James Franklin didn’t have a whole lot of time to follow potential bowl destinations for the Penn State football team, so he couldn’t say that he was surprised that the Nittany Lions received an invitation Sunday to the Outback Bowl against Arkansas.
Franklin, the Penn State coach, has been on the road recruiting with the early signing day approaching and has been searching for a new defensive coordinator after longtime assistant Brent Pry left to become head coach at Virginia Tech.
“I’ve been spending my time on recruiting, bowl practices, hiring a defensive coordinator and spending time with my family,” Franklin said Sunday night. “I try to spend as little of my energy as possible on things that are out of my control.”
Penn State (7-5) will return to the Outback Bowl for the first time in 11 years and will face the No. 21 Razorbacks (8-4) at 12 p.m. on New Year’s Day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
It will be the first meeting between the Lions and Arkansas.
“I think they’re unbelievably excited,” Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said about his players. “I mean, there’s not many of them in there that’s been to a bowl. So to get to a New Year’s Day bowl, and one as prestigious as the Outback Bowl, they’ll be ready. They’ll be excited. It’ll make practice a little bit easier for them.”
The Razorbacks, making their first bowl appearance in five years, tied for third place with Texas A&M and Mississippi State in the Southeastern Conference’s West Division behind Alabama and Mississippi. They’ll be making their first appearance in a Florida bowl game since 2006.
Penn State’s last appearance in the Outback Bowl was a 37-24 loss to Florida on Jan. 1, 2011. It was the last of 37 bowl games for the late Joe Paterno, the longtime Lions coach.
This will be Penn State’s seventh bowl appearance in Franklin’s eight seasons. The Lions did not play in a bowl last year after going 4-5.
“I’ve met Coach Franklin, but I don’t know him much better than that,” Pittman said. “Just a lot of really positive things that people who have worked with him have said about him. Highly successful guy, highly intelligent guy, a great football mind.
“Certainly, Penn State’s one of the storied programs in the country.”
Pittman is 11-11 in his second season as Arkansas head coach after spending the previous four seasons at Georgia as the associate head coach and offensive line coach.
“I haven’t had a chance to study them yet,” Franklin said about the Hogs. “I have a ton of respect for that conference. I know it well. I have a ton of respect for what Sam has done in a short period of time. Sam has brought a tough, hard-nosed positive energy to Arkansas.”
Penn State has played in the Outback Bowl in 1995, 1998, 2006 and 2010, going 3-1 against Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida.
Arkansas is making its first bowl appearance in five years since losing to Virginia Tech 35-24 in the Belk Bowl.
Arkansas opened the season with consecutive wins over Rice, Texas, Georgia Southern and Texas A&M before dropping three straight to Georgia, Mississippi and Auburn. The Razorbacks finished the regular season with four wins in their last five games, beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Mississippi State, LSU and Missouri and falling to Alabama.
Dual-threat quarterback K.J. Jefferson has completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,578 yards and 21 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 554 yards and five touchdowns.
Treylon Burks is the fourth-leading receiver in the SEC with 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. Trelon Smith, who has run for 592 yards and five scores, is among four backs with at least 43 carries.
The Hogs rank 30th nationally in total offense, 13th in rushing, 73rd in passing and 44th in scoring (31.5). On the other side of the ball, they’re 58th in total defense, 73rd in rushing defense, 44th in passing defense and 24th in points allowed (24.0).
Rich Scarcella rscarcella@readingeagle.com
