Hard to Not See Parallels Between Morris, Silverfield's First Season at UA

No Arkansas fan need be reminded, nor do they want to be reminded, about the 2018 Razorback football season.

Chad Morris' first season in Fayetteville was an abject disaster. It was Arkansas' first two-win season since the Hogs went 2-8 under Otis Douglas in 1952. It was Arkansas' first winless season in conference play since 1942, when it went 0-6 in Southwest Conference competition under George Cole.

It was a 2-10 (0-8 SEC) season full comprised of a quarterback carousel, four losses of 30 points or more, a complete collapse in Little Rock against Ole Miss and perhaps most embarassing of all, a 44-17 loss to North Texas in Fayetteville.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield talks to his team after the spring game at Razorback Stadium. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Needless to say, most UA faithful have scrubbed that season from memory. But one can't help but notice the parallels between the 2018 season and the upcoming 2026 season for first-year head coach Ryan Silverfield.

Let's start with the obvious: Silverfield, like Morris in 2018, will be in his first season at Arkansas. Neither coach has led a Power Four (then Power Four in regard to Morris) program before.

But there are several other unnerving coincidences. Both coaches are currently presiding over a battle at the quarterback position. In 2018, it was Ty Storey battling Cole Kelley; this year, it's AJ Hill vs KJ Jackson.

Both Morris and Silverfield chose offensive and defensive coordinators with SEC experience. Morris brought in John Chavis, who was the DC at Tennessee, LSU and Texas A&M before coming to Fayetteville. Silverfield has brought in Ron Roberts, who was the defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2023 and Florida from 2024-25.

Former Florida Gators defensive coordinator Ron Roberts — Former Florida Gators executive head coach Ron Roberts looks on during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 6, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the offensive side of the ball, Morris brought former SMU OC Joe Craddock with him to Fayetteville, while Silverfield brought former Memphis OC Tim Cramsey in.

The unsettling trends don't stop there, however. Arkansas' 2018 schedule and its 2026 slate have several similarities as well.

Just as it did in 2018, Arkansas will open its 2026 slate with an FCS opponent before traveling out west for a Week 2 road game. In 2018, Arkansas lost a 34-27 heartbreaker to Colorado State. It'll look to avoid a similar fate this year against Utah in Salt Lake City.

Arkansas will have a home game against Tulsa this year and travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium just as it did in 2018 while also hosting LSU.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield shows players a technique during spring practice at the Arkansas Razorbacks practice facilities. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Unlike 2018, however, the Razorbacks won't get more than two consecutive home games. They had five in a row in 2018, not including a neutral-site game against Texas A&M.

The schedule will work out as it did in 2018 in regard to games played in Fayetteville, however, as Arkansas will play at Razorback Stadium seven times this season as it did eight years ago.

These are all just coincidences, and mostly surface level similarities that may not matter in the grand scheme of things this fall. Razorback fans are certainly hoping Silverfield can produce a much better 2026 campaign that Morris' 2018 season.

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