Arkansas walked out of its bye week with plenty of work done, a little humor mixed in and Missouri next on the schedule.
Coach Ryan Silverfield said Monday the Razorbacks used the open date to self-scout and sharpen a team that still has clear room to grow after seven games. Arkansas, 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SEC, hosts No.
23 Missouri at 6:45 p.m. Saturday on Halloween night at Razorback Stadium.
“The bye was very productive [with] a lot of self scouting and finding ways to get better and looking at different ways to continue to improve in all facets of our program,” Silverfield said Monday.
What Arkansas found during that review wasn’t presented in detail, but the numbers tell the story well enough. The Razorbacks enter the week with the SEC’s lowest-scoring offense at 21 points per game and sit 15th in the league in passing efficiency. Defensively, they are 15th in the conference in both sacks per game at 1.43 and tackles for loss per game at 3.9.
Silverfield made clear the off week was less about tearing everything down and starting over than about tightening the screws.
“A lot of it, you go and look at certain techniques,” Silverfield said. “You’re not going to reinvent the offense.
I mean, I’ve seen some teams that go into a bye and they come back out and you’re seeing a whole new scheme. That does happen with a couple teams.
“Not to give away our trade secrets for Mizzou, we are going to come out and run triple option under center the entire time with double wings, so they can start preparing for that,” Silverfield joked.
There was a more serious point underneath the joke. Silverfield said the challenge in a bye week is knowing how much to change without overloading a team.
“I think you’ve just got to be smart with how much you’re trying to fix,” Silverfield said. “What are things that are technique-sound? Like this guy’s probably at a bad pad level, let’s make sure we’re working on this.”
He also said the week can be valuable for individual players, not just the unit as a whole.
“I think sometimes you even go to the individual: ‘What’s the one thing you feel like you need to improve on?’” Silverfield said.
“OK, here’s what I think. All right, how do we get that fixed within a week of practice and continue to work on those things?
And then, what are we good at? Are we better at this scheme in the running game than this?
… So I think you look at some of those issues, what are some things you can tweak, but there’s no wholesale, full changes typically.”
The Missouri game brings its own weight, too. Arkansas has lost nine of the last 10 meetings, and the teams will play for the Battle Line Trophy, the creation of former Razorback David Bazzel that weighs 180 pounds and stands 4 feet, 4 inches tall.
Missouri beat Arkansas 34-17 last year in Fayetteville, improving to 3-2 in games played there. This year’s matchup lands back in Fayetteville because of the scheduling quirks that come with the move to a nine-game SEC slate.
It also won’t come at the usual season-ending spot on Thanksgiving weekend. Eleven of the last 12 games in the series have been played there, but this one arrives in late October instead.
Silverfield said the rivalry matters because the fan base makes sure it does.
“I think [this game] is important because fans are so passionate about it,” Silverfield said. “That’s what you love.
I think it’s good to have some hate in your heart for your opponent. And certainly I love the fans, because I know they’re going to show up and be rabid and loud on Saturday.
“I haven’t been here long enough to get through a full season and eventually … maybe that’ll be an off-season question for me: Which way I rank [the Arkansas rivalries],” Silverfield said. “I’m sure they’ll all be near the top.”
In Other News...
Arkansas Is Suddenly In Position For A Massive Calipari Recruiting Win
A big recruiting battle is coming down to the wire for a prospect who could change the shape of a class. Demarcus Henry, a five-star guard in the 2027 cycle, has trimmed his list to Arkansas, Louisville, North Carolina and Kentucky, and he is expected to make his decision later this week. For the Razorbacks, just being in this final group says plenty about the programs current pull under John Calipari, especially with heavyweights from the ACC and SEC still in the mix.
The late stages of a chase like this usually come down to fit, trust and which staff makes the clearest long-term case. Arkansas has plenty to sell as it tries to land one of the top names in the class, but Henrys choice remains unsettled for now, with several bluebloods still waiting alongside the Razorbacks. However this one ends, the decision will reverberate well beyond a single commitment and could become one of the bigger recruiting swings of the cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Just Got A Crucial Auburn Detail In A Tough SEC Stretch
Arkansas now knows the final piece of its Week 10 road trip to Auburn, with kickoff set for Nov. 7 at 11:45 a.m. CST and the game slated for SEC Network. It lands in the middle of a demanding SEC run that has already asked plenty of the Razorbacks, and it gives the team a clear target as it keeps navigating a stretch packed with familiar league names and plenty of pressure.
The schedule around Auburn only underscores how important this part of the season is for Arkansas, with Missouri, South Carolina, Texas and LSU all part of the recent and upcoming backdrop. Those matchups carry their own history and recent results, which is exactly why the Razorbacks will be watching every detail they can get as they try to steady things in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Is Chasing A Recruiting Opening Rivals May Regret
Arkansas has been working the recruiting trail with a real sense of urgency, and the official-visit calendar has made that clear. The Razorbacks have hosted a steady stream of prospects while continuing to pursue players already committed elsewhere, including recruits tied to Baylor, Maryland and UTSA, as coaching changes around the country have created openings that did not exist a few weeks ago.
For Arkansas, the appeal is obvious: when other programs change direction, the Hogs get a chance to stay in the conversation longer than they otherwise might. Several of the prospects on the board have already made multiple visits or kept close contact with the staff, which is exactly the sort of groundwork that can pay off if any of those commitments start to wobble. Nothing is settled yet, but Arkansas has put itself in position to benefit if the dominoes begin to fall. [Read more 🡒]