Tennessee football returns to Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon for its lone home game in the month of October, facing a struggling Arkansas team in a SEC clash. The Razorbacks are 2-3 (0-1 SEC) and are fresh off firing head coach Sam Pittman.
Ahead of each Tennessee game, we’ll talk to someone who covers the Vols’ opponent that week. This week, Best of Arkansas Sports’ Andrew Hutchinson discussed the Razorbacks’ defensive staff changes, the growth of quarterback Taylen Green and more. Here’s what Hutchinson had to say.
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Are there reasons to believe that Arkansas can turn things around this season?
“I know Josh Heupel has harped on this point a few times, but Arkansas was in position to beat Ole Miss in Oxford just a few weeks ago and the Rebels are currently ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. There is certainly potential for this team to jump up and beat somebody it has no business beating, largely thanks to Taylen Green’s ability. But a full-blown turnaround? That’s probably not in the cards. I’m of the belief that Nick Saban, Bear Bryant or Vince Lombardi could only do so much with this roster, particularly the defense.”
What did you make of Petrino firing the defensive staffers? Do you believe that could spark a defensive turnaround?
“I honestly thought Arkansas would make Travis Williams the sacrificial lamb after the Notre Dame debacle and hang on to Sam Pittman a few more weeks to allow his buyout to drop. But when Pittman was fired and, less than 24 hours later, Petrino canned the defensive assistants, I wasn’t too surprised. There were rumblings of some friction between the two sides of the ball and I think that decision only confirms there was at least some truth to that. The defense certainly couldn’t be worse than it was before the changes, but again, a full-blown turnaround seems unlikely. I do think there will be one game where that unit plays out of its mind, but will it happen this week? I’m not sure. Two years ago, Arkansas’ offense was atrocious and OC Dan Enos was fired before a bye week. In the first game with an interim OC, the Hogs racked up 481 yards and beat Florida 39-36 in overtime in The Swamp. The equivalent could happen at some point this season, but this year’s Tennessee is much, much better than 2023 Florida.”
Is Petrino a legit candidate to become full time head coach? What does it feel like he needs to do to get the job?
Hunter Yurachek himself has said Petrino is a candidate for the full-time job, so I think we have to treat him as such. The Arkansas AD also said there isn’t a specific number of wins he needs to get the job, but rather must show improvement throughout the season. That said, there’s no way he gets the job if they go 0-7 with seven one-score losses. I feel like he needs to go at least 3-4 with no blowouts to even have a shot. A 4-3 finish, which would get Arkansas to bowl eligibility, feels like it’d make it a lock for him to get the job. That said, I’m not sure any coach could do that with Arkansas’ current roster.
How is Taylen Green a different player than he was last season?
“He is still turnover prone, but it does seem like he is making better decisions, if that makes sense. He is also spreading the ball around better. Andrew Armstrong was a very underrated wide receiver last year, but there were times Green would lock in on him and not go through his reads. He’s doing that more this year and you see that in Arkansas’ receiving statistics. The tight ends were vastly underused last season, but he’s throwing to them much more and they’re making plays. If he could just figure out how to clean up the interceptions — when it seems like all of his improvements go out the window — he’d probably be in contention to make All-SEC.”
Is Arkansas offense as good as the numbers indicate?
“Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Consistency, particularly from the first half to the second half, has been an issue. In the first halves against Ole Miss and Memphis, the Razorbacks put up a combined 56 points on 610 yards. In the second half of those games? Just 10 points on 416 yards. And those first-half numbers aren’t fluky. They moved the ball at will in those halves. Bobby Petrino has identified running the ball better in the third quarter as a key to getting back on track after halftime, so that’ll be something to watch Saturday. When the offense is humming, though, it’s a thing of beauty. Taylen Green is dynamic with his arm and his legs, Mike Washington is a home run threat, Braylen Russell is a physical runner and there are several targets for Green to throw to. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how well the receiving corps and tight ends have played this year, but it’s worth noting that Jalen Brown broke his leg against Notre Dame and will be out, so the receivers are a bit thin, pending another guy or two stepping up.”
What have been the biggest defensive issues for Arkansas?
“Tackling and coverage. Other than that, they’re pretty good! All jokes aside, they have been really, really bad. I predicted that side of the ball would struggle, but it has been even worse than I expected. Bobby Petrino seems to think a lot of it is related to alignment and assignment, but there have also been times when defensive backs simply got beat or guys have been in position to make a tackle and couldn’t get the guy on the ground. I thought the linebackers would be a strength of the defense, but they have struggled quite a bit. One bright spot has been defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr., as he ranks second in the SEC in sacks (5), but that’s about it. Cornerback Julian Neal and defensive end Phillip Lee have had their moments, but not as consistently as Rhodes.”
Score prediction?
I haven’t really thought about it, but I don’t see Arkansas winning. Tennessee’s offense will probably have its way against the Hogs’ defense, despite the staff changes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Taylen Green helps keep Arkansas in the game for a bit and the defense has a few inspired possessions, but I ultimately see the Vols winning this one by at least a couple of possessions.
Tennessee 45, Arkansas 31
