photo by: Matt Tait/Journal-World Photo

Kansas football coach Lance Leipold poses with the 2022 Liberty Bowl trophy following his press conference to preview the game on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022 in downtown Memphis.

2022 Liberty Bowl

Kansas Jayhawks (6-6) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6)

Time: 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022

Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: ESPN | Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network via Learfield

Memphis, Tenn. — On the eve of officially guiding the Kansas football team onto the field for its first bowl game in 14 years, KU coach Lance Leipold was asked if he had any special pregame speeches planned for his players.

“You know me better than that, don’t you,” Leipold responded with a smile.

There’s no doubt that the second-year Kansas coach will have some important words for his team before they take the field for the 4:30 p.m. kickoff against Arkansas at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. But the goal, Leipold said, is for those words to be reminiscent of all of the other pregame speeches and scouting-report reminders that he gave this team during the Jayhawks’ 6-6 season.

After four weeks of practices, countless film sessions and enough of a deep dive on all of the things Arkansas does and does not do, Leipold believes that the players have more than enough incentive to go play well and do not need him to shout and scream or bang his head into a locker to get them fired up.

Throughout his 20 minutes with the media during Tuesday’s news conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in downtown Memphis, Leipold repeated one hope when discussing his team’s preparedness for Wednesday’s game.

“Hopefully it shows when they go out and play tomorrow,” he said on multiple occasions.

Leipold’s aversion to any rah-rah speeches comes from both his perspective of how those types of gestures are portrayed nationally and also his time as a player, which he said was “many moons ago.”

“I’ve always tried to remember what the coach said in the locker room for a pregame, fire-up speech, if I could remember it by the time I hit the field,” Leipold said. “That’s good movie stuff and some other things, but I hope by then their opportunity to play in their 13th game and in the only game on (TV), all those things should motivate young men to play well for themselves and for the program. So, I think that’ll take care of itself.”

“I just want, for both teams, let’s have a heck of a football game, play it the way it’s supposed to be played and see what happens,” Leipold said.

After his time on the podium was finished, Leipold was asked to pose for a quick photo with the Liberty Bowl trophy, which is a replica of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, where the bowl game originated. Leipold’s not exactly a huge fan of photo opps like these, but he understands their importance and his obligation to participate.

Roughly 30 minutes earlier, after his own Tuesday press conference, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman was asked to pose for the same photo. Rather than just standing behind the trophy, Pittman actually rang the bell.

“I’d rather ring it after we win it,” Leipold said.

Who wants it more?

Both coaches on Tuesday shot down the notion that Kansas might want to win Wednesday’s game more because of KU’s long bowl drought and the fact that Arkansas is a regular participant in bowl games.

“I’ve heard the same thing,” Leipold said of the chatter around the bowl build-up. “I know our guys want to be here and I know our guys want an opportunity to play, especially our upperclassmen and the guys who have been through a lot.”

Leipold then briefly marveled at what some of KU’s veterans have endured, having played for three head coaches and five to eight position coaches during their time with the program.

“Crazy stuff that no young man ever thought he signed up for when he went to college,” Leipold explained. “I know they’re going to be excited to play but at the same time I wouldn’t underestimate coach Pittman’s use of motivation and I know they’ll be more than ready to play, as well. I just want to make sure we play with great enthusiasm and finish this year out right.”

Added Pittman, when asked the same question: “Kansas is going to be ready because coach Leipold’s a freaking great football coach. They’re excited, they’re going to be ready; but, hell, two teams can be excited and I know we are. I can promise you we’ll be ready to play.”

Playing for Jayhawk Nation

Leipold said Tuesday that he was thrilled to see “what it means to the loyal Kansas fans,” and even happier to see several former KU players show up for the team’s final walk-through on Tuesday morning.

And while the goal is always to win, Leipold said just getting here and allowing this team and these players to experience what it’s like to prepare to play in a bowl game would be huge for the future of the program.

The extra bowl practices create opportunity for growth and development. The 14 years KU went without those sessions contributed to KU falling farther behind the rest of the Big 12. And Leipold, along with his staff and many Kansas players, believes that playing in the Liberty Bowl was the first step toward rebuilding that part of KU’s culture.

“Those are things we’re still working through and we’re just starting to lay that foundation,” he said. “That’s what we were proud of at the last job (Buffalo); we had that in a good spot. And hopefully this is just the beginning of those things for this program and we can benefit from it.”

Pittman likes Lance

As he did several weeks ago when the bowl matchups were announced, Pittman spent a decent chunk of time praising Leipold and the turnaround he has engineered at Kansas.

Pittman, who coached at KU for one season under Terry Allen in 2001, knows all too well the challenges the program has faced throughout the years.

“Going out and doing what he has done at Kansas, that takes a ball coach,” Pittman said. “They’re very fortunate to have him.”

Coordinator talk

After the regular season ended, Pittman lost defensive coordinator Barry Odom to a head coaching job at UNLV, and that has forced the Razorbacks to adjust to a new way of doing things on defense.

“Mike Scherer is a capable football coach,” Pittman said of his linebackers coach. “He’s going to call the game, and we’ve got enough players to go out and win the game. And I think the guys have been very excited about some of the new things that Mike and the defensive staff have brought, some different looks to hopefully try to confuse Kansas a little bit.”

On the flip side of that, Pittman has developed an appreciation for the work of KU offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has overseen one of the best offenses in college football this season.

“Kansas has done some really neat things, offensively,” Pittman said Tuesday. “Defensively, as well. But, offensively, they’ve got a few plays that we may try to steal.”

Pittman pointed specifically to KU’s option rushes on the back side of their zone reads and stretch plays.

“That’s a really cool concept,” Pittman added.

Liberty Bowl officials say stadium is ready

Below-freezing temperatures and broken water lines throughout Memphis have wreaked havoc on the city’s infrastructure this week.

But the issues will not have a negative impact on Wednesday’s Liberty Bowl, scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff between Kansas (6-6) and Arkansas (6-6) at Simmons Liberty Bowl Stadium.

“There have been significant weather challenges throughout the country, including here in Memphis,” Liberty Bowl officials wrote in a statement released Monday afternoon. “We can assure you that the 64th AutoZone Liberty Bowl between Kansas and Arkansas will be played on Wednesday, December 28th with kickoff at 4:30 p.m. The weather forecast at game time is for temperatures in the 50s.”

On Tuesday, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that Thomas Carrier, the stadium’s general manager was not anticipating any problems for fans on Wednesday.

“We’re going to have a game and we’re excited for it,” Carrier told The Commercial Appeal Tuesday morning. “We’ve got some backups in place, if need be. But we’ll have the stadium ready to rock for all the Razorbacks and Jayhawks coming to town.”