Arkansas Bowl History

[hog.goblin]

Found this interesting as I was mulling my disappointment in our possible bowl selection:

                                           Games W-L-T
Cotton\Dixie Bowl Classic           13    4-7-2
Sugar Bowl                                6    1-5
Liberty Bowl                              5     2-3
Orange Bowl                              2    1-1
Gator\TaxSlayer Bowl                 2    1-1
Bluebonnet\Houston\Texas Bowl   2     2-0
Independence Bowl                     2    1-1
Citrus\Cap One Bowl                   2    0-2
Fiesta Bowl                               1    0-0-1
Music City Bowl                         1     0-1
Holiday Bowl                             1    1-0
Hall of Fame Bowl                      1    1-0
Las Vegas Bowl                         1    0-1
Carquest Bowl                           1    0-1
Dixie Bowl                                1    1-0
Totals                                    41    15-23-3

Maybe I shouldn't be so disappointed.

[Tejano Jawg]

I've been aware of this for years. And it's not good. Some teams (maybe like Penn State) are known for practically always winning their bowls. With us it's the other way. Historically, we've just never had a knack for doing it well.

I really hated all our bowl losses...it always put a sour end to the season—starting with the Fiesta Bowl tie (which felt like a loss), through all those Holtz bowl losses, Hatfield bowl losses, and Nutt bowl losses. Each of those guys did manage one win here and there. But it was thin. Heck, our loss to Ohio State (under Petrino) still bothers me.

My bowl record, going to the games, is so so. A Bluebonnet Bowl win, 2 Cotton Bowl wins (Texas, K State) and 4 awful losses.

[hogcard1964]

I've been aware of this for years. And it's not good. Some teams (maybe like Penn State) are known for practically always winning their bowls. With us it's the other way. Historically, we've just never had a knack for doing it well.

I really hated all our bowl losses...it always put a sour end to the season—starting with the Fiesta Bowl tie (which felt like a loss), through all those Holtz bowl losses, Hatfield bowl losses, and Nutt bowl losses. Each of those guys did manage one win here and there. But it was thin. Heck, our loss to Ohio State (under Petrino) still bothers me.

My bowl record, going to the games, is so so. A Bluebonnet Bowl win, 2 Cotton Bowl wins (Texas, K State) and 4 awful losses.

Hatfield really took it on the chin in bowl games.  I think he lost 6 in a row at one time and we lost 3 or 4 under him, that we should have easily won.

[Exit Pursued by a Boar]

Hatfield really took it on the chin in bowl games.  I think he lost 6 in a row at one time and we lost 3 or 4 under him, that we should have easily won.

The Cotton Bowl loss to Tennessee was a killer.

EFBAB

[MJ2]

Kind of goes back to a generally weak SWC and non conference schedule and then facing an SEC or Big 8 bowl opponent.   Hard for the Hogs to compete.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I was at the '76 Cotton Bowl win over Georgia, the '78 Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma, the '00 Cotton Bowl win over Texas, and the Liberty Bowl win over East Carolina.

Maybe I'm the team's good luck charm for bowls.

[Pigsknuckles]

The Cotton Bowl loss to Tennessee was a killer.

EFBAB

My first bowl game. Heard enough Rocky Top to last a lifetime.

[EastexHawg]

When considering our success or lack of success over the years in bowls it's enlightening to remember who we played.  Broyles was 4-6 in bowl games, but the rankings of the teams he played were:  Unranked, 10, 1, 3, 6, 15, 4, 13, 9, and 19.  In other words, starting in 1960 the average ranking of his bowl opponents was slightly better than #9 and he played six of his last nine against top 10 teams.

Rankings for other coaches' bowl opponents were:

Holtz:  2, 15, 1, unranked, 10, and unranked.  He went 3-2-1 in those six games
Hatfield: 11, unranked, 3, 15, 9, and 8.  Record: 1-5
Nutt:  15, 14, unranked, 10, unranked, unranked, and 6.  Record: 2-5
Herring:  #7 Missouri in the 2007-2008 Cotton Bowl.  Record:  0-1
Petrino:  unranked, 6, 8.  Record:  2-1
Bielema:  unranked, unranked.  Record:  2-0

Before 2000, Arkansas rarely played a team ranked outside the top 15 in a bowl game.  From 1960 thru 1999 12 of our 23 bowl opponents were ranked in the top 10 and half of those were in the top 5. 

Overall, the Hatfield and Nutt/Herring years killed our bowl record.  They were a combined 3-11.  Since 1960 the remainder of our coaches have gone a more respectable combined 11-9-1, some against better competition than others.

[ErieHog]

If Bielema wins this bowl game, he will tie Holtz for the 2nd most wins in bowls in program history.

[phadedhawg]

I've always hated being a Hog fan during bowl season.  So much disappointment.  My first hog bowl game memory was the 1987 Liberty Bowl loss to Georgia. 

As Georgia kicked the winning FG my emotions betrayed me and my father spotted a tear roll down my face.  He laughed and said something of the like "Son if you're gonna be a Razorback fan you're gonna need thicker skin than that". 

Truer words....  Thanks Dad!!!

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Before 2000, Arkansas rarely played a team ranked outside the top 15 in a bowl game.  From 1960 thru 1999 12 of our 23 bowl opponents were ranked in the top 10 and half of those were in the top 5. 

Well Captain Obvious, there weren't 40 bowls from 1960 thru 1999.  In the '60s and '70s it was more like 15, so chances are if you made it to a bowl, you were ranked.  Now, more than 2/3 of the teams that play in bowls are unranked.

[EastexHawg]

Well Captain Obvious, there weren't 40 bowls from 1960 thru 1999.  In the '60s and '70s it was more like 15, so chances are if you made it to a bowl, you were ranked.  Now, more than 2/3 of the teams that play in bowls are unranked.

Perhaps if Arkansas had better records in recent years the Hogs would play more bowl games against ranked opponents, so there is that angle, too.


But you are right, Broyles had two teams that spent virtually the entire season in the top 10 that didn't play in bowl games.  The 1966 and 1970 teams went 8-2 and 9-2 but stayed home.  I bet if they had played .500 teams in crappy bowls our overall record would be better.

[DeltaBoy]

Found this interesting as I was mulling my disappointment in our possible bowl selection:

                                           Games W-L-T
Cotton\Dixie Bowl Classic           13    5-7-1
Sugar Bowl                                6    1-5
Liberty Bowl                              5     2-3
Orange Bowl                              2    1-1
Gator\TaxSlayer Bowl                 2    1-1
Bluebonnet\Houston\Texas Bowl   2     2-0
Independence Bowl                     2    1-1
Citrus\Cap One Bowl                   2    0-2
Fiesta Bowl                               1    0-0-1
Music City Bowl                         1     0-1
Holiday Bowl                             1    1-0
Hall of Fame Bowl                      1    1-0
Las Vegas Bowl                         1    0-1
Carquest Bowl                           1    0-1
Dixie Bowl                                1    1-0
Totals                                    41    15-23-3

Maybe I shouldn't be so disappointed.

Till Bobby and CBB we were everyones whipping boys.

[Torqued pork]

The combined record of the '14 Longhorns and '15 Wildcats is 12 wins vs. 14 losses. Both finished the regular season at 6-6.

Ouch.

[DLUXHOG]

I was at the '76 Cotton Bowl win over Georgia, the '78 Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma, the '00 Cotton Bowl win over Texas, and the Liberty Bowl win over East Carolina.

Maybe I'm the team's good luck charm for bowls.

sorry to burst your bubble, but Nah...  I'm the good luck charm as I was at those same games...............

[Inhogswetrust]

Found this interesting as I was mulling my disappointment in our possible bowl selection:

                                           Games W-L-T
Cotton\Dixie Bowl Classic           13    5-7-1
Sugar Bowl                                6    1-5
Liberty Bowl                              5     2-3
Orange Bowl                              2    1-1
Gator\TaxSlayer Bowl                 2    1-1
Bluebonnet\Houston\Texas Bowl   2     2-0
Independence Bowl                     2    1-1
Citrus\Cap One Bowl                   2    0-2
Fiesta Bowl                               1    0-0-1
Music City Bowl                         1     0-1
Holiday Bowl                             1    1-0
Hall of Fame Bowl                      1    1-0
Las Vegas Bowl                         1    0-1
Carquest Bowl                           1    0-1
Dixie Bowl                                1    1-0
Totals                                    41    15-23-3

Maybe I shouldn't be so disappointed.

You just now finding this out............that is what is interesting.

[DLUXHOG]

Found this interesting as I was mulling my disappointment in our possible bowl selection:

                                           Games W-L-T
Cotton\Dixie Bowl Classic           13    5-7-1
Sugar Bowl                                6    1-5
Liberty Bowl                              5     2-3
Orange Bowl                              2    1-1
Gator\TaxSlayer Bowl                 2    1-1
Bluebonnet\Houston\Texas Bowl   2     2-0
Independence Bowl                     2    1-1
Citrus\Cap One Bowl                   2    0-2
Fiesta Bowl                               1    0-0-1
Music City Bowl                         1     0-1
Holiday Bowl                             1    1-0
Hall of Fame Bowl                      1    1-0
Las Vegas Bowl                         1    0-1
Carquest Bowl                           1    0-1
Dixie Bowl                                1    1-0
Totals                                    41    15-23-316-23-2

Maybe I shouldn't be so disappointed.

your math is a little off... not much, but a little better ratio as we've won 39% in lieu of 37%.......

[EastexHawg]

The combined record of the '14 Longhorns and '15 Wildcats is 12 wins vs. 14 losses. Both finished the regular season at 6-6.

Neither had a QB who even slightly threatened a defense.  I'm not sure anyone has told Bill Snyder that it's legal to have a QB who can execute a passing game.  His starter has averaged about 120 yards through the air this year.  In their last two losses he has thrown for 70 and 80.  Texas in 2014 just snapped the ball to Swoopes, who is neither fast nor elusive, and let him plod up the middle.  He produced a whopping 25 yards of net total offense in the bowl game.

[hog.goblin]

You just now finding this out............that is what is interesting.

What do you think I just found out?  Other than you have a personality problem?

[hog.goblin]

your math is a little off... not much, but a little better ratio as we've won 39% in lieu of 37%.......

actually my math was right, my typing was wrong.  I fixed it.  We had one less Cotton Bowl win and one more tie (the Dixie Classic which became the Cotton Bowl Classic).

[Boog41]

Hard to believe that last year CBB became the first head coach to win bowl games in two consecutive years.

[DLUXHOG]

actually my math was right, my typing was wrong.  I fixed it.  We had one less Cotton Bowl win and one more tie (the Dixie Classic which became the Cotton Bowl Classic).

those 2 points make a big difference

[EastexHawg]

Hard to believe that last year CBB became the first head coach to win bowl games in two consecutive years.

Do you think the 1969 team would have beaten last year's Kansas State if they had played?  How about the 1965 team that entered the Cotton Bowl undefeated and riding a 22 game win streak?  Maybe the 1988 and 1989 teams if they had played .500 teams instead of #9 and #8 in the polls?  The 1978 team if it had played in the Weedwhacker Bowl instead of the Fiesta?  Maybe the 2010 team would have fared better against a 6-6 Big 12 team than against an Ohio State squad that finished 12-1 and ranked in the top five.

I'm not criticizing your or your statement, just trying to put this "statistic" in perspective.

[DLUXHOG]

Hard to believe that last year CBB became the first head coach to win bowl games in two consecutive years.

well... there weren't near as many bowls in the past as there are today, thus there were less chances to go to bowls in consecutive years for those who coached before hootie, and that had mediocre records.......   There are so many bowls today that they are scrambling to find teams to nominate to the bowls.......

[BigSexyHog]

We need to get back to the bluebonnet,  Holiday , Dixie and Hall of Fame Bowl.  We have been dominant at those bowls

[hoggusamoungus]

Do you think the 1969 team would have beaten last year's Kansas State if they had played?  How about the 1965 team that entered the Cotton Bowl undefeated and riding a 22 game win streak?  Maybe the 1988 and 1989 teams if they had played .500 teams instead of #9 and #8 in the polls?  The 1978 team if it had played in the Weedwhacker Bowl instead of the Fiesta?  Maybe the 2010 team would have fared better against a 6-6 Big 12 team than against an Ohio State squad that finished 12-1 and ranked in the top five.

I'm not criticizing your or your statement, just trying to put this "statistic" in perspective.

Kind of apples and oranges.  The 1978 team was 9-2 in the regular season and the Weedwacker bowl doesn't get 9-2 teams.  They played a comparable UCLA team and managed a tie.  Likewise, the '88-89 teams were SWC champs so they played upper level competition in the Cotton Bowl.  As for the 2010 team, can you image the hell that would have been raised had we been sent to play some 6-6 Big 12 team?

[Boog41]

Do you think the 1969 team would have beaten last year's Kansas State if they had played?  How about the 1965 team that entered the Cotton Bowl undefeated and riding a 22 game win streak?  Maybe the 1988 and 1989 teams if they had played .500 teams instead of #9 and #8 in the polls?  The 1978 team if it had played in the Weedwhacker Bowl instead of the Fiesta?  Maybe the 2010 team would have fared better against a 6-6 Big 12 team than against an Ohio State squad that finished 12-1 and ranked in the top five.

I'm not criticizing your or your statement, just trying to put this "statistic" in perspective.

It's all relative. In the 60's, 70's & 80's there were fewer bowls, so you were always playing better competition....but at the same time the Hogs were also better and higher ranked. Today, average teams still play average opponents in lower tiered bowls.

[EastexHawg]

Kind of apples and oranges.  The 1978 team was 9-2 in the regular season and the Weedwacker bowl doesn't get 9-2 teams.  They played a comparable UCLA team and managed a tie.  Likewise, the '88-89 teams were SWC champs so they played upper level competition in the Cotton Bowl.  As for the 2010 team, can you image the hell that would have been raised had we been sent to play some 6-6 Big 12 team?

So an Arkansas coach whose team goes 6-6 or 7-5 and beats a couple of 6-6 teams has accomplished more than one whose teams end up 10-1 and 10-1 (or 10-0 and 10-0...or 10-1 and 9-2...or 10-2 and 10-2) but end up losing (or tying) bowl games to some of the very best teams in the country in those respective years?

The only apples to oranges comparison is that the coach whose teams only win a little over half their games is "rewarded" by the consecutive bowl game wins statistic while the one who wins enough games to qualify for a much better bowl against a much better team is held to a much higher standard.

[hog.goblin]

those 2 points make a big difference

I know.  We need all the help we can get!

[Jackrabbit Hog]

The 1978 team was 9-2 in the regular season and the Weedwacker bowl doesn't get 9-2 teams.  They played a comparable UCLA team and managed a tie.

Ah, yes.  The infamous "Oh shat" bowl.  Sideline reporter (maybe Jack Arute??) stuck a microphone in the face of an unknowing Terry Donahue (UCLA coach) as he was about to send a play in with a player, just in time to hear Donahue blurt, "Oh shat!!"  That was the end of the eavesdropping by sideline reporters during games.

[Hog Fan...DOH!]

Ah, yes.  The infamous "Oh shat" bowl.  Sideline reporter (maybe Jack Arute??) stuck a microphone in the face of an unknowing Terry Donahue (UCLA coach) as he was about to send a play in with a player, just in time to hear Donahue blurt, "Oh shat!!"  That was the end of the eavesdropping by sideline reporters during games.

That's good.  Arkansas is always on the forefront of rule changes... usually in a bad way.

[Boog41]

Ah, yes.  The infamous "Oh shat" bowl.  Sideline reporter (maybe Jack Arute??) stuck a microphone in the face of an unknowing Terry Donahue (UCLA coach) as he was about to send a play in with a player, just in time to hear Donahue blurt, "Oh shat!!"  That was the end of the eavesdropping by sideline reporters during games.

Unfortunately, I was at this bowl game. I can't find the stats, but I know we had a perfectly balanced offense that day. Something like 21 yards rushing and 21 yards passing.

[PonderinHog]

Unfortunately, I was at this bowl game. I can't find the stats, but I know we had a perfectly balanced offense that day. Something like 21 yards rushing and 21 yards passing.

You missed it a few years, Boog.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Unfortunately, I was at this bowl game. I can't find the stats, but I know we had a perfectly balanced offense that day. Something like 21 yards rushing and 21 yards passing.

Yeah, you're talking about the '89 Cotton Bowl (I was there too).  The Terry Donahue game was a Fiesta Bowl, in between our Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl games, '78-'80.

Gosh, it even hurts to type that...

[Boog41]

Yeah, you're talking about the '89 Cotton Bowl (I was there too).  The Terry Donahue game was a Fiesta Bowl, in between our Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl games, '78-'80.

Gosh, it even hurts to type that...

My bad, I failed to see the part about a tie and assumed 89 Cotton Bowl.

[Locutus_of_Boar]

Till Bobby and CBB we were everyones whipping boys.

Well, excluding Hatfield & Nutt the record is actually a very ordinary 12-13-3. 

[GTOWNHOG]

I love Arkansas football, but we have always been a day late and a dollar short..... '65 Cotton Bowl for a legitimate National Championship ....lost to LSU 14-7.   1969 shootout (I was in attendance as a Freshmen at UA)  1 point short.......  then we lost to OLE MISS in the Sugar Bowl..   1977 ( which was actually probably our best football team) 13-9 loss to TEXAS and then a great win in the Orange Bowl but Notre Dame jumped us for Number 1 (in spite of losing to OLE MISS), then a downhill spiral in to irrelevance.....  WE have been in the SEC for 25 years, and have not won a SEC football Championship....   I see nothing in our current Coaching Staff and  current course to conclude that anything will change.....  That's just the way it is....

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I love Arkansas football, but we have always been a day late and a dollar short..... '65 Cotton Bowl for a legitimate National Championship ....lost to LSU 14-7.   1969 shootout (I was in attendance as a Freshmen at UA)  1 point short.......  then we lost to OLE MISS in the Sugar Bowl..   1977 ( which was actually probably our best football team) 13-9 loss to TEXAS and then a great win in the Orange Bowl but Notre Dame jumped us for Number 1 (in spite of losing to OLE MISS), then a downhill spiral in to irrelevance.....  WE have been in the SEC for 25 years, and have not won a SEC football Championship....   I see nothing in our current Coaching Staff and  current course to conclude that anything will change.....  That's just the way it is....

Well...now I feel better..

[GTOWNHOG]

Well...now I feel better..

You are welcome.... Did you happen to watch a REAL football team (Alabama) totally dismantle Florida today???   That's the level that we need to get to to be competitive.... (and I don't mean Florida)...

[hog.goblin]

You are welcome.... Did you happen to watch a REAL football team (Alabama) totally dismantle Florida today???   That's the level that we need to get to to be competitive.... (and I don't mean Florida)...

Well we dismantled that same FL team...

We just couldn't dismantle a 3-win MO team or stay on the field with Auburn

[hog.goblin]

1977 ( which was actually probably our best football team) 13-9 loss to TEXAS and then a great win in the Orange Bowl but Notre Dame jumped us for Number 1 (in spite of losing to OLE MISS), then a downhill spiral in to irrelevance.....  WE have been in the SEC for 25 years, and have not won a SEC football Championship....   I see nothing in our current Coaching Staff and  current course to conclude that anything will change.....  That's just the way it is....

Bama finished above us too, and both lost earlier in the season than us.  We just had to beat TX and couldn't. 

But I agree, I have no hope that we'll ever win a national championship. Frankly I don't have any hope that we'll ever win an SEC championship.  But I want to see us play well and be competive, consistently.  And maybe if I don't have hope I'll get pleasantly surprised like I did with my Cubs this year.  Hopefully it won't take the Hogs 108 years...

[Hawghiggs]

If Bielema wins this bowl game, he will tie Holtz for the 2nd most wins in bowls in program history.

That's really ***** sad.

[Uberanubis]

I love Arkansas football, but we have always been a day late and a dollar short..... '65 Cotton Bowl for a legitimate National Championship ....lost to LSU 14-7.   1969 shootout (I was in attendance as a Freshmen at UA)  1 point short.......  then we lost to OLE MISS in the Sugar Bowl..   1977 ( which was actually probably our best football team) 13-9 loss to TEXAS and then a great win in the Orange Bowl but Notre Dame jumped us for Number 1 (in spite of losing to OLE MISS), then a downhill spiral in to irrelevance.....  WE have been in the SEC for 25 years, and have not won a SEC football Championship....   I see nothing in our current Coaching Staff and  current course to conclude that anything will change.....  That's just the way it is....

but there are not a lot of teams that can say they have won a sec championship.


Appearances   School   Wins   Losses   Win %   Year(s) Won
12   Florida   7   5   .583   1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2008
11   Alabama   7   4   .636   1992, 1999, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016
5   LSU   4   1   .800   2001, 2003, 2007, 2011
5   Auburn   3   2   .600   2004, 2010, 2013
5   Georgia   2   3   .400   2002, 2005
5   Tennessee   2   3   .400   1997, 1998
3   Arkansas   0   3   .000   
2   Missouri   0   2   .000   
1   Mississippi State   0   1   .000   
1   South Carolina   0   1   .000   
Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt have yet to make an appearance in an SEC Championship Game.