Sam Pittman says what Arkansas has to do to defeat Texas
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman spoke on what his Razorbacks will have to do in order to defeat No.15 Texas on Saturday.
“We have to start fast,” Pittman said. “We have to get our quarterback rolling. We have to build confidence in him. I liked our offensive line play last week, I thought we played well. I love our defense I think they’re going to play well. I think we match up well with them because they’re so talented on offense especially at the skill positions, Texas is. We got to start fast and build some confidence. To be totally honest with you, if we start fast, our crowd will take over the game.”
Sam Pittman has confidence in his team and his crowd. Razorback Stadium is sold out for the first time since 2017. The expectation is that 76,000 fans will be in the building for Saturday’s game against Texas.
Arkansas vs. Texas is one of the oldest rivalries in college football. On Saturday, for the first time since Dec. 29, 2014, the two programs will face off in front of a sold-out crowd at Razorback Stadium.
Texas leads the series 56-22, but in the last meeting between the two programs, Arkansas won 31-7 in the 2014 Texas Bowl.
Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks enter the game after defeating Rice 38-17 in their season-opener. In the win, the Razorbacks saw notable offensive performances from quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Trelon Smith.
Jefferson threw for 128 yards, one touchdown and one interception, rushing for 89 more yards and two touchdowns. Smith rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Defensively, Arkansas’ defensive backfield is patrolled by safety Jalen Catalon, who very well could be the single best defensive player that Texas will face all season.
Against Rice, Catalon had 11 tackles and two interceptions. Last season, Catalon had 99 tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Texas enters the game ranked No. 15, after a season-opening win over Louisiana. In Steve Sarkisian’s debut as the head coach, Texas quarterback Hudson Card threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground. Star running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 103 yards and one touchdown, adding 73 receiving yards and another touchdown.
Defensively for Texas, the linebacker corp shined as DeMarvion Overshown, Luke Brockermeyer and Ovie Oghoufo all had big performances.
“It’s up to us,” Sam Pittman said. “Texas is a name, it’s who we happen to be playing. But it’s up to how we play and I think our kids are ready to do that.”