Razorbacks late collapses may be sign of much bigger trouble for Pittman

Repeated blown leads in SEC play, defensive failures, and Sam Pittman’s lack of conviction fuel belief Arkansas has quit on their coach this season

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman during a loss to Mississippi State on Oct. 21, 2023, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Michael Morrison-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It’s not just one bad game.

Arkansas has now lost back-to-back matchups in dramatic, frustrating fashion.

They've surrendered leads, fumbled in critical moments, letdefenses collapse in ways that suggest something worse than coaching flaws.

It feels like the team has essentially quit on Sam Pittman. Don't expect anybody to admit that publicly because it probably won't happen. Everybody will deny it.

At Monday's press conference, which is the only time all week he will take any media questions because that's the easiest way to avoid all these tough issues, he'll obviously deny it.

By the way, that's not just Arkansas but everybody else in the SEC.

There are signs beyond the scoreboard and they aren't hard for anybody to see.

In a 32-31 loss to Memphis, the Razorbacks blew an 18-point lead and allowed a backup quarterback to drag their defense for a first down that sealed the game.

After last week at Ole Miss and now Memphis, that pattern is too familiar.

“I don’t know what to do” — admitting helplessness

Pittman’s postgame comments reveal more than tactical missteps.

“We tried to fix some things defensively from a week ago, and I don’t know how much we got fixed to be perfectly honest with you, with a 500-yard day on us,” Pittman admitted Saturday.

“When he came in, we thought we had him bottled up … we should’ve put him on the ground,” senior defensive tackle Cam Ball said about a redshirt freshman carrying the defense for 11 yards a first down to end the game.

He and others say Arkansas defenses are too aggressive, over-pursuing, losing what they call their "fits." That's some more coachspeak on wrong positions and it's a bad sign.

In all my years the coach using that phrase too often isn't back the next year.

Former Razorback tight end DJ Williams said there was fatigue in the defensive line, condition and depth problems betraying a lack of preparedness.

Coaching dysfunction or player disengagement?

From the leaks, quote snippets, and observable play, the issue seems dual: poor leadership and waning player investment.

The Razorbacks have become a team that starts decently, plays hard — especially in the first halves — then unravels. That pattern was on display both at Ole Miss and Memphis.

Pittman has been in the middle of this too many times.

He’s not ignorant of single-possession game records bleeding him dry, Arkansas has lost many close games under his leadership. He's teetering around Chad Morris-type numbers.

When a coach begins to answer questions with “I don’t know,” over and over, it yields a sense among fans and perhaps players that the belief in fixing things is depressingly small.

Sully and Baz share their thoughts after the Razorbacks fall to the Tigers Great stuff from Baz. https://t.co/KXL2XYIHes via @YouTube

— Steve Sullivan (@sully7777) September 21, 2025

Athletic director’s comments reflect internal doubts

Earlier this week, AD Hunter Yurachek said the Razorbacks program was “not set up to win a national championship” under current policies and financial realities.

We've talked about that repeatedly and it's starting to sound more and more like there may be something to all the rumors about Yurachek looking for the exits, too.

If that was his intention, he made his point. On the other hand, the comment being accidental points to a bigger problem.

Add it to what my friend David Bazzel, a former Arkansas linebacker turned broadcaster said, as reported by Best of Arkansas Sports. After the Memphis game Bazzel predicted Pittman’s exit.

“I think if he loses this game, he’s done for sure,” Bazzel, one of Sam's biggest media supporters, said about the Notre Dame game coming up this week. “Then the question is when they make it public.”

Everyday I wake up

In disbelief that Sam Pittman is still employed

Arkansas and the fans deserve better

This man can not coach football pic.twitter.com/hItkwYYyRP

— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) September 21, 2025

Can Pittman salvage credibility, or is it too late?

Pittman has recruited, adjusted offensive personnel (notably adding Bobby Petrino), leaned into the transfer portal, tried to change coordinators, and emphasized fundamentals.

But the breakdowns persist. The pattern is not one of incremental progress — it’s repeating losses by the same kinds of collapse.

Fans and observers are left to question whether the roster believes in Pittman as a leader capable of stopping the downward spiral.

Once trust erodes, getting it back requires visible, immediate correction, clear accountability, and perhaps stingier margins for error.

A new fighter has entered the competition for the first SEC coach to be fired this year

Welcome Sam Pittman pic.twitter.com/fAfVT1A4fd

— John Clendenin (@John_Clendenin1) September 20, 2025

Key Takeaways

• Repeated blown leads — Arkansas has surrendered games in tight margins, including losing at Memphis after holding an 18-point lead.

• Defensive breakdowns and fundamentals missing — Missed tackles, over-aggression, fatigue, and lack of containment are recurring problems also acknowledged by players like Cam Ball and critics.

• Coach Sam Pittman’s responses signal wavering confidence — His tendency to say “I don’t know what to do” in key moments reflects either a lack of preparation or belief in the ability to rally the team.