Silverfield Still Has Arkansas’ Belief, Now He Must Get Them 'Over The Hump'

FAYETTEVILLE — Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield opened his press conference following Saturday's 26-23 loss at Auburn noticeably frustrated.

For the second time this season, the Razorbacks were on the verge of taking down an opponent as double-digit underdogs but couldn't find a way to keep their foot on the gas and finish them off.

"We're not playing good enough football to miss those opportunities," Silverfield said of the missed field goals and not finishing off long runs.

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Ryan Silverfield as Auburn Tigers takes on Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

But there were also reasons the Razorbacks were in position to win. Their defense held Auburn to three first-half points. When the Tigers finally took the lead late, Arkansas responded with a KJ Jackson touchdown pass to AJ Jordan to tie it up at 23 with less than two minutes to go.

Ultimately, Arkansas fell short once again, but it was the fact that when adversity stood in front of them, they were able to answer immediately. That should matter, at least in the grand scheme of things.

Falling short in crunch time isn't something new to the Arkansas program by any stretch because it's exactly what Silverfield inherited when he took the job, and he was aware of that coming in. Since 2012, the Razorbacks are 17-51 in one-score games and are 0-2 this season with losses to Tennessee (24-17) and Auburn on Saturday.

"I learned a long time ago that close doesn't matter except for horseshoes and hand grenades," Silverfield said. "But it does when you watch it and say, 'Man, we were that close.' Some of our games, we hadn't even given our chance to be in the game. Obviously, we gave ourselves a chance in all four quarters and didn't play as well as we need to in certain spots."

There is a difference between a coach accepting the result as a moral victory and using this as a building block for something more. He can certainly acknowledge that his team played well enough to win while also being frustrated that they couldn't finish the job.

Now it comes down to one question.

"But when we're there, how do we get this Arkansas football program over the hump?" Silverfield said. "Because we're showing we're capable. Teaching guys how to win and what that looks like and to finish. And that belief to know that everything is going to be good, that everything is going to be alright. That's my job to make sure that is instilled in these guys that we are capable."

"All losses are gutwrenching and frustrating but there's also, 'Alright man, we gave ourselves a chance.' I know good and well those guys in the locker room are going to pick themselves off the mat like they have and continue to come out fighting."

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And if you don't believe that, just ask the players inside the locker room if they're still invested in the big picture.

Cam Settles rushed for a career-high 16 carries for 100 yards, while Khmori House led the team with nine tackles and two tackles for loss. Both had reason to be disappointed after productive afternoons ended in another defeat, but neither sounded interested in wallowing in self-pity instead of closing out the season strong.

"At this point, we've been through losses, we've been through hardships," House said. "Bro, we are going to be together. It is what it is. We're going to finish the season out strong."

House led a defensive effort that disrupted Auburn's tempo through three quarters and gave Arkansas plenty of opportunities to build a bigger lead. Settles mentioned his team has to finish drives while also keeping their attention on what's ahead even after the tough losses.

"Just like [House] said, we're going to keep building off of this," Settles said. "We're working for another win. It's not like we're going to lose any attention for another game. We've gotta go out and practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday ... do it again and do it better."

That might be the most encouraging part coming out of the loss as this team hasn't lost its competitive spirit with three games remaining.

That level of frustration can make an already bad season considerably worse, but there's something to be said for Silverfield to still have his players willing to show up, put in the work and believe something good can come from it.

Silverfield's job in all of this is to set this team up for success in the moments that decide games. That includes deciding whether another 50-plus-yard field goal attempt, a draw on third-and-six or a slow-developing pass play against an aggressive defensive front gives Arkansas its best chance to succeed.

Sure, Cramsey calls the plays, but as a CEO-style head coach, Silverfield is also wearing a headset. If he sees something that puts his team in a difficult spot, he has to speak up before another opportunity is wasted.

There is something promising about a team that answers a late touchdown with one of its own and walks out of another loss still determined to keep working. Silverfield has players who believe they can help him change the outcome.

Now, they just have to figure out how to take matters into their own hands and make next Saturday matter.

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