Ryan Silverfield showed up at Arkansas in December with a short list of things he wanted fixed.
Taking the football away from opponents sat near the top of it.
Saturday night might be the best shot yet to show that message sank in. It hasn’t even been much of a thought so far this season with only a single interception and a lone fumble recovery.
That wasn’t close to what the coach was wanting.
The Razorbacks host 3-0 Tulsa at 7 p.m. Fans will get a night kickoff in Fayetteville this time around, and the game streams on SEC Network+.
It’s also a game Arkansas pretty much has to win.
Utah and Georgia combined for 88 points on the Hogs. Arkansas answered with 27. A third week like that isn’t an option.
A backup quarterback walks into a night game
A bad knee has Baylor Hayes, Tulsa’s usual quarterback, unlikely to suit up.
That likely hands the Golden Hurricane offense to Dexter Williams II.
Tulsa is stop No. 4 for Williams. Indiana, Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State came first.
He looked sharp last week. Williams threw for 164 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-26 passing in a 42-0 rout of East Texas A&M.
Arkansas defensive coordinator Ron Roberts isn’t overlooking him.
“The backup that came in last week is a really athletic kid,” Roberts said Tuesday. “He’s been around a while. He’s got a really talented arm and he did some improvising Saturday, obviously made some really nice plays.
“He’s athletic, he can run. So I don’t know how much quarterback designed runs we’ll see with him if the other guy’s hurt, but obviously he’s got some juice to him, too. He’s athletic, he’s a dual-threat guy.”
Why takeaways matter so much right now
A quarterback who likes to improvise can make big plays. He can also make mistakes for a defense that’s paying attention.
Second-string passers have enjoyed some of their best afternoons against the Razorbacks lately.
Flipping that script starts with getting hands on the football.
The offense could sure use the help. Twenty handoffs against Georgia produced 17 yards. You’d gain more walking to the concession stand.
Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey knows that can’t continue.
“There’s things we’re trying to trying to do – ways to get the ball outside, ways to loosen that,” Cramsey said. “But we got to do a much better job in the run game. We cannot be a one-dimensional offense at this level, and that’s where we are right now.
“And that’s making the protection harder to do. That’s making the quarterbacks throwing and catching harder to do. We got to fix that, and we got to fix that pretty dang quick.”
Short fields would make his job a whole lot easier.
Tulsa’s defense won’t hand out many gifts
The Golden Hurricane haven’t lost yet. They knocked off Oklahoma State to get things rolling.
Silverfield has noticed.
“Coach (Tre) Lamb’s done a fantastic job there and getting it turned around,” Silverfield said Monday. “Obviously, their defense is playing completely lights out. 10 sacks, and only allowing nine points per game.”
If Arkansas can’t move the ball on the ground against that group, a takeaway or two might be the difference.
The quarterback spot doesn’t offer much clarity either. KJ Jackson sits atop the depth chart for now after going 20-for-27 for 212 yards and a touchdown against Georgia.
AJ Hill finished 8-of-14 for 76 yards. His pass catchers let a few catchable balls hit the turf, and tight end Matt Adcock had a wide-open one get away before halftime.
Silverfield said the staff is still working through it.
“Watch the film, learn from it, see some good, bad, and ugly,” Silverfield said. “Have the discussions with our coordinator Tim Cramsey and the quarterback coach and then with the quarterbacks, and then really want to see how they progress this week.”
What a win would mean
Nobody around the program wants a repeat of a 2-10 finish.
Silverfield preached turnovers from his first day on the job. Now his defense gets a well-traveled quarterback making his next start in a loud stadium after dark.
No one’s asking for a pick-six parade. One or two takeaways would do just fine.
