Arkansas withstands furious KU rally, wins Liberty Bowl in 3OTs

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Arkansas tight end Ty Washington, left, and defensive lineman Roy Patterson celebrate their team’s three-overtime win over Kansas in the Liberty Bowl Wednesdayin Memphis, Tenn. Arkansas won 55-53. ROGELIO V. SOLIS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Phil Stukenborg

The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn.>> KJ Jefferson passed to Rashod Dubinion for a 2-point conversion in the third overtime and Arkansas held off a furious second-half rally by Kansas for a 55-53 win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Wednesday night.

The Jayhawks had rallied from 25 points down in the second half to force overtime, but a failed on a 2-point conversion pass from Jason Bean to Lawrence Arnold ended a four-and-a-half hour bowl marathon.

“We got lucky at the end, but we’re Liberty Bowl champs and I’m pretty excited,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said.

Arkansas (7-6) celebrated the win prematurely in the second overtime after stopping Kanas quarterback Jalon Daniels just shy of the goal line on a 2-point conversion try. But a targeting call on Arkansas’ Quincey McAdoo gave the Jayhawks another try and they converted.

Jefferson passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 130 yards and two more scores to lead the Razorbacks.

Arkansas and Kansas met for the first time in 116 years, and the Razorbacks used an old-school rushing attack to prevail. Arkansas gained 394 of its 681 total yards on the ground. Rashod Dubinion added 112 yards for the Razorbacks.

Kansas (6-7) played in its first bowl game since 2008, but was unable to stop a late-season streak in which they lost seven of their last eight games. Kansas quarterback Daniels passed for 544 yards and five touchdowns. He set Liberty Bowl records for passing yards, touchdown passes, completions (37) and total TDs scored (6).

HOLIDAY BOWL No. 15 Oregon 28, North Carolina 27

SAN DIEGO>> Bo Nix threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chase Cota on fourth down with 19 seconds left and Camden Lewis’ PAT bounced off the left upright and went through to give No. 15 Oregon a wild 28-27 victory against North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday night at Petco Park.

Cota caught the ball at about the 1 and got it across the goal line as he was being tackled by Don Chapman.

The play was upheld on review. Lewis then banked in the PAT.

North Carolina (9-5) got the ball to the Oregon 42 with one second left before Drake Maye’s desperation heave into the end zone fell incomplete.

The Ducks finished 10-3 thanks to Nix, who came up big late in the fourth quarter after being held in check much of the second half.

MILITARY BOWL Duke 30, UCF 13

ANNAPOLIS, Md.>> Duke rushed aside UCF with relative ease in the Military Bowl, capping an impressive turnaround this season.

Now quarterback Riley Leonard is talking about big hopes for the future.

“I’m kind of a guy that’s never really satisfied,” he said. “I look back at the season with nine wins, but I expect 12, 13, 14 going into the national championship. So my eyes will be set on next year, probably tomorrow or the next day.”

Coach Mike Elko was a little more willing to reflect on Duke’s remarkable rise in his first season at the helm.

“Couldn’t be more proud of this group,” Elko said.