Silverfield Trying to Fix Razorbacks' Old Problems One Detail at a Time

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — From the very beginning, Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield has talked about taking care of the things they can control.

Whether it comes down to effort, ball security, or responding to what's being required shows a team coming together that's ready to battle at every single snap.

Silverfield will say, "this isn't coach speak" but proceed to be buttoned up about his approach. However, there's evidence that a different culture is beginning to take shape inside the Razorbacks' locker room.

Just doing the small things correctly, repetitively, will go a long way to re-establish Arkansas as a quality SEC team.

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— Arkansas Football 🐗 (@RazorbackFB) August 19, 2026

"We’ve talked about this all along. Again, this is not coach speak. We want to be the best that we could possibly be in being really good at controlling the controllables," Silverfield said last Sunday. "The things that I’m really pleased with are the effort. Again, I don’t ever want to talk about what’s occurred in the past, but everybody understands it’s completely different, right.

"The way we’re commanding the effort, the way we’re demanding it, running to the football, being passionate about playing. I think those things are showing up day in and day out. I think that’s what’s pleasing to me."

One scrimmage doesn't answer every single question, but taking care of business for the second straight weekend can go a long way to players completely buying in as Week One nears.

Arkansas has been among the most penalized and turnover prone programs over the past several years, which is the polar opposite of Memphis under Silverfield in that same span.

While he won't acknowledge the past with the Razorbacks often, he'll reference it as a building block to this year's team. Because fans are going to compare what they've seen against how the current team is performing.

Those old mistakes, whatever they might have looked like early on in practices, aren't reoccurring. Perhaps that a sign of a well-rounded team in the scrimmage Saturday night.

If Arkansas takes care of the football and responds well to whatever is thrown at it under the lights of Razorback Stadium, perhaps Silverfield's rebuild can work like epoxy filling the cracks in wood, repairing what has been broken while making it stronger in the process.

"A lot of the same mistakes are not reoccurring, which is huge. Mistakes are going to occur all the time,' Silverfield said. "Let’s make sure they’re not the same mistakes that occur from practice three that show up in practice five. That’s on us as coaches to get that fixed. But I’ve been pleased with that."

Wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield gives new Head Coach Ryan Silverfield a low-five during the team's first fall practice. — Wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield gives new Head Coach Ryan Silverfield a low-five during the team's first fall practice on Aug. 5. | Arkansas Razorbacks official X account

Silverfield has intentionally tried to manufacture uncomfortable situations throughout fall camp. Quarterbacks have dealt with artificial crowd noise, the offense has worked through two-minute situations, ball security drills, challenged by the 100-degree temperatures and players have been challenged to respond when practices don't unfold exactly according to script.

Now, the Razorbacks get another opportunity to prove those lessons are sticking by playing a disciplined brand of football for another scrimmage. Much of that has to do with the brotherhood Silverfield has preached about building in the locker room all offseason.

Camaraderie has become an important word for this Razorbacks team, and Silverfield believes that bond can go a long way toward determining how his players respond when things don't go right.

"Another goal we had was the camaraderie. Building that. People [say], “What’s that matter anymore?” It’s huge in training camp and the limited deal. We had 12 days to get 10 practices in. That camaraderie that we built and seeing those guys come together, that’s huge."

Silverfield will know much more about whether the culture he's spent an offseason building is beginning to show up where it matters most, on the football field.

"We’re going to face a lot of talented teams, but are we the actual best team out there when we take the field," Silverfield said. "Are we the closest? Do we win? Do we play for the brothers? Do we care about each other? I don’t mind talking about, do we love each other? That stuff’s huge to me. I think we got to see that come together.

"We've got to care of the football and tackle better. The tackling today, as the scrimmage flowed, guys getting tired, it’s different. Hey, play a rack of four, go to the sideline, get a shot of Gatorade, come back out four minutes later. Man, all of a sudden those drives, where’s the technique and fundamentals? We’re in good shape, but you can only get that measurement in a scrimmage."

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