Razorbacks run deeper than stats
FAYETTEVILLE — Look at the Arkansas Razorbacks’ football statistics.
Nothing blows you away outside of their FBS-best 12 interceptions and their 15 takeaways.
The University of Arkansas’ 24.5 points per game — aided by three defensive touchdowns — ranks 94th among the 123 FBS teams who have played games.
Scoring defense is better at 50th, with the Razorbacks allowing 26.2 ppg against the likes of national powers Georgia, Texas A&M and Auburn, and high-octane Ole Miss.
Arkansas’ total offense of 376.7 ypg, an improvement of 36 ypg over last season, ranks 84th. Its 401.5 ypg allowed is 59th, with a 50 ypg improvement over 2019.
Admittedly, the statistics have been compiled against an all-SEC schedule, which makes eye-popping statistical domination hard to come by. That didn’t prevent the 2019 Razorbacks from giving up 503 yards in a loss to San Jose State or 478 yards in a loss to Western Kentucky.
That’s part of the bounceback story of the current Razorbacks under first-year Coach Sam Pittman, who is operating with mostly the same cast of players from last year’s 2-10 season.
“I think we’re doing it with turnovers and opportunistic scoring and opportunistic fourth and 1s and, you know, a lot of belief and a lot of energy out there,” Pittman said.
Arkansas beat one SEC team during the previous 25 league games before Pittman’s arrival. Heading into Saturday’s cross-division game against No. 6 Florida, these Razorbacks (3-3) have won three of their past five and are one officiating mistake away from making that four of five.
Florida Coach Dan Mullen said he’s seen a mental toughness and winning attitude from Arkansas.
“I think a lot comes from believing you can win and expecting to win,” Mullen said. “They’ve won in different situations. They could even have a better record than they currently have.”
Mullen referenced the Razorbacks’ rally from a 13-0 deficit at halftime to down Tennessee 24-13 last week.
“They fight, they battle, they claw back, and they find a way to win,” he said. “There’s a lot to be said for that, and that doesn’t show up [statistically]. Mental toughness and ability to win doesn’t show up on a stat line.”
That mysterious, yet often easily recognizable “it” factor has attached itself to these Razorbacks.
“They’ve done a tremendous job of scheming people,” said LSU Coach Ed Orgeron, whose team already has begun preparations for Arkansas next week with its scheduled game against Alabama postponed. “I think their coaching staff has showed that they got this team better through great coaching.”
Sophomore defensive end Zach Williams touched on one of those hard-to-quantify factors when describing the Hogs’ improvement from 2019.
“Even when we’re tired, we still do our jobs,” Williams said. “We don’t overthink stuff. I feel like we’re just coached well. It’s really the coaching. And when players like their coaches, they do a little bit more.”
In essence, the Razorbacks’ overall stats don’t coincide with their performance.
“I don’t think that you have to have necessarily really good statistics to win games,” said Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks, who actually does have strong stats with 67.2% completions and a 14-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. “You don’t always have to do something flashy. The objective at the end of the day is to win, and whatever you can do to help get that done is important.”
A pair of fourth-and-goal stops from the 1, and seven takeaways in a 33-21 victory against Ole Miss were certainly helpful. The Razorbacks could have pumped up their scoring numbers after Hudson Clark’s third interception in that game, but Pittman took a knee from the Rebels’ 1 in the final minute.
The stats where Arkansas has excelled are critical ones. The Razorbacks lead the country with 12 interceptions, rank third with 15 takeaways, and their turnover margin is plus-8, tied for 11th.
Arkansas is ninth in fewest penalty yards per game (34.17), tied for 12th in redzone defense (.667), 26th in pass efficiency defense and 30th in pass efficiency offense.
Arkansas is 2-0 against other first-year SEC head coaches Mike Leach at Mississippi State and Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, who were both in the running for the Hogs’ top job.
Pittman engineered a halftime turnaround that was part psychology, part adjustments and all belief last week to subdue Tennessee and whip a program that had a two-year head start on the Arkansas rebuild.
Auburn is supposed to be a contender in the SEC West under Gus Malzahn, but the Razorbacks overcame a 17-0 deficit to take a 28-27 lead on the Tigers late in the fourth quarter last month. If Bo Nix’s backward spike had been well officiated, Arkansas would have been properly awarded a huge upset of Malzahn’s No. 13 team. In the previous four meetings, Auburn had destroyed Arkansas by a combined 193-36, an average score of 48-9.
“I think we use everybody on the team, no matter what your job is — motivating, whatever your job is — just do it to the best of your ability and you have a chance to go out there and win,” Franks said. “So yeah, I don’t think you necessarily always have to have flashy numbers to win games.”
Pittman showed his team clips of a real Razorback frolicking in the mud before Arkansas played the road game at Auburn in wet and sloppy conditions. The message: That’s us.
“We’re Razorbacks, man,” defensive end Eric Gregory said. “We’re tough, physical. We don’t back down from any opponent.”