Sam Pittman was directly asked the question at the heart of all Arkansas faithful.
How did it get this bad?
The Razorbacks lost Mississippi State, 7-3, on Saturday. The only points came on a 26-yard field goal after a 29-yard drive on the first possession of the game. Arkansas was only in such a spot because of an interception by a Razorbacks defense that is among the best in the country.
The Hogs offense? Not that. In fact, Arkansas’ 257 yards a game ranks 121st in FBS. Only four power-conference teams are worse. One of them, Brigham Young, beat Arkansas at the start of the Razorbacks’ current six-game losing streak.
“When you get a four-yard run, I’m not positive that’s a celebration but it has become that way,” coach Sam Pittman said. “You asking me how it’s become that way, I don’t not want to answer it, but I don’t know that I have the perfect answer for it, either.”
Saddest for Arkansas is that the program has seen this before. Chad Morris, the coach Pittman replaced in 2020, didn’t make it through two seasons before being fired. His teams went 2-10 both years, the worst two records in Arkansas history. Back in 2013, John L. Smith’s Arkansas team won just four games a year after the best season the Hogs had since the turn of the century.
In other words, potentially four of the most dour seasons of Arkansas football ever have come in the span of 10 years.
Pittman and this year’s team have a chance to fix things. Four games remain, including three at home, one of which comes against lowly Florida International. But even if Arkansas beats the Panthers and no one else, that’s just three wins and likely the worst offense since the forward-pass became a key cog.