Sunday Hog Slop: Arkansas Can't Keep 'Chasing Ghosts' And Ignore What's Right in Front of Them

FAYETTEVILLE — I've kind of given up on this season, but really didn't want to.

No, a victory over Vanderbilt didn't clear up anything we didn't already know about Arkansas football in 2026, it just prolonged the inevitable of Arkansas spiraling out of control. At least for two weeks, fans could bask in the idea that the Razorbacks had turned the corner with a 31-21 win at Vanderbilt.

The Razorbacks didn't give up a sack, found some semblance of a rushing attack and played a turnover free ball game in Nashville.

Perhaps Arkansas has amnesia or something because the same team they've trotted onto the field midway through October isn't the one they closed the month with in a 34-10 loss at home to Missouri. The way the offense is called looks like something even a local pee-wee would stay away from.

There's no identity, rhythm to play calling, and nothing to truly execute play after play. I haven't even looked at the blocking grades from Pro Football Focus, but there's obviously something Missouri saw on the tape that Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and his staff saw because they brough immense pressure that the Razorbacks weren't prepared to account for.

"I mean, [Missouri] played with a one high look almost entire game," Silverfield said postgame. "And like I said, he was a 6% blitz defensive coordinator on base downs out of 272 times. He he blitzed nine times if my math is correct. And so, but tonight they loaded up and offensive line didn't do a good enough job of handling it."

That shouldn't be too big of an excuse, considering the Razorbacks haven't done a good enough job at protection, especially at both tackle spots this season. Pressure has even come through the interior gaps at points and as a coaching staff that has seen that repeatedly throughout the season, the offensive llne should've been beter prepared for it.

Until Arkansas is able to go out and prove they can run the ball at will or simply more effectively, opponents are going to stack the box. Silverfield knows that, and believed he had prepared his offense enough to combat what they would see against Missouri, and that was simply not the case on Saturday.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson looks to throw against Missouri. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs On SI Images

"Like, what we don't want to do is start chasing... I'll try [not] to sound funny....but start chasing ghosts, you know, like you can't do that," Silverfield said. "Okay, they could create this and we did. We we showed more pressure versus our guys this week than they've shown. A lot of them is because teams are saying, 'hey, we dare you to throw the football. We're going to stop your run game and we dare you to throw the football.'

"And you know, we saw teams started rolling coverage to Chris Marshall and he's out. And then all of a sudden, you go into another game and, you know, Jaden Platt, who continues to deal with injury. Chris Marshall's out. You know, they're going to try to take away your best guys and figure that thing out.

"So we got to be prepared. We we're gonna assume that Auburn's going to blitz the heck out of us, play some man freeze, cover three stuff, and go from there. But yeah,
that's it's what we're seeing this season. Until we have the ability to push the ball down the field vertically, we're going to continue to see it."

There's a difference between chasing ghosts, and adjusting to exactly what you've observed nearly the whole season. Arkansas has struggled in all facets of the game, and can't even execute in areas that this coaching staff prides themselves on.

Sure, there's only so much Silverfield and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey can do when players aren't executing, receivers are dropping passes and the offensive line can't consistently win at the point of attack.

Arkansas Razorbacks left tackle Kavion Broussard lines up before a play against Missouri. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs On SI Images

But isn't that part of coaching, too?

If teams are going to load the box and bring more pressure than men to account for, then it's up to Cramsey to find ways to may defenses pay.

Throw quick slants, bubble screens, or even move the pocket to get away from the pressure long enough to get a better throw off. Football isn't rocket science, and putting your personnel in position to succeed has to be at the top of that.

Unfortunately, that's not been the case all season for Arkansas and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.

It's not like Cramsey's scheme is archaic either. It's simply nonexistent and it doesn't seem like anyone knows what they're being asked to do. Well, unless it's being told to go long and Jackson will toss it up to you down the boundary, that's the only time anyone looks comfortable in their role.

That's been the case all season.

And if Silverfield is content to ride it out with Cramsey in 2027 instead of changing things up after what has been an epic failure, the decision will be an indictment of his tenure. It will also further widen the divide between a loyal fanbase, administration and beyond.

Perhaps the Hogs' first-year coach might be chasing the wrong ghosts, because athletics director Hunter Yurachek and chancellor Charles Robinson apparently are.

Sign up to our free newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google