We are in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer. SEC Media Days is right around the corner. Before we get into preseason mode, let’s get our minds right for the upcoming college football season by taking a 10,000-foot view of every SEC football team.
For our final chapter in the SEC Snapshot series, we’re taking a closer look at an uncommon opponent. Since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991, the Razorbacks and Wildcats have only met on the gridiron eight times. Mark Stoops has only faced Arkansas once. It was the first game of the Bowden Ball era. The wide receiver turned quarterback threw a touchdown and rushed for two more in a 24-20 win on Jared Lorenzen Day at Kroger Field in 2019.
What’s in store for Sam Pittman’s program in 2025? It could get ugly.
SEC Snapshot: Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, Missouri
Preseason Rankings
SP+: 38
Returning Production: 64
Win Total: 5.5
Who’s the Quarterback?
As Pittman’s seat got warmer, the head coach made a risky move by bringing in a risky offensive coordinator, former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino. Looking for a dynamic quarterback to turn around the offense, he rolled the dice with Boise State transfer Taylen Green.
Green was exceptional in many ways, one of only five quarterbacks in the SEC with more than 3,000 yards passing. He also had 602 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Coupled with a 60.2% completion rate, it all sounds spectacular, right? Well, he only threw 15 touchdowns while accounting for 17 turnovers.
It’s clear that Green can be one of the most exciting playmakers in the SEC. He had more than 450 total yards against Oklahoma State! But the floor can bottom out, a problem Petrino must solve this offseason. If they get it right, Arkansas has one of the best offensive coordinator-quarterback 1-2 punches in the SEC.
Main Storyline: Arkansas is in Purgatory
Kentucky football fans are disgruntled with Mark Stoops after the program failed to meet expectations for three straight seasons. That dip isn’t as wild as the roller coaster Arkansas fans are riding.
Pittman’s second season ended with a win in the Outback Bowl. Two years later, they were 4-8. Folks were ready to pack his bags, then he scratched and clawed his way to six wins, thanks to a victory at Auburn and an upset of No. 4 Tennessee.
The Hogs are just good enough to be competitive, and also bad enough to disappoint fans every other week.
Biggest Question: Why does Arkansas always have the hardest schedule in football?
“It’s a tale as old as time. The toughest schedule around, that’s the Arkansas Razorback way.” That was from friend of the program, John Nabors, who’s closely followed the Hogs his whole life. You don’t have to be a diehard Razborack to know that.
Almost every year Sam Pittman takes the podium at SEC Media Days, the first thing he addresses is the difficult schedule. You can’t really blame him either.
They lose home games to neutral sites. Arkansas has just one win over Texas A&M since the series moved to Jerry World in 2012. This year it’s returning to home stadiums, but the Hogs are still playing a “home game” in Little Rock against Butch Jones’ Arkansas State team that won eight games last year.
The SEC schedule is daunting enough. They’ll also host Notre Dame and travel to the Liberty Bowl to play Memphis. In college football, you are a prisoner of your schedule. Somebody needs to give Sam Pittman and nail-file.
Arkansas Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 30 | Alabama A&M | Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
| Sat, Sep 6 | Arkansas State | Little Rock – War Memorial Stadium |
| Sat, Sep 13 | Ole Miss | Vaught‑Hemingway Stadium |
| Sat, Sep 20 | Memphis | Liberty Bowl |
| Sat, Sep 27 | Notre Dame | Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
| Sat, Oct 4 | Bye Week | — |
| Sat, Oct 11 | Tennessee | Neyland Stadium |
| Sat, Oct 18 | Texas A&M | Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
| Sat, Oct 25 | Auburn | Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
| Sat, Nov 1 | Mississippi State | Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
| Sat, Nov 8 | Bye Week | — |
| Sat, Nov 15 | LSU | Tiger Stadium |
| Sat, Nov 22 | Texas | DKR‑Texas Memorial Stadium |
| Sat, Nov 29 | Missouri | Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
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