Nick Saban praises Sam Pittman for Arkansas' improvement
After going just 3-7 overall while playing an SEC-only schedule last season, Arkansas has significantly turned things around in 2021. The Razorbacks are currently 7-3 on the year with a 3-3 mark in SEC play and are riding a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s game at No. 2 ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
To Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, he credits Arkansas coach Sam Pittman for the improvement the Razorbacks have made this season, saying that Pittman’s really worked hard to turn things around in Fayetteville.
“Sam Pittman has done a fantastic job, I think, with this team in the two years that he’s been there,” Saban said Monday during his weekly press conference. “They’re probably as improved as much from last year to this year as anybody in the country. They’ve had some great wins over some very good SEC teams. They’ve got really good players.”
Arkansas, which is coming off a 16-13 overtime win at LSU, started the season 4-0 with marquee victories over a pair of ranked opponents in Texas and Texas A&M. Of the Razorbacks’ three losses on the year to Georgia, Ole Miss and Auburn, they lost by just a single point to the Rebels and by a pair of touchdowns against the Tigers.
Since that three-game skid took place from Oct. 2-Oct. 16, Pittman’s squad – currently ranked No. 25 in the College Football Playoff Top 25 – has put together three straight wins over UAPB, Mississippi State and LSU from Oct. 23-Nov. 13 and is heading into the big-time matchup vs. Alabama with plenty of momentum.
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Nick Saban says Alabama can’t overlook Razorbacks
Although Alabama is a 20.5-point favorite coming into the game, coach Nick Saban has made it clear that this Arkansas team isn’t the same Arkansas team as last season.
“These guys try to go fast, they’re a tempo team,” Saban said of the Razorbacks. “They play winning football, they’re very effective at running the ball on offense, they don’t turn it over, they get off the field on third down, they play good pass defense, they’ve got good specialists … they really do a good job all the way around.
“We’re going to have to be at our best and certainly prepare that way this week for this game.”
No. 2 Alabama and No. 25 Arkansas kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. CBS will be carrying the national television broadcast.