UA PLAYERS dealing with Pittman loss.
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks went through a wide range of emotions Tuesday after finding out Coach Sam Pittman had received a second positive test for covid-19, taking him out of Saturday’s game at No. 6 Florida.
“I was mainly just shocked, because Coach Pittman, he’s the main one talking about safety and everything else,” defensive end Zach Williams said. “I think everyone was surprised he got it, because he’s probably the main one washing his hands and doing everything he’s supposed to do.
Said center Ricky Stromberg, “When I heard about it, I was obviously devastated. It sucks for him, but it just puts even more of a chip on our shoulder because we’re going to go play for him. He’s not going to be there, so it even puts more of a chip on our shoulder.”
Pittman tested positive after the weekly Sunday test, but there was some hope he had received a false positive. However, a follow-up test from Monday came back positive Tuesday. Pittman has remained active with his presence on Zoom meetings, but he cannot attend practice.
“Coach Pittman is still involved with the Zoom meetings and stuff like that, so really it’s like he never left us,” defensive end Eric Gregory said. “Like he’s still giving guys pointers and great coaching and looking out for us and stuff like that.
“So it’s really not a big loss. We have others on a great coaching staff we consider is the best in the SEC and really the nation.”
Quarterback Feleipe Franks said the diagnosis “was obviously not the ideal situation with Coach Pittman, but practice has been the same.”
“Guys come out there motivated. It’s another big week and a great opportunity for our team. These guys do a great job coming out every day and being motivated, not needing extra motivation. Coming out here and going to work and getting the job done, knowing the game isn’t won on Saturday. It’s won in between the week, in between the Saturdays.”
Odom up
Defensive coordinator Barry Odom will take the head coaching reins Saturday for the first time since Nov. 29, when his Missouri team downed Arkansas 24-14 in the season finale in Little Rock.
Odom led Missouri to a 25-25 record in four seasons, including 2-2 versus Florida. His Tigers upset No. 13 Florida 38-17 in Gainesville, Fla., in his last trip there on Nov. 3, 2018.
“I didn’t know that, but that’s cool to know,” Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg said. “I mean, he’s filling in for Coach Pittman and doing a great job.”
Defensive end Zach Williams said he thought Odom would handle the additional responsibilities well.
“He was the old coach at Missouri, and he’s a pretty good defensive coordinator,” Williams said. “He seems very meticulous on the things he’s supposed to do. He does things right, and I just feel like he won’t really have a problem with it.”
Defensive end Eric Gregory was asked whether he had confidence in Odom’s ability to handle the team Saturday.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” Gregory said. “He was the Missouri head coach last year so I feel like he knows the job a little more than any of the other coaches on the staff just coming from a head coaching job last year.
“So I feel like we’re going to be very well prepared. So I feel it’s very good he’s been a head coach before this.”
Perfect rating
According to Pro Football Focus’s college analytics, receiver Treylon Burks is one of only two active wide receivers who have a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted. The other is Ohio State’s Chris Olave.
Burks has 31 catches for 461 yards and 5 touchdowns and is racking up a nice archive of highlight reel plays, such as his onehanded, toe-tap 6-yard touchdown against Ole Miss, and his one-armed touchdown against Texas A&M.
Pro Football Focus did not explain its perfect rating. Burks had one notable drop this season against Ole Miss.
Follow it up
Arkansas is a 171/ 2- point underdog on Saturday at No. 6 Florida when the Razorbacks will try to win back-to-back games for the first time in more than three years.
Chad Morris never won back-to-back games during his 22-game stint as head coach, and first-year Coach Sam Pittman’s club has alternated losses and wins during their first six games.
The last winning streak by the Razorbacks came thanks to a couple of onepoint games — a 38-37 win at Ole Miss in the largest known comeback in school history on Oct. 28, 2017, and a 39-38 win over Coastal Carolina on Nov. 4, 2017.
Breakdown TD
Arkansas turned a well-covered play from the Tennessee defense into a 59yard touchdown to expand its lead during its 24-point third quarter Saturday.
The Volunteers did not blitz on a first-down play from the Arkansas 41, and the Razorbacks’ front protected Feleipe Franks well, allowing him to scan the field for several seconds, and leak out to his left as receivers adjusted to their scramble rules.
Franks delivered a deep ball to Treylon Burks 49 yards in the air, and Burks ran the final 18 yards for the Razorbacks’ final touchdown.
“It was kind of a brokendown play,” Franks said. “He did a great job of working with me. We do those type of things like scramble rules and you never know when you’ll need it until you need it. Burks did a great job of redirecting with me, going back out.”
Burks beat safety Jaylen McCullough to the left sideline and easily outran him into the end zone.
“He saw Feleipe scramble and we have scramble rules,” Coach Sam Pittman said. “They had one low, one high and one in the middle … and he hit that middle on the scramble rules. Feleipe saw him and got it to him and he did the rest.”
No packing
Florida officials are listing the maximum allowed capacity at 88,548seat Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as 17,000 for Saturday’s game against the Razorbacks.
Gators Coach Dan Mullen took some heat after his team’s 41-38 loss at Texas A&M when he commented on how much of an impact the large crowd at Kyle Field had on the game and suggested Florida fans “pack the Swamp” in their next home game.
On Monday, he toned it down when asked how beating Georgia last week has excited the fan base.
“Let’s hope that the fans are excited and that we — however many fans are allowed in the Swamp, come to the Swamp and create a great atmosphere, right?” Mullen said. “Whatever we say that number is, that they come and support their team and create energy, excitement and noise within the stadium.
“I didn’t use the word ‘pack’ this time, you know. But we want as many that can come to come.”
Bowl projections
The Razorbacks’ latest victory made an impression on ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach, who boosted his bowl projection for Arkansas.
Schlabach now has the Razorbacks projected to face Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., which is considered the SEC’s top postseason destination behind the College Football Playoff and the New Year’s Six Bowls.
ESPN.com’s Kyle Bonagura did not change his postseason pick for the Hogs, which is a matchup against Texas at the Texas Bowl in Houston.