Three Questions That Could Decide Arkansas’ Fate Against Tennessee

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks enter Saturday's game as heavy underdogs against Tennessee with a slim chance of upsetting the No. 15 team in the country.

During The Ryan Silverfield Show on Wednesday night, the Razorbacks' first-year coach talked about energy and effort at an all-time high in his tenure despite another blowout loss against Power Four competition.

“Anybody who has been around the program in years past talks about how the culture has now shifted, how these guys believe and how they continue to grow and do things at a high, high level,” Silverfield said. “I promise you, those who stay and those fans that continue to support, you guys will be rewarded in the near future.”

The last time Tennessee was around these parts, it resulted in a 19-14 victory over the No. 4 Volunteers with backup quarterback Malachi Singleton leading a fourth quarter comeback. That was the last SEC victory inside Razorback Stadium in two years and these three storylines are worth monitoring throughout the game.

Tennessee Volunteers running back DeSean Bishop (18) runs for a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can The Hogs Stop Tennessee's Run Game?

Vols running back DeSean Bishop is a chunk yardage king of the SEC, averaging over 6.14 yards per carry on 88 attempts. He has 540 yards and seven touchdowns 5on the season and has become the offensive workhorse for coach Josh Heupel and that includes a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn last week.

Arkansas' biggest problem defensively comes at quite the convenient time for Tennessee, as Ron Roberts' unit has given up nearly 500 yards and eight touchdowns to SEC opponents on the ground, which sits at the bottom of the league.

With backup quarterback George MacIntyre getting his first start, it would be wise for the Razorbacks to hone in on selling out to stop Tennessee's run game, and put faith in the secondary that they can hold up enough to not be beat through the air.

Silverfield knows what's coming and it's up to him to make sure Arkansas does what it can to slow down such a physical downhill run game.

"Yeah, I think Tennessee — listen — they’re a fast pace," Silverfield said on Monday. "Depending on whichever quarterback plays, they’re both very, very capable. Like I said, they’re both still the highest rated quarterbacks in their program’s history and they’ve had a lot of great quarterbacks come through there. But I do think coach Heupel’s going to lean into the run game.

"You look at what they did versus Auburn, they lined up in a lot of 12-personnel, different personnel packages in the backfield as well, and they tried to run the ball down people’s throats. It looked like an inside run period. They had a lot of success. Tennessee and Coach Heupel have won 31 straight games where they run for over 200 yards. That’s going to be what they’re going to hang their hat on."

Roberts, a proud defensive mind, is hoping barf bags won't be needed in the booth if Tennessee, like Georgia and Texas A&M, rushes for 200 yards.

"My God," Roberts said. "I’m going to throw up in the press box if they rush for 200."

"The two tight ends they’ve got are really good blockers too, physical at the point of attack. The tailback’s a really good player. So, it’s not a whole lot, I mean, they’re just really good at executing what they do and they’ve got good people doing it."

Arkansas Razorbacks center calls for protection changes against Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs on SI Images

Will Arkansas' OL Hold Up To Vols Pass Rush?

The Razorbacks' offensive line, once considered a strength ahead of the season, has been woeful through the first half of the season in allowing the second-most QB pressures in the SEC with 43, according to Pro Football Focus.

Arkansas ranks No. 12 in the conference for pass blocking efficiency at 88.7, which is ahead of Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Auburn.

While Arkansas' offensive line has given up 14 sacks across the first five games, that doesn't tell the complete story of their struggles on that side of the ball. Jackson has to get rid of the ball quicker given his 2.74 seconds average for time to throw.

That ranks No. 10 among SEC quarterbacks with at least 60 dropbacks, according to PFF data. And Jackson is still scrambling for his life with 4.37 seconds before falling victim of a sack.

The Hogs up front are going to have their hands full in protection as Tennessee grades out No. 21 in pass rush efficiency at 79.2 overall, and lead the FBS in sacks with 23.

"They lead the country in sacks right now. So let’s start with what they’re really good at," Silverfield said. "They’re leading the country in sacks. I mean they are, they’ve got dynamic players everywhere.

"And I think you look at what [Tennessee DC Jim Knowles] did at Penn State, what he’s done at Ohio State, what he did at Oklahoma State and even all the way back to Cornell, right? He’s always had great defenses. They play really sound. He’s always got answers for things."

Arkansas fans during the light show at Razorback Stadium against Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs On SI Images

Do The Razorbacks Stand A Chance To Win?

As the old saying goes, "Any given Saturday," but it's fair to question whether Arkansas' football program has grown calloused to losing so much. With 13 straight losses to SEC opponents, and nine consecutive losses to Power Conference teams at home, Silverfield is desperately trying to flip the narrative there.

One area he believes is critical to punching above their weight class is taking care of what they can control such as penalties, turnovers and effort.

"The biggest thing for us is some of the controllables," Silverfield said. "The one thing I’m disappointed in is ball security. That’s one of those things — again, not to harp on the past — teams I’ve coached have always been really, really strong at, is taking care of the football.

"We have not done a good enough job of that. But the effort is one of those things that, like… I don’t take small victories, but we try to find ways to get better every day and the effort is showing up. I would have major issues right now if we didn’t play with good effort and I felt like we weren’t building a culture every day."

While effort doesn't get many teams in the win column or actually pack the stadium for a fall afternoon kickoff, Razorback Stadium can still have an impact in Saturday's game.

"Everybody talks about how big home field advantage is and the SEC and how hard it is to play on the road," Silverfield said. "I hope teams when they come here to Fayetteville and to Northwest Arkansas say, 'Man, it's really hard to play there.' Obviously, winning will get more tails in the seats. I understand that. Winning will allow us to continue to create a great home field advantage."

If Arkansas can not only pack the stands Saturday, but also give fans something to cheer about, then there could be a true upset brewing Saturday night.

However, if the Razorbacks can't stop the run or prevent Tennessee's defensive line from having another field day in the offensive backfield, it could result in a 14th straight loss in SEC play.

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