Razorbacks Putting Texas in Rearview Mirror; Focus on Georgia Southern
Last year, the next game after a win wasn't a problem for Arkansas and Sam Pittman is confident that will be the case this season, too.
"We have proven in the past we can just flush whatever success — or however bad it may be — and go to the next week," he said at his Monday press conference. "I believe that is what we will do."
In recent history, these types of games have been trouble for the Razorbacks. Bret Bielema had notable lapses and Chad Morris couldn't figure it out over two seasons.
Pittman dodged comparisons. He sticks to the "coaching code" and doesn't throw his brethren or laugh at them ... at least in public.
He's facing a team in Georgia Southern that isn't very good. They were blown out 38-6 last week by Florida Atlantic after struggling to a 30-25 win over Gardner-Webb to open the season.
But they do have a tricky offense that teams don't see very often with a true triple option attack.
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"They have a different style of offense, and they have a lot of offense,” Pittman said. “They have every kind of option you could imagine. They run a gap scheme where they have a really big, nice back in No. 2 (Logan Wright), and they have another back in No. 5 that's a nice player (Amare Jones)."
Coaches throw out numbers because that's what they see on film. They get a roster for press conferences.
"Their entire offensive line and their tight end are back, so they understand what their coach is trying to get done," Pittman said. "They finished 8-5 last year. I think he's been to bowl games three years in a row. So, our defense is going to have to prepare for them."
The Hogs didn't wait until this week to start getting ready for the option game.
"We certainly prepared for them in fall camp," Pittman said Monday. "We had different individual periods and probably spent three to four different days working on their option. We didn't feel like we could get it all just like we wanted in one week."
Now the Hogs just have to avoid relaxing after a win over Texas that was emotional for the players and coaches just like the fans.
"I'm not one bit concerned about it and I'm not going to talk about it a lot," Pittman said. "From the way that we beat Mississippi State last year and went to Auburn and had that call at the end of the game.
"Our kids could have gotten the big head after Mississippi State, but they didn't. They played a good game against Auburn. That happened.
"They came back and beat Ole Miss. Went and played A&M pretty well last year."
Even though questions about Arkansas' game with Texas A&M came up during Monday's press conference, Pittman wasn't falling for that.
He knows the shine on that game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington will be duller if they faceplant this week against a team they should lead by 30 at halftime.
"We've got Georgia Southern first," he said a couple of times.
Which is where the priority should be.
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