'What Flavor Do We Get?': Arkansas OC Change Has Florida Wondering

Arkansas will debut a new offensive coordinator, following a bye week transition, against Florida on Saturday.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Things haven't gone as planned in Fayetteville this season. 

After producing back-to-back winning seasons and bowl game victories — recording those individual feats for the first time since 2015-16 and 2014-15, respectively — few expected Arkansas to be 2-6 and a lifeless 0-5 in conference play to begin head coach Sam Pittman's fourth season in charge.

With a veteran, Preseason All-SEC First-or-Second-Team quarterback (depending on the outlet) leading the unit in KJ Jefferson, the Razorbacks' offense was specifically expected to push the program closer to its former glory this year: contending for a spot in meaningful postseason action.

But after averaging fewer than three yards per rushing attempt and being limited to 26.5 points and sub-200 passing yards per game, Pittman fired Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos before the team's bye week, eight games into the play-caller's second stint with the team.

"I think it's a big part of the story this week relative to the prep," Florida head coach Billy Napier admitted about Arkansas' coordinator change on Monday. The Gators will host the Razorbacks for their first game without Enos on Saturday.

Kenny Guiton — a former quarterback at Ohio State from 2009-13, who joined Pittman's staff as wide receivers coach ahead of the 2021 season — was promoted to interim offensive coordinator after Enos' dismissal. 

Pittman closed the team's practices to the media this week in an effort to prevent exposing a rookie play-caller in Guiton to additional pressure, the head coach told reporters on Monday.

Additionally, Pittman shared, Arkansas has reduced its playbook by "about 30%" in its preparation to play Florida, so as to field an offense that plays in unison more consistently.

"What I wanted to do was make sure we brought life back into the program, brought enthusiasm back into the program, accountability," Pittman said. "I'm not saying we didn't have any of that before because it makes me sound like I'm blaming a guy, and I'm not. I already spoke about Dan and my respect for him. But something has to change, so I feel like we've done that."

The Gators are undefeated at home this season, 4-0, and have long been considered the favorites in the upcoming matchup. But despite the Razorbacks' underwhelming record, they've played teams close throughout their entire six-game losing streak, five of which ended in a one-score deficit that averaged out to 4.8 points.

Arkansas has lost to the three ranked teams on its slate — by the debut 2023 College Football Playoff Rankings, No. 14 LSU, No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 8 Alabama — by an average of 4.3 points. Those games were each away from Fayetteville. 

Florida can't afford to take Arkansas or Pittman's midseason staff shakeup lightly, given the Hogs' propensity to play up to their opponent in a hostile environment. Given Guiton's inexperience as a play-caller, the Razorbacks' offensive game tape has become less reliable for coordinator Austin Armstrong and the Gators' defense to study. 

Guiton's tendencies as a coordinator are unknown, and to his benefit, he's had an extra week to develop positive habits and sharpen his preferred concepts in the practice setting. 

"What flavor do we get?" Napier pondered. "With an open date, I think that magnifies that a little bit." 

Napier believes, however, that Pittman will influence Guiton's offense. Considering Pittman's past as an offensive line coach, Napier anticipates physical play from the unit and perhaps an uptick in the rushing game. 

Although his ground production is down this year, Jefferson has accumulated 1,629 yards and 20 touchdowns rushing over his four-plus seasons with Arkansas. All-SEC Hogs running back Raheim Sanders, who has scored 20 total touchdowns in 29 career games, was expected to return to practice on Monday after missing five contests with a knee injury, per Pittman. 

"Coach Pittman is an offensive line coach. His teams are tough. Certainly I think there will be an element of that. He'll have some imprint on the offense," Napier suggested. "I think ultimately for us, we're going to have to find the right balance of prep in terms of what we expose the players to, but also being ready to adjust within the game." 

Florida's defense, which this season ranked No. 13 out of 133 in yards allowed to FBS teams per game through Week 3 (289) but fell to No. 48 following Week 9 (365.1), will serve as Guiton and Co's first test at noon ET on Saturday, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.  

"I do think they're a lot closer than their record indicates," Napier said of Arkansas. "This will be a challenge." 

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