Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on 28-6 win over Kent State on Saturday afternoon at Razorback Stadium.
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00:00 you know, to do what happened to them last week
00:03 and then them to come back and play like they did.
00:07 I want to give them a lot of credit.
00:08 They had a nice game plan of trying to control the clock
00:12 and letting it run down and things.
00:13 I think we had nine drives all day,
00:16 and they were very physical.
00:20 I thought they out-physicaled us in the first half especially.
00:25 But congratulations to them.
00:27 I told Coach after game that the score
00:32 was much closer than 28-6, I felt like,
00:36 and that he did a wonderful job with his team.
00:38 They'll have a good football team.
00:40 They continue to work through him as a good football coach.
00:45 We've got a lot to get better at.
00:46 I'm sure you'll ask me about it.
00:50 [inaudible]
00:59 Well, we had -- I'll go to the second one first.
01:02 We had run certain in for KJ,
01:06 but most of them were strictly for short yardage-type
01:09 situations, but we were ready for that.
01:14 Just obviously we didn't want to have to go to that,
01:18 if that makes sense.
01:20 We were missing blocks, you know.
01:25 Any type of movement bothered us.
01:28 There were some times when we didn't have an RPO
01:31 on the back end, and safety came in and hit us.
01:36 We weren't especially throwing RPOs in the bubbles well early,
01:42 so we took them off at the back end,
01:46 and so we're just not --
01:53 The last drive was what we were anticipating
01:57 would happen the entire day.
02:00 We were covering them up, moving them, six, eight, four,
02:03 five, whatever it is at a time.
02:07 It's frustrating right now for the kids,
02:09 for the coaches that we're not running the ball consistently,
02:14 and we'll continue to work on it.
02:17 Yeah, Coach, what do you do to get the offensive line
02:19 going and blocking better?
02:21 I assume it's a large part of the offensive line.
02:23 It could be running backs, too, but --
02:24 I think, you know, you open up the second half,
02:29 and we got to pin and pull,
02:31 and we run outside the kickout block.
02:34 You know, that's not the old line.
02:37 You know what I mean? Right now.
02:38 Let's get to it.
02:41 There's a lot of reasons why we're not dominating
02:45 the line of scrimmage like we had before,
02:47 and some of it has to do with we're just not --
02:51 We're not moving the line of scrimmage up front
02:53 like we have in the past.
02:55 We're just not moving.
02:58 I do think this, with the RPOs on the back end of it,
03:01 like you saw last week, then, you know,
03:03 you're not going to get as many rolling down in the box
03:06 and all that kind of stuff, but it's not that.
03:11 We're just not knocking them off the football right now,
03:13 and we're not blocking particularly well on the edge.
03:17 We're just not blocking particularly well, period.
03:20 And, you know, AJ got a little bit of a groove
03:24 there at the end, and R-Dub,
03:26 but we're just not a real physical football team.
03:31 I thought we got a little bit better in the second half,
03:33 but we've got to continue to --
03:35 Maybe we have too many runs in going at the game.
03:37 We've got to figure that out.
03:40 You kind of rotated some guys on the offensive line.
03:42 Is that -- Are you auditioning,
03:44 or is that something that you plan to do?
03:46 Well, no, while you're at audition,
03:48 I mean, it wouldn't make any sense.
03:52 You'd probably want to play guys that you feel like have the
03:56 talent and have the right to maybe be a starter.
04:02 Maybe that's the word is, audition, but...
04:06 That's why you don't see a lot of teams do that.
04:09 Okay.
04:11 Okay.
04:16 Nudy has Turtle,
04:26 and so we were checking him out before the game,
04:30 and he didn't move very well.
04:33 We put him out there to first play,
04:35 and he didn't move very well, so we pulled Stewart out there.
04:38 So, I thought he played pretty good.
04:42 You know, that was a hell of a pass,
04:44 you know, that the kid made there at the end,
04:47 and I thought he had a pretty good game.
04:52 Nudy had Turtle.
04:53 Let's make some big catches for you in the second half
04:56 when you need them, the tight end.
04:58 Talk about him just coming through there for you.
05:00 Yeah, I mean, we had second 18,
05:04 and he got about eight, maybe seven,
05:07 eight to get us to the next one,
05:08 and it just seemed like he was, you know,
05:12 he turned up and got a first down on one.
05:16 He's a tough guy.
05:19 He's blocking better,
05:21 but he's a guy we've got to continue to target.
05:24 Antonio Greer, again, not first game.
05:28 Yeah, first play.
05:30 It's a pretty good way to start a play, you know.
05:33 He's still not -- I don't think he's still 100%,
05:36 to be honest with you, but, you know,
05:40 we needed him to play with Pooh being out, too,
05:44 you know, in the first half.
05:47 So, I think Greer will end up being better
05:54 against LeBron and things of that nature,
05:56 but right now, we're still trying to figure out
06:01 who that other guy behind Jaheim,
06:04 but besides Jaheim, Thomas is, you know,
06:07 and Pooh's been hurt, you know.
06:09 He didn't scrimmage in either one of the scrimmages,
06:11 and then he gets, you know, misses a half here.
06:15 We think that he could be that guy,
06:17 but we'll have to look at the tape
06:19 and figure out between him and Greer.
06:21 Wasn't that crazy? He catches everything.
06:31 You know, I kept telling Dan.
06:33 I kept saying, you know, "Let's go.
06:35 Let's go. Let's go," because I didn't want to get it reviewed,
06:37 you know, if we didn't -- they're going to review it
06:40 anyway. It doesn't matter how fast you snap the ball,
06:43 but the guy can catch, and, you know,
06:48 we didn't particularly throw it well today, you know,
06:50 so we got to figure out all that kind of stuff,
06:55 but he made some Tesla catches,
06:59 you know, that he always does.
07:01 Armstrong made a really nice catch down in our end zone,
07:03 too.
07:05 A lot of the transfers on defense flashed today,
07:07 not just Greer, but Jeff Cove made some plays,
07:10 and you mentioned Jaheim.
07:11 I mean, you talked a lot about hitting in the portal.
07:13 How confident are you with the decisions
07:15 you made going in the portal and through the first two games,
07:17 how those guys have played on that side of the football?
07:19 Well, I think they played well, you know, defensively.
07:22 I don't know.
07:24 We had a lot of sacks and things of that nature.
07:28 They haven't scored many points on us, you know,
07:30 but I was frustrated at half
07:32 because we couldn't get off the field, you know,
07:34 and we weren't giving out points,
07:36 but there was very, very much time being --
07:39 you know, the game plan was going exactly
07:41 like they wanted it to go,
07:43 and we minused scoring a lot of points,
07:47 but I think every one of those guys on defense
07:50 are contributing to us. I mean, what would happen
07:52 if we didn't have Stewart today, obviously, you know,
07:56 Jaheim on the other side, and then you're talking
07:59 about all these guys on the inside,
08:00 so, well, we're here.
08:04 Picked a pass for a touchdown, so, yeah, we're very fortunate.
08:09 We hit pretty good for what we think.
08:14 Sam, Kent State had the ball for 20 minutes in the first half.
08:17 You got it for 22 in a second.
08:19 Was that, like, emphasis at halftime
08:20 or just kind of how it went?
08:22 No, we just tried to get them off the field,
08:25 and then we were just trying to score,
08:29 you know, obviously, that last drive,
08:31 what was that, six minutes or something like that,
08:33 and then we got the ball somewhere around there,
08:37 but, no, we were just --
08:39 we were trying to score in any way that we could.
08:41 We were trying to find runs that we could run,
08:45 and, you know, in a game plan, I mean, it's different now.
08:51 When we had a guy wide open early in the middle,
08:54 we dropped a pass, you know,
08:56 and last week, we were catching everything,
08:59 and we made the fourth and ones and all those kind of stuff,
09:03 and when you don't do that, the game changes, you know.
09:07 The time changes. The possessions change,
09:10 and early, we couldn't throw it.
09:13 We couldn't catch it and couldn't run it.
09:15 You know, defense kept kissing the game.
09:17 I don't know. I can't remember what your question was,
09:19 but good answer.
09:23 -Ceo, I just want to follow something Trey asked
09:25 about earlier with the offensive line.
09:26 Do you anticipate continuing to rotate, guys,
09:28 or do you think you might be able to start tearing it down,
09:30 pick your best five,
09:32 maybe start near in the next couple of weeks?
09:34 -Guys, we're not the only team in the world
09:39 that's played five O linemen.
09:41 I mean, somebody's playing six and seven.
09:43 I'm trying to figure out who our best linemen are,
09:46 and if I feel like they've earned opportunities to play,
09:50 what's the difference in an O lineman
09:52 and a freaking D lineman?
09:53 We've played nine of them guys.
09:56 I mean, if I feel like they're good enough to help us win,
10:01 it'll help us in the long run.
10:03 I understand that we're supposed to play five guys.
10:06 We do, but that ain't why we're not running the ball, guys.
10:14 -And you mentioned the long pass that got down to the goal line,
10:17 but y'all kept them out of the end zone,
10:18 the goal line stand.
10:19 Just what did you think about that sequence there,
10:20 and how big was that?
10:23 -Well, that was unbelievable.
10:25 I mean, 27 coming there, they made the first one,
10:31 and then we ganged the next one, and then landing at the end.
10:35 That was unbelievable.
10:36 Boy, he took off like a run of 100 meters,
10:39 and took off in there and made a huge --
10:42 Again, the outcome of the game was going to be we were going
10:44 to win, whether they did or not, but it showed a little bit.
10:47 I was really excited for the kids after that,
10:52 in the locker room.
10:54 -Sam, I don't know anything about the offensive line.
10:56 A couple defensive questions.
10:58 -Listen, we've made too much out of that.
11:01 I'm sorry that I've coached line for 30-some years.
11:05 I know how to coach offensive line,
11:07 and I'm trying to get our guys ready,
11:09 but I should have answered it just like that.
11:12 -All right, guys. -Okay.
11:13 Sorry about that.
11:15 -Yeah, I thought maybe the biggest sequence
11:17 was when you guys didn't get the fourth down.
11:19 It's 14-6.
11:20 They got a lot of momentum.
11:21 Kent State, they're all excited, and then you guys pushing back
11:23 to where they came to try to field block.
11:25 -When I went for it on the fourth?
11:27 -Yeah. -Yeah.
11:29 -How big was that, and what did you think
11:31 of the defensive sequence there?
11:32 -Oh, I love them. I mean...
11:34 I can tell you the analytics say to go for it.
11:40 The analytics says don't.
11:44 When I went for it, and now, we went for it on fourth and four,
11:52 too, and we end up scoring.
11:54 You know what I mean?
11:56 But I told the team, I said, "I thought we was going to make it,
11:59 and I thought if we don't, I felt like the defensive
12:02 hold them for no more than a field goal."
12:04 I didn't know they was going to push it back and make them punt,
12:06 but I'm not doing the analytics.
12:09 Now, I do got a guy up there, and I ask him.
12:12 That was kind of dumb.
12:18 -But, I mean, yeah, how big was that sequence for the defense?
12:21 -It was huge.
12:23 But going for it fourth and one on your own 34,
12:27 I don't care what the book says, and Lane does it all the time.
12:31 Guys do it all the time. Hell, I don't, and I did.
12:36 -And then... -Not smart.
12:37 -I know you haven't played Alabama and Georgia back-to-back,
12:40 but you still haven't given up a touchdown.
12:41 How well do you think the defense played today,
12:43 and how well have they played these first two games?
12:47 -I think they've done well.
12:49 I mean, we've played teams like this in the past.
12:54 They've scored more than 600.
12:56 You know what I mean? I think we've done well.
13:00 We're still learning, you know?
13:02 We're still -- I think they're playing hard, you know,
13:05 and we're still learning and trying to get better.
13:08 And, you know, right now, guys, we don't --
13:12 when you go through two games, you really, in all honesty,
13:16 you don't know what you have yet.
13:18 I mean, that's the -- you got to get them out there
13:21 to really figure out who do you really have.
13:24 And I know we have a lot of practices.
13:26 We had spring balls for some of them
13:28 and all that kind of stuff.
13:30 But we really don't know what we have in a game yet
13:34 until we get them out there.
13:35 And we'll find out who should play more reps than others
13:39 as that continues to go down the line.
13:41 But I thought -- were you asking about the D-line?
13:46 Oh, you were asking about me messing up on the fork and run.
13:50 I was the happiest guy in the place, I can tell you that.
13:56 -Coach, did you -- bouncing off the question
14:02 about that defensive stand,
14:04 I know there's an intentional grounding penalty
14:05 that was in there, too, that aided that.
14:07 But did you feel like that sequence started turning things --
14:10 -He did because he was harassed, so, I mean, there's a reason he --
14:13 -Exactly.
14:15 But did you feel like that sequence
14:16 started turning the momentum back to the Hogs?
14:20 -I did, yeah.
14:22 I mean, because we -- you know, we hadn't done anything.
14:26 And then we took that drive and scored.
14:30 And absolutely.
14:33 And it kind of fired us up a little bit.
14:36 And, I mean, you can look at the goal-line stand, too.
14:39 Then we kept the ball the rest of the game, too.
14:41 So that type of momentum is certainly big.
14:44 We just couldn't -- we couldn't get it anywhere.
14:47 We did stop them in the first half,
14:49 and they kicked field goals,
14:50 but we just couldn't generate some type of momentum.
14:55 And we got to figure it out.
14:59 -Max was called on early and often to punt.
15:01 Just how would you -- Max Fletcher,
15:04 the punt was called on early and often.
15:06 Just how would you expect --
15:08 -I love your comments, man.
15:10 -Reflect on his performance.
15:12 -Early and often.
15:14 I think early he kicked good, and often he kicked good.
15:20 I don't remember him shanking one or anything like that.
15:23 I don't know what he averaged, Kyle.
15:25 45. Wasn't as good as last week.
15:27 He averaged 49.
15:29 Did they have any punt returns to the audience?
15:30 I don't think they did.
15:32 45 net, I think that's pretty good early in quite a few times.
15:41 -You said through two games
15:42 that you don't know what you've got yet kind of.
15:44 -Still don't. -But you got BYU
15:46 coming in here next week.
15:47 Do you wish you knew what you had a little bit more right now?
15:50 -You guys got some questions now.
16:05 Well, I know we have KJ, you know,
16:08 and I know we've got left tackle, right guy.
16:12 I'm trying to find more than 22 guys.
16:15 I know who we have, as starters,
16:18 and I'm trying to find out how many guys can we win with,
16:23 and we've had the greatest opportunity in America
16:25 to do that with,
16:27 with the Westman Carolina and Kent State,
16:29 and we're two and up,
16:31 so I'm trying to find out who we can win an SEC with,
16:38 and I'm not concerned about BYU
16:43 and because we played three corners
16:47 and four linebackers and all that.
16:50 I think we're helping our football team for SEC play.
16:56 -Hey, Coach, I'm just curious,
16:58 what the locker room was like at halftime?
17:00 What did you guys do to try to get them up?
17:03 -Try wasn't good, but we were talking about --
17:10 you know, we talk about adversity all the time,
17:12 and we just say, "Don't have to get there.
17:15 We can just solve problems," and all that,
17:17 but when you have a half, an entire half of problems,
17:21 you know, it wasn't a panic, but it was --
17:30 Basically, we're hitting them.
17:32 They're gaining three when we hit them.
17:35 Basically, I thought we were getting outstrayed,
17:38 outwanted to, and we talked about that,
17:42 and how we're going to fix it.
17:45 We'd had a few things that caused some trouble on defense,
17:48 so we continued to want to go on that.
17:53 And on offense, I told Dan, I said, "I don't care.
17:59 I'm not worried about how many rush hours we have.
18:02 I'm trying to score a point.
18:03 However we're going to score it, I don't care,"
18:06 but we just weren't throwing and catching it very good either,
18:08 so a lot of times you can hang your hat on one of them,
18:12 and so we just challenged the offense
18:15 to be more physical, strain harder,
18:18 and I'm trying to make something a lot better
18:22 out of the second half than what I really believe that it was.
18:26 It was better, but it still wasn't good,
18:29 and so we --
18:32 But I think they played harder.
18:35 You mentioned not --
18:39 Are we a team that needs to get surprised?
18:41 You won the game, obviously. Yeah.
18:43 But do you think you can build on this a little bit
18:45 from maybe a little bit of a wake-up call?
18:47 I think you got a great point.
18:50 You know, you look at around the country,
18:53 and it's happened for years, you get surprised.
18:57 In other words, you get surprised and you lose,
19:01 or you get surprised and you win.
19:04 Well, obviously, the second is a lot better than the first.
19:10 I felt like we had a good week of practice.
19:12 I did.
19:14 I thought our distractions were to a minimum.
19:19 Obviously, you know what I mean when you have key players
19:23 that get hurt, all that kind of stuff.
19:26 But we didn't come out like I thought we would come out
19:31 on a home opener, and that bothers me.
19:35 But I think we can fix -- I love our kids,
19:38 and I love the locker room, the culture.
19:42 I think we'll fix all this, Trey.
19:44 I really do.
19:45 And we'll play a much better football game.
19:49 I guess, no disrespect, a much better football team
19:54 coming in here next week, and I think we'll show them
19:57 and have a much better passion at football team
20:02 that they've only had today.