Sam Pittman delivers emotional message after Outback Bowl victory over Penn State

When Arkansas hired Sam Pittman to take the helm of the Razorbacks in 2020, the program was in complete turmoil.

Arkansas had just fired Chad Morris after two short years at the helm, and Morris’ tenure was abysmal: Arkansas won just four games in his two-year stretch, neither of which were SEC games. Arkansas had not won a single SEC game since the 2017 season, and the Razorbacks’ losing streak just kept piling up. Pittman’s first task? A COVID-impacted 2020 season, in which his schedule featured just 10 games — each of which against an SEC team. And yet, somehow, Pittman managed to win three of those games, going 3-7 in his first year at the helm, playing only the best schools in the country.

This year, Pittman once again exceeded expectations. But this performance was far more spectacular, as Arkansas finished the regular season with an 8-4 record — including wins over then-No. 7 Texas A&M and then-No. 15 Texas — en route to an Outback Bowl berth. There, Arkansas took care of business against Penn State, winning 24-10 and improving to 9-4 on the year.

“It’s hard (to explain the feeling). Like I said a long time ago, I used to be one of the people in the stands. To some people this might be a big, big, huge win. Some people may think it’s the Outback Bowl, it’s not the national championship. To me it’s as big as you can get to our players,” Pittman said after the Outback Bowl win. “We’ve come a long way. We are really pleased of how the Arkansas people followed us here, the folks. I know they spent their hard-earned money to get out here. We’re so appreciative of that.”

Arkansas sure has come a long way under Pittman’s guidance. The 2021 season marked the Razorbacks’ first bowl appearance since the 2015 Belk Bowl under Bret Bielema, and Pittman led them to their first bowl victory since Bielema won the Liberty Bowl in 2015. Arkansas started the season off on an even higher note, going 4-0 and at one point climbing as high as No. 8 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Pittman needed just two seasons to climb that high in the rankings, and it’s a number that the Razorbacks had not eclipsed since the 2012 season.

“You know what I’m going to say. That feeling of tomorrow morning, you’re in University of Arkansas, you’re in our state of Arkansas, you’re proud of the Razorbacks,” Pittman said. “That’s what I felt whenever they were giving KJ his trophy and the team ours.”

Quarterback KJ Jefferson deserved that MVP trophy in Arkansas’ 24-10 win over Penn State. He only completed 14 passes on 19 attempts for just 98 yards, no touchdowns and an interception, but as has been the case for much of the 2021 season, Jefferson was most dangerous on the ground. Not only was he able to frequently keep plays alive with his feet, but Jefferson also eclipsed the century mark — leading all Arkansas rushers — with his 20 carries for 110 rushing yards and one touchdown. Pittman was proud of Jefferson, and rightly so. But for now, the state of Arkansas is most proud of Pittman.