Memphis Games Fans Point to as Negatives Were Likely Positives for Hogs

Silverfield dropping three games to close Tigers' season way out of character for him, gave clue

Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield looks over his football team during spring practice. | Razorback Communications

It was around the turn into November, a good month into an excruciating coaching search at Arkansas where fans were getting grumpy about the lack of information regarding a job that wasn't going to produce any valid information for at least three more weeks heading into or directly following Thanksgiving.

However, while reporters couldn't tell who the next Razorbacks coach may be because of how far down the pecking order the Hogs were, it was possible to gauge who might be getting legitimate behind the scenes offers that are somewhat official, but not official official.

And while these observations didn't necessarily point directly at Arkansas, it strongly concluded Silverfield had something cooking. 

Over at Memphis things were sailing along smoothly despite not having a team that felt overly talented. Instead, the Tigers were the guys in doubles tennis who don't hit the ball back hard, but also don't let balls past them. A pair who formed a disciplined proverbial wall that relies on keeping the ball in play consistently until the other team makes a mistake that costs a point here and there before eventually costing the game.

That's exactly how the Tigers took down Arkansas at the Liberty Bowl in mid-September. They made few mistakes while being just good enough to beat a much more talented group of Hogs by taking advantage of the mistakes made by the Razorbacks.

In the end, despite being given two easy chances to win the game, Arkansas messed up just enough for Memphis to steal a win, landing Sam Pittman on the hot seat and Silverfield immediately on Hunter Yurachek''s short list.

A few weeks later, Silverfield has his Tigers 8-1 with key wins over the Razorbacks and No. 18 South Florida with a crucial game against eventual College Football Playoff qualifier Tulane on deck. Yet, the reality was even more impressive.

Technically, Silverfield entered that game 19-3 with a win at Florida State, a win over West Virginia and a victory over No. 17 Tulane thrown on the fire as well. That's quite the record going in.

Of course, that record can be stretched out to 25-4 if anyone feels the need to add a win over Iowa State to the mix. Memphis was set to face its toughest rival with a level of consistency rarely shown at any level of college football, much less in the toughest Group of Five conference. 

In the American Athletic Conference there are two or three teams besides one's own program that are legitimately good enough to finish middle of the pack in most Power Four conferences and almost certainly not last even in the SEC and Big Ten.

Add in all the games against what are usually middle of the pack Power Four teams, and there just isn't a lot of room for error to reach a huge AAC game with a 25-4 record.

However, had this household been a betting one, the money would have went on Tulane. Not because Memphis wasn't good enough to win.

Nope. It would have been because of the chatter.

There started to be reports of whispers regarding agents of assistant coaches getting feelers about following Silverfield to a possible Power Four school. At the time, hearing hints of such an offer wouldn't have been surprising at all.

That kind of winning in a disciplined fashion with NFL experience and an impeccable record against most of the hot candidates being thrown around backing the resume made for a high quality prospect.

Then talk among recruits that the Memphis staff may be heading out began. Odds were high this could just be coaches from other teams floating false information out there to get an edge on a recruit who might be leaning toward Memphis.

It's a risky tactic because it can blow up in a coach's face, but if executed properly as if it's just out in the ethos and not coming directly from a particular coaching staff, it can be highly effective.

Fans on message boards latch onto this stuff eventually and chaos ensues from that point forward. Based on how Memphis played, there was no reason to suspect the Tigers coaches might be looking into their futures rather than the present.

Silverfield's team came storming back with 15 points in the 4th quarter, the last touchdown of which came off a stunning six-minute march down the field despite barely running the football that day to cut it to 38-32 with almost eight minutes left.

Unfortunately for Memphis, quarterback Brenden Lewis got hurt while being hit on a pass attempt that led to an interception. Even with the back-up in on the final drive, Memphis almost pulled it off, going on a long drive relatively deep into Green Wave territory before an uncharacteristic false start on 4th & 3 killed the potential game-winning drive.

Despite the talk in the air, there was no evidence on the field that there was anything to it.

Then came the East Carolina game. This was a loss that shouldn't have happened under a fully focused Silverfield staff.

The Tigers hit a field goal with roughly two minutes left to take the lead, but a minute later, ECU hit a big touchdown pass to go home with an unexpected win. It was at that point it seemed clear Silverfield had a legitimate offer on the table and in his mind he was already working elsewhere 

Then, a blowout to Navy locked it in. If Silverfield didn't truly believe he had a Power Four job in hand at that point and wasn't already putting in at least a little work toward his new destination, then it was going to be as shocking as it must have been the day the earthquake hit Arkansas and the Mississippi ran backward.

There was just too much evidence to support it. That's why when defeatist Razorbacks fans start pointing to the final three losses at Memphis as a reason to doubt Silverfield while ignoring the 25-4 and his record against the other candidates most of these Hogs fans wanted, it's hard not to yell at them.

All the evidence suggests, whether correct or not, that Memphis took those losses because Silverfield and possibly a few of his staff members, were mentally preparing to take over at Arkansas.

That big of a swing after that much consistency doesn't happen otherwise. So, stop looking for reasons to hate yet another coaching staff.

Learn to look at the 25-4 and how it happened.That is what is theoretically coming to Arkansas, not the 0-3. 

Sure, Season 1 will needs some breaks created by discipline to get beyond four wins. However, if that level of focus can build year-to-year, enough games will slide the Hogs' way to start creating momentum in recruiting and on the field each year.

No one knows the ceiling for this team. That probably won't be determined by the coaching staff.

Instead, an accounting office will probably decide that. 

Just know it will be a 25-4 mentality driving the team, not the 0-3 one to which Arkansas fans have surrendered themselves.