Arkansas Razorbacks football, 1980–89

Overview
A bright spot for the Hogs in 1980 was senior punter Steve Cox. He led college football with an average of 46.5 yards per punt. He would go on to win Super Bowl XXII with the Washington Redskins. Cox completed one of only six field goals of 60+ yards in NFL history.

Overview
The biggest win of the year was against a #1 Texas team, which the Razorbacks were rivals with already. Although unranked, the Razorbacks came out on top by 31 points, removing Texas' #1 ranking. The Hogs received a Gator Bowl berth against a 10–2–0 North Carolina team ranked 11th, while the Hogs were unranked at the time. The SWC's champion, SMU, could not participate in a bowl game due to probation.

Defensive lineman Billy Ray Smith was a consensus All-American for Arkansas. Bruce Lahay, a kicker, also received first-team honors. Lahay was in a three-way tie for field goals per game in 1981, hitting on 1.73 per game. This mark was also held by Kevin Butler of Georgia and Larry Roach of Oklahoma State.

Overview
Arkansas had two consensus All-Americans in 1982, Steve Korte, on the offensive line, and defensive lineman Billy Ray Smith. Smith anchored a defensive unit that was the number one scoring offense, giving up only 10.5 points per game, and ninth in the nation in terms of stopping the run, only giving up 96.7 yards per game. Billy Ray Smith was a consensus All American in 1981 as well, and would be picked fifth in the 1983 NFL Draft.

Overview
Ron Faurot received first-team All-American honors as a defensive lineman for the Hogs.

The Hogs would hire Ken Hatfield, who shined for the Hogs as a defensive back on the 1964 National Championship team, as their new head football coach. He is still a large proponent of the triple option offense in college football.

Overview
Junior punt returner Bobby Edmonds of Arkansas ranked ninth in the nation in punt return average. He averaged 11.8 yards per return. Arkansas had the seventh-best scoring defense in 1984, yielding only 12.5 points per game.

Liberty Bowl
The Razorbacks met current SEC foe Auburn in the Liberty Bowl. The MVP of the game was Bo Jackson of Auburn, who had 88 yards on 18 carries with 2 touchdowns. Arkansas quarterback Brad Taylor completed 18 of 34, for 201 yards passing, with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Auburn defense held the Hog's leading rusher Marshall Foreman to 62 yards on 15 carries. Arkansas lost the game 21–15, despite outgaining the Tigers in total yards, 356 to 252.

Overview
Arkansas was the eighth-best team in the nation in rushing yards per game, with 265.6. On the defensive end, the Hogs gave up only 11.7 points per game, the 6th best mark in college football.

Razorback punt returner B.J. Edmonds finished ninth in college football with 11.6 yards per return.

Coaching staf

 * Athletic Director: Frank Broyles
 * Head Coach: Ken Hatfield
 * Assistants: Wally Ake (DL), Larry Beckman (OL), Larry Brinson (RB), Fred Goldsmith (DC/ILB), Jim Goodman (WR), Roger Hinshaw (OLB), David Lee (QB/FB), Bob Trott (DB), Ken Turner (TE/K)

Awards

 * All-Americans: P Greg Horne (AFCA, 1st)
 * All-SWC: S Steve Atwater (1st), OG Freddie Childress (1st), SE James Shibest (1st)

Rankings

 * UPI: 16th, USA Today: 17th

Overview
In Ken Hatfield's final year at UA, the Razorbacks went 10–2, however lost their fourth-straight bowl game and second consecutive Cotton Bowl Classic. Jack Crowe would be promoted from offensive coordinator, and only remain two years. He was fired after a loss to FCS The Citadel.

Offensive tackle Jim Mabry was a consensus All-American for the Hogs.

Freshman kicker Todd Wright hit on 20 of 23 field goals on the year. His average of 1.82 per game tied future NFL kicker Chris Gardocki from Clemson, among others.

As a team, the Razorbacks were the seventh-best rushing offense in college football, with an average of 314.2 yards per game on the ground.