Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman's complete press conference after a 34-22 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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00:00 I want to congratulate Texas A&M.
00:02 They were very prepared, very physical team today.
00:06 Ran the ball well, threw it well,
00:13 played great defense, put a lot of pressure on us.
00:17 And give them credit, they were very physical.
00:22 And our team is a little beat up.
00:28 Got a few injuries.
00:29 I appreciate the effort, the fight that we had
00:36 throughout the entire game.
00:37 I thought when Snacks picked the pass
00:40 that that would springboard us,
00:42 but we just, we couldn't get anything done in the red area.
00:46 And really in the second half, offensively,
00:48 couldn't get first down.
00:52 So, give A&M the credit, we've got a lot of work to do.
00:56 But I like our kids, I think they'll come back and fight.
00:59 But, wasn't a good outing today.
01:04 - Questions, please raise your hand
01:07 in order to identify yourself.
01:09 - Intervention, that's part of the sports.
01:11 Coach, you had another fourth down decision there,
01:12 length of the first half.
01:13 You had the puck team out there, all the time out.
01:16 Went for, what was the decision you went for that day?
01:18 - Well, it was six inches.
01:21 You know, sometimes you make decisions
01:24 on how everything's kind of feeling
01:28 during the game and things of that nature.
01:31 And, you know, we hadn't stopped them.
01:33 They'd missed the field goal, but we hadn't stopped them.
01:36 And, no matter where the starting point was,
01:41 we had three timeouts left.
01:43 I thought if we'd make the first down right there
01:44 that we could go down and either cut the lead to one
01:49 or take the lead.
01:53 And, we missed, cut off on the backside
01:57 and Rocket got hit on it.
01:59 And, then we had a third 12th, you know, right after that.
02:04 And, I'm thinking, okay, we're going to be fine.
02:08 And, they were almost out of field goal range,
02:11 all those things.
02:11 And, they get a first down in school with 12 seconds left.
02:15 The worst thing could happen off of certainly missing
02:18 a fourth in inches.
02:20 But, that was a thought going into it.
02:23 You know, we hadn't been able to stop them.
02:25 And, I thought, you know, we might take the lead
02:29 knowing they had the ball back as well.
02:31 I know there's a risk too, if you don't make it
02:33 because you're sitting there at the 40.
02:36 I just felt very confident about our short yardage.
02:38 We had a really nice game plan.
02:41 I thought we'd make it, we just didn't.
02:43 - On the fourth to one plays, is there a schematic
02:46 or a strategic reason for KJ not being
02:48 at our center on those plays?
02:50 - No, not really.
02:51 I mean, you know, once he gets under center,
02:54 they're, you know, the front on the defense
02:58 is certainly going to change.
03:00 Not really, we just felt, honestly,
03:06 if we felt better about him sneaking, you know,
03:09 we would do that.
03:11 But, no, not really.
03:15 Just the fact that they're going to have, you know,
03:18 five guys within the A and B gap.
03:22 And, this week I felt really good
03:26 that we were going to get the first down.
03:27 I mean, we looked good in practice,
03:29 and this, that, and the other, but just didn't happen.
03:33 - How much of a guy's impact is that?
03:37 So, you started out pretty good on offense,
03:39 two field goal guys, and then something happened on,
03:42 or down conversion, what led to the lack of push,
03:46 lack of time to play?
03:47 - You know, I think, though, Tom, when you look at it,
03:51 we weren't any good when we went and scored,
03:54 when we went and got field goals.
03:55 I mean, we were converting third and 12,
03:58 and third and eight, you know what I mean?
04:01 And, we had two ugly plays and a first down,
04:04 two ugly plays and a first down.
04:06 And, so we never really were in any kind of rhythm.
04:10 If we got four yards running on first down,
04:13 that was like really, really good, you know?
04:16 I think what happened is we quit converting
04:20 those third downs, you know?
04:22 'Cause I think we converted our first three in a row,
04:24 and then after that, we went on a dry spell.
04:27 I'm not sure if we didn't convert maybe two more
04:30 in the entire game, you know what I mean?
04:33 But, most of them, besides the fourth and one,
04:35 most of them were lengthy in yards, six plus,
04:40 and either we couldn't protect it,
04:43 we couldn't get open, or we couldn't catch it
04:47 if we got open.
04:48 There wasn't many of those, but,
04:50 so physically, you know, they dominated us on the edge.
04:57 They did exactly what we thought they would do, exactly.
05:02 And, they were very aggressive,
05:05 but we just never had really an explosive play
05:10 until the game was really over.
05:12 And, that was on the last catch for a touchdown.
05:15 - Right, with the off-sports, Coach,
05:18 it looks like you put together a pretty good roster,
05:21 but you just haven't so much trouble protecting the game yet.
05:24 Why do you think that's been such an issue
05:28 through all these years?
05:29 - Well, I think part of it is, you know,
05:31 we're playing pretty good defensive ends,
05:34 but you're gonna play 'em every week, you know?
05:39 They've got good ones.
05:41 Part of it is, is we're young, you know?
05:45 We got a lot of learning curve to do.
05:50 We do have, in my opinion, the best tackles we have out there,
05:54 you know what I mean?
05:55 - Oh, he has to listen to the head honk right now here
06:02 on the show, so we're doing it.
06:05 - On a seven-man protection,
06:09 where we're using the backs and the tight ends,
06:11 and they were blitzing it.
06:12 They blitzed it twice and got to us on that.
06:17 Sometimes we're holding the ball too long,
06:21 and sometimes there's no time to hold the ball.
06:24 You're on your back.
06:24 So I think we have really good,
06:29 a lot of good on good reps during the week,
06:32 which makes us strain and things of that nature.
06:36 But if I knew the answer
06:40 to how we could protect him better, you know,
06:42 obviously last week we tried to move a little bit more,
06:46 roll a little bit.
06:47 We had success with those, you know?
06:49 They were five and six yards.
06:50 They weren't, you know, 60, but they were success.
06:55 We tried to neck it and boot.
06:57 We tried it on the first or second play of the game,
07:00 and, you know, he had a blitz into it.
07:03 And I don't know if we got sacked on that
07:06 or he got back to the line of scrimmage.
07:08 It seemed like the times we were trying to get the ball,
07:11 the movement, the protection outside,
07:13 get it away from, you know, having just go win one-on-one,
07:17 they blitzed into it.
07:20 So we got a lot of work to do,
07:24 but I think we can, I think we can.
07:27 I still think we've got a good,
07:33 enough offensive line to protect it.
07:35 I do, we're just not doing it right now.
07:39 Somebody, it's not five of them, it's somebody.
07:43 And as you well know, if one of them has trouble,
07:47 you're in trouble, you know?
07:49 We're just not as consistent as what we have been in the past.
07:53 - Are you pleased with the offensive strategy
07:55 and the play going today, or you just,
07:57 you can't protect, so it's helpless?
08:00 - No, I don't think so.
08:02 I mean, we tried to run stretch,
08:07 we tried to run inside,
08:09 we tried to run some counter types of situations.
08:14 When I, on our first stretch play,
08:21 we threw the ball out to the bubble
08:23 and it was a mile wide open hole.
08:26 And we just, you know, we threw it outside to the bubble
08:30 and got no yards on the play, you know?
08:34 That's a little bit part of the RPO.
08:37 That thing is, you know,
08:40 oh, I wish he'd have gave it at that point.
08:42 Well, you can't do that.
08:43 You just gotta go off of reads and things of that nature.
08:45 But, you know, try to answer your question.
08:48 We tried everything that we had practiced
08:53 that we thought would work, and it didn't.
08:59 - Coach, you're with the Hawksports Network.
09:01 For how's the status of the young man,
09:04 you said you're gonna have any word on him?
09:05 - John Morgan, he had movement everywhere.
09:10 He was, good spirits isn't the word,
09:15 but he was, you know, he visited with me,
09:19 said, "Coach, I'm fine."
09:21 But he did have some soreness in his neck.
09:24 So they took the precautionary, which they should,
09:28 and they're good at what they do,
09:30 and they took care of him.
09:31 But he had movement everywhere, and he's at the doctor.
09:36 Luke has broke his clavicle
09:38 on that first or second play of the game.
09:41 Nudy got a concussion.
09:46 I think there was one more, I can't remember right now.
09:52 Who?
09:53 Yeah, McLaughlin got a concussion.
09:58 - Sam, you've been coaching a long time.
09:59 Seven sacks, 15 packets for loss.
10:01 Can you ever recall a-
10:03 - Oh man, let me think.
10:06 Oh, I'm sure when I was a line coach,
10:19 somebody dominated me like that.
10:21 But if it was, I'd try to forget about it.
10:27 But you don't have many games like that ever.
10:32 So I'm sure I did.
10:37 I think when I was in Missouri,
10:40 like we played Colorado or something,
10:42 they sacked us like a gazillion times.
10:44 But I can't, it might've been Colorado.
10:48 I don't remember.
10:49 - Sam, is that a season ending deal for Luke?
10:54 - I would assume so.
10:56 You know, I had a running back
11:01 when I was coaching at Trenton High School
11:03 that got it in the first game
11:04 and he came back for the last two or three
11:08 in a 10 game season.
11:10 I don't know if anybody can come back faster,
11:14 it'll be him.
11:15 But now we're sitting in what, week five?
11:19 We've went by eight weeks.
11:21 You know, if we're fortunate enough to get Bowl eligible,
11:25 he might be back for that, maybe.
11:27 - Then what'd you think of their B&M offense this game?
11:31 I know you guys pushed the Terrells, which was good.
11:33 What'd you think of their game, Bob Collins,
11:35 what'd you think of their offense?
11:37 - I think they can run the football.
11:39 You know, quarterback's a good player.
11:43 You know, he made a mistake, you know,
11:46 there on the bubble, but, or Snacks got it.
11:49 But I mean, he's played a lot of football.
11:52 He's won it with Logs 2 last year.
11:55 But, I mean, I think he took whatever we were giving him
12:01 and did a nice job.
12:02 We made some adjustments at halftime,
12:04 I thought were pretty good.
12:06 We played a little bit better ball
12:07 in the second half on defense.
12:09 But, you know, we basically didn't stop him
12:12 in the first half, maybe had it four times
12:14 and scored three of the four, missed a field goal.
12:17 So his game plan was really good.
12:21 - Yeah, Coach, I mean, Dan, I know you mentioned
12:22 back here in the back corner.
12:24 - Oh, I'm sorry.
12:26 - No, it's all good.
12:28 So all off season, you guys breached physicality
12:30 and finishing it in five games this season.
12:32 How would you assess the team's physicality level?
12:35 - Oh, it's certainly not what we want it to be.
12:39 Probably didn't look very good today.
12:46 I would say last week,
12:51 better than today.
12:54 And I'd say the week before,
12:56 not very good.
13:00 Probably the week before that, not very good.
13:03 The first game, how do you know
13:04 that we scored so much so fast?
13:07 So to answer your question, probably not very good,
13:12 which you knew the answer to that question, I think.
13:19 - Great shot, buzzer-rated on that one.
13:21 Coach, when you lose a pass so early in the game,
13:25 what's the best thing?
13:26 - Oh, man, I don't know.
13:29 I mean, man, he's so valuable.
13:31 I didn't mean that negatively.
13:33 I did not.
13:34 I didn't.
13:35 It was an easy question to ask.
13:39 He's so valuable to us.
13:45 You know, I mean, you go back to LSU
13:48 and take him out of there.
13:50 And what's it look like?
13:52 Like that, you know, not like that,
13:54 but I'm talking about the big plays that he brings to us.
13:57 Ain't that crazy?
13:59 He's a freshman too, and you're talking about him.
14:01 But we've got other guys that need to step up
14:06 and have their opportunities,
14:08 but losing him was a big blow to us offensively.
14:11 - Coach, you all right?
14:13 - I'm here to support my boys.
14:17 - Tess, a lot of, I think you had one catch
14:20 for many hours today,
14:21 and then how did you get him to come off a little bit
14:25 and then get the tight end still?
14:28 What were you trying to do?
14:29 You had no one to try.
14:30 - Well, we played gums, you know,
14:32 and obviously, you know, we've got four over there
14:37 and we were relying heavily on has, you know,
14:44 and 30 was the guy kind of backing him up.
14:47 So that's probably where we're going.
14:52 We may try to get Ty Washington cranked up
14:55 a little bit more.
14:56 What was the other, you had two of them?
14:58 Yeah, I mean, that's one that we got to figure out too,
15:03 because, I mean, he's a really good receiver, I think.
15:08 But guys, it's hard to throw the football
15:11 when, you know, you're on their back.
15:13 I mean, or you're scrambling.
15:16 So he might've been open a few times
15:22 and just didn't have enough time to get him the ball.
15:24 You know what I'm saying?
15:25 So we know who he is,
15:27 and we know that we need to get him the football.
15:29 Obviously didn't do a very good job of it tonight,
15:34 and there's probably some sort of reason.
15:36 Either he couldn't get open
15:37 or we didn't have enough time to get him the football.
15:42 - You mentioned, you know,
15:44 you had three straight losses,
15:45 and you mentioned, you know,
15:46 being on their back and stuff.
15:47 Why, is it time to like,
15:49 reevaluate what you're doing offensively?
15:51 Or is it just keep practicing what we're doing?
15:54 - Well, you always, Trey, you always reevaluate.
15:59 I mean, you always evaluate what you're doing, you know?
16:02 And the thing that is bothersome,
16:11 because sometimes you go play somebody
16:14 and they're doing something that you didn't practice.
16:16 You know what I mean?
16:17 They're putting this spy or whatever it may be,
16:22 line movement that you didn't practice.
16:25 What's bothersome about it is we practiced it,
16:28 and what they gave us was we practiced it.
16:32 And so, I think,
16:41 I don't think we have too much offense in
16:43 or anything of that nature.
16:44 I just, I don't know that you or I could say
16:49 we do this, this, and this well.
16:52 And so, I think that's the,
16:55 we thought the stretch play was gonna help us,
16:58 and we didn't do it very good either, you know?
17:02 So, maybe it is cutting something back
17:07 and just saying, "Okay, we're gonna run four plays,
17:09 and that's it."
17:10 But whatever it is, didn't work at all tonight.
17:17 And it's a legit question.
17:19 - Heading into the Ole Miss game,
17:22 what's your biggest obstacle with this team?
17:24 I mean, after three losses, it's, you know,
17:26 getting way on your side,
17:27 you getting back to focusing on this game.
17:30 What's the challenge?
17:32 - Yeah, I like the team, I do.
17:33 You know, you guys, unfortunately or fortunately,
17:38 you're not able to be in the locker room after the game.
17:40 You know what I mean?
17:41 So, you don't really know what's in there.
17:43 You know what I mean?
17:44 I like our kids.
17:46 I think we still have the team.
17:48 I think they're fighting.
17:51 We've got to coach better.
17:55 In some areas, they have to play better.
17:59 But I like the attitude of the team.
18:02 It hurts them when they lose.
18:07 So, I didn't think we didn't fight today.
18:12 I thought we got whipped,
18:16 offensively especially.
18:20 But I don't think we didn't fight.
18:22 You know what I mean?
18:23 And so, when you lose the fights, when you're done,
18:26 you know, I don't feel that way at all, really,
18:29 to be honest with you.
18:31 - Two more questions.
18:32 - Daniel C. Paul, it's a eventful day on the special teams.
18:36 What's your view of that against the Bulldogs?
18:40 - I thought we played pretty well
18:41 until the punt returned.
18:43 You know, we made our field goals
18:46 and kicked the ball well, punted well.
18:52 We just, you know, they had to,
18:55 Smith had to return for a touchdown
18:58 and kind of seal what was already,
19:02 I mean, the game, the way we were playing offensively,
19:05 you know, it'd be hard for anybody to think
19:08 we were gonna get back in it,
19:10 but that punt return sealed everything, you know.
19:14 But other than that, I thought we played pretty good.
19:19 You can't take those away, you know what I mean?
19:21 You can't take the fourth and one away.
19:23 You can't take third and 12 away.
19:26 You can't take them away, you know what I mean?
19:29 So, as a unit, we gave up a touchdown return on a punt,
19:33 but I thought every other play of special teams unit
19:36 was pretty good.
19:37 He had two good punt returns, so yes.
19:40 - Same question, Bob.
19:42 - I need to talk to her too, if you don't mind.
19:47 Go ahead, Bob.
19:48 - You know, if you look at the score,
19:51 I think the defense did not have a very good game,
19:53 but they really only gave you 20 points
19:54 and really got you the game.
19:56 What'd you think of the defense?
19:58 And kind of going from what Trey said,
20:00 I get that you still fighting,
20:02 but man, it's been a tough three losses.
20:04 They're a pretty good team tonight.
20:05 I don't understand how they're going to play.
20:07 How do you rate those?
20:08 They're a pretty tough road.
20:09 - Yeah.
20:10 Well, I mean, we've known that for a long time, you know.
20:14 Every time you go out there,
20:18 there's always a chance you're not going to win,
20:19 you know what I mean?
20:20 And so you're going, man, Lord, please let us win.
20:25 And then, but the bottom line is,
20:29 if you don't, what do you do?
20:32 And the only way I know how to do it
20:34 is you got to go back and you got to fight.
20:36 I mean, you got to evaluate what's wrong
20:39 and try to fix it or throw it out and do something else.
20:44 But I like our team and I think they'll continue to fight.
20:51 I think our coaches will defensively.
20:54 We didn't play, we played well at all in the first half.
20:57 And I thought we played really good in the second half,
21:00 you know, a lot better
21:01 against what I think is a good offense.
21:03 I thought we had too many wide open guys in the first half
21:07 and too many long conversions on third down.
21:11 I didn't think we needed to get that,
21:13 but I thought we really played a lot better second half.
21:17 - Sam, thank you.
21:20 I was going to talk about the deep pitch.
21:22 You got three turnovers today, you know, no penalties today.
21:26 How do you think your deep pitch plays?
21:28 I feel like they're getting better and better.
21:30 - I think they are too.
21:31 And they're playing more guys
21:32 that had different packages for different personnel.
21:36 But Snacks, picking that pass and scoring,
21:40 and then we come back and we get an opportunity,
21:42 I mean, get a fumble on the 30 freaking seven or eight,
21:46 and we kick a field goal, you know.
21:50 Same thing when I went forward on fourth and one,
21:53 that was on the 40 and they go score on us.
21:55 You know, it's just, we didn't take advantage of it,
21:59 they did.
22:00 But they're playing hard.
22:04 I don't know what happened to Landon Jackson either.
22:08 I think he turned an ankle,
22:11 but those guys got them motivated and they're playing hard
22:15 and starting to play smarter and starting to cover better.