the loss, Arkansas finished its season with a 47-13 record that culminated in the program’s first Women’s College World Series berth. The Hogs’ 47 wins were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 48-11 overall record.

Tianna Bell, Atalyia Rijo, and Kailey Wyckoff all recorded base hits for Arkansas in the loss. Wyckoff and Karlie Davison both drew walks. Payton Burnham (14-4) took the loss for Arkansas after allowing four runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work.

Taylor Tinsley (33-7) took the win for UCLA, pitching five shutout innings while striking out two and allowing three hits and two walks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Payton Burnham made her 19th start of the season for Arkansas, while UCLA went with senior Taylor Tinsley.

In the top of the first inning, Atalyia Rijo had a hand in all three outs of a 1-2-3 frame that featured a pair of groundouts and a popout. Tinsley responded with a 1-2-3 inning herself, courtesy of a strikeout, flyout, and lineout in the home half of the first inning.

Aleena Garcia gave UCLA a 1-0 lead with a lead-off solo home run to dead center field in the top of the second inning. Kaniya Bragg got hit by a pitch, and Alexis Ramirez singled before Soo-Jin Berry made it a 4-0 game with a three-run home run to left field. Following Ramirez’s homer, Saylor Timmerman entered in relief for Arkansas. Megan Grant later extended the Bruins’ lead to 7-0 by way of a three-run home run to center field, her 42nd of the season. Senior LHP Robyn Herron entered with two runners on and two outs in the inning. UCLA extended its lead to 9-0 courtesy of a two-RBI double off the top of the wall in right field by Bragg.

In the bottom of the second inning, Karlie Davison became the first baserunner of the game for Arkansas after reaching on a two-out walk. She later advanced to second base on a single from Atalyia Rijo. Kailey Wyckoff later walked to load the bases, but UCLA would escape with a flyout to get out of the inning.

In the top of the third inning, Herron registered a pair of strikeouts while UCLA made it 10-0 by scoring a run by way of a wild pitch. Tinsley retired the Hogs in order in the bottom of the third inning.

Herron retired UCLA in order in the top of the fourth inning while picking up a pair of strikeouts. Tianna Bell singled down the third-base line to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Bruins’ Jolyna Lamar increased the UCLA lead to 11-0 with a solo home run to right field.

Kailey Wyckoff singled down the third-base line to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning before UCLA retired three consecutive batters to end the game.

NOTABLES

Arkansas finished the season with a 47-13 overall record. The Razorbacks’ 47 wins were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 48-11 overall record.

Up Next

The Razorbacks will be back in action in the spring of 2027.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Source link

Arkansas

Arkansas men’s track and field sends 21 entries to NCAA Outdoor Championships | Whole Hog Sports

Published

19 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas men’s track and field sends 21 entries to NCAA Outdoor Championships | Whole Hog Sports

Source link

Arkansas

What channel is UCLA vs Arkansas softball on? Time, TV for WCWS elimination game

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

What channel is UCLA vs Arkansas softball on? Time, TV for WCWS elimination game

It’s win or go home for half of the Women’s College World Series field on Friday, May 29.

In the nightcap of the WCWS elimination games is No. 8 UCLA vs. No. 5 Arkansas, two teams that suffered come-from-behind wins on May 28 by Alabama and Nebraska, respectively. The Bruins couldn’t take advantage of back-to-back home runs against Jocelyn Briski in the third, eventually falling 6-3 to the top-seeded Crimson Tide.

Watch UCLA vs Arkansas softball live with Fubo (free trial)

The Razorbacks’ loss was arguably more painful (or, at least, took longer). Arkansas twice led against Nebraska and USA Softball Player of the Year Jordy Frahm, but was unable to maintain either lead before Ava Kuszak walked the Razorbacks off in the bottom of the 10th inning in the 5-3 defeat.

Now the Bruins and Razorbacks both must gear up for a second game in as many days, with their WCWS hopes on the line. Here’s how to watch as UCLA takes on Arkansas in a pivotal win-or-go-home game:

What TV channel is UCLA vs Arkansas softball on today?

ESPN will broadcast Friday’s elimination game between UCLA and Arkansas. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream WCWS games live with Fubo (free trial)