Arkansas roughs up Kansas State in Liberty Bowl

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Just in case this ends up being his last college game, Arkansas’ Alex Collins made it one to remember.

Collins ran for 185 yards and three touchdowns and Arkansas capped its late-season surge with a 45-23 victory over Kansas State on Saturday in the Liberty Bowl.

Collins, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of the last three seasons, indicated after the game he hadn’t decided whether to return for his senior year or enter the NFL draft.

Ranked 18th to open the season, Arkansas stumbled through a 1-3 start that knocked the Razorbacks out of the Top 25. The Razorbacks (8-5) won six of their last seven games.

“We’ve been through our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we wanted to finish strong,” Collins said. “I believe we accomplished that.”

Arkansas snapped Kansas State’s three-game winning streak in front of a sellout crowd of 61,136. Kansas State (6-7) finished a season below .500 for the first time since Bill Snyder began his second stint as coach in 2009.

“Give credit to them,” Snyder said. “They came out and played their game. They didn’t do anything that we hadn’t looked at or hadn’t seen offensively or defensively. They just did it extremely well.”

Georgia holds off Penn State, 24-17

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Terry Godwin threw a touchdown pass on a trick play and caught one later, helping Georgia beat Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl, 24-17.

The Bulldogs (10-3) won their fifth consecutive game to close the season, this one under interim coach Bryan McClendon and with incoming coach Kirby Smart watching from the stands.

Penn State (7-6) played more than half the game without star quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

Hackenberg landed awkwardly on his throwing shoulder early in the second quarter when linebacker Roquan Smith tackled him on a 5-yard scramble. Hackenberg threw four more passes, but grabbed his shoulder between plays. He headed to the locker room after an incompletion and returned after halftime wearing street clothes. After the game, he declared for the NFL draft.

“It’s been an awesome ride, tough way to end it today,” Hackenberg said. “It means the world to me. My family and I talked about it and we felt this was the best decision for me.”

West Virginia edges Arizona State, 43-42

PHOENIX — Skyler Howard threw for 532 yards and five touchdowns, the last to David Sills with 2:19 remaining, as the Mountaineers (8-5) edged Arizona State 43-42 in the Cactus Bowl at Chase Field.

For ASU (6-7), Mike Bercovici threw for 418 yards and four touchdowns.

Notes

• Notre Dame RB C.J. Prosise, who led the team with 1,032 yards rushing, will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

• Lopsided games and playing the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year’s Eve led to a 13 percent drop in TV ratings for the New Year’s Six Bowls.