Razorback Fans Need to Balance Emotional High of Florida Win with Probable Reality

Arkansas had by far its best offensive performance against an SEC team, but expectations need to slow down a little going forward

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Nov 6, 2023 2:58 AM EST
Original:
Nov 6, 2023

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Saturday's win against Florida left a lot of Arkansas fans wondering what might have been had Sam Pittman chosen to go with Kenny Guiton as offensive coordinator instead of Dan Enos this past winter.

In a season where five of the Razorbacks' six losses came in single score games, it's to be expected. However, there's no need to dwell on what can't be changed. If anything, the circumstances allowed a newly minted coordinator with no experience to ride in and be the hero instead of spending weeks having his every decision picked apart by an often cynical fan base, so, in the long run, it might have worked out for the better.

That being said, the moment does warrant comparison to what once was so it can be properly appreciated. To put things in perspective, this game was a missed field goal away from being another in a statistically improbable long line of close losses. However, that's where the similarities end between how Arkansas played under Guiton Saturday in Florida versus through five SEC games under Enos.

For starters, a typical Enos game finishes with total offensive yards somewhere in the 200's all the way down to the 100's. The game against LSU in Baton Rouge was the only aberration as the offense put up 426 yards, including 137 yards rushing at an average of 3.7 yards per carry. Other than that, the best output against an SEC team this season was 286 against Ole Miss.

Yet, Saturday, someone who has never called plays orchestrated 481 yards of total offense, including 226 yards of rushing at 4.8 yards per carry. Arkansas didn't even have that much total offense against Texas A&M and Mississippi State, much less rushing. To further punctuate the statistical difference, the 39 points Arkansas posted was the most the Razorbacks have had against a Division I opponent all season.

However, the biggest difference was after the game. The reception Guiton received from players, including quarterback KJ Jefferson, made it clear they were not only grateful he called the plays, but that they wanted to see him be successful so bad. We'll never know for sure, but there's no way anyone who's been paying attention to the general tenor of this team would have put anything of value on Raheim Sanders returning after the bye week if Enos was still running things.

Think about this. Sanders has 52 carries for 194 yards through four games and 103 came Saturday. That includes a game against Western Carolina where he only managed 42 yards on 15 carries. In his final game under Enos, Sanders had eight carries for 15 yards against Ole Miss. This is an SEC work horse whose worst season prior netted him 5.1 yards per carry.

That being said, fans need to be cautious. That game happened on two weeks of preparation and an offensive roster riding an emotional high. Typically, things drop off a little in the second week of a major change like this as things settle into a routine. Factor in Guiton is preparing a full game plan in a single week for the first time in his life, and it'd be unfair to not expect a dip in production when Auburn comes to town.

That doesn't mean the offense can't produce enough to generate another win. The defense has been frustrated by having to carry a disinterested offensive unit all season. Having seen Guiton can inspire a better performance, there should be a renewed vigor on that side of the ball after taking a few punches to the face in Gainesville.

If the defense can find a way to reestablish its dominant ways, there's a solid chance Arkansas is playing Missouri for a shot at bowl eligibility. It would also set up a potential opportunity to see what Guiton can do with Jacolby Criswell and Malachi Singleton taking snaps against Florida International.

The next couple of weeks will be the most interesting Razorback football has had for a while. How they're viewed will rest on whether fans can separate the emotional high that was amped up even further by a missed field goal from what expectations should be during a normal game day.

If they're looking for the video game numbers put up last season, then things might finish slightly disappointing. However, if they are reasonable and account for a new coordinator adjusting to the job on the fly, there's a good chance fans find something they haven't had all season.
Contentment.