Arkansas football: Stock report after Week 13
There’s no getting around it, this was a disappointing season for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks finished the season 4-8 after back-t0-back winning seasons — hitting a major decline in the 4th season of Sam Pittman.
Pittman will be back next year, which Arkansas fans might have mixed feelings about, but it means stability, which is important in college football and something plenty of teams lack.
Here’s a look at Arkansas’ season.
Most improved: Jayden Johnson
There weren’t many Arkansas players that made a huge jump in the 2023 season, but defensive back Jayden Johnson made quite the leap.
Johnson was someone that offenses targeted plenty of times last season because he wasn’t a reliable tackler in his sophomore season. Johnson seemed to take that personally and became much more reliable this season.
After recording just 34 tackles last season — 17 of those solo tackles — he nearly doubled that number this season, recording 61 tackles on the season, including 30 solo tackles. He became a valuable asset in Arkansas’ secondary this season, and he’s looking to continue improving next year.
Arkansas’ defense has a long way to go, but if defensive backs can follow Johnson’s lead, the Razorbacks could see some major leaps.
Biggest surprise: Playing good teams close
For many teams this season, Arkansas was probably viewed as a give-me game. The Razorbacks gave some really good teams plenty of trouble, however.
It started with first SEC game of the season against LSU. The Tigers were coming off back-to-back dominant wins, including one against Mississippi State. It seemed like LSU would handle business against Arkansas at home with ease. That was far from the case.
The game was tied heading into the final minute, and it took a huge drive from Jayden Daniels and LSU’s offense to get them into field position, and the Tigers barely escaped on a game-winning field goal.
A few games later, Arkansas took Ole Miss down to the wire. The Razorbacks led early in the fourth quarter, but Ole Miss got by after a late touchdown and a field goal. Arkansas was a mounting a drive to try and tie the game, but the Rebels got an interception to seal the game.
The next game, Arkansas had Nick Saban and Alabama sweating after mounting a huge comeback, but ultimately falling just short 24-21.
Looking at Arkansas on paper, its ability to take these good teams down to the wire doesn’t make much sense, but the Razorbacks were just a few plays away from having a completely different season.
Best win: Florida
Arkansas’ best win was its sole SEC win over Florida.
While the Gators had a similarly disappointing season overall, missing out on bowl eligibility, they were looking like a worthy opponent at the time of this game.
Arkansas used a huge performance from KJ Jefferson to get past the Gators in overtime and get out of the season with at least one SEC win. It’s fair to assume that Pittman’s future at Arkansas could be a little more uncertain if he hadn’t managed at least one SEC win this season.
Worst loss: Mississippi State
This season was a race to the bottom of the SEC West for Mississippi State and Arkansas, and the Razorbacks solidified their spot at the bottom of the West in this loss.
It was not a blowout by any means — Arkansas lost by just 4 points — but it was embarrassing offensive performance for the Razorbacks. They mustered just 200 total yards of offense, failing to find the endzone and getting its sole 3 points on a field goal. Jefferson — who has been good despite Arkansas’ struggles — had just 97 passing yards and turned the ball over twice.
The Razorbacks’ offensive line was transparent in the game, surrendering 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss.
Arkansas had a chance to pick up a win against one of the only teams in the conference that it was comparable to, and it failed to do so.
Play of the Year: KJ Jefferson’s touchdown pass in OT vs. Florida
Arkansas’ play of the year is the one that won the Razorbacks their only SEC game.
After Arkansas nailed a 49-yard field goal to sent the game to overtime late in the 4th quarter, the Razorbacks’ defense held Florida to a field goal in overtime.
From there, Jefferson flexed his veteran muscle, running for 20 yards to put the Razorbacks in good position. A few plays later, Jefferson won the game with a 4-yard pass to Tyrone Broden and the Razorbacks left overtime with an encouraging win.