2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football
Arkansas Razorbacks logo
Liberty Bowl champion
Liberty Bowl, W 45–23 vs. Kansas State
Conference Southeastern Conference
Western Division
Record 8–5 (5–3 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Dan Enos (1st season)
Offensive scheme Pro-style
Defensive coordinator Robb Smith (2nd season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
War Memorial Stadium
2015 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 25 Florida x   7 – 1     10 – 4  
No. 22 Tennessee   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Georgia   5 – 3     10 – 3  
Vanderbilt   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Kentucky   2 – 6     5 – 7  
Missouri*   1 – 7     5 – 7  
South Carolina   1 – 7     3 – 9  
West Division
No. 1 Alabama x$#^   7 – 1     14 – 1  
No. 10 Ole Miss   6 – 2     10 – 3  
Arkansas   5 – 3     8 – 5  
No. 16 LSU *   5 – 3     9 – 3  
Texas A&M   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Mississippi State   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Auburn   2 – 6     7 – 6  
Championship: Alabama 29, Florida 15
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * LSU and Missouri vacated all wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks played their home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. They competed as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas was led by third-year head coach Bret Bielema. Dan Enos served his first season as offensive coordinator, replacing Jim Chaney who left for a job with Pittsburgh. Enos was previously the head coach of Central Michigan.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Name Position Seasons at
Arkansas		 Alma mater
Bret Bielema Head coach 3 Iowa (1992)
Dan Enos Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 1 Michigan State (1991)
Sam Pittman Associate head coach/offensive line/recruiting coordinator 3 Pittsburg State (1986)
Barry Lunney Jr. Tight ends 3 Arkansas (1996)
Michael Smith Wide receivers 3 Kansas State (1991)
Jemal Singleton Running backs 1 Air Force (1999)
Robb Smith Defensive coordinator/secondary 2 Allegheny College (1997)
Vernon Hargreaves Linebackers 1 Connecticut (1986)
Clay Jennings Secondary 2 North Texas (1996)
Rory Segrest Defensive line/specialists 2 Alabama (1996)
Ernest E.K. Franks Director of recruiting 3 Kansas State (2002)
Reference:

Background

In the second season under head coach Bret Bielema, the Razorbacks went to a bowl game and had a winning record for the first time since 2011, which was the last season of former head coach Bobby Petrino.

Arkansas won three of its last four games, including becoming the first team in NCAA Division I history to shut out consecutive ranked opponents (LSU, Ole Miss) as an unranked team.

They ended the year by routing rival Texas in the 2014 Texas Bowl, 31–7.

Recap

Arkansas lost leading returning rusher Jonathan Williams before the season to a foot injury, tempering expectations slightly, but the #18 ranked Razorbacks cruised to a 48-13 victory over UTEP in the season opener.

The next three weeks, however, were full of disappointment. First, the Razorbacks lost to Toledo, a 23-point underdog, in Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium, 16-12, and then turned around and lost to Texas Tech in Fayetteville, 35-24. A week later, Texas A&M defeated the Razorbacks in overtime for the second consecutive year, 28-21, to begin SEC play.

Bielema got his first SEC road win to begin October, defeating the Tennessee Volunteers 24-20 in Neyland Stadium. After dropping one on the road to eventual SEC champion Alabama on October 10, the Razorbacks would not lose again until November 21.

That included a four-overtime win at home over Auburn, a wild overtime victory over then #19 Ole Miss on the road which saw the Razorbacks convert a 4th-and-25 in overtime via a lateral from tight end Hunter Henry, and a 31-14 dismantling of then #9 LSU.

Despite losing a shootout to Mississippi State in Fayetteville, Arkansas bounced back with a 28-3 victory in the regular season finale over Missouri in Gary Pinkel's final game coaching the Tigers.

Arkansas accepted an invitation to the Liberty Bowl to play Kansas State on Jan. 2. Thanks to three touchdowns and 185 yards from running back Alex Collins, the Razorbacks defeated the Wildcats, 45-23. It was the first time Arkansas had won back-to-back bowl games in consecutive seasons in program history, and the 45 points was the most ever in a bowl game. The Razorbacks have won each of their last three bowl games, counting back to the 2012 Cotton Bowl.

The seven regular season wins, including five in SEC play, were the most for Arkansas since Bobby Petrino's final season in 2011. That season also ended with a bowl game victory against Kansas State.

Tight end Hunter Henry and offensive guard Sebastian Tretola were named first team All-SEC. Henry was also a consensus first team All-American, and won the John Mackey Award given to the nation's best tight end. Tretola was named an All-American as well. Quarterback Brandon Allen, Collins, and offensive tackle Dan Skipper were named second team All-SEC. Freshman linebacker Dre Greenlaw was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, as well as the Freshman All-American Team.

Collins was named the Liberty Bowl MVP. Collins would finish the season with 1,577 yards rushing, good enough for third place in the Arkansas all-time single season record book. Collins' 20 rushing touchdowns in 2015 ranks first for the Hogs program. Collins elected to leave early for the NFL draft, finishing his college career with 3,703 yards, which is second in school history behind only Darren McFadden, and 36 rushing touchdowns. He also became only the third player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, joining McFadden (2005-2007) and Ben Cowins (1976-1978), as well as joining McFadden and Herschel Walker as the only running backs in SEC history to have 1,000 yard seasons in their first three years playing college football.

Schedule

Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance
September 5 2:30 p.m. UTEP* No. 18
ESPNU W 48–13 67,708
September 12 3:00 p.m. Toledo* No. 18
SECN L 12–16 49,591
September 19 6:00 p.m. Texas Tech*
  • Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
  • Fayetteville, AR (rivalry)
 ESPN2 L 24–35 73,334
September 26 6:00 p.m. vs. No. 14 Texas A&M
ESPN L 21–28 OT 67,339
October 3 6:00 p.m. at Tennessee
ESPN2 W 24–20 101,265
October 10 6:00 p.m. at No. 8 Alabama
ESPN L 14–27 101,821
October 24 11:00 a.m. Auburn
  • Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
  • Fayetteville, AR
 SECN W 54–46 4OT 72,008
October 31 3:00 p.m. Tennessee–Martin*dagger
  • Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
  • Fayetteville, AR
 SECN W 63–28 64,206
November 7 2:30 p.m. at No. 18 Ole Miss
CBS W 53–52 OT 60,680
November 14 6:15 p.m. at No. 9 LSU
ESPN W 31–14 101,699
November 21 6:00 p.m. Mississippi State
  • Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
  • Fayetteville, AR
 ESPN L 50–51 71,936
November 27 1:30 p.m. Missouri
CBS W 28–3 65,228
January 2 2:20 p.m. vs. Kansas State*
ESPN W 45–23 61,136
Schedule Source:

Game summaries

UTEP

See also: 2015 UTEP Miners football team
UTEP Miners at #18 Arkansas Razorbacks
Period 1 2 3 4 Total
Miners 0 10 3 0 13
#18 Razorbacks 14 14 17 3 48

at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR

  • Date: September 5, 2015
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 67,708
  • TV: ESPNU
  • Source
Game information

Toledo

See also: 2015 Toledo Rockets football team
Toledo Rockets at #18 Arkansas Razorbacks
Period 1 2 3 4 Total
Rockets 6 3 7 0 16
#18 Razorbacks 0 7 0 5 12

at War Memorial Stadium • Little Rock, AR

  • Date: September 12, 2015
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 49,591
  • TV: SEC Network
  • Source
Game information

Texas Tech

See also: 2015 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Arkansas Razorbacks
Period 1 2 3 4 Total
Red Raiders 14 7 7 7 35
Razorbacks 7 14 3 0 24

at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR

  • Date: September 19, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 73,334
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Source
Game information

Vs. No. 14 Texas A&M

See also: 2015 Texas A&M Aggies football team and Arkansas–Texas A&M football rivalry
#14 Texas A&M Aggies vs Arkansas Razorbacks
Period 1 2 3 4 OT Total
#14 Aggies 0 10 3 8 7 28
Razorbacks 7 0 7 7 0 21

at AT&T Stadium • Arlington, TX

  • Date: September 26, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 67,339
  • TV: ESPN
  • Source
Game information

At Tennessee

See also: 2015 Tennessee Volunteers football team
Arkansas Razorbacks at Tennessee Volunteers
Period 1 2 3 4 Total
Razorbacks 7 10 7 0 24
Volunteers 14 3 3 0 20

at Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN

  • Date: October 3, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 101,265
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Source
Game information

At No. 8 Alabama

See also: 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
Arkansas Razorbacks at #8 Alabama Crimson Tide
Period 1 2 3 4 Total
Razorbacks 0 7 0 7 14
#8 Crimson Tide 3 0 7 17 27

at Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL

  • Date: October 10, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 101,821
  • TV: ESPN
  • Source
Game information

Auburn

See also: 2015 Auburn Tigers football team
Auburn Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks
Period 1 2 3 4 OT 2OT 3OT 4OT Total
Tigers 0 7 7 10 7 7 8 0 46
Razorbacks 7 7 7 3 7 7 8 8 54

at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR

  • Date: October 24, 2015
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 72,008
  • TV: ESPNU
  • Source
Game information

UT Martin

See also: 2015 UT Martin Skyhawks football team
UT Martin Skyhawks at Arkansas Razorbacks
Period 1 2 3 4 Total
Skyhawks 0 14 7 7 28
Razorbacks 7 28 21 7 63

at War Memorial Stadium • Little Rock, AR

  • Date: October 31
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
  • Game attendance: 64,206
  • TV: SEC Network
  • Source
Game information

At No. 19 Ole Miss

See also: 2015 Ole Miss Rebels football team
Arkansas Razorbacks at #19 Ole Miss Rebels
Period 1 2 3 4 OT Total
Razorbacks 7 10 14 14 8 53
#19 Rebels 7 10 14 14 7 52

at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS

  • Date: November 7, 2015
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. CT
  • Game weather: light rain • Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 60,680
  • Referee: Tom Ritter
  • TV announcers (CBS): Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (color), Jenny Dell (sideline)
  • Source
Game information

Rankings

Further information: 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final
AP 18 18 RV — — — — — — — — RV RV RV RV RV
Coaches 20 18 RV — — — — — — — RV RV RV — — RV
CFP Not released — — — — — — Not released