Not Lot of History Changing Coordinators to Guess What Happens

Hogs' Kenny Guiton in honeymoon period, but is it enough to win rest of games?

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Nov 1, 2023 4:37 PM EDT
Original:
Nov 1, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Right now, everybody around Arkansas is enthusiastically optimistic with Kenny Guiton replacing Dan Enos as the offensive coordinator and basically simplifying things. There really isn't much choice unless you want to get depressed.

We usually have some sort of statistical baseline to make a projection on these things, but it is one of those rare situations that doesn't provide a whole lot to work with. In other words, it could go either way. Everybody is optimistic on these things that a fresh face is suddenly going to be a miracle worker.

With Guiton, it's about focusing on doing what they have done well and eliminate all the jumping around. Too many offensive coordinators these days over-think the whole thing. If something is working, they automatically assume the other side has a solution to it instead of making them prove they found the answer.

"Everybody is bought in," quarterback KJ Jefferson said Tuesday evening. "Everybody is excited to go out there and play for coach Guiton. He's excited as well to have an opportunity like this one he has coming up. Everybody is excited. Everybody is buying into the process of what he's trying to get done with the offensive side. Everybody is bought in. It's been a great environment."

Nothing surprising there at all. It's what you would expect to hear and in a program coached very well in speaking in circles nothing else was expected. Somehow, though, suddenly playing with more enthusiasm lasts about a quarter and a half. It's hard to change how you've been trained in months in just two weeks. Most of the time, the process isn't as simple as flipping a light switch.

We'll find out if it's the difference when the Razorbacks head to Florida on Saturday. The Hogs can't afford to lose any more games because they have to get six wins to qualify for any kind of bowl game. At 2-6 and only four games left, the math is pretty simple. Kickoff at The Swamp in Gainesville, Fla., where the Hogs have never won is 11 a.m. on ESPN2 and fuboTV.