Pittman, Yurachek want bowl win for Christmas
FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek and football coach Sam Pittman have a common Christmas wish.
“Yeah, to win the Outback Bowl would be my Christmas wish,” Pittman said. “I pretty much have all the things I want in life. Been very, very fortunate, so I don’t need much. But I would like to have an Outback Bowl win. Other than that, everything’s going pretty good.”
The No. 21 Razorbacks (8-4), playing in their first bowl since 2016, face Penn State (7-5) of the Big Ten on Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla.
“I guess I’ll take a win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl,” Yurachek said on Dec. 17 of his top Christmas wish.
“First time we’ve been to a New Year’s bowl in over a decade. First time we’ve been to a Florida bowl in over a decade. Playing a storied program like Penn State. That would be a pretty special way to cap off a special season.”
Pittman said he and his wife, Jamie, spent with her family in Pittsburg, Kansas, before returning to Fayetteville today to begin packing for the team departure on Sunday.
The Arkansas players were given off after Wednesday morning’s practice before the team re-convenes Sunday for a group picture in dress suits at Reynolds Razorback Stadium with their Southwest Classic, Golden Boot and Battle Line Rivalry trophies, signifying wins over Texas A&M, LSU and Missouri in the same season for the first time.
Yurachek talked about his own Christmas thoughts regarding he and his wife Jennifer’s sons: current UA linebacker and recent graduate Jake, current UA graduate assistant Ryan, and Fayetteville High player Brooks.
“For me personally, to have a son that this is probably his last football game here, I don’t think he’s going to come back next year for his covid year,” Yurachek said. “And then another son that’s a GA who will probably be moving on. It’s been a special season for the Yurachek family.
“Then Brooks and the Fayetteville Bulldogs went to the state championship game, so I don’t know if I could’ve scripted a better 2021 for me personally and our family and for Razorback athletics professionally.”
Pittman added a couple of items to his wish list as he wrapped up his final media conference prior to the team’s departure for Tampa.
He said the continued progress of players like offensive lineman Ty’Kieast Crawford and defensive end Eric Thomas would be a kind of present as well.
“And right now I’m not losing any of our coaches, and that’s a present,” Pittman said. “I don’t want to. I want them all to stay here. Obviously people are coming after our coaches. We’ve had success.
“But my Christmas wish list would be keep who we have intact, and hopefully we can do that. And I’m talking about support staff, recruiting staff is part of that, and certainly assistant coaches.”