Pittman Promises Hogs Won't Fall Victim By Taking Small Schools Lightly

Razorbacks look to avoid unfortunate fate against non-Power 5 schools

Author:
Daniel Shi
Publish date:
Aug 29, 2023 12:36 AM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark, — Arkansas opens with Western Carolina and Kent State on the schedule to start the season. Many fans are already looking ahead to bigger marquee match-ups later on in the slate. However, Coach Sam Pittman made it clear that going into his fourth season, the team was not going to do that.

"There are some things that are concerning," Pittman said. "How we've played against non-logo schools ... We didn't play well against Missouri State last year. We're not playing opponents; we're trying to play our best ball."

History shows the problem goes beyond last year. Taking a trip down memory lane, there are plenty of losses and close calls that serve as a guide on what NOT to do the next two weekends.

2015: Toledo 16, #18 Arkansas 12
Well, let's hope that the only thing in common with this game and the game against Western Carolina this weekend is that they are both played at War Memorial Stadium. Coming off an emphatic win in the 2014 Texas Bowl against the University of Texas, the Hogs came into the season ranked and looked good enough the week prior against UTEP. Disaster struck in week 2. Former Alabama quarterback Phillip Ely marched into Little Rock and stunned Brandon Allen and the Hogs, who could never quite get off the ground.

2017: Arkansas 39, Coastal Carolina 38
Head coach Bret Bielema already had plenty of questions surrounding his future with the program at this point. This was the game that extinguished any hope of him coming back. The Hogs needed a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Cole Kelley with 1:55 left to beat a 1-7 Coastal Carolina team.

2018: Colorado State 34, Arkansas 27
If fans thought things were going to be better under new coach Chad Morris, those thoughts were quickly dispelled as Arkansas watched a 27-9 lead disappear. Colorado State scored 25 unanswered points, including 17 in the fourth quarter. A bad omen of what was to come in a 2-10 season.

2018: North Texas 44, Arkansas 17
Mason Fine and the Mean Green stormed into town and took no prisoners. Fine threw for 281 yards and North Texas procured their first win over an SEC school since 1975 (21-14 @ Tennessee). The coup de grâce was when John Stephen Jones, Jerry Jones's grandson, threw a pick-six in garbage time. It also may have hurt a bit to see Arkansas show up on the bad end of one of the most iconic fake-outs in punt return history.

2019: San Jose State 31, Arkansas 24

If 2018 was bad, what would that make 2019? Unwatchable? Arkansas came into the game favored by three touchdowns and never led the entire game as quarterback Nick Starkel threw five interceptions, including one with 1:13 left in the game to seal the Hogs' fate. In an odd twist, the following season, Starkel took over as the San Jose St. quarterback, leading the Spartans to seven straight wins, including a victory over Boise St. in the Mountain West championship game. His 2,174 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2020 far surpassed his season at Arkansas by 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns despite starting one more game for Morris.

2019: Western Kentucky 45, Arkansas 19

Charleston, Ark. native and former Razorback starter Ty Storey came back in a different uniform and obliterated his former team. The only silver lining is that Jones was swapped out in favor of KJ Jefferson at quarterback midway through the second quarter. Well, look where we are now. As for Storey, much like Starkel, he improved dramatically by getting away from Morris. He too threw for 1,000 more yards and led his team to only two losses, going 9-2. Both Storey and Starkel led their teams to bowl games after leaving Arkansas.

2022: #10 Arkansas 38, Missouri State 27

This one is probably guilty of being on here because of recency bias, but it's clear that this game still sticks out in Pittman's head. When the network cameras panned around the stadium with 12:04 left to go in the fourth quarter, the utter shock of Bobby Petrino coming back to town with an FCS squad and taking a 10-point lead was too much to bear. If not for some late Jefferson heroics, Arkansas would have been the first team ranked inside the AP top 10 to lose to an FCS program since 2007 (Appalachian State vs. #5 Michigan).

2022: #23 Liberty 21, Arkansas 19

This game isn't as bad as some make it out to be. A ranked Hugh Freeze-led team came into town with a future NFL draft pick quarterback in Malik Willis. Arkansas' season had already gone off the rails at this point. A potential game-tying two-point conversion with just over a minute left went to instant replay and went against the Hogs. The offense was unable to atone for their putrid start.

With a brutal SEC schedule following the opening three-game non-conference stanza, there is no room for error this year in "winnable" games. If the Hogs want to make a bowl, much less compete for more than that, they must maintain their focus no matter who's on the other sideline.

"We've got to get back that physicality and play our heart out every week," Pittman said. "Goal-wise, I think the wins and losses will take care of itself. I do think we have a talented team."