Silverfield: Arkansas' Issues Begin With Execution, Not Effort

FAYETTEVILLE — Ryan Silverfield's first comment in his weekly news conference Monday was that he understands why Arkansas fans are frustrated, and rightfully so, after Saturday's 34-7 road loss to Texas A&M.

But the first-year head coach made clear that the Razorbacks (2-3, 0-2 SEC) are still fighting and playing hard, despite the results not being in their favor.

"No one's as frustrated and upset as myself and the players within our building," Silverfield said. "We are working diligently and very hard to find answers and find ways to win football games. Going back to the way we played, it's not a lack of effort.

"I think everybody who watches the way the Razorbacks play, you see the effort is there. The execution is not, and that's something we've got to continue to work hard every single day to improve. The guys believe and understand that that's what needs to be done."

That effort was evident even in the waning moments of Saturday's contest. Texas A&M was inside the five yard line with a chance to further embarrass the Hogs and make the score 41-7, but a Razorback run defense that was gashed all night made a stand.

Arkansas football — Oct 3, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Christian Harrison (1) and linebacker Ben Bogle (44) tackle Texas A&M Aggies running back Rueben Owens II (4) during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Still, the Razorbacks have been outscored by a margin of 122-34 in their three games against Power Four competition this year. None of those games have necessarily been competitive at halftime and certainly weren't in doubt in the second half.

Fan frustration would be quelled, if only slightly, if the Razorbacks were to keep their games close. So far, however, they haven't done so, and they must find a way to fix the plethora of issues plaguing them if they want to find a way to beat No. 15 Tennessee in Fayetteville on Oct. 10.

"I got asked the other night at the press conference, 'Hey, what gives you, with all the fans, like, why should they still have hope for the season? And what you just said is exactly why," Silverfield said. "The players are bought in. The players still believe. The players are still fighting. They're still showing up.

"No one wants to talk about it, but the fact they that that goal-line stand, where they just kept fighting and fighting, we put ourselves in a bad situation and kept going out there and playing defense. Like, that shows the character of the type of guys in the locker room, the buy-in that they have, the belief they have in each other, the belief we have in what we're doing moving forward, trusting the process that this is going to work, and obviously it needs to show up in wins."

Kickoff between Arkansas and No. 15 Tennessee is set for 3:15 p.m. on Saturday inside Razorback Stadium, with coverage on the SEC Network and the Razorback Sports Network.

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