Arkansas enters the week 2-0 on the season. Coming off wins that graded well according to us at Last Word on Sports, Arkansas now begins the Southeastern Conference schedule. As the Razorbacks travel to Oxford, Mississippi, to battle the Rebels, we take a historic look back at how the Razorbacks have fared in conference-opening games from several perspectives. Can Arkansas football change the history of SEC openers?
Can Arkansas Football Change The History of SEC Openers?
Opening Play In Numbers
Arkansas joined the SEC in the 1992 season. This is a season Arkansas fans want to forget as they fell to the only FCS team in program history. This loss resulted in the dismissal of Jack Crowe. That season, the Razorbacks faced South Carolina and lost 45-7 on the road. As we researched this deep history, we encountered some interesting numbers.
1 – In all of these contests, there was a number that stood out the most, the number one. Two different programs jumped off the page. The first is the LSU Tigers. In this history, Arkansas and LSU have only met once, in 2023, a 34-31 loss, to open conference play. In what was once a traditional Thanksgiving contest, the forced rivalry between Arkansas and Missouri has overtaken the game.
Even with this, we were surprised to only see the Tigers on the list once. The second is the week three opponent, the Rebels of Ole Miss. Entering this week’s contest, these two programs have only met once. That meeting occurred in 2019, in Oxford, and ended with an Ole Miss 31-17 win. How have the coaches fared in conference-opening games?
History From The Headset
Next, we take a look at these openers from the headset, or from a coach’s perspective. In this, we will briefly describe the tenure as a whole during that “Era” as well as the record in SEC opening games. We begin with the aforementioned Crowe, as well as Joe Kines and Danny Ford. This trio left the Hogs from the 1992-1997 seasons on the sidelines. While the program posted some mixed wins, a high-water mark of 6-5 in conference play in 1995, led to an overall 19-30-3 record with no conference titles in this timeframe. In conference opening games, these coaches held a 3-2 record.
Nutt Job
Petrtino Rides Waves
With Everything Comes Change
Morris Didn’t Last Long
There are times in many programs where the fans want to erase from their memories. For Arkansas, this is the Chad Morris Era, but that term is used loosely. In what was a hot name, Morris came to Arkansas in the left lane and the hammer down. Once there, fans quickly realized there was a flat tire on the car Morris was driving. In an attempt to modernize the offense and relive old times, the lack of a defense made things difficult. This, combined with only four wins overall. In the less than two seasons coached, the team under Morris went 0-16 in SEC play. In the end, Morris was fired in mid-2019, leading to another search for a head coach.
Under Sam Pittman
The search led to the hiring of Sam Pittman in 2020. Pittman came in emotional, speaking of what the position meant to him and his family. With this, the tenure has drawn criticism from many across the fanbase. In his opening SEC game as head coach, Pittman and the Hogs fell to Georgia 37-10 in an all-SEC schedule. This loss is the only loss in a conference opening game under the current regime. Despite a less-than-stellar 17-35 overall record in conference games, Pittman does hold a 3-2 record when opening play. In these games, the Razorbacks have played home and away contests, along with one neutral-site game in Arlington, Texas.
In closing, as Arkansas travels to Ole Miss on Saturday, history is not on its side as it begins SEC play. Since joining the conference, the Razorbacks have held a 12-21 overall record. In the 2021 season, Pittman led the Razorbacks to a 20-10 win over Texas A&M. With this win, the program stopped the bleeding streak of ten consecutive SEC opening losses. Since that win, Arkansas has finished 2-1, including a 24-14 win over Auburn last season. Can Arkansas change the history of SEC openers? We will soon find out. Stay with Last Word on Sports for more on the meeting between the Rebels and Razorbacks.
Main Photo: William Purnell-Imagn Images
