‘Embrace the Hog’: Arkansas heads into the 2024 season with a renewed outlook
DALLAS — Arkansas took center stage at SEC Media Days in Dallas on Thursday, with head coach Sam Pittman, quarterback Taylen Green, wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, and defensive lineman Landon Jackson representing the team.**
Following a disappointing 4-8 finish last season, many speculate that Pittman might be on the hot seat. He addressed these speculations head-on, emphasizing the ever-changing nature of college football narratives.
“I’m at the top of the [hot seat] list,” Pittman stated. “Two years ago, I was among the top six candidates for the Coach of the Year award; isn’t it crazy? I want to be that guy again, not the one from last year. The only person who can control the hot seat is me… I’m not worried about it.”
Despite questions about Pittman’s job security, the Razorbacks are confident they can move past last season’s struggles. This year, the focus is to “embrace the Hog.”
“2024 is a fresh start,” Pittman said. “We’ve been working tirelessly to address areas that need improvement. It’s a year to embrace the Hog: We need to be tough. We need to be united.”
Green, who secured the starting quarterback position after transferring from Boise State, shares this vision and believes this year’s team is exceptional.
“With the offensive weapons we have and a strong defense, I feel like the sky’s the limit for us,” Green said. “The only thing stopping us is ourselves, and we’re working to minimize that.”
In the offseason, the Razorbacks made a significant move by bringing back former head coach Bobby Petrino to lead an offense that averaged 26.6 points per game last season, ranking tenth in the Southeastern Conference.
Petrino is considered one of the nation’s top offensive minds, and Arkansas aims to use a balanced attack to keep opponents guessing and score early and often.
Armstrong expressed his excitement about Petrino’s coaching, especially with Green as quarterback.
“Being coached by Petrino has been great,” Armstrong said. “We’re aiming to be very explosive this year. With Taylen Green as our leader… it’s been exciting.”
Armstrong, a redshirt senior wide receiver, chose to finish his college career at Arkansas after leading the team in receiving yards (764), receptions (56), and touchdowns (5) in 2023.
Armstrong’s performance was a highlight in an otherwise struggling offense last season. He said returning to Fayetteville was an easy decision.
“Considering how close our losses were last year, I feel like we can build on that,” Armstrong said. “I felt there was unfinished business here, and we can achieve something great this season. That’s why I came back.”
Five of Arkansas’s eight losses in 2023 were by seven points or less, including a three-point loss to then-No. 11 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
“We played in a lot of one-score games last year and just didn’t finish,” Armstrong said. “It could’ve changed our season… we need to play to the best of our ability.”
This sentiment is shared on the defensive side, led by Jackson, who recorded 44 tackles and led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last year.
“We really need to finish close games,” Jackson said. “It’s all about the little details. In tight games, we need to prevent first downs, dominate the line of scrimmage, play as a unit, and get the job done.”
In defensive coordinator Travis Williams’ first season, Arkansas finished sixth in the SEC in tackles for loss and sacks.
Arkansas kicks off its 2024 campaign against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 29. Coverage from War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock begins at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
