Pittman's Latest Whack-A Mole: Razorback Special Teams

Arkansas has new problem after solving issues that plague previous two seasons

Arkansas Razorbacks kicker Kyle Ramsey misses a field goal in the first overtime against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

STILLWATER, Okla. — There are three phases in football. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman seems to be in a constant whack-a-mole to sort out all three phases of the game. In the latest round, Pittman is battling special teams.

In 2022, it was the defense. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom allowed the most yards in the SEC and the eighth most in the country, so Pittman smashed the proverbial hammer and brought in new defensive coordinator Travis Williams to take over. The problem was at least mostly alleviated, Williams dragged his unit to the middle of the pack in the SEC and played a dominating first half against Oklahoma State in 2024, certainly well enough to win the game.

Then in the offseason, Kendal Briles announced his departure to take over the play-calling duties at TCU. A Dan Enos-led offense reared its ugly head from the machine and stymied any chance of a successful season as the offense fell from fifth in the conference in 2022 to second-to-last in 2023, behind just Vanderbilt.

So, Pittman fired Enos midway through the season and took whatever potential bad PR that could arise from re-hiring Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. Through two games, he has been vindicated for his decision. Not only did Petrino go 10-for-10 against UAPB scoring touchdowns, he put up 648 total yards of offense against No. 16 Oklahoma State. Arkansas had more rushing yards against the Cowboys than they had in every game last year except Florida International (323).

Arkansas' Taylen Green (10) gets by Oklahoma State's Obi Ezeigbo (33) in the first overtime at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

With offense and defense fixed, the old reliable unit has now broken down. Arkansas was ranked in the top 25 in college football last year on both average yards per punt and field goal percentage. Scott Fountain is the only member of Pittman's staff that has stayed his entire tenure. However, with Cam Little now the starting kicker for the Jaguars, the void was too big to fill, at least early in the season.

Transfer kicker Kyle Ramsey was shielded in the season opener by Petrino's brilliance, limited to just extra point duty as the Razorbacks could not stop scoring touchdowns. Little's absence was immediately felt when Ramsey was tasked with kicking a 41-yard field goal in front of a sellout crowd of 52,022 on the road to stretch a 21-13 lead back to a two-possession game. Pittman vowed to reopen the kicking battle between Ramsey and Matthew Shipley.

I hate it for him [Ramsey]," Pittman said about opening up the battle at kicker. "I know he missed a couple, but he also made the one that put us into overtime and if we played a little bit better, maybe that wouldn’t have come up. Their kicker missed as well to put us into overtime. Yeah, that competition is always up, it certainly is now.

It also later influenced Pittman and Petrino's decision-making on a key fourth and 5, opting to go for it instead of going for another 41-yard field goal, which would have put the Hogs up 24-21 with 6:45 left in the game.

"I felt really good about what Bobby had called," Pittman said on the play. "Our opportunity didn’t convert that and it changed a little bit of the momentum and probably we just missed one before from the same distance, that probably had a little bit to do with it."

The vastly improved defense held its ground, the defense forced three straight incompletions from Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman to force a punt from the OSU 38, but Isaiah Sategna muffed the return, allowing Oklahoma State to tie the game just two plays later.

Ramsey missed his second field goal in the first overtime, a 46-yarder. Thankfully, that didn't matter for the Hogs. OSU's Logan Ward also missed a game-winning field goal.

Arkansas will look to rectify the special teams woes against UAB 3:15 p.m. Sept.14 in the home opener. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

HOGS FEED:

•  Being Arkansas football fans must be life of misery

• Count on death, taxes, Razorbacks losing one-score games

• Oklahoma State nothing for Hogs to fear, perfectly mediocre team on Arkansas schedule

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