What loss at Memphis could mean for Razorbacks program going forward

Arkansas can't afford to lose another game against mid-major opponent as schedule gets tougher

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman overseeing a preseason practice at the indoor practice center in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Anyone who has paid attention to Arkansas football for the past 14 seasons knows there is one game that can swing the pendulum one way or another.

This season, it's American Conference juggernaut Memphis, with so much on the line in terms of program perception, job security and recruiting.

While Arkansas has a strong shot at winning its first road game of the season, Memphis brings a challenge only few Power Conference teams have been able to overrcome and that's beating the Tigers inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

Memphis attempts to win its sixth straight home game against a Power Conference opponent dating back to 2015 with victories over Ole Miss (2015, 2019), Kansas (2016) Mississippi State (2021) and Iowa State (2023 Liberty Bowl).

Memphis Tigers quarterback Brendon Lewis (2) runs with the ball against the Chattanooga Mocs during the second half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

The Tigers, led by sixth-year coach Ryan Silverfield, are certainly not in for an easy payday. This team walks into its home stadium looking to put Arkansas in a 60 minute steel cage match of physical, big boy football.

Silverfield's read option attack is the real deal led by transfer quarterback Brendon Lewis and running back Sutton Smith. If the Razorbacks aren't set on defense in similar fashion to last week against Ole Miss, the Razorbacks could be in for a fourth quarter fight.

"Memphis is scary running the football 'cause they're good at it," Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said Monday. "That's what they want to do. Certainly, we're better right now against the run than we are against the pass. But at the same time, we're not great at tackling in open space, so we've got to close that space and turn it back in. We'll have a really good plan in the run game and they're more of an inside type run game."

There’s history here of the Razorbacks getting stuck in a blender against mid-major competition. One doesn't have to do much research to find Arkansas dropping a game it should win such as UL-Monroe (2012), Toledo (2015) and Liberty (2022).

Former Liberty Flames head coach Hugh Freeze, left, talks to Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman after the game at Razorback Stadium. Liberty won 21-19. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Those losses didn’t just sting, they unraveled a once proud program, leaving it reeling for years and hasn't fully recovered.

Another loss like that and it gives SEC and regional rivals more ammunition to use against the Razorbacks, as if they didn't have enough already.

While Razorbacks athletics director Hunter Yurachek was blunt in his assessment of where the football program stands, the lack of funding in NIL or not having the ability to compete for a national championship is enough for coaches to convince athletes to sign elsewhere.

"Football, where we are right now, we're not set up to win a national championship, "Yurachek said at the Little Rock Touchdown Club. “I think to be competitive, we may have to figure out what the third lane looks like for the the University of Arkansas.”

Arkansas is already struggling to piece together a Top 30 recruiting class for this cycle and it's going anywhere but forward as top recruit Bryce Gilmore decided to decommit and head west for Texas Tech.

A loss to Memphis could cause highly ranked commits such as Colton Yarbrough, JJ Bush and others to look elsewhere in a class that ranks just No. 33 nationally, per 247sports composite rankings.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and Prosper, Texas offensive lineman Bryce Gilmore during a visit at the Razorbacks camp in March. | Bryce Gilmore-

One player Memphis must gameplan for is quarterback Taylen Green, who's one of the best at his position, which is a testament to his maturity and development during the offseason.

"Let's start offensively," Pittman said. "I think Taylen Green was the first guy in the history of the school that had 300 passing (yards) and 100 rushing (in the same game)," Pittman said Monday. "I don't look smart very much, but I did say if we got Taylen Green then we got a chance and nobody else has him and that's true."

From a football standpoint, Memphis is built to spring an upset. Their offense can hit big plays and their defense thrives on turnovers, which is the exact formula that’s bitten other Power Four teams previously.

Arkansas has to play clean, limit turnovers, and not commit senseless penalties in key moments of the game.

Pittman’s teams have always shown fight, but fight doesn't win games.

In the SEC, moral victories don’t mean more. Teams either get it done or they don’t. A win at Memphis keeps the season on track and quiets the doubters another week.

A loss opens the floodgates for every rabid fan to share an opinion on the state of Arkansas' football on social media and local radio stations while placing more pressure on the program from the locker room all the way up to the athletics director’s office to right the ship.

The bottom line is the Razorbacks can’t afford a letdown in Memphis. Not now, not with so much on the line.

One game won’t define Pittman’s tenure, but it can sure change the conversation fast. For Arkansas, Memphis is more than just another game.
It might as well be considered the crossroads.