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Former Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt: ‘I give Coach Pittman and his staff such great credit’

By Jacob Ellerbee

Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt looks at the scoreboard during the SEC Championship game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Florida Gators at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 2, 2006. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt looks at the scoreboard during the SEC Championship game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Florida Gators at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 2, 2006. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /
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Former Arkansas Football Head Coach Houston Nutt recently appeared on The Razorback Daily Podcast to talk about the success of the 2021 Razorbacks.

Nutt gave his thoughts on Sam Pittman, KJ Jefferson and a host of other topics.

Houston Nutt, who coached Arkansas from 1998-2007, gave heavy praise to the current state of Razorback football

Nutt has been particularly impressed with the play and development of quarterback KJ Jefferson.

“I tell you,” Nutt said to podcast hosts Quinn Grovey and Matt Zimmerman. “I love what KJ has done. I love his leadership. I love the way he throws the football. I love the way he throws the deep ball—the deep ball has great trajectory and he drops it in away from the defender where Treylon Burks and those guys can go get it. I think he’s been really good,” Nutt said.

The former head Hog had some laughs at the expense of the linebackers and safeties that are tasked with trying to stop Jefferson.

“I don’t know a guy with— what is he 248, 245? I tell you what—the guy can run and he can run well enough to keep you honest and those free safeties don’t wanna tackle him,” the former coach said.

Nutt gave praise to current Head Coach Sam Pittman, telling listeners not to take anything for granted in the SEC— it’s a hard place to win ball games.

“That’s where I give Coach Pittman and his staff such great credit. It’s not easy. You’re in the toughest league in America, guys. Have you played Georgia at Athens? Have you played Alabama in Tuscaloosa and then come to Arkansas? Have you gone to that back to back to back? It’s the grind of it [that’s so difficult],” he said.

But the highlight of the conversation was Nutt romanticizing and reminiscing the pageantry of Arkansas Football.

“When I saw that stadium against Texas where there wasn’t an empty seat— that’s what gives me chills,” Nutt said recounting memories of being on the sidelines all those years ago.

“That’s what I remember, is when that stadium is full and when you have [a capacity crowd of] seventy-two-five callin’ those Hogs and you’ve got the cheerleaders and you’ve got the band— you’ve got everybody into it playing those plays with you. And then, after the game, when you see that sea of red on the field in that celebrated place on the field and in that celebrated locker room— hey, there’s nothing like that,” he said fondly.

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