Liberty Bowl 2016: Game Grades, Analysis for Kansas State vs. Arkansas

The Arkansas Razorbacks won their third straight bowl game Saturday, beating the Kansas State Wildcats 45-23 in the Liberty Bowl. 

Alex Collins led the way for Arkansas with 185 yards on the ground, while K-State never could find a rhythm offensively. 

With that, let's check out the game grades for both teams' positional units. 

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Arkansas Razorbacks

Rush Offense: A+

The Razorbacks totally dominated the trenches offensively, racking up 254 yards on the ground on just 42 carries. Arkansas also had five touchdowns via the ground attack, with three coming from Collins, who also had 185 yards. Kody Walker and Jared Cornelius proved the perfect complements, also scoring touchdowns. 

Pass Offense: A-

Very quietly, Brandon Allen ended an illustrious career at Arkansas by going 20-of-26 passing for 315 yards and a touchdown. His big black mark was an interception on the game's first drive, but Allen still managed the game brilliantly. The tight end duo of Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle combined for 173 yards and a touchdown receiving. 

Rush Defense: A

The mammoth Arkansas defensive line limited the Wildcats, a ground-and-pound, old-school team under Bill Snyder, to just 79 yards on 22 carries. K-State couldn't get any push up front, and that allowed the Razorbacks to dictate the tempo of the game. 

Pass Defense: A-

Arkansas' secondary got gashed on one play, Winston Dimel's 48-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter; however, besides that the Razorbacks were outstanding throughout the game. They limited Kody Cook to 163 yards passing, and the secondary forced plenty of coverage sacks. 

Special Teams: B-

While special teams didn't make a huge difference in this game, they still allowed a field goal to be blocked. Arkansas also allowed Morgan Burns to have a few good kickoff returns. Nevertheless, there weren't any total breakdowns that cost Arkansas big. 

Coaching: A+

Beating Snyder is never an easy task, but his old protege, Bret Bielema, did so impressively. Arkansas took advantage of all its strengths while marginalizing K-State's game plan. Winning three straight bowl games is also a good mark for Bielema's bunch. 

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Kansas State Wildcats

Rush Offense: D

The Wildcats never got into a good tempo on the ground. On 22 carries, K-State had just 79 yards. Charles Jones, the leading rusher, carried the ball just six times, although he gained 40 yards. The Wildcats are a rushing team at heart, but their heart was hardly beating against the Razorbacks.

Pass Offense: C-

Despite the 48-yard strike from Cook to Dimel to keep K-State in the game early in the second half, the Wildcats struggled through the air as well. With Cook lining up under center, the wide receiver corps was spread too thin, and he couldn't find any reliable targets all day. 

Rush Defense: F

There was nothing gimmicky about Arkansas' rushing attack. It ran between the tackles straight through wide-open holes and gashed the K-State defense all day. The Wildcats generally pride themselves on being stout in the trenches, but Arkansas owned every bit of real estate in Memphis. 

Pass Defense: D

Whenever K-State finally could force a third down, all Allen seemed to do was find a wide-open tight end to extend drives. The Wildcats knew Arkansas had a pair of talented tight ends and about a month to prepare, yet they still couldn't stop Arkansas' biggest passing threat. 

Special Teams: A

Very seldom will K-State have a bad day in special teams. There were no missed kicks; Marquel Bryant blocked a field goal, and Burns had some nice returns. Special teams didn't make a difference, but the Wildcats were still sound in that area. 

Coaching: C

Arkansas was flat-out the more talented team, and Snyder could do little to stop the game from going the Razorbacks' way. While the Wildcats' play-calling, particularly on defense, was suspect at best, K-State was just outmatched. This may have been the last game for Snyder, but perhaps Saturday's showing will light a fire of retribution and keep him out of retirement.