Petrino preps Razorbacks to weather hostile atmosphere at Tennessee

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino is issuing a warning to his Razorbacks to be ready for a difficult atmosphere when the team visits Tennessee.

He says noise, pressure and hostile surroundings at Neyland Stadium will pose a test, but he believes proper preparation and discipline can mute adversity.

“It’s awesome. It’s awesome,” Petrino said Monday of Neyland. “You always want to go into a hostile environment and have fun with it and go … It is different. It’ll be louder, it’ll be more hostile than Ole Miss was, but we’ve got to do a good job preparing for it.”

He noted that Arkansas handled noise and communication fairly well in its road game at Ole Miss, but added that Tennessee’s home crowd will present a tougher test.

“What that says is that you come off the practice field with a headache every day because that noise you play out there is awful,” Petrino said.”

Hostile crowd, high stakes

Knoxville figures to bring one of the most intense atmospheres Arkansas will face this season.

The Vols, historically strong at home, enjoy robust fan support, and opposing teams often struggle with communication and momentum swings in that environment.

Petrino has stressed that Arkansas must move the ball, avoid pre-snap penalties and stay poised if the crowd rises.

“I felt like at Ole Miss, we did a really nice job of handling the noise, the communication — the knock on wood — didn’t have pre-snap penalties,” he said.

He also acknowledged that Tennessee’s home environment will amplify those challenges but said he’s optimistic the Razorbacks can manage them.

Petrino, formerly Arkansas’s offensive coordinator, explained how his role has shifted in his interim head coaching position, particularly in managing two-minute and end-of-half situations.

“I’ve got to do a good job of just keeping my poise on the sideline,” he said. “Seeing the defenses and really understanding what’s going on out on the field.”

He also said that becoming head coach has slightly altered how he views timeouts and flow, making certain in-game decisions more intuitive.

Defensive adjustments, offensive balance

On the defensive side, Arkansas has made changes to its coaching staff, and Petrino praised interim defensive coordinator Chris Wilson for bringing clarity and effort to the unit.

He also referenced the hiring of Jay Hayes for the defensive line and expressed confidence in their work.

Against Tennessee, he said Arkansas must defend both the run and the pass, stressing fundamentals such as gap integrity, tackling, and team accountability.

Offensively, Petrino emphasized consistency and better play in the second half, especially in the third quarter. He said running the ball more effectively will be crucial.

Tennessee response and motivation

The Vols expect to feed off their home crowd and use that energy to keep Arkansas on its heels.

True freshman tight end Jack Van Dorselaer called the matchup “personal” and suggested Tennessee will treat the game with heightened intensity.

Arkansas fans, meanwhile, anticipate a challenging road environment.

On message boards, some fans have speculated about the Razorbacks employing exotic defensive looks — from a 3-4 base with aggressive blitzing to a 4-3 scheme with surprise pressure — in hopes of disrupting Tennessee’s offense.

History, rivalry and expectations

While the Arkansas–Tennessee matchup isn’t as longstanding as some SEC rivalries, recent games have carried weight. For the first 11 seasons the Hogs were in the SEC (1992-2002) the Vols were one of the teams from the East they played every year.

Some of the games since have made headlines. Last year, Arkansas pulled off a surprise home win over Tennessee, and that momentum feeds into this season’s expectations.

Tennessee enters this game as a strong favorite, and the Vols will aim to protect their home field before a tough road stretch ahead. Arkansas, by contrast, sees the contest as a measuring stick under new leadership and hopes to momentarily silence a hostile stadium.

What to watch

• Turnover and penalty margin — In loud environments, small mistakes compound.

• Third-quarter adjustments — Petrino has flagged that segment as critical going forward.

• Defensive reactions — Will Arkansas’s defense be sturdy enough to withstand Tennessee’s balanced offense?

Key takeaways

• Petrino expects Neyland Stadium to be more hostile than Ole Miss, yet believes Arkansas can manage it through preparation.

• Defensive shift under Wilson and Hayes aims to boost fundamentals, particularly in run and pass defense.

• Tennessee players view the game as high-stakes and personal, setting the stage for an emotionally charged contest.