FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Good news, Arkansas fans. Everybody’s trying.
That was the big takeaway Wednesday night when Ryan Silverfield effort talk took over the mic at the Catfish Hole.
The first-year coach said the whole program needs to be better. He even put himself at the front of the line.
“We talked about all 200 people in our program have to do a better job, starting with me,” Silverfield said.
Then came the part that’s supposed to make you feel better about a 1-2 start.
“But the effort is there,” he said.
Well, that settles it. If effort counted as points, the Hogs would be sitting pretty.
Trying hard isn’t a stat anybody keeps
Here’s the thing about a scoreboard. It doesn’t have a box for hustle.
Georgia didn’t hand out bonus points for trying last Saturday. The No. 2 Bulldogs just won 45-17.
Silverfield wants folks to know nobody quit in that one. He’s right. Arkansas found the end zone twice after the third quarter ended.
“You can put on the film, and you couldn’t tell whether it’s the first play of the game or the last play of the fourth quarter,” he said.
That’s a kind thing to say about a team. It’s also a kind thing to say about a team that lost by 28.
So let’s take the coach at his word. All 200 people are giving it everything they’ve got.
That’s exactly the problem.
Time to find 200 new hard workers
If 200 people are doing their very best and the record is 1-2, their best might not cut it.
Hard work isn’t rare. Plenty of folks in this state get up early and grind all day.
So here’s a simple plan. Swap all 200 out. Go find 200 more who’ll work just as hard.
Then see if their best wins a few more games.
Worst case, the new crew goes 1-2 while trying really hard. That’s the same spot the Razorbacks are in right now.
Best case, somebody in the fresh bunch remembers to hang onto the football.
To be fair, Silverfield says the current group is locked in. “The guys are fully bought in, and the effort is certainly there,” he said.
ALL IN except for the small stuff
The offseason slogan was ALL IN. The L was supposed to stand for the little things.
Three games later, those little things keep showing up as turnovers, yellow flags and missed signals.
Those aren’t effort mistakes. Those are focus and coaching mistakes.
The coach says the message this week has been simple. “That’s kind of been the message, even yesterday morning and this morning is, ‘Find a way to improve every single day,'” he said.
Getting better every day sounds great. So does winning on Saturday.
Silverfield also shared a hope for the future. “Hopefully, we’re fighting in the end with a lead, which will be nice,” he said.
Nice is one word for it. Fans would probably pick a stronger one.
Tulsa is the next test
Tulsa comes to town Saturday night.
The Golden Hurricane won’t get a big check for this trip. The $1.5 million bill comes due next season, when the Razorbacks make the return trip to Chapman Stadium.
So the Hogs are hosting a team they’ll pay later. That’s a fun way to set up a game you can’t lose.
Arkansas should have the better roster Saturday. That was supposed to be the case against Utah too.
The transfer portal and NIL let a new coach restock fast. That makes a slow start tough to explain away.
After Tulsa, the Razorbacks head to College Station to face Texas A&M.
Nobody’s asking those 200 people to try harder. Folks would just like them to win.
