MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For most of the week leading up to the 2022 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, fans of both Arkansas and Kansas found themselves on the short end of an unprecedented water crisis in the City of Memphis, on the forefront of most of their minds entering Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Wednesday.
Several spectators were forced to change their reservations days - if not hours - in advance of arriving at their hotels due to lack of water pressure throughout the city.
“We were driving down the interstate trying to make new reservations,” said Allen Duggar, a Kansas fan who drove into town with his family, “We were driving up on Monday, about 100 miles or so out of Memphis and we get a text saying that our hotel reservation had been canceled.”
Leaving the game, nearly four and a half hours after kickoff, those same fans might be left with the searing memories of the on-field fireworks that had just occurred between the Jayhawks and Razorbacks.
The Arkansas Razorbacks narrowly prevented Kansas's comeback bid, requiring three overtime periods to win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl 55-53 - one of the highest-scoring FBS bowl games in NCAA history.
Wednesday's matchup was the first meeting between the two teams since 1906, and was Kansas's first bowl game appearance in nearly 15 years.
The Razorbacks looked poised to spoil this game for the Jayhawks and their fans, jumping to a 38-13 lead as late as the third quarter, and leading by 38-23 with three and a half minutes left in the game.
Kansas came roaring back however, tying the game in the final minute following a controversial fumble call, and forcing the game into overtime 38-38.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the first and second overtimes, and converted their two-point conversion attempts in the second, Kansas's coming off a second chance after Arkansas cornerback Quincey McAdoo was ejected for targeting Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels.
In the third overtime, requiring teams to convert two-point conversion attempts, the Razorbacks converted their try and held Kansas short on their attempt, prevailing 55-53.
With 108 combined points, it was the highest-scoring game in AutoZone Liberty Bowl history and one of the highest-scoring bowl games of all time.
