In the midst of a four-game losing streak, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman knows his team is nearing an inflection point for the season.
The Razorbacks play Alabama on Saturday in Week 7 in a matchup that has seen the Crimson Tide win the last 15 meetings. Alabama’s No. 10 ranking entering the 2023 iteration combined with Arkansas’ skid suggest the four-game streak will likely turn into five.
The question is what happens after Alabama.
“I think it goes back to, you’re going to get through it or you’re going to fight through it” Pittman said.
Arkansas has seen teams get through it before. Chad Morris’ teams didn’t win a single conference game in his two seasons of 2018 and 2019. In the final two games of the former, Arkansas lost 52-6 and 38-0. In the latter season, after three straight games lost by one possession, the Razorbacks lost their next five by a combined 174 points.
This year’s Hogs have lost three of the four during the streak by one posssession and the other by 12 points. Normally, a one-possession loss to Alabama would be seen a positive. Just not this year.
The trick, Pittman said, is to avoid just surviving.
“How long can you just hang to the rope instead of fighting?” Pittman said. “I think we’ve got a group of fighters. I think we’ll be fine.”