What REALLY Happened on Late Call to Go for First Down After Timeout
No, Sam Pittman didn't over-rule Kendal Briles late in the game against Alabama on a fourth-down call.
Fans have been arguing about that on social media and online message boards since Saturday along with the usual Lunatic Fringe of Hogs Nation wailing about officials' calls.
Facing a fourth-and-11 from it's own 34, Arkansas first appeared to be punting the ball away with time running out fast and trailing the Crimson Tide, 42-28.
Pittman had time to think about it. He decided to go for whatever chance was left to have a shot at winning the game.
"We had played such a good game," he said at his Monday press conference. "We were 14 down and if we don't make it they are going to score again and a chance they could beat us by 21 and that's not going to be the tell-tale."
Instead, after a timeout, quarterback KJ Jefferson found tight end Trey Knox (who else in a late drive) for a 16-yard gain to midfield.
The Razorbacks scored with 1:02 left in the game to at least make it a one-touchdown game and have a shot, but couldn't get the onsides kick.
"I ain't giving these kids a chance to win," Pittman said of his thought process at the time. "If I do this they are going to hold it against me and I'm going to hold it against myself forever, no matter what the outcome is. We gotta play to win and that's exactly what happened."
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