The Arkansas Razorbacks are a team on the rise. They received three votes this week for the top 25, which technically places them at 36th in the country. They are currently 3-1 with their only loss coming against 20th-ranked Oklahoma State. Their other three wins are against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, UAB, and Auburn. Not terribly impressive. This week they play the second biggest game in the SEC against 24th-ranked Texas A&M. The following two weeks are against fifth-ranked Tennessee and 14th-ranked LSU. The country is about to find out if Arkansas is for real.
Offensive Changes
The Razorbacks’ head coach Sam Pittman made an interesting choice for a new offensive coordinator after last season. He hired former Arkansas head coach and last year’s Texas A&M offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Pittman most likely made the move because Arkansas’ offense only averaged 326.5 yards and 26.6 points per game last year. Petrino’s Texas A&M offense averaged 406.9 yards and 33.3 points per game. Aggies’ head coach Mike Elko didn’t bring Petrino back after 2023, so Pittman jumped at the chance. In addition to the new coordinator, Pittman knew he needed a new quarterback as well.
The New Quarterback
Quarterback Taylen Green transferred to Arkansas this past off-season from Boise State. The six-foot, six-inch athletic freak came to the Razorbacks after starting for the Broncos for two seasons. He took over after five games his freshman year and went on to win Mountain West Freshman of the Year. His second year he led Boise State to a Mountain West conference championship. Over those two seasons, he threw 25 touchdowns, rushed for another 19, but did have 15 interceptions. The upside is undeniable so you can see why Pittman coveted him.
The Ups and Downs
Green’s athletic ability is special but so far his first season with Arkansas has been up and down. He’s averaging 239 yards passing and 51 yards rushing over the first four games with eight total touchdowns. The downside is he already has four interceptions. His game against UAB sums up his season perfectly. He completed only 11 of 26 passes for 161 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. But he ran the ball 17 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns. The consistency in his passing needs to improve. Green’s 53.7 completion percentage this year is the worst of his career. He threw for 416 yards against Oklahoma State. But he was only 12 for 27 for 151 yards against Auburn. Pittman acknowledged Green’s struggles at his press conference this week.
“Taylen’s got to be better. And he’ll tell you that.”
But Pittman believes the main issue lies elsewhere.
“We got to be better around him. Our protection game is not very good right now.” Pittman continued, “Probably the most concerning part of offensive football from Saturday was the way we did not protect the quarterback.”
Consistency Needed
Even with the struggles in protection Pittman speaks of, Taylen Green and this offense are doing something right. Through four games, Bobby Petrino’s offense is averaging 524 yards per game, eighth best in the country, and 40.5 points per game, 20th best in the country. Even with those flashy numbers, Pittman knows the whole offense can be better. In last week’s Auburn game, they had six straight possessions that ended on either a turnover, a turnover on downs, or a punt. You do that against better teams and you will lose. With their next three games against ranked opponents, Arkansas is about to show us if they are a serious team or not.
