TAT: 2014 Football Schedule Finalized

This article originally appeared on November 26, 2013 on The Arkansas Traveler website, uatrav.com.

Next year’s Arkansas football schedule was finalized Tuesday when the UA Athletic Department and War Memorial Stadium officials announced that only one home game would be played in Little Rock from 2014 to 2018.

Here are some notes on next year’s schedule…

• The Razorbacks open the season Aug. 30 at Auburn. It will be the first time Arkansas has opened the season against a conference opponent since the 1980 season opener at Texas, when both were members of the Southwest Conference. They have never opened a season against a Southeastern Confetence opponent since joining the conference in 1992.
• Arkansas’ next three games are against nonconference opponents. They play Nicholls State (Sept. 6) and Northern Illinois (Sept. 20) in Fayetteville, sandwiched around a road game against Texas Tech (Sept. 13).
• Nicholls State, an FCS school (formerly DI-AA), has never played Arkansas or any SEC school. In the past 11 seasons, they have played five teams in BCS conferences, losing all five by a combined score of 261-61. The Colonels finished the 2013 season with a 4-8 record.
• The Razorbacks haven’t played Texas Tech since 1991, their last season in the Southwest Conference. Arkansas has dominated the all-time series, with a record of 28-7. The Red Raiders started this season 7-0, but have lost their last four games by an average of 19.5 points per game.
• Northern Illinois has won back-to-back MAC Championships and has won at least 11 games every year since 2010. Last year, they lost to Florida State 31-10 in the Orange Bowl. This season, they are 11-0, ranked No. 14 in the BCS standings and have already clinched a spot in the MAC championship game.
• The Texas A&M game returns to Arlington, Texas, Sept. 27. The Razorbacks and Aggies played three games at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, from 2009 to 2011, before playing home-and-home the last two seasons after Texas A&M joined the SEC. Arkansas was 3-0 in the games at AT&T Stadium, winning by a combined score of 113-74.
• Oct. 4 will be the Razorbacks’ first open date of the 2014 season.
• Arkansas’ first home conference game is against Alabama (Oct. 11). The Crimson Tide have won the last two BCS National Championship and are 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings this season. The Razorbacks have lost their last two games against Alabama by a combined score of 104-0.
• The only game played at War Memorial Stadium in 2014 will be Oct. 18 against Georgia. The Bulldogs will be the 10th SEC team Arkansas has played in Little Rock since joining the conference in 1992.
• The Razorbacks return to Fayetteville Oct. 25 to play their final nonconference game of the season against UAB. The Blazers are coached by former Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee. McGee was the quarterbacks coach at Arkansas from 2008-2011 and offensive coordinator in 2010 and 2011. Last season, UAB went 3-9, while the Blazers are 2-9 with one game remaining this season.
• Arkansas travels to Mississippi State Nov. 1. The Bulldogs beat the Razorbacks 24-17 in overtime Saturday, for Arkansas’ first ever home loss to Mississippi State.
• The second open date of the 2014 season is Nov. 8.
• For the first time since joining the SEC, Arkansas’ final regular season opponent will not be LSU. Instead, Arkansas plays the Tigers Nov. 15. The teams will still play for the Golden Boot. The game will be played at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
• Ole Miss will play the Razorbacks in Fayetteville Nov. 22. The last time the Rebels played in Fayetteville was in 2010, when Arkansas defeated them 38-24.
• Arkansas wraps up its regular season by traveling to Columbia, Mo., to play Missouri Nov. 29. The Tigers are Arkansas’ new permanent cross-division rival, replacing South Carolina, as well as its new Thanksgiving weekend opponent, replacing LSU. Arkansas is 2-3 all-time against Missouri, including a 38-7 loss in the 2008 Cotton Bowl following the 2007 season.