Sam Pittman confident Arkansas can limit explosive plays vs. Ole Miss

Head coach Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks need to get a win this weekend to snap a three-game losing streak. However, the Razorbacks are going up against a tough test in the form of Ole Miss this Saturday.

During his Monday press conference, Pittman was asked about Ole Miss’ explosive offense and if he was confident in Arkansas’ ability to stop those explosive plays.

“Yes, I am, against a really good offensive team,” Sam Pittman said. “And that might be limiting it to five. It might be limiting it to three. They’re gonna get some. I mean, you know it, I know it, everybody knows it. You know what I mean.”

Under head coach Lane Kiffin Ole Miss has earned the reputation for having an explosive offense. That was on full display last week when Ole Miss scored 55 points against LSU. In that game, Ole Miss put up 706 yards of total offense, going for more than 300 yards on both the ground and through the air.

“It can’t be 10, it can’t be 12, it can’t be, I mean, can’t let them get behind us. LSU, obviously, did,” Pittman said. “Yes, to answer your question, I’m very confident. I’m confident in our defense and I think they’re making huge strides as the season goes on.”

This is the first year that Travis Williams is acting as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator. He previously had the same position at UCF. So far in 2023, the Razorbacks are allowing 25 points per game, which is 67th in scoring defense. Arkansas is also 47th in total defense, allowing just 339 yards per game.

At the same time, Arkansas has one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC in KJ Jefferson. It’s also going to be important for Ole Miss to limit Arkansas’ big plays. That is, according to Lane Kiffin, a big challenge.

“He gets bigger every year,” Kiffin said. “This guy, he’s so hard to bring down and so challenging to play against. Always brings his great game against us also. We got to tackle him really well. We got to cover because he makes so many plays out of rhythm by scrambling and has really good vision downfield and very good accuracy.”

Sam Pittman still believes in Arkansas

Arkansas is coming off three straight losses to BYU, LSU, and Texas A&M. Despite that, Sam Pittman still believes in the Razorbacks.

“I like the team. I do,” Pittman said. “You guys unfortunately or fortunately, you’re not able to be in the locker room after the game, so you don’t know really what’s in there. I like our kids. I think we still have the team. I think they’re fighting. We’ve got to coach better. In some areas, they have to play better.”