Can Razorbacks defend its home field after recent struggles?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — One sign tells everything a fan needs to know about how successful a coaching tenure truly has been.

How well a coach does at preparing his team to protect their homefield goes a long way to preserving sacred ground.

Since the final season under Chad Morris through the previous five with Sam Pittman at the helm, Arkansas is barely over .500 at home boasting a 21-19 record.

Who has the best home field advantage in the SEC? pic.twitter.com/hlSCynoXN1
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) May 22, 2025

Given how bad the Morris tenure went in 2019, Arkansas is just 19-14 at home under Pittman between both Razorback Stadium and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

His resume looked better than ever through a nine game stretch of home games from 2021-2022 with an 8-1 home record.

Since that point, things haven't gone as planned, aside from last year's monumental upset of No. 4 Tennessee.

Arkansas is 8-11 at home since a 49-26 loss to Alabama, a game that broke wide open when quarterback Jalen Milroe subbed in for an injured Bryce Young.

The Razorbacks were within striking distance down 28-23 with a third down stop needed. Instead, Milroe scampered nearly 80 yards inside the five yard line to put an end to Arkansas' upset bid.

It's not always a home loss that pushes fans to the edge but how a team loses speaks volumes about where a program sits.

From the Liberty loss in 2022 until a loss to BYU in mid-September 2023, Arkansas lost four home games by an average of four points per game.

Since the point, the Razorbacks have lost by 38 to Auburn (2023), 34 to Missouri (2023), 24 to LSU (2024), 32 to Ole Miss (2024) and 10 to Texas (2024).

That's a four-touchdown deficit in home losses which doesn't seem to be fair at all.

Sure, Pittman's teams have been given some of the hardest schedules in the country under his watch but not to a point where the Razorbacks should be losing games by such large margins.

Arkansas was No. 26 in talent last season, according to 247sports team talent composite rankings.

With home games against ranked opponents such as LSU, Ole Miss and Texas, losing by 28 points doesn't add up when it comes to protecting Razorback Stadium from being raided.

The Rebels were only six spots ahead at No. 20 with its most talented team eight years but still lost to Kentucky, Florida and LSU.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Jaheim Singletary having to rush up as Ole Miss wide receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells catches a pass from Jaxson Dart at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Ted McClenning-Hogs on SI Images

The Tigers haven't been world beaters at LSU under Brian Kelly despite being in the top 10 in terms of team talent since his arrival in 2022.

LSU hasn't won a season opener under Kelly's watch and reflect more of a Jekyll and Hyde personality than anyone expected when he was hired away from Notre Dame.

Arkansas' first two games against LSU under Kelly ended in three point losses. Last year's game never felt close even if the Razorbacks were down six late in the third quarter.

Figuratively speaking, how Arkansas responds after being punched in the mouth will tell anyone where this team is mentally this fall.

As Pittman said during his ONE Razorback Roadshow appearance in Hot Springs, his program has plenty of chances to make noise compared to recent home struggles.

"You can look at it whichever way you want," Pittman said. "I look at it as this: there's a lot of opportunity to make a lot of noise. That's what it is."

Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Cobi Hamilton (11) catches a touchdown pass during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats in the 2012 Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Razorbacks will host two teams that finished 2024 in the final AP Top 25 poll with Notre Dame coming on Sept. 27 and Missouri to close the regular season Nov. 29.

Sandwiched between those two games is a rare three week homestand against Texas A&M (Oct. 18), Auburn (Oct. 25) and Mississippi State (Nov. 1).

Historically, Arkansas has only played three consecutive SEC home games once since joining the league in 1992.

The only time it has happened was in 2011 when the Razorbacks defeated South Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi State (Little Rock) en route to an 11-2 record.

This fall, Pittman and his band of Razorbacks have a chance to leave the heartache of home losses in the rearview mirror.

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