Ryan Silverfield era already on life support after QB debacle vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Take note, NCAA: the Arkansas Razorbacks just gave everyone the blueprint on how to lose a fanbase.

Heading into their Week 3 matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs, it's safe to say no reasonable Razorback fan thought the team would keep things close with Kirby Smart's squad, let alone emerge victorious. However, what unfolded in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium this Saturday was arguably even worse than expected.

As the state of Arkansas grows increasingly discontent with the University of Arkansas' football program after multiple blowout losses in a row, it remains to be seen whether negative sentiment among the fanbase will reach critical mass -- and whether it will cost Hunter Yurachek and/or Ryan Silverfield their jobs if it does.

If Razorback football wants to do the near-impossible and get things back on track, it will have to start with the position where the Hogs have struggled most over the past two weeks: quarterback.

KJ Jackson & AJ Hill split time in embarrassing 45-17 loss to Georgia

Arkansas Razorback fans have known that their football team has had a QB battle on its hands for months. That said, there's a major difference between a position battle and alternating quarterbacks against the No. 2-ranked team in the country.

It was never close against the Georgia Bulldogs, who stifled both KJ Jackson and AJ Hill on Saturday. Jackson ultimately finished 20-for-27 for 212 yards while Hill went 8-for-14 for 76 yards. The Hogs generated 305 total yards, but almost none of that production came on the ground, as Georgia held Arkansas to a paltry 17 rushing yards on 28 attempts.

Silverfield began rotating his quarterbacks almost immediately. Jackson started the game, Hill entered for Arkansas' third possession, and the two continued trading opportunities as the Hogs searched for something -- or someone -- that could consistently move the football. Instead, Arkansas entered halftime down 21-3 and fell behind 31-3 before the third quarter was over.

Ryan Silverfield is clearly aware of the comments surrounding his job security last week, and I'm not trying to suggest that it would be rational to fire him three games into his tenure as the Arkansas Razorbacks' head coach. But something about watching him encourage the sideline to hold four fingers up as they entered the fourth quarter -- with large sections of the stadium already empty, some fans wearing brown paper bags, and the Hogs down 31-3 -- doesn't exactly sit right as a fan, especially when Kirby Smart was actively coaching, calling timeouts, and correcting mistakes until the final moments of the game.

Yelling at players and berating the referees doesn't inherently make anyone a good coach, but neither does alternating quarterbacks in a game when all the Hogs are realistically trying to gain is a bit of team continuity. Nothing from AJ Hill's previous tape suggests that he was going to turn things around against Georgia on Saturday, and throwing him to the wolves against one of the best teams in college football is an easy way to dash a freshman transfer's confidence for the rest of the season. Plus, he simply hasn't performed at the same level as KJ Jackson, even if Jackson has underwhelmed.

Saturday only widened the gap. While Jackson didn't do anything crazy statistically, he ultimately completed nearly 75% of his passes and directed all three Arkansas scoring drives. He also committed the Hogs' lone turnover on a third-quarter strip sack, so it certainly wasn't a perfect outing, but compared to Hill, there wasn't much ambiguity about which quarterback gave Arkansas the better chance to move the ball.

Even if Jackson isn't a top-tier college QB, he's the best that the Razorbacks have shown through three games, making Ryan Silverfield's ill-fated attempts to bring AJ Hill off the bench feel counterproductive to the cause.

It's especially frustrating, because quarterback play wasn't even Arkansas' biggest problem against Georgia. The Razorbacks were outrushed 254-17, surrendered four sacks, had a punt blocked, and didn't score a touchdown until Georgia had already taken a 38-3 lead and begun cycling defensive reserves into the game. Even from a schematic level, there are huge issues at play right now in Tim Cramsey's offense (that double pass to AJ Hill was high school-level shenanigans).

The Razorbacks have officially lost 12 straight games to FBS opponents, as well as 12 straight SEC contests. As fun as it briefly was to watch Chris Marshall (seven receptions, 104 receiving yards) show why he once ranked as a five-star recruit, they're going to face an uphill battle every single week until they create a sense of cohesion at the QB position.

Following the Utah loss, Ryan Silverfield said he would become concerned "if that process was no longer being trusted," while pushing back against people already trying to write his coaching "obituary." Three games into his tenure, nobody should be writing that obituary yet. But when fans are boycotting games, paper bags are appearing in the stands, and the Hogs are 1-2 after consecutive losses by a combined 61 points, Silverfield desperately needs to give Arkansas fans a reason to trust the process.

If he doesn't, those comments could age as poorly as any in Razorback history.

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