Sam Pittman evaluates Arkansas success at sacking the quarterback

Arkansas football is getting to the quarterback in 2022. Through two games this season, the Razorbacks are already responsible for nine sacks, with six of them coming last weekend against SEC foe South Carolina, and three against 2021 Playoff participant Cincinnati to open the year. So, what’s the secret to the Hogs’ pass rushing success?

According to third-year Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, it was simply placing an emphasis on the position. At a recent press conference, when asked about his team’s stellar pass rush, he said that skill was something the staff keyed in on for the season. Finding players capable of rushing the passer and developing the defensive front into better rushers as a whole.

“Well it’s had a big impact on — we have to get to the quarterback,” Pittman asserted. “Where, you know, our secondary is continuing getting better. But, you know, we’ve got to improve there. We’ve had a couple injuries that hurt us last week. But we have to get pressure on the quarterback.”

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“That’s what we kind of went out to do, along with trying to get our own kids that we had on campus better. But trying to go out in the portal and find somebody that could run to rush the passer. Ironically, Drew Sanders is one of those guys that we can put up on the edge and rush him along with some of the other new guys. But it’s helped us.”

Pittman also reasoned that a shift in scheme could be responsible for increased sack production.

“I mean, the other thing, too — we’re not playing as much a three-man front as we did. We’re not really the same defense that we were a year ago with the pressures and the man coverage and things of that nature. So we’re allowing ourselves a bit more chances, a little more men, to go after the quarterback. And it seemed to be working for us.”

Sam Pittman pushed all his chips in the basket to produce a good pass rush. He recruited pass rushers in the portal, he focused more time in practice developing the rush, and he even changed the defensive formation to front-load more rushers. So far, the gamble is paying off. Nine sacks in two games against South Carolina and Cincy is a stat that should scare the rest of the Razorbacks’ schedule.