Arkansas defense concentrated on improving after a disappointing showing

Last Saturday was the worst game of the season for the Arkansas defense, which had played well all season. They will now need to regroup in the midst of coaching staff uncertainty.

Despite the team’s generally dismal play, the Arkansas defense had a strong start to the season. Before playing Auburn last week, the team ranked 40th in total defense, thanks to defensive coordinator Travis Williams’s transformation from 124th in 2022. The Razorbacks then gave up 48 points and 517 yards, suffering their worst loss of the season.

The heartbreaking loss undermined the Hogs’ momentum after their stirring victory at Florida in Week 10, and it has raised questions about head coach Sam Pittman’s future. As the program is under scrutiny, the Arkansas defenders’ main goal in this week’s game against FIU is to turn things around.

Chris Paul Jr., a linebacker, stated, “Obviously, the result of the game disappointed everybody on the team.” Nobody believes they engaged in football in the manner of Arkansas. It was all about how to return to that Arkansas brand with Coach [Williams]. How can we return to being that aggressive, agile, quick-witted defense team that we once were? We’ve been heavy in the film room like we’ve been doing, just relaxing.

“Coach [Williams] hasn’t altered his methods in any way. He’s still a highly energetic guy that’s going to run around. We are energized by him. He will continue to be our tough coach. He will continue to discipline us and do other such things. We simply pay attention to him. Relying on him, we take a backseat. We have faith in our defensive staff in light of everything that is going on here.”

After the loss, schematic changes will undoubtedly be required, but effort seemed to be the main problem. Even with Auburn running the ball on 26 of their final 27 plays, the Razorbacks were unable to contain the Tigers. Arkansas’s tackling was especially subpar, which contributed significantly to Auburn’s 354 yards of rush offense.

Defensive end Landon Jackson stated, “I think it’s more on the player.” “When we arrived for our unit meeting, Coach informed us of everything he knew to be wrong. Then, to be really honest, he was just showing us plays that were called during practice and during a game, and we weren’t carrying them out. We weren’t wrapping up or playing the football in our own way.

“In that game, our tackling was by far the worst we’ve had all year. That is our main concern. emphasizing that we should really thud and wrap the guy up when we practice thudding. That is not what we accomplished.

Pittman’s firing has been demanded by a sizable section of the Arkansas fan base, but the head coach of the Razorbacks has persisted in inspiring his team.

“I mean, I’m still going to give him my all because Coach [Pittman’s] message to us is he still loves us and still gives us his all,” Jackson remarked.

When the Razorbacks play FIU on Saturday, they are 29.5-point favorites. The game is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. (CST) from Fayetteville, and ESPNU will broadcast it.