Arkansas Football: Sam Pittman previews game against Bulldogs

On Wednesday afternoon, Arkansas football head coach Sam Pittman met with the media to preview Saturday’s game against Mississippi State. Below are some highlights of that meeting with the press.

On taking Arkansas football losing back-to-back games: “Losses last a lot longer than wins do. It’s just no fun when you lose, for the team, for any of us. But the bottom line is we have a great opportunity against a good football team to go down there and play hard and win.”

On Mississippi State’s offensive line: “I think they’re really good. They’re physical. They’re running the ball better. Their splits are getting wider and wider this year…There’s not a lot of teams that go after them and blitz them…”

On coaching linebacker Bumper Pool breaking the Arkansas football career tackle record: “Football’s such a physical sport, and linebackers, you know, they have to be tough…He certainly has earned it. He played through a lot of games where he didn’t feel particularly well. But I hope he gets it, and he certainly has earned it if he does.”

Arkansas football head coach Sam Pittman prepped the media for Saturday’s game against Mississippi State.

On moving Sam Mbake to corner: “He had been physical on special teams, and he’s got the range and the size and all that…I think he’s going to be a good player for us, whether it’s over there or wideout eventually, but he’s very talented.”

On KJ Jefferson’s status to play for Arkansas football on Saturday: “We’ve kinda got a rule: you’ve gotta practice, you’ve gotta do something on Wednesday…you have to participate in practice on Wednesday in order to travel to the game, so that will check that box. I can tell you, he’s going to be on the plane…assuming I don’t hear that he didn’t practice.”

On if he thought his “Jukebox” catchphrase would become so popular: “Well, certainly, no, because I never remembered saying it. It was one of those ol’ box music things over by a pole…you know everybody’s away locker room’s not very good. It was just sitting there, it was a boom box, I think…I never thought another word of it. The next thing I know, you’ve got jukeboxes on t-shirts.”