Thursday, December 31
Houston, Texas
7 p.m.
TCU
vs
Arkansas
Mercari Texas Bowl Preview: Arkansas
12/23/2020 3:55:00 PM | Football
Horned Frogs and Razorbacks to meet Dec. 31 in Houston
GAME 11: Arkansas
DATE: Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium)
SERIES RECORD: Arkansas leads, 43-25-2
LAST MEETING: TCU won, 28-7 (2017)
TV: ESPN (Jason Benetti, Andre Ware, Dawn Davenport)
RADIO: WBAP 820 AM, KTCU 88.7 FM (Brian Estridge, John Denton, Landry Burdine)
SPANISH RADIO: KFZO 99.1 FM (Miguel Cruz, Elvis Gallegos)
ABOUT THE GAME
• TCU will make its 17th bowl appearance in 20 seasons under head coach Gary Patterson when it faces longtime Southwest Conference rival Arkansas in the Mercari Texas Bowl on Dec. 31 in Houston.
• The Horned Frogs have won three straight games and five of their last six. TCU's three-game winning streak is tied for 14th-longest in the nation.
• With six home games, road contests at Texas and Baylor and the Texas Bowl in Houston, nine of the Horned Frogs' 11 games in 2020 are in state.
• TCU is 2-0 all-time at NRG Stadium, having defeated Iowa State 27-24 in the 2005 Houston Bowl and Houston 20-13 in the 2007 Texas Bowl. Freshman quarterback Andy Dalton led the Horned Frogs to their 2007 Texas Bowl win over Houston.
• TCU's 52-26 record (.667) in road and neutral-site games since 2009 is tied for sixth best in the nation.
• TCU is 3-3 versus SEC opponents under Patterson. Most recently, the Horned Frogs won 28-7 at Arkansas in 2017. Patterson is 1-1 versus the SEC in bowl games, defeating Ole Miss 42-3 in the 2014 Peach Bowl before dropping a 31-23 decision to Georgia in the 2016 Liberty Bowl.
BOWL HISTORY
• TCU is one of just 19 programs nationally to reach a bowl game in at least 17 of the last 20 seasons, all under head coach Gary Patterson.
• TCU is making its second Texas Bowl appearance and 35th bowl trip in its history.
• TCU is 17-16-1 in bowl games.
• The Horned Frogs are 13-6 in bowls with Patterson on its coaching staff and 11-6 with him as head coach.
• TCU's 11 bowl wins since 2000, all under Patterson, are tied for fourth nationally. 4TCU has won 10 of its last 13 bowl games.
• Ten of TCU's last 11 bowl games and 12 of the past 14 have been decided by eight points or less.
• Prior to Patterson's arrival on campus in 1998, TCU had just four bowl wins in its history.
• Patterson was named the Horned Frogs' head coach prior to the 2000 Mobile Alabama Bowl against Southern Miss.
• TCU also went to a bowl game all three years (1998-00) Patterson was defensive coordinator
SERIES HISTORY
• Arkansas holds a 43-25-2 series edge over TCU.
• The Horned Frogs won their last meeting with the Razorbacks, 28-7, in Fayetteville in 2017. It closed a home-and-home series with Arkansas who won 41-38 in double overtime in Fort Worth in 2016. Prior to those two meetings, the Horned Frogs and Razorbacks had not met since 1991 when Arkansas won 22-21 in Fort Worth in its last season in the Southwest Conference.
• The Texas Bowl marks the first neutral-site meeting between TCU and Arkansas. The Horned Frogs are 15-22-1 versus Arkansas in Fort Worth and 10-21-1 on the road against the Razorbacks, including a 2-3 mark in Little Rock.
• One of TCU's more memorable games versus Arkansas was a 32-31 win in Fayetteville in 1984, when current defensive line coach Dan Sharp caught a 34-yard touchdown pass
FAMILIAR FACE
• Arkansas cornerbacks coach Sam Carter was a four-year letterman (2011-14) and three-time All-Big 12 safety for the Horned Frogs.
• Carter was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior in 2014, when he helped lead the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record and No. 3 final ranking.
• Carter's 13 interceptions over his final three seasons led all Big 12 players.
• Carter came to TCU as a quarterback and was a backup to Andy Dalton on the Horned Frogs' 2011 Rose Bowl championship team.
TCU NOTABLES
• Over the last seven seasons, TCU is tied for the Big 12's second-best conference record (38-25) and has the third-best overall mark (58-30).
• TCU is one of just seven programs nationally to finish in the top 10 of the final polls at least three times (2014, 2015, 2017) in the last six seasons. The others are Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Penn State.
• TCU head coach Gary Patterson recently released two music singles in which he wrote and provided lead vocals on, "Take A Step Back" and "Game On."
• The Horned Frogs have just eight scholarship seniors on this year's team.
• TCU leads the Big 12 in rushing at 214.7 yards per game. The Horned Frogs are 6-0 this season and 101-8 under Patterson when running for at least 200 yards. TCU averages 275.0 yards per game rushing in its six wins this season and 124.3 in the four losses.
• TCU has 22 sacks in the last six games after totaling five in the opening four contests.
• TCU safety Trevon Moehrig is a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, while cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is a Pro Football Focus First-Team All-American.
DATE: Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020
TIME: 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium)
SERIES RECORD: Arkansas leads, 43-25-2
LAST MEETING: TCU won, 28-7 (2017)
TV: ESPN (Jason Benetti, Andre Ware, Dawn Davenport)
RADIO: WBAP 820 AM, KTCU 88.7 FM (Brian Estridge, John Denton, Landry Burdine)
SPANISH RADIO: KFZO 99.1 FM (Miguel Cruz, Elvis Gallegos)
ABOUT THE GAME
• TCU will make its 17th bowl appearance in 20 seasons under head coach Gary Patterson when it faces longtime Southwest Conference rival Arkansas in the Mercari Texas Bowl on Dec. 31 in Houston.
• The Horned Frogs have won three straight games and five of their last six. TCU's three-game winning streak is tied for 14th-longest in the nation.
• With six home games, road contests at Texas and Baylor and the Texas Bowl in Houston, nine of the Horned Frogs' 11 games in 2020 are in state.
• TCU is 2-0 all-time at NRG Stadium, having defeated Iowa State 27-24 in the 2005 Houston Bowl and Houston 20-13 in the 2007 Texas Bowl. Freshman quarterback Andy Dalton led the Horned Frogs to their 2007 Texas Bowl win over Houston.
• TCU's 52-26 record (.667) in road and neutral-site games since 2009 is tied for sixth best in the nation.
• TCU is 3-3 versus SEC opponents under Patterson. Most recently, the Horned Frogs won 28-7 at Arkansas in 2017. Patterson is 1-1 versus the SEC in bowl games, defeating Ole Miss 42-3 in the 2014 Peach Bowl before dropping a 31-23 decision to Georgia in the 2016 Liberty Bowl.
BOWL HISTORY
• TCU is one of just 19 programs nationally to reach a bowl game in at least 17 of the last 20 seasons, all under head coach Gary Patterson.
• TCU is making its second Texas Bowl appearance and 35th bowl trip in its history.
• TCU is 17-16-1 in bowl games.
• The Horned Frogs are 13-6 in bowls with Patterson on its coaching staff and 11-6 with him as head coach.
• TCU's 11 bowl wins since 2000, all under Patterson, are tied for fourth nationally. 4TCU has won 10 of its last 13 bowl games.
• Ten of TCU's last 11 bowl games and 12 of the past 14 have been decided by eight points or less.
• Prior to Patterson's arrival on campus in 1998, TCU had just four bowl wins in its history.
• Patterson was named the Horned Frogs' head coach prior to the 2000 Mobile Alabama Bowl against Southern Miss.
• TCU also went to a bowl game all three years (1998-00) Patterson was defensive coordinator
SERIES HISTORY
• Arkansas holds a 43-25-2 series edge over TCU.
• The Horned Frogs won their last meeting with the Razorbacks, 28-7, in Fayetteville in 2017. It closed a home-and-home series with Arkansas who won 41-38 in double overtime in Fort Worth in 2016. Prior to those two meetings, the Horned Frogs and Razorbacks had not met since 1991 when Arkansas won 22-21 in Fort Worth in its last season in the Southwest Conference.
• The Texas Bowl marks the first neutral-site meeting between TCU and Arkansas. The Horned Frogs are 15-22-1 versus Arkansas in Fort Worth and 10-21-1 on the road against the Razorbacks, including a 2-3 mark in Little Rock.
• One of TCU's more memorable games versus Arkansas was a 32-31 win in Fayetteville in 1984, when current defensive line coach Dan Sharp caught a 34-yard touchdown pass
FAMILIAR FACE
• Arkansas cornerbacks coach Sam Carter was a four-year letterman (2011-14) and three-time All-Big 12 safety for the Horned Frogs.
• Carter was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior in 2014, when he helped lead the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record and No. 3 final ranking.
• Carter's 13 interceptions over his final three seasons led all Big 12 players.
• Carter came to TCU as a quarterback and was a backup to Andy Dalton on the Horned Frogs' 2011 Rose Bowl championship team.
TCU NOTABLES
• Over the last seven seasons, TCU is tied for the Big 12's second-best conference record (38-25) and has the third-best overall mark (58-30).
• TCU is one of just seven programs nationally to finish in the top 10 of the final polls at least three times (2014, 2015, 2017) in the last six seasons. The others are Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Penn State.
• TCU head coach Gary Patterson recently released two music singles in which he wrote and provided lead vocals on, "Take A Step Back" and "Game On."
• The Horned Frogs have just eight scholarship seniors on this year's team.
• TCU leads the Big 12 in rushing at 214.7 yards per game. The Horned Frogs are 6-0 this season and 101-8 under Patterson when running for at least 200 yards. TCU averages 275.0 yards per game rushing in its six wins this season and 124.3 in the four losses.
• TCU has 22 sacks in the last six games after totaling five in the opening four contests.
• TCU safety Trevon Moehrig is a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, while cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is a Pro Football Focus First-Team All-American.
Players Mentioned
CB
/ Football
S
/ FootballTCU Football | Sonny Dykes and Players Weekly Press Conference (vs. Baylor)
Tuesday, October 14
TCU Football | Sonny Dykes and Players Weekly Press Conference (vs. Baylor)
Tuesday, October 14
TCU Football | Postgame Press Conference at Kansas State
Sunday, October 12
TCU Football | Sonny Dykes and Players Post-game Press Conference (at Kansas State)
Saturday, October 11
