Ranking biggest wins of Pittman's tenure with Hogs

Trip down memory lane of good times under Arkansas Razorbacks' previous coach before turning page to Silverfield

Arkansas running back AJ Green runs for a touchdown in a blowout of Texas at Razorbacks Stadium in 2021. | Nelson Chenault – USA Today Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks had several big wins during the Sam Pittman era that have been forgotten. That became evident as former players and media, bitter at Pittman having a job, would literally pretend there were no big wins.

In fact, one major former Razorback claimed Arkansas didn't win any SEC games in 2024 and had a losing season, when, in fact, won three SEC games and had a winning record after an easy bowl win over a Texas Tech team that now dominates college football.

What has been assembled is a list of Pittman's biggest wins to remind Arkansas fans of his contributions to the program as the former Head Hog rides off into the Lake Hamilton sunset. One of the biggest comes from that season the football player said Arkansas didn't win any SEC games.

Honorable Mention
No. 23 Cincinnatti, 2022
31-24

The Razorbacks were looking to prove the nine-win season the year before wasn't a fluke and Cincinnatti was out to prove its appearance in the College Football Playoff as a Group of Five school wasn't a fluke either.

In a hotly contested game, quarterback KJ Jefferson hit tight end Trey Knox for a 32-yard touchdown to put the Hogs up 31-17 with over nine minutes left. It proved to be too much for the Bearcats to overcome on the hot August afternoon.

Arkansas rode the win to an eventual No. 10 ranking that fell by the wayside as a freak fumble by Jefferson while diving into the end zone to potentially put the game away that lead to a play of the year fumble return by Texas A&M and a rare missed field goal by Cam Little led to a 23-21 upset of the Hogs from which the program never recovered.

Honorable Mention
Kansas, 2022
55-53 (3 OT)

Arkansas claimed ESPN's Game of the Year the previous season with its 52-51 regulation game against Ole Miss the season before and almost won the honor a second time with a game against Kansas that piled up more and more viewers as the game progressed.

The Hogs blew a huge lead that would have sent fans into the offseason angry, but Jefferson played out of his mind as he threw for 287 yards and ran for another 130 yards for a combined three touchdowns in a Liberty Bowl shootout with Kansas' Jalon Daniels who threw for 544 yards and five touchdowns.

No. 5
No. 15 Texas, 2021
40-21

It's hard to keep this one off the list because of how Arkansas fans acted when the game finally ended. The Hogs stomped a mud hole in Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns in his first season in Austin and, despite it being a win over a No. 15 team that would go on a six-game losing streak in the latter half of the season, it was treated as if the Razorbacks won the national title.

Still, fans relished the drubbing as the Hogs built a 33-7 lead. Arkansas ran for 333 yards and four touchdowns in a show of SEC power. Quarterback KJ Jefferson barely had to throw the ball, going 14-of-19 for 138 yards.

What followed was a questionable field storming that set the tone for big fines to be levied across the SEC. Still, it was a win over Texas, which is what the old timers dream about, and is also something that has happened rather often in the lives of those who grew up in an SEC-only world in Arkansas.

No. 4
No. 14 Ole Miss, 2022
42-27

Lane Kiffin had the Ole Miss Rebels flying high with an 8-2 record coming off a big fight against No. 2 Alabama. According to Kiffin, it was the cold Northwest Arkansas air that ultimately did his team in.

Arkansas led 42-6 at one point before the Rebels scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to try to make it look respectable. The Hogs ran for 352 yards in a stunner that is probably the most forgotten upset on this list.

No. 3
No. 7 Texas A&M, 2021
20-10

The Razorbacks' 2021 coming out party was a rare win over Texas A&M that turned out to be equally as dominant at times as the win over Texas. Claiming the Southwest Classic trophy gave the Hogs a state championship over Texas with a perfect record over three schools from the state, including both flagship schools.

The Razorbacks jumped out to a 17-0 lead early in the first half and cruised the rest of the way. The Hogs rushed for nearly 200 yards and threw for 276.

Sam Pittman was so confident in this win that back-up quarterback Malik Hornsby got playing time. By the following week Arkansas had gained enough respect to be ranked No. 8 in a mega SEC showdown with No. Georgia.

No. 2
No. 4 Tennessee, 2024
19-14

Tennessee came into the game having outscored opponents 216-28 behind the rocket arm of Nico Iamaleava. However, the Arkansas defense came to life under the Razorback Stadium lights, shutting down the Vols passing attack by holding Iamaleava to 158 yards and no touchdowns on 17-of-29 passing while slipping through for four sacks.

On the other side of the coin, Arkansas had also been rather productive under the new combination of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and quarterback Taylen Green. Unfortunately for the Hogs, Green was hobbled, so if a win was going to come, it was going to take a miracle drive lead by back-up quarterback Malachi Singleton.

Things didn't look so promising after Singleton took the Hogs on a quick three-and-out drive that netted only five yards with just over three minutes remaining and Tennessee up 14-13. However, the defense wasn't giving up, forcing its own three-and-out.

That set up the most unlikeliest of drives, headed by the back-up quarterback and a freshman running back who had barely seen the field all season. Singleton hit a 13-yard pass to Isaiah Sategna followed by a 24-yard run by Russell.

The running game then became the passing attack as the offensive line took charge and graded a road perfect for anyone. Russell ran up the middle for 11 more yards, then Singleton weaved his way another 11 yards around the right end for a touchdown that put the Hogs up 19-14.

Because the 2-point conversion failed, there was still hope for Tennessee as the Vols drove down into scoring range at the Hogs 20 in the final seconds. Fortunately for Arkansas, the inexperienced Iamaleava panicked and ran out of bounds for a four-yard gain with no time left on the clock.

No. 1
vs. Mississippi State, 2020
21-14

Heading into the second week of 2020 with all the uncertainty of COVID surrounding the game and the eerie feel of playing in empty stadiums, Arkansas fans felt as uplifted as could be following a 37-10 thumping by Georgia with a piecemeal roster.

There wasn't much hope going in after Mississippi State pounded No. 6 LSU 44-34 in Baton Rouge in Mike Leach's debut. However, the Razorbacks pulled the shocker in Starkville, 21-14, ending a 20-game losing streak to SEC schools and restoring hope in Arkansas for the first time in three years.

Despite facing an unfairly stacked all-SEC schedule, new head coach Sam Pittman proved an old offensive line coach with no coordinator experience could keep the Hogs from going winless in conference and make Razorbacks fans believe again.

Florida quarterback transfer Felipe Franks connected with highly touted tight end Hudson Henry for a 12-yard touchdown with over 11 minutes left in the third quarter to go up 21-14. The defense held the high flying air raid offense for nearly a half in a miraculous effort to secure the upset.