Tim Cramsey On Arkansas' Turnover Issue: 'It Has To Stop'

OC says ball security ultimately comes down to players

Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey views his unit prior to the Tennessee game. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs On SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE — As Arkansas searches for answers in regard to turnovers, offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey made his frustrations clear on Tuesday.

"You can work it, you can work it, you can work it," Cramsey said. "You can do it well in practice. You got to do it Saturdays in the game, you know. And the individual who has that ball in his hands [has] got to do it Saturday in the game. I mean, we can coach it. We can talk it. We can show it on film. We can have a session in the FNS, which is our Friday night script in the meeting that shows the other team punching the ball out. Shows the other team taking the ball away. Shows the other team making plays in situations like that with the interceptions they had.

"We can coach all that up. At some point, it comes down to the guy who has the ball in his hands, holding on to that dang thing. Okay, it could come into the quarterback making the right decision, and if the guys cover, go on to your next read, and and that type of stuff. So you know, it's it. You got to stay the course with coaching the heck out of it. You got to stay the course with learning from it. Okay, but it has to stop."

Arkansas committed four turnovers in its 34-10 loss to Missouri, which the Tigers scored 24 points off of. Cramsey said the UA offense as a whole took a step back on Saturday.

"Four turnovers, seven drops, two touchdowns called back because of penalties," Cramsey said. "You can't do that. You can't take a step back when you're in the building process and you're taking a step forward, taking a step forward. You can't take those huge steps back."

Silver linings

If there was a silver lining from the offense on Saturday, it was WR Antonio Jordan, who once again stepped up in the absence of Chris Marshall. Despite a costly drop and a fumble in the fourth quarter, the Warren, Ark., native hauled in seven passes for 106 yards and caught a touchdown that was called back in the third quarter.

Oct 31, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Antonio Jordan (19) is tacked by Missouri Tigers safety Trajen Greco (4) and safety Santana Banner (15) during the third quarter Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's not known if Marshall will play for Arkansas against Auburn, but he and Jordan being on the field at the same time is an exciting prospect.

"There's a silver lining in everything," Cramsey said. "Chris being out the last two weeks... has given Antonio some playing experience. And again, I don't care how long you coach, how good of a coach you think you are, you can't coach experience. So he's starting to get more comfortable in there. He's starting to feel a little bit more positive where he's going, how he's going to get there, and then make plays when it comes his way. We have the ability to get those two guys on the field when healthy and when out there, Chris would be the moving piece. AJ, at his age, will play the one position, and Chris is the moving piece. And we can move him to the slot. We can move him to the Z receiver. We can move him around."

Old school

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

Saturday's game also saw Missouri's headsets go out late in the second quarter, which forced Arkansas to also remove its headsets. The Razorbacks scored their only touchdown of the game on the drive, which saw KJ Jackson complete a long pass to Jordan before the QB ran the ball into the end zone himself from two yards out.

"A hundred years ago when I was at FIU, lightning struck the headsets when we were playing Louisville, so I was actually in the booth at that point," Cramsey said. "I had to come down to the sidelines because they were done. So one side loses it; the other side has to be off it. So it was only out for the two plays. The pass that AJ caught down to the 2 was called prior to them saying their headsets were out.

"That's the first time I've seen them make everyone take their headsets off, or allegedly make everybody take their headsets off, on a certain side. And then the two plays on the goal line were were called from down on the sideline, which, that was my first time being a part of it. I was speaking as if they could hear me, but they couldn't hear me. They called the same plays I would have called."

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