Four Years Later, Mississippi Schools Pose Boomerang Threat to Pittman

Lane Kiffin, Sam Pittman, Jeff Lebby, Arkansas football, Ole Miss football, Mississippi State football, Arkansas vs Mississippi State
photo credit: Ole Miss Athletics / Craven Whitlow / MSU Athletics

Arkansas fans may have recently found themselves back on the Sam Pittman hype train, which was rapidly gaining momentum heading into Saturday’s homecoming matchup against LSU. However, after an uninspiring 24-point loss to the Tigers, Pittman will need to get it straightened out on the road against Mississippi State this weekend, just as he got things kicked off back in 2020.

The Pittman era in Fayetteville has been a roller-coaster since the Mississippi State and Ole Miss wins more than four years ago, to say the least. Expectations weren’t particularly high for the former Georgia O-line coach heading into his first, pandemic-altered season in 2020. After a surprisingly optimistic 3-7 (4-6 depending on who you ask) debut campaign, the Hogs put together 9-4 and 7-6 seasons in Pittman’s second and third years, respectively.

Last season, though, it seemed to all come crashing down. The Razorbacks managed just four wins, with only one in the SEC, and saw the departure of stars KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders. The current vibe surrounding the program after a disappointing loss to LSU starkly contrasts the vibe of the program after Pittman’s first ‘signature’ wins.

Remember How Arkansas Got Here?

The Pittman era kicked off with a boom. In just his second game as head coach he led his team into Starkville, where Arkansas knocked off the No. 16 Bulldogs 24-21. It was then that “turn that damn jukebox on” was born, and Arkansas football formed a new identity of physicality and intensity under Pittman & Co.

Just two weeks later, the Razorbacks proclaimed themselves the kings of Mississippi as they took Ole Miss to the woodshed, beating the Rebels 33-21 inside Razorback Stadium thanks in part to picking off Matt Corral six times, half of which were by then redshirt freshman walk-on Hudson Clark, who is still on the team in 2024.

The three-way ‘rivalry’ that Arkansas shares with the Mississippi schools has a storied past. The one with Ole Miss extends back more than 100 years, but just think back to the Henry Heave in 2015 – the same year as Brandon Allen and Dak Prescott’s shootout duel that resulted in a 51-50 win for Mississippi State. The rivalry also extends to baseball, where all three teams are almost always national championship contenders. So, it seems fitting that wins over those two are somewhat responsible for one of the most memorable “ups” of an up-and-down tenure.

Now, four years after those games, the Bulldogs and Rebels could single-handedly decide Sam Pittman’s fate over the next two weeks. 

An All Important Two-Week Stretch for Arkansas

Arkansas finds itself with a record of 4-3 (2-2 SEC) as it prepares to head to ‘Starkvegas’ this weekend, before hosting Ole Miss the following week. Talks of national rankings and College Football Playoff contention have quickly faded to a sense of urgency to win one of the Mississippi games in order to secure bowl eligibility, assuming the Hogs can take care of Louisiana Tech later in the year.

With at least one win over the next two weeks, Sam Pittman has as good of a chance as he’ll get to put the proverbial ice pack on his warming seat. If the Razorbacks can manage that, and take care of one of Texas, Missouri or the obvious favorite Louisiana Tech Bulldogs down the stretch, a bowl berth will likely land the head Hog at least another year in Fayetteville.

However, if the Mississippi schools sweep the next two weeks, Pittman may have dug himself a hole too deep to climb out of, and the same two schools that once launched him into fan-favoritism may just as quickly throw him in the doghouse.

The Realistic Route To Job Security for Pittman

The first of the two upcoming Mississippi games appears more winnable than the second. The No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels will almost certainly be favored when they come to Fayetteville on Nov. 2, and Lane Kiffin’s high-powered offense could give the Hogs some serious trouble.

On the other hand, the Razorbacks currently have a 60.2% chance to beat Mississippi State on the road this weekend according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, and opened as 8.5-point favorites.

The Bulldogs have had a season to forget so far as they sit at 1-6 with a lowly win over Eastern Kentucky to open the season. Since then, they have been blown out by Toledo at home, lost starting quarterback Blake Shapen to injury, and racked up five more losses in Jeff Lebby’s first season as head coach. 

However, Mississippi State football is actually trending in the right direction after the last couple weeks. Shapen’s season-ending shoulder injury opened the door for true freshman Michael Van Buren, who has made the most of his opportunity and earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors in Week 7.

Under Van Buren’s direction, the Bulldogs have shown promise. They gave No. 1 Texas a run for their money in the first half in Austin a few weeks back, then put up 31 points on a stout Georgia defense on the road. Last week, Lebby’s squad put up another respectable fight at home against No. 14 Texas A&M, losing 34-24.

It seems fair to assume this one won’t be any kind of cakewalk for Pittman’s crew this weekend, considering the struggles that teams of higher pedigree have had against the feisty Bulldogs. 

Cross the Mississippi as Washington Did the Delaware 

The state of Mississippi holds the key to Sam Pittman’s future. A successful venture to Starkville would nearly ensure a bowl berth, which would save his job, but a loss to the Bulldogs would almost certainly have people calling for him to be fired. 

History tells us that Pittman has a good chance to split the next two games, as he is 4-4 against Mississippi State and Ole Miss during his tenure. Only one of those wins happened in the state of Mississippi, though, and that was the win that kicked it all off back in 2020.

After all of the ups and downs of Arkansas’ last four seasons, the Mississippi schools have a chance to practically close the book on the Pittman era. They can come back like the haunting whoosh of a boomerang that once launched the Razorbacks into a return in relevancy in the post-Chad Morris era. 

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YouTube video
YouTube video

Hear from Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman on this week’s SEC coaches teleconference, previewing Arkansas vs Mississippi State:

YouTube video

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