Razorbacks draw Penn State in Outback Bowl

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman reacts after defensive back Montaric Brown recovered a fumble on Saturday, November 20, 2021 during the third quarter of a football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will play Penn State in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.

It will be the first matchup between the Razorbacks and Nittany Lions, and Arkansas’ first time to play in the bowl game located in Tampa, Fla. The Outback Bowl will kick off at 11 a.m. Central at Raymond James Stadium and will be televised by ESPN2. 

Penn State was 7-5 overall and 4-5 in Big Ten games during the regular season. The Nittany Lions are coached by James Franklin, a former Vanderbilt coach who lost to Arkansas in 2011. 

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Penn State began the season with five consecutive wins and climbed to No. 4 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll before a close loss at Iowa on Oct. 9. That began a three-game losing streak for the Nittany Lions that also included a home loss to Illinois in nine overtimes and at Ohio State. 

The Nittany Lions split their final four games with wins over Maryland and Rutgers, and losses to Michigan and Michigan State. 

Arkansas (8-4) will play in a Florida bowl game for the first time since a 17-14 loss to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl to close the 2006 season.

It will be the eighth time the Razorbacks have played in a Florida bowl. Arkansas has previously played in Miami three times, and has played in Orlando and Jacksonville two times apiece. 

The Razorbacks have not played a Big Ten opponent since a 31-26 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl at the end of the 2010 season. Arkansas is winless in four previous bowl games against Big Ten opponents. 

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Penn State is 3-1 in previous Outback Bowl appearances and is playing in the game for the first time since a 37-24 loss to Florida 11 years ago. 

The Outback Bowl launched as the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1986. Outback Steakhouse purchased naming rights to the bowl beginning with the 1995 season and it has featured a matchup of SEC and Big Ten teams each year since. 

Raymond James Stadium is the 65,890-seat home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was the site of the Super Bowl earlier this year.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated how many times James Franklin had lost to Arkansas as a head coach. It has been corrected.