Beat-up Razorbacks needing a bye

FAYETTEVILLE — Few coaches publicly embrace an open date with an upcoming game still to play.

An honest man, Sam Pittman did. Arkansas’ just second-year head coach but a many teams 1994-2019 offensive line coach and former junior college head coach, Pittman has coached too long to pretend not knowing “a beat-up” team when he sees one.

His Razorbacks, opening 4-0 but now 4-3 in a grind of seven games in seven weeks, need a break. They come off a frustrating, 38-23 SEC homecoming loss last Saturday against Auburn at Reynolds Razorback Stadium after losing SEC games 37-0 at No. 1 Georgia and a down to the finale failed 2-point conversion 52-51 game at Ole Miss.

Pittman mentioned the physical toll on the Hogs.

He also could have cited a second consecutive year losing to Auburn with Arkansas recovering an Auburn fumble controversially awarded by officials back to Auburn.

“I think we all feel like crap,” Pittman said of losing exacerbated by injuries. “I think we’ve got a beat-up team, to be honest with you. This (Oct. 30) bye week can’t get here fast enough.”

The Razorbacks started the Auburn game minus Jalen Catalon, their Preseason All-American safety set for season-ending shoulder surgery today. Also they were minus injured starting cornerback LaDarrius Bishop and injured starting defensive tackle Markell Utsey.

Presumably he’d like Utsey and Bishop plus several playing hurt healing rather than playing in Saturday’s 11 a.m. nonconference game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions.

UAPB, 1-5, is a lower division (FCS rather than the Razorbacks’ FBS level) team that the Hogs ultimately should dominate yet can be expected to open inspired against the UA system’s flagship.

Currently the Hogs just aren’t the way they were, the September surprises whipping then ranked favorites Texas and Texas A&M.

“They’re trying,” Pittman said. “But if you see the plays we were making earlier in the year, we’re not making them now. Sometimes we are, but most of the time we’re not.

If you didn’t think we physically just got whipped today, we did. On both sides of the ball. I just think we’ve got a beat up football team. We need to get ready and play Pine Bluff next weekend then take that week off. We need it.”

They need recharging for what awaits beyond UAPB, the November SEC stretch against Mississippi State in Fayetteville, at LSU, at Alabama and finally the day after Thanksgiving in Fayetteville against Missouri.

At 4-3, after last year’s improved 3-7 in an entirely SEC schedule off the 2018 and 2019 collectively abysmal 4-20 overall/0-16 in the SEC Chad Morris era, Arkansas stands two wins away from bowl eligibility.

“I’m disappointed that we lost, but I feel like we’ve got a lot to play for,” Pittman said. “We just have to fix some things and that starts with me.”