Three reasons Arkansas football won't have success in 2024

Special Teams/Decision-Making

Special teams and decision-making are going into this together because they are intertwined often. "Should we go for it, or punt it away?" "Is this the right time for a fake?" "Are we confident enough in our kicker to run out the clock, or do we need to take a shot at the endzone?"

Head coaches ask themselves questions along those lines multiple times a game. In years past, Arkansas has had trouble making not only the correct decision but making it promptly. For example, in one of the worst losses in Pittman's tenure, Arkansas's head coach waited too long to call up the field goal unit in the 7-3 loss against Mississippi State in 2023, forcing the Razorbacks to punt. When asked in the post-game press conference why he made the decision, he said, "I didn't know what to do, to be perfectly honest with you," which is never the thing to say as the leader of a team.

However, the special teams, by itself, could be a problem this year. Last season, the special teams, apart from a couple of mistakes, weren'tbad. Arkansas ranked 29th in Special Teams FEI and had one of the best field goal kickers in the country. However, both of Arkansas's specialists are no longer in Fayetteville. Cam Little was drafted to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2024 NFL draft, and Max Fletcher entered the transfer portal and landed with his brother at Cincinnati. Instead, Arkansas will have to rely on unproven talent or transfers to take over.

Regardless, Arkansas is bound to take a step back in special teams. And having Bobby Petrino to bounce ideas off of in game might help Coach Pittman in his decision making, but he still has the final say, and his judgement needs to get better quickly if Arkansas stands a chance at making a bowl game.