Taylen Green threw for 341 yards and accounted for three touchdowns as Arkansas pulled away in the second half to earn a 39-26 win over Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Friday.
Green completed 11 of 21 passes, two for touchdowns, and added 81 yards and a score on 15 rushes. The redshirt junior led a big-play attack that saw the Razorbacks (7-6) pile up 559 total yards.
“We appreciate the guys who came back for the bowl game and helped us win,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “I’m proud of the coaching staff for getting the kids ready. I think the kids bought into it.”
Will Hammond connected on 20 of 34 passes for 280 yards, a touchdown and two second-half interceptions for the Red Raiders (8-5), filling in for injured starter Behren Morton (shoulder surgery). J’Koby Williams rushed for 123 yards and a TD on 15 carries.
However, Texas Tech’s offense, which trimmed a 21-3 first-quarter deficit to 21-19 in the second quarter, couldn’t respond in the second half. The Red Raiders’ only score after halftime was Hammond’s 15-yard connection to Coy Eakin with 3:06 left in the game.
“The ending of a season is always tough, but it’s tougher when you don’t play well enough,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “We made too many mistakes. Hats off to Arkansas and Taylen Green. I thought he played a great game and it was tough.”
Arkansas led 24-19 at halftime but steadily tacked on to its lead via all three phases. Matthew Shipley converted a 34-yard field goal with 10:52 to go in the third quarter, and Green added a 47-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Tyrell Reed Jr. with 7:07 left in the third.
In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Anton Juncaj made it 36-19 when he sacked Hammond in the end zone for a safety. Shipley capped the Razorbacks’ scoring on a 43-yard field goal with 5:02 left.
Arkansas’ fast start set the game’s tone. Green scored on a 12-yard touchdown jaunt on the Razorbacks’ first possession, one play after Rodney Hill ripped off a 70-yard run.
After Gino Garcia toed a 37-yard field goal for the Red Raiders, the Razorbacks upped the advantage to 21-3 on Braylen Russell’s 1-yard scoring run and Green’s 94-yard touchdown pass to Dazmin James — his first career catch. James finished with three receptions for 137 yards, and teammate Isaac TeSlaa made three catches for 107 yards.
In the second quarter, Texas Tech bounced back with Isaac Smith’s sack of Green in the end zone for a safety. Williams added a 54-yard scoring run and Jalin Conyers got the Red Raiders within two points on a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:58 left in the half.
Shipley’s 40-yard field goal capped a wild first half that saw the teams combine for 687 yards.
–Field Level Media
