A meeting of former Southwest Conference rivals at the Texas Bowl turned into every bit the slugfest that many expected going into the game.
The only issue? The knockout blow was delivered in the 1st half.
Arkansas used star tailbacks Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams to lead their potent rushing attack that helped them roll over Texas on Monday night in a 31-7 win that was not as close as the scoreline indicated.
Williams, who announced his return to the school for his senior season last week, scored a touchdown on the ground and recorded 105 yards on 23 carries to pound what had been a fairly stout Longhorns defense that led the Big 12 in a number of categories. His counterpart, Collins, was also effective in the game with nearly 4.5 yards per carry on his way to a 76 yard day that included a number of impressive runs to show off his burst. The sophomore from Florida also chipped in a pair of nice returns in the return game to complete a dominating performance by the pair that Texas had few answers for.
Of course, the Hogs' offense owed much of its success to another huge performance from its mammoth offensive line. Brey Cook had another solid showing as one of the top NFL draft prospects on the team and controlled the line of scrimmage no matter who lined up in front of him. Sophomore guard Denver Kirkland also had a spotlight on him most of the second half and was a big reason why the team was able to simply run over, around, and through their overmatched opponent.
Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen was protected most of the night, as well, and had several quality throws in the game despite completing just 12 of 23 passes for 160 yards. Senior wideout Demetrius Wilson pulled in one of Allen's two touchdown throws, using his 6-foot-3 frame to create separation from the defender to haul in the score in the end zone.
On the other side, the bowl game loss capped off an uneven career for many of Texas' top draft prospects. Senior defensive lineman Cedric Reed was pushed around most of the night and failed to record a sack while stud defensive tackle Malcom Brown, a junior with an upcoming decision about staying in Austin, was able to control his gap most of the night but failed to generate much of an impact. Cornerback Quandre Diggs broke up a pass and did what he could against the Razorbacks' big targets but only showed up once in the box score.
The Longhorns' offense, meanwhile, managed just 59 total yards through a combination of ineptness and smothering Arkansas defense led by Trey Flowers, who will move on to the NFL Scouting Combine in two months after closing his career with a sack and a number of other quality plays.
Unless they meet again in a bowl game, the pair of regional rivals won't play again until 2021. Judging by what happened in the Texas Bowl, however, perhaps that's a good thing for one of the two teams.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
