Petrino challenges Razorbacks to close out strong in tough season

Arkansas' interim coach knows what it means when teams play with pride

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green looking over the Mississippi State Bulldogs' defense before a snap in a game at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the third time in four weeks, Arkansas fell short in a one-score game against an SEC team under interim coach Bobby Petrino.

Petrino can't get out of the way for the main reason of Sam Pittman's firing which will likely cost him the opportunity of getting the full-time gig.

The Razorbacks have fought hard through a coaching transition, but are still having the same issues such as missed assignments, turnovers, missed tackles and remaining disciplined.

With three games left to go, including one at LSU that will be a rare SEC game between interim coaches, Arkansas still has a winnable game left to go.

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Mike Washington running against the Texas A&M Aggies at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

Whether Petrino gets the head job or not, he wants to win over anything else and will have two weeks to prepare for an LSU team coming off a loss to Texas A&M and the firing coach Brian Kelly.

"The fans were awesome," Petrino said after the loss to Mississippi State. "They gave us a bunch of support. I thought our players completed it. Competed extremely hard. We hurt ourselves, or whatever hurt us, and we just came up short, which is, which is sad, because these guys, they deserve to win a game."

While his players may deserve to win at least one SEC game before the 2025 season comes to a close, they must respond and understand what goes into winning a game against a SEC opponent.

There were some contributing factors like a holding penalty while driving to go ahead two scores in the fourth quarter or the unnecessary roughness call against Quincy Rhodes.

With insurmountable odds around the program, including a 31% chance of going to Baton Rouge for an upset of LSU by ESPN, the mental part of the game make it hard to bounce back.

An official throws a flag in Arkansas Razorback game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

Petrino is hopeful his team will use such trying circumstances to remain positive about life no matter what happens.

"it’s hard. I mean, the locker room’s pretty down," Petrino said. "We put it all out there on the field and we’re waiting for good things to happen and they just haven’t happened yet. I told the players they’ve got to understand that they’ve invested a bunch in it, and someday they’ll look back on this experience and it’ll help them later in life as a man."

Bowl eligibility has already been thrown out the window after Saturday's last second 38-35 loss to the Bulldogs. This isn't the first time in his coaching career that Petrino has needed to motivate a team to fight through adversity either.

Although his first Razorbacks team wasn't the most talented team of his, it continued to fight through the end of the regular season. After losing multiple one-score games in 2008, the Hogs' upset the defending national champions LSU in the season finale to finish 5-7.

Despite a win coming, Petrino says his players have upped their stock no matter where they might land this offseason. Whether its in the NFL, going through the transfer portal process or staying with the next coaching staff, he says guys have added good tape even in this lengthy losing streak.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Casey Dick (11) prepares to handoff to tailback Michael Smith (21) against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. The Razorbacks beat the Tigers 25-22. / John Reed-Imagn Images

"Yeah, you’re playing for pride," Petrino said. "You’re playing because you’re a football player and you want to go out and win the game. We got a number of guys that are playing to see if they have a future in the NFL.

"Everybody else is playing for what happens after this season, whether that’s here or transfer. The realities of where we are in college football right now, they all need to continue to work and play. There’s a number of guys who have raised their stocks in the last four weeks by what’s on video, and that’s what they want to continue to do."

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