Week 1 Means More Than It Should for Arkansas, Silverfield

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There was a time that North Alabama used to roll opponents up as members of the Gulf South Conference with the second-most playoff wins in DII history and 12 league championships.

Between Bobby Wallace, Mark Hudspeth, and Terry Bowden, the Lions roared every season and a place that attracted former FBS transfers such as Florida's Janoris Jenkins.

Yes, the same Jenkins who went on to become a second round pick at No. 39 overall in 2012.

North Alabama coach Brent Dearmon before the FCS Kickoff held at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday August 26, 2023. | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

What would be the greatest win in school history against an Arkansas team, the Lions, led by Jenkins, travelled to Magnolia to play Southern Arkansas. The game that was tied at 14 apiece midway through the third quarter until an 89-yard touchdown return by the former SEC defensive back led to UNA outscoring the Muleriders 35-0 the rest of the way.

Now, life hasn't always been that easy for a once proud Lions program, going 28-67 over the past decade. The jump to FCS competition hasn't been fair to UNA at all even with noted offensive mind Brent Dearmon at the helm since 2023.

After Dearmon's team finished 2-10 overall in 2026, he was brought back for a fourth season with the pressure to win now, and he feels that urgency.

"It's a must-win season in a brand new stadium and my fourth year here," Dearmon said last week. "Week 0 on, every game is a must-win game. It's a playoff-like season for us, and especially for me.

"I'm going to bear that weight and bear that stress. I don't want our staff or players to feel that way. It's more of how I'm going to attack every day. It's a 'must-win day' every day, must-win summer, must-win fall camp. So, I definitely understand the urgency we have."

That urgency isn’t unique to Florence, (Ala.) either. It exists in Fayetteville as well.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield at spring practice. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

First-year Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield inherits a program coming off its own 2-10 season, one that has spent years searching for consistency, identity and relevance in the SEC. Now, expectations may differ externally, but internally, the pressure feels familiar.

Both programs carry history, and have fallen well short of the mark.

While Dearmon needs some sort of success this fall, Silverfield desperately needs progress in his first season. At no other time in program history has there been more of a disconnect between fans and the Razorbacks' football program, but that's what it feels like even as the Razorbacks' first-year coach attempts to salvage support throughout the offseason.

UNA will get a tune-up game against in-state foe Samford in Week 0 action, but for Arkansas it's certainly more than that.

Silverfield and his staff will be looking to make a statement Sept. 5 against the Lions before pressing on to Utah in what can be a make-or-break game for the 2026 season.

What makes this opener intriguing isn’t the talent gap on paper, but the mindset both teams will bring with them.

For North Alabama, this is a measuring stick, and a chance to prove progress is real after years of struggles at the FCS level.

Dearmon’s message is clear that urgency isn’t a talking point, but the standard set for himself.

For Arkansas, it's validation that Silverfield's team can still compete with the best by playing a clean brand of football predicated on discipline, effort and urgency.

Arkansas Razorbacks fan reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. - | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Silverfield won't receive a signature victory in Week 1, but what he can do is build toward something that has been missing inside Razorback Stadium.

The Razorbacks have struggled with execution. Turnovers, ill-advised decision making, clock management from coaches, and even going shotgun on 4th-and-inches.

Those days are long gone now, and Silverfield is set on changing the narrative in Fayetteville right away.

“Give us a fighting chance,” Silverfield said at his introductory press conference. “I promise you we’re going to win a lot of football games, and do it the right way. You are gonna have a bunch of guys [who are] tough, resilient, love each other and work really hard to make this state proud."

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Braylen Russell during spring practices. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

However, if the Razorbacks struggle in Week 1 against one of the worst teams in the FCS, even briefly, the noise will only grow louder heading into a brutal stretch that begins with a road game out west against the Utes the following week.

Call-in sports radio shows across the state will express their concern.

Plus, social media will be nearly unbearable to read if Arkansas does struggle, and that's understandable.

That’s what makes this game more than just a season opener.

Week 1 is the first look at whether Arkansas is ready to no longer take its football program for granted or simply resetting the same cycle with a different face at the forefront.

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