Sam Pittman expresses worries over lack of QB ahead of Missouri clash

admin | November 25, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

The Arkansas Razorbacks’ 2023 campaign came to a fitting conclusion as they were unable to muster any kind of offensive consistency until the game was decided versus Missouri.

The Arkansas offensive ended the 2023 campaign with a performance that was reminiscent of previous years, failing to score in the end zone until much later in the game and unable to establish any kind of consistency. KJ Jefferson, the starting quarterback for the Razorbacks, was injured in the first quarter. However, head coach Sam Pittman believes that no quarterback could be expected to perform well against the pressure Jefferson and Jacoby Criswell encountered in a 48-14 loss against the Missouri Tigers.

The Razorbacks punted the ball away on a third-down sack, losing five yards on their opening offensive play. Jefferson ran for 22 yards on the opening play of their second drive, but he fumbled and eventually had to leave the game due to a knee injury. Pittman didn’t want Jefferson to play at anything less than 100%, so Jefferson worked with the training staff to try and get his knee taped up well to see if he would be able to return.

Pittman stated that “he was trying to come back.” “However, we had agreed to wait and find out where he was after half. He was really sensitive on that knee after the first half. Though I don’t believe there was a serious issue, he was unable to play again because of his extremely tender knee. To be completely honest, I didn’t really want him to return until he was in excellent condition.”

Jackson Criswell, a native of Morrilton, Arkansas, filled in for Jefferson. He completed 12 of his 20 throw attempts for 96 yards and a score, which was to Andrew Armstrong in the fourth quarter. Three times Criswell was also sacked, with two of those resulting in turnovers. After trailing 41-0 at the half, the Razorbacks rallied for 234 yards of offense, 147 of which came in the fourth quarter. During the afternoon, they also committed five turnovers that were lost.

“I thought he ran the offense as good as you could ask for a guy who hasn’t played a lot,” Pittman stated. “He obviously didn’t have time to throw it as he dropped back to pass. That is undoubtedly not his fault. We were outmatched at running back and on the offensive line, and he failed to spot a hot play or move the ball quickly enough on an empty play that he was hot on. In actuality, he was robbed of the chance to toss the ball down the field.

It’s difficult to evaluate his performance, but he came across as a tough, hardened individual. You observed that he is an opponent. He is rough and of that sort in addition to being athletic. He performed a good job of leading the team, in my opinion. He undoubtedly guided us to a few scores in the fourth quarter. Nice touchdown pass, but aside from his attitude and his resilience to keep playing, it’s difficult to criticize him.”

So far, the Hogs have added former Michigan State tackle Keyshawn Blackstock as a transfer pledge for the offensive line. Pittman acknowledged the need for multiple summer adjustments following yet another unsatisfactory showing from the offensive line and the offense as a whole.

Pittman remarked, “We just have a lot of work to do.” “On the offensive line, we definitely need assistance. We have to try to recruit people since we need assistance in a number of areas. And ideally within a week or so, we’ll have a coordinator in place. And I explained to the children that we just have a great deal of work ahead of us, including us coaches. However, there are undoubtedly problems that can be rectified, so we must go have them done.”