Arkansas withstands furious Kansas rally, wins Liberty Bowl

Associated PressDec 29, 2022, 12:00 AM EST

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

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. In the third extra period, a failed 2-point conversion pass from Jason Bean to Lawrence Arnold ended a four-and-a-half hour 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 Kansas 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. 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).

Arkansas was dominating despite playing with a roster thinned out opt-outs and transfer portal departures. The Razorbacks dressed only 51 scholarship players.

After leading 31-13 at halftime, Arkansas pushed its advantage to 38-13 midway through the third quarter on a 2-yard run by Dubinion. The TD ended an 80-yard drive.

The 25-point deficit ignited the Jayhawks.

THE TAKEAWAY

During a span of eight seconds in the first quarter, Arkansas scored twice to erase a 7-3 deficit and take a 17-7 lead. An Arkansas interception about two minutes later near the Razorbacks’ 10-yard line ignited a 73-yard scoring drive that ended on a short touchdown run by Jefferson for a 24-7 lead. Arkansas led 38-13 late in the third before Kansas rallied.

UP NEXT

Arkansas: Begins its fourth season under Pittman against Western Carolina on Sept. 2.

Kansas: Opens Lance Leipold‘s third season, also on Sept. 2, at home against the Missouri State.

Kansas coach Lance Leipold signs lucrative contract extension

Associated PressNov 29, 2022, 10:39 PM EST

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Lance Leipold has signed his lucrative contract extension at Kansas, which includes a massive pay raise for the Jayhawks’ football coach along with his assistants and staff, and could keep him tied to the school through the 2029 season.

Under terms of the contract, which was agreed to last week and made public Tuesday, Leipold will make $5 million in the first year of the deal with annual $100,000 increases. Leipold also gets a $750,000 signing bonus while his buyout rises to $12.5 million before gradually decreasing over time.

His original contract was a $16.5 million, six-year pact that paid him $2.2 million last year with $200,000 increases each season. Leipold had a year added to the deal Sept. 1 before leading the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and spot in the Top 25; the Jayhawks dealt with injuries down the stretch and finished 6-6 for their first bowl appearance since 2008.

“When we hired Lance Leipold 19 months ago, we were confident we had found the ideal fit for KU and that has been reinforced every single day since his arrival,” Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said. “In short order, Lance and his family have engrained themselves in the Lawrence community and have made an impact that extends far beyond the football program, to the broader university and Lawrence communities.

“This new contract, along with the upcoming investment in our facilities, are a direct reflection of our profound commitment to building a first-class football program – one that will be a point of pride for all Jayhawks for years to come.”

The contract includes numerous incentives: $500,000 for playing for a national championship, $350,000 for appearing in the College Football Playoff semifinal, $250,000 for the quarterfinals and $200,000 for the first round. Leipold would make $150,000 for playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game, $100,000 for any other bowl game and $150,000 for playing for the Big 12 championship. He also could earn $50,000 simply for reaching seven regular-season wins.

Other benefits include $100,000 for being national coach of the year, $50,000 for Big 12 coach of the year and $75,000 for academic benchmarks. Leipold also gets the use of two cars, $125,000 in private air travel, tickets to football and basketball games and memberships at the Jayhawk Club and Lawrence Country Club.

The contract also takes care of Leipold’s staff, allocating a pool of $5 million for assistant coaches and the strength coach with an additional $100,000 available each year, and $2.5 million for the rest of the football staff with the same increases.

“My wife Kelly and I couldn’t be more excited to know we are going to be staying in Lawrence for a very long time,” said Leipold, whose name had surfaced in connection to open jobs at Wisconsin and Nebraska that have since been filled.

“We have said from the start how happy we are here, and that we plan on being here for a very long time,” Leipold said. “Since the moment we arrived, we have been welcomed and accepted by the Lawrence and KU communities, and we are very grateful. We are very proud of the progress the program has made over the last 18 months and even more excited about what the future holds as we continue to build a program that will make Jayhawk fans everywhere proud.”

Report: Kansas gives Lance Leipold 2-year extension

Associated PressNov 23, 2022, 1:55 PM EST

Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas and Lance Leipold have agreed to their second contract extension in less than three months, this time adding two years to his deal and keeping him tied to the Jayhawks through the 2029 season, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school had not announced the extension.

Leipold had a year added to his original contract on Sept. 1 as a reward for a two-win first season that raised hopes around Lawrence that the football program might return to relevance. But after a 5-0 start had the Jayhawks ranked in the AP Top 25, and a sixth win made them bowl-eligible, the school aggressively moved to lock up Leipold well into the future – especially with Nebraska and Wisconsin, where he has deep connections, in the market for coaches.

Leipold’s original contract was a $16.5 million, six-year pact that paid him $2.2 million in its initial season with $200,000 increases each year. He also would earn $50,000 for finishing in the Top 25, earning Big 12 coach of the year or winning seven regular-season games, a threshold he can clear with a win over rival Kansas State.

He’s already earned a $100,000 bonus for qualifying for a bowl and can earn another $75,000 for academic benchmarks.

Leipold was hired early last year, shortly after the Jayhawks parted with Les Miles amid sexual harassment allegations from his time at LSU. The scandal led to the ouster of Jeff Long, his longtime friend and the athletic director who hired him.

Kansas eventually gave the AD job to Travis Goff, and his first major move was to pluck Leipold – who won six Division III titles at Wisconsin-Whitewater – from Buffalo, which he had taken to three straight bowl games.

Leipold was a popular pick among Jayhawks fans because of his Midwest pedigree, small-town roots and success in building programs, and his old-school demeanor on the field fit seamlessly with the values of the school.

Despite having no offseason or time to put together a full recruiting class, Leipold managed to lead the Jayhawks to an upset of Texas late last season, and then carried the momentum right into this year. They ripped off five consecutive wins before losing quarterback Jalon Daniels to a shoulder injury, then toppled Oklahoma State with backup Jason Bean under center to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since the 2008 season.

Kansas will try to snap a 13-game losing streak to Kansas State in their regular-season finale.

The extension for Leipold is the latest investment in football for a school primarily known for its national champion men’s basketball program. Kansas officials announced plans last month for a long-awaited renovation to Memorial Stadium, part of a project that could exceed $300 million and include new conference, entertainment and retail spaces.