Arkansas football's Sam Pittman was coaching for the season: Now he's coaching for his job
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Arkansas football season, and maybe the future of the program, can be summed up in one succinct postgame quote from head coach Sam Pittman.
"We need a win, and (we're) certainly looking forward to getting back home."
The Razorbacks entered the season with high hopes if they could somehow survive a brutal four-game road trip early in the season. In the end, Arkansas (2-5, 0-4 SEC) put forth three solid fights but went 0-4. Saturday's 24-21 loss to No. 11 Alabama was the finishing touch on a deflating stretch that started with a home loss to BYU.
Arkansas will return to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium next week. Players and coaches can't hide their excitement of getting back into some friendlier confines. Unfortunately, the four remaining home games on the schedule won't play any part in the SEC West title race.
The stakes have changed, but their weight may have only grown.
In the first four SEC games, Pittman was coaching for the Arkansas season. Over the last four, he will be coaching for his job.
"Five in a row is a lot in a row, you know? And so your main concern is how do you motivate the team and how do you get them better and are you going to lose them and things of that nature," Pittman said. "I think we all kind of agree we haven't done that, but we've got to figure out a way to win."
As Pittman notes, five-straight losses are impossible to ignore. With every passing week, angry calls against this coaching staff only get louder.
Pittman's Arkansas tenure has been built on dominant rushing attacks and excellent play from KJ Jefferson. Neither of those trends have manifested this fall. Through seven games, the hiring of Dan Enos as offensive coordinator has turned into a huge question mark, while a failure to develop quality offensive linemen resembles a damning stain.
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Still, it is impossible to walk out Bryant-Denny Stadium without some level of optimism. Jefferson and the offense finally found some life in the second half, with touchdown passes to Isaiah Sategna and Rashod Dubinion spring boarding a comeback bid.
Additionally, the defense played a brilliant game for the third week in a row. After ranking last in the entire country in passing yards allowed per game in 2022, Arkansas might have one of the better defenses in the SEC this fall under first-year coordinator Travis Williams. That's a sign of positive development from Pittman.
Arkansas has lost four games this season by one possession, and the Razorbacks just gave SEC West favorite Alabama all it could handle. Where could this team be if the offense could match last season's productivity?
Moral victories are abound, but those wins outside the box score won't show up when fans get lost on a late-night Wikipedia binge in the years to come. Arkansas needs to flip the script, for its own season and for Pittman's future.
"We’ve all got the same mindset that enough is enough. We’re tired of feeling this way. We’re tired of losing," Jefferson said.
His quarterback's quote and his players response against Alabama show Pittman has a team ready to fight till the bitter end.
There are five games left for Arkansas football to change the narrative of its 2023 campaign. Easier competition awaits, starting with Mississippi State (3-3) next week.
Pride, a bowl game and perhaps most importantly, Coach Pittman's job, are on the line.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football needs second-half turnaround to save Sam Pittman
