FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Coach Sam Pittman has exorcised the specter of Chad Morris from the memories of the Razorbacks' faithful. Five years later, though, Arkansas is looking for more than simple decency.
The Razorbacks have qualified for bowl games in four of Pittman’s five seasons at the helm, a job he took over in 2020 after Arkansas went winless in Southeastern Conference play during the two seasons under Morris.
Pittman has now had two losing seasons in the past five to go along with two .500
finishes. That mediocrity has fans and the brass itching for more. With a 30-31 record over five seasons, Pittman's job is considered one of the most tenuous in college football.
Pittman is hopeful. After all, four of the team’s six losses last season came by 10 points or fewer, and three of those four defeats came after Arkansas carried a lead into the fourth quarter.
“We’ve got a good football team,” he said. “We’ve got a good staff. We’ve got great facilities. We got a great state of fans at the University of Arkansas, the state of Arkansas. There’s no reason we can’t do it.”
Whether his optimism turns into reality hinges largely on the incorporation of a slew of new players. Quarterback Taylen Green provides some stability, but on offense alone the Razorbacks are likely to start six players who arrived via the transfer portal.
“We’re trying to continue to build confidence in the quarterback with whomever,” Pittman said. “We’re adding into that which is really going to help us and keep fresh guys on the field that have confidence and it’s important we have confidence in them.”
Arkansas finished second in the SEC and 10th in FBS in total offense last season, its first season with Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. Pittman believes the Razorbacks can improve because of Petrino.
“As you go back, look statistically, when he’s in his second year somewhere, they go through the roof,” Pittman said.
Green finished fifth in the SEC with 3,154 yards passing last season and was fourth in the conference in yards rushing by a quarterback with 602. The catch is that Green’s quarterback rating placed him in the bottom quarter among SEC starters and his 15-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio put him among just four starters who failed to have a two-to-one such ratio.
Arkansas returns eight returning starters on defense. Linebacker Xavian Sorey is back after a 99-tackle season and defensive tackle Cam Ball was named preseason third-team All-SEC as he enters his third year as a starter.
Most of Green's receivers are gone; Arkansas will break in six players from the portal at that position. Projected starting tight end Rohan Jones didn’t play for the Razorbacks last year, either.
Pittman likes the talent on the roster.
“I believe we have a really good wide receiver core,” he said. “We’re big, have length. Now we finally have two tight ends that you can throw 12 package out there and you can throw the ball to either one of them and run the ball.”
Things aren’t much, if any, easier in 2025. Besides the usual difficulty of the SEC slate, which includes trips to No. 24 Tennessee, No. 9 LSU and No. 1 Texas, Arkansas plays Memphis on the road in Week 4 and hosts No. 6 Notre Dame the following week. They have a first-time matchup with Arkansas State in Little Rock on Sept. 6.
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